Question for Perry Shooter re: plastic shok buffer

gknaka2

In one of your previous posts, I don't remember which, you discouraged the use of plastic "shock buffers"...the things that go on the recoil spring guide.

Why is this? If anyone else knows, please chime in.

perry shooter

Hello The 1911 as it is made and shipped has a Slide that is designed to fully cycle and just kiss the frame at the end on it's cycle. it is designed to function with factory Loads and the average shooter . Two things can affect this operation# 1 either a lighter or heavier load then NORMAL and #2 either a LIGHTER/weaker or HEAVIER or harder holding shooter.. a buffer May work to prevent Damage to a pistol with a heavy load and heavy hard holding shooter BUT#1 a Buffer can and will break in time with these conditions.#2 it will prevent the slide from fully cycling by the thickness of the buffer. This can & will show up as the slide stop pin not fully engaging the notch in the slide resulting in a battered slide notch or pin or both,and #3 it can and will change the timing between the time the breach face of the slide clears the top round on it's way rearward and the time it contact this cartridge on the forward stroke of the slide this will prevent the cartridge from being fully up the breach face as the cartridge starts to chamber thus giving FTF problems. If you want to shoot heavy loads or lighter loads then IMHO the correct method is to buy a spring pack from Brownells or Wilson. or Wolff and match the spring to the load and shooter. . IE use the heaviest recoil spring that will fully cycle the slide one test is to load a magazine with one round if the slide does not lock back then the spring is too heavy. This method leaves nothing to break. the recoil spring will not be over stressed ETC . I have one pistol with over 300,000 rounds no frame damage and recoil spring with over 200,000 rounds and the only reason I changed it the first time was when I mounted a RED DOT on the slide and had to go with a weaker spring to fully cycle the slide with a load that tested as accurate in my gun . I could have just increased the powder charge but then group size opened up.

gknaka2

A fine reply as always, thank you.

B17-P51

This is not intended to override Perrys excellant instructions but rather to simplify them.I got this advice from someone I trust and knew the 1911 almost as good as Karl. Buy the spring pak as described, keep putting in progressivly heavier springs until the pistol will not function reliably and go back 1 spring. Works every time.