Sidearms & Scatterguns 1911 main spring help

mzvarner

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 7, 2013
510
379
Spokane, WA
I have a SA Range Officer in 45acp, and have never detail stripped. Being a shitty rainy day, I decided today was the day. But when it was all apart I noticed the little 90* tab on the main sear spring broke off. How crucial is this tab? Can I run it without? It is a cheap part to replace, but I hear of needing to "tune" a new one? What says you?
 
Last edited:
Do you mean the sear spring?


Screenshot_20200126-123630_1580060242264.jpg
 
I agree, must be the sear spring. Wonder if he's talking about the bottom tab (circled) or the end of one of the fingers. Either way, I doubt it'll run. Don't fear tuning, just means bending those fingers a little. Info is easy to find.
 
Tuning is a piece of cake. Just bend it until you get the engagement and feel you want. If your new one is shipped in a plastic bag or other soft packaging you will likely have to put a little bend back in it anyway. Usually the part the engages and puts pressure on the grip safety gets smashed flat.
 
Bottom tab locates the spring

the little bend on the left leg is only there to disassembled the mag catch I think.

Uh, I've owned 1911s for 20yrs and didnt know this. I've always used a proper sized hollow ground flat bit. OP, there is a very narrow window to push the mag release. Lightly turn on screw as you depress the mag catch.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mzvarner
PSA -Unless you find yourself on the Gomer Pyle TV set and Sgt. Carter insists you must effect a magazine catch removal evolution, it is poor gunsmithing form to attempt disassembly of the 1911 with empty .45 cartridge and sear springs. Someone has already mentioned the proper style screwdriver for the task. "Per instructions to take down the mag catch"? Please post those mfg. instructions as I have never seen or heard of such a recommendation and I am pretty familiar with the platform.

Also, note that some mfg. locate the retaining tab on the magazine catch aligned as well as at 90 degrees from the screw slot.


Screen Shot 2020-01-29 at 6.59.07 PM.png
Screen Shot 2020-01-29 at 6.59.16 PM.png
Screen Shot 2020-01-29 at 6.53.42 PM.png
Screen Shot 2020-01-29 at 6.53.27 PM.png
Screen Shot 2020-01-29 at 6.53.16 PM.png
Screen Shot 2020-01-29 at 6.52.37 PM.png
 
I have a SA Range Officer in 45acp, and have never detail stripped. Being a shitty rainy day, I decided today was the day. But when it was all apart I noticed the little 90* tab on the main sear spring broke off. How crucial is this tab? Can I run it without? It is a cheap part to replace, but I hear of needing to "tune" a new one? What says you?

Tuning is easy like if you gently bend the number 2 leaf which ever way you are tuning, but I wouldn’t go around with a broken leaf spring. The parts inside of it are by design, so replace that spring. I recommend Wilson combat bullet proof series.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mzvarner
Brownells has an excellent article about 1911 trigger job tuning. The title mentions a 2.5lb trigger pull, but once you get into the meat of the directions, you can set the leaf spring tensions to obtain any trigger pull weight you want to.

 
I've been building and tuning 1911s since I was 12 or so. My .02 on leaf springs is that 99% of the time, you cannot do better than to buy a Cylinder and Slide light sear spring, and just plop it in. I could swear they are standard Colt, but perhaps they have some vudoo. Anyway, you cannot tune a Wilson, Wolff etc sear spring better than the C&S one.

From there, most of your work should be on the sear itself in doing a trigger job. With a stock SA hammer, you might need to square up the hooks, and shorten them down to 20 thou, but you would probably be better off replacing the hammer with a tool steel Wilson or Harrison (or any other, most come out of the same Extreme Engineering shop, though not Wilson.) They will be square and twenty. I think you can get a sweet pull at 20 without trying to shorten them to 18, at which point you are tempting fate.

With the sear, you kind of have to learn what kind of pull feel you like. The two basic jigs are the Brown and the Harrison radius. I like the radius feel, and think that you can get a better feeling 3.5 lb trigger with that than you can a 2.5 lb trigger otherwise. Just go slowly, and make sure you stay square. Use a lot of sharpie.

Anyway, I think you are a lot better off tuning in that manner. The leaf spring allows you to lighten the various stages of the trigger, but what makes a 1911 sweet is a trigger that has no creep and is crisp yet requires only a gentle touch. You get that through geometry, not spring weight.

Also, make sure your trigger bow isn't dragging. That can cause a lot of extra weight for no good reason.
 
I was just saying the other day what a genius John Browning was.
Then comes along this thread and it amazes me just how much we take for granted his knowledge!
I've had 1911's most of my adult life and never knew most of the stuff you guys have posted in this short thread!
I really think there should be a 1911 Sticky Thread!
THE 1911 WILL NEVER DIE!