Ruger Bisley .44

(I wrote this a few years ago right after I picked up my new Bisley.  I have since fitted an oversized Belt Mountain cylinder base pin and added a set of ivory Micarta stocks.) 

I picked up my new Ruger Bisley revolver today.  It has a 7 ½ inch barrel and is a .44 magnum. 

 

I bought my first .44 magnum many years ago.  It was the Ruger Redhawk with a 7 ½ inch barrel.  When I bought the Redhawk I was very concerned over the tales I had heard about the horrible recoil of the .44 magnum.  I chose a big heavy pistol to lessen the recoil and decided that, if I couldn’t handle the .44 magnum, I would just use the less powerful .44 specials.  The Redhawk turned out to be a perfectly comfortable pistol to fire with the magnum loads. 

 

I had one box of Remington ammo I was using in the Redhawk that went bad on me.  The powder wasn’t igniting properly.  When I fired the pistol, the bullet would take a remarkably long time to exit the muzzle the whole while powder was burning and whistling out the cylinder gap.  The bullet would finally exit the barrel with a mild pop and bounce it’s way toward the target on the ground.  I would open the cylinder, blow the unburned powder out of the pistol, and make sure the bore was clear before I fired the next shot.  The whole incident was pretty funny. 

 

The Redhawk was a nice pistol but it was too long and heavy to carry comfortably in a belt holster.  So, I sold the Redhawk and bought a Smith & Wesson model 629 .44 with a 4 inch barrel.  I still have the 629.  The 629 is a joy to carry and not too uncomfortable with the recoil.  I wore that pistol out, rebuilt it, and retired it. 

 

For use with heavy hunting loads and to save wear and tear on the 629, I bought a Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 with a 4 5/8 inch barrel.  At the same time I bought a matching Single Six .22 so I’d have a neat pair of hunting handguns.  I still have both of those.  When I got it, the short barreled Super Blackhawk was a limited edition; it has since been added to regular production.

 

To replace my retired 629 I bought a Smith and Wesson Mountain Gun in .44 a couple of years ago.  It’s virtually the same as the 629 but even lighter and handier. 

 

My arthritis is getting bad enough that any of the light pistols are getting painful to shoot so I thought I’d get something a bit bigger for target shooting and hunting. 

 

I looked at Taurus, Smith & Wesson, Freedom Arms, and Ruger and decided to get another Ruger.  The Ruger Bisley is well known for being exceptionally comfortable to shoot and is modified to make the huge custom .475 and .500 magnums for just that reason.  I considered the Bisley in .45 Colt as the .45 has slightly less recoil than the .44.  Had I purchased a .45 Colt, I would have had to buy reloading dies and bullet moulds for the .45; I already have those for the .44.  Also, the Ruger .45s frequently have undersized chamber throats that require honing to bring within specs.  To minimize the chance of having to do any machine work, I opted for the .44 Bisley with the long barrel and adjustable sights. 

 

I priced around and finally had Dave at Octagon Guns here in Show Low order a Bisley for me.  Apparently they’re being discontinued so I guess my timing was good. 

 

I got my pistol home and did a function check before I detail stripped it and cleaned it.  Ruger has started putting an internal lock on their pistols but my Bisley didn’t have one saving me the trouble of removing it.  The chambers are a little rough but the throats were right in spec and won’t require honing.  Dave was trying to be helpful and used his favorite lube, Snake Oil, on the pistol before I picked it up.  Snake Oil smells really awful so I cleaned it and the lube that the Ruger factory used and replaced them with a light Teflon oil, and a moly grease on the high wear points. 

 

The cylinder base pin is typically undersized on the new Rugers and mine is no exception.  For 25 bucks I’ll order a Belt Mountain oversized replacement and that should tighten things up considerably.  Otherwise, the cylinder gap is good and there’s virtually no end-shake. 

 

I’m glad I cleaned the pistol before firing it as there were several chips of metal left over from machining in the action (not atypical for new pistols).  When I reassembled the pistol, I was pleasantly surprised to find the trigger pull is quite good.  Many of the Rugers come from the factory with very heavy triggers.  Although I’m quite capable of doing a trigger job, I’m glad I don’t have to mess with it. 

 

Now, all I have to do is load up some ammo and hit the target range.  I’m looking forward to seeing how the Bisley will do at long range.

Beaver Guns

The highway department in Wisconsin was having more and more trouble with the pesky beavers plugging up the drainage ditches and culverts and flooding the highways.  One of the road crews came into my shop and told me they’d been given permission to shoot the beavers.  They were also given funding to buy pistols to shoot the beavers so they were out shopping for beaver guns. 

 

At first I showed them some .22 pistols but they wanted something bigger.  I can only imagine they were concerned about being charged by angry beavers or, perhaps they had heard about the giant 10-foot beavers that roamed the land before the last ice age.  I showed them some .38 revolvers but they thought a high-capacity 9mm would be better.  Again, I imagine it was in case they were charged by mobs of angry beavers. 

 

We looked at the Sigs and Berettas but they retailed for over $600 at the time.  This was somewhat amusing as Beretta won the low bid for the U. S. military by selling their pistols to the army for $215 each; I sure wasn’t getting the extra $385 in profit.  At the time Ruger was selling their 9mm for under $300 and the Ruger is a good, solid pistol.  The guys decided a Ruger would do for them so a Ruger they got. 

 

Over the next few weeks a number of other road crews came in to purchase their “Beaver Guns”.  It seems the Ruger 9mm had become the official Beaver Gun for the Wisconsin Highway Department and John’s Bow, Barrel, and Bait had become the official source for official Wisconsin Highway Department Beaver Guns. 

Types of Fire

Types of Fire

 

When we shoot, we need to understand what it is we’re trying to accomplish by shooting.  The U.S. Military has developed a number of terms to describe the different basic “missions” we may be trying to accomplish with small arms fire.  Some of these terms are described in the current machinegun manuals.  The MG manuals also cover several other types of fire that don’t particularly apply with anything other than a sustained fire capable weapon.  I hope by discussing some of these fire missions it will help you decide what it is you are trying to do when you fire your weapon.

 

Effective Fire - This is the most basic form of fire.  You are trying to hit your target and get all the terminal effect your weapon is capable of. 

 

Suppressive Fire - This is when you are shooting at your opponent(s) to interfere with his ability to function or to “suppress” him.  Suppression fire has also been called “protective” fire.  Suppression fire is not spray-n-pray.  Spray-n-pray, when you spray rounds in the general direction of your opponent and pray that one of them strikes home, is an attempt at effective fire.  Suppression fire is not an attempt to hit your target although, if it does hit him, it becomes effective fire and your opponent becomes very suppressed. 

The thing to remember about suppression fire is that it is primarily psychological in effect.  Your opponent has to decide that the risk of sticking his head up is greater than the risk of staying where he is.  It is very difficult- if not impossible as an individual- to lay down a sufficient volume of fire that your opponent will be unable to move without being hit.  If your target is willing to risk the rounds headed his way, he may not be suppressed.  Herbert McBride wrote that, after awhile, one discovered that there was a lot of space between those machinegun bullets and it became easier (psychologically) to advance in their face.  In general though, well directed suppression fire works.  

A problem with suppression fire is the volume of fire it requires. You have to put enough lead down range that the other fellow decides he’d rather not risk it.  That’s one thing if you have an M249 with a 250 round belt and an assistant gunner to reload you, and it’s another thing if what you have is a 5 shot revolver with five more rounds in a speed strip. 

Another thing to remember is that suppressive fire is defensive in nature.  You win wars with the sword not the shield.  You’ve got some ne’er-do-well pinned down behind a large, totally bullet resistant rock.  You have your tricked out AK and a snazzy bug out bag full of magazines.  You begin laying down some suppression fire.  Every time you let up, your opponent waves his hand or fires a shot to let you know he’s still there so you fire some more.  As the sun sets, you run out of ammo.  Your opponent stands up, dusts himself off, saunters over and prepares to shoot you with his rusty six-shooter.  You draw your Glock and peg him between the eyes.  But, the point is, suppressive fire is not an end of itself but is just a way to buy you, or your partners, time to do something else.  If you’re suppressing this same fellow to give the rest of your fire team time to flank his sorry butt, you save wear and tear on your Glock.  Likewise, you may want to lay down a little suppression fire while you move to better cover or even just to buy enough time to figure out what it is you want to do.  Just keep in mind why it is you are using suppressive fire. 

Effective fire can have the same psychological effect as suppressive fire.  Carlos Hathcock and his spotter kept an entire company pinned down for several days with one-shot-one-kill effective fire.  A two man machinegun team in the same position probably would not have had the same effect because the Vietnamese wouldn’t have been as intimidated by something as familiar as machinegun fire. 

 

Directing fire - This is the quick and dirty method used to bring a target to the attention of the other team members.  You identify a target, get the attention of the other team members, perhaps give coarse directions to the target, and fire one or more rounds of tracer into the target.  Examples would include a sniper trying to bring some direct fire from heavier ordnance onto a strong point or a squad leader trying to direct some suppression fire from the rest of the squad or the MG team. 

 

Reconnaissance by fire - This is sometimes incorrectly called searching fire.  Searching fire is an indirect fire technique for machineguns.  Reconnaissance by fire means firing a round or rounds into an area just in case there’s an opponent there.  Reconnaissance by fire may inflict damage on the enemy or it may cause him to react when he believes you’re shooting at him rather than just guessing.  Obviously this has little civilian application.  An example would be, rather than approaching a closet where someone might be hiding, you fire a burst through the door at about knee height before opening the door.  Another example was a sniper attached to an Army Ranger unit in Viet Nam.  When the unit began receiving relatively close range fire from the brush, but was unable to pinpoint the source, this sniper would assume a stable position and shooting sling with his M21.  He would then proceed to fire a series of closely spaced shots through the concealment across the area of incoming fire.

 

Enfilade fire - When you stack (the old term was “flank”) multiple opponents and begin firing, you are taking them under enfilade fire.  By arranging your opponents in enfilade, the fellow up front acts as cover for you and any overpenetration or misses are likely to hit the fellows in the back.  This is most effective for machineguns as the beaten zone is usually oblong in shape and by maneuvering your opponents in a line along the long axis of the beaten zone, you get the most efficient use of ammunition. 

As an aside, I find it mind-boggling that two of the most elementary principles of tactics - movement, and flanking - have become a lost art and are having to be reintroduced to today’s fighters, but there it is. 

 

As you can see, several of these techniques will be of limited or no use outside the military context or with certain small arms.

Fakes and Frauds (Rant)

(Here's a rant I wrote a long time back.  Be aware that there are some obscenities in it.  I have since learned to ignore most of the Internet Idiots.) 

Fakes and Frauds

 

There are a lot of people on the Internet who are too lazy or cowardly to accomplish anything for themselves.  Fortunately for them, it’s easy to claim experience or qualifications that they don’t have.  Recently, I had quite a run-in with a fraud claiming to run a shooting school in Minnesota.  He claimed he was an ex-cop with “many years of experience” and an ex-Chief of Police.  When I tried to pin down where he supposedly served, he became evasive and abusive.  He’s a cagey SOB and he’s very careful about giving actual specifics about his claims.  What investigations I was able to complete with a few phone calls convinced me that he was a fraud and I wasn’t willing to spend any more time on that loser.

 

This jerk and others like him are able to gather a following of believers on forums and Newsgroups.  The response by them and their followers to anyone who questions their qualifications or takes exception to the information they’re handing out is to flame ‘em till they go away.  Often they will demand that others “prove” that they are lying.  You can’t prove a negative.  Given enough time and some specific claims you can usually weed out the lies but these guys are pretty clever.  They will usually try to avoid getting specific and when backed into a corner will respond by getting hostile rather than proving what they say.

 

What makes these people dangerous (and annoying) is the fact that they don’t usually know what they are talking about.  If they were content with quoting reliable sources, that wouldn’t be a serious problem, but they don’t even know what sources are reliable.  In addition, there is a tendency for these people to increase their apparent importance by giving information or advice that goes against conventional wisdom.  What they don’t care about is the fact that often conventional wisdom is established through experience; experience that they lack.  In some areas that doesn’t really mean anything.  When it comes to combat, self-defense, firearms and the like, bad advice and information can get you killed!  The audience they are misleading is usually made up of people that don’t have any way to know they are being misled.  Most people looking to the Internet for information are, frankly, beginners.  Everyone started out with no knowledge and built from there.  Some build on experience and some on bullshit.

 

If someone on the shooting range starts to blow hot-air, you can challenge them to demonstrate their skills on the spot.  That’s why blowhards don’t do their talking on the range.  The frauds know full well that they will probably never be called upon to demonstrate their imaginary skills.  In fact, because you can’t see faces, that 40 year old CIA guy you’re talking to could very well be a 15 year old loser who wets his pants at the very thought of Army basic training.

 

I ran into one fellow in the Air Force.  He was very impressed with his extensive knowledge of firearms and went to great pains to let everyone around him know how impressive he was.  The guy was full of manure to the eyeballs and should have been a little more careful where he spread his fertilizer.  I was advising another fellow about what type of defensive pistol to buy.  I recommend the 1911A1 .45 ACP for a whole bunch of reasons and I was explaining them.  Mr. Blowhard interrupted me with the statement that, “The U.S. got rid of the .45 ‘cause the recoil will break your wrist!”  My response was rather sharp and ended with an invitation to accompany me down to the firing range where they both could fire my personal .45 and see for themselves that it won’t break anybody’s wrist.  His response was typical of the type.  He called me a liar, refused to go to the range, and ran away (presumably to cry like the child that he was).  Had I run into this guy on a News group he and his buddies would have undoubtedly flamed me until I got fed up and went away.  I have abandoned several forums and Newsgroups for just that reason.  I don’t have the time to spend messing with that stuff.  I’d rather be at the range or the reloading bench.  There’s another clue that the guy’s a fraud, if he’s always on the ‘net he can’t have time to be doing anything for real.

 

People who were or are SEALs, CIA operatives, or almost any other government employees can prove it!  Any military personnel will have complete records of virtually all their initial training including Special Forces, Ranger, UDT, and SEAL selection courses.  More importantly, the government will have records of their training and service.  A very few training courses and a fair number of specific military operations will be classified but a SEAL can always document his entry into the SEAL teams.

 

There will always be public records that a military decoration was awarded.  The specifics of the action that led to the award may be classified but no one has ever been awarded the Medal of Honor in a “secret” ceremony.  The Medal of Honor is quite literally awarded by an act of Congress (thus the “Congressional” Medal of Honor) in a public ceremony.  There is no way it can be awarded secretly.  It is vaguely possible that the paperwork for some lesser medals may have gotten misplaced during wartime.  It was also common for a cowardly REMF (Rear Echelon Mother Fucker) to simply grab a medal headed for a true soldier on the lines and claim it for himself.  Don’t be embarrassed or afraid to ask for proof.  Folks that performed really classified or deniable ops knew going in that there would be no medals for them.  Some of the bravest and most skilled warriors on the planet received no recognition for their deeds.

 

As for the intelligence wannabes– if a mission or operation is so classified that no records were kept then maybe the would-be James Bond shouldn’t be talking about it!  People involved in truly classified operations will have one of two types of records.  If the operation is only mildly classified, then the records will exist but they will simply be marked with their security classification and unavailable to the public.  Eventually, they will become unclassified and available through the Freedom of Information Act.  There is almost nothing from the Viet Nam War era or earlier that has not been unclassified.  The second type of records are those kept for people involved in truly “black” operations.  If someone is involved in an operation that must be deniable they will be provided with a cover story, complete with documentation.  With military special operations this often means the individual will be “assigned” to a training unit that will keep complete and ongoing records even thought the individual is never there.  Sometimes the operative will be separated from the service while the operation is underway.  Either way, there will be some sort of paper trail on any of these people.  If there isn’t– they’re supposed to keep their damned mouths shut!

 

Don’t be afraid to ask these people for specifics on their qualifications.  If they respond with hostility instead of immediate straight answers, run away.  Do not send any money to anyone on the Internet until you have verified their claims.  Don’t just take their word for it, make a couple of phone calls.  Get some references and check them out.  The elite people move in some pretty small circles and their peers will know about them.  There are too many legitimate folks on the ‘net.  You don’t have to settle for a vastly inferior imitation.

 

If you want to do something then do it!  Don’t sit around talking about it.  You want to join the military?  Join!  Volunteer for that selection course and tough it out.  I have infinitely more respect for someone who washes out of Airborne training and admits it, than some yutz who didn’t have the guts to enlist in the first place.  There are good civilian schools out there, as well.  Completion of a defensive pistol course under one of the top instructors is something to be proud of.  Just don’t try to parlay a week at the Chapman Academy into a tour in Viet Nam.  Earn that black belt, don’t dream about it. Practice with your pistol until you can do something with it.  Nothing comes for free but once you’ve paid your dues you have something to be proud of.

 

As for the fakes and frauds, they know what kind of scum they are.  They will live out their lives in fear that they will be discovered and exposed.  If they’re really lucky, they’ll get a chance to demonstrate those imaginary skills in the real world.  That’ll shut ‘em up for good.

Describing the Condition of a Firearm

When describing a used gun in an ad, over the phone, by email, etc. be accurate.  There are several standard grading systems by which to accurately relay the condition of your firearm.  S.P. Fjestad uses the “Photo Percentage” grading system in his Blue Book of Gun Values and I consider that method the best.  Essentially you are describing the exact percentage of original finish left on the firearm.

The other, perhaps more popular, method is the National Rifle Association grading system.  The NRA system uses two sets of standards.  One set is for modern firearms.  The second set is for antique firearms.  Below are descriptions of the NRA condition standards.

Modern Conditions -

New - in same condition as current factory production, must include box, packing materials and warranty card.

Perfect - in new condition in every respect.

Excellent - new condition, used but little, no noticeable marring of wood or metal, bluing perfect (except at muzzle or sharp edges)

Very Good - in perfect working condition, no appreciable wear on working surfaces, no corrosion or pitting, only minor surface dents or scratches.

Good - in safe working condition, minor wear on working surfaces, no broken parts, no corrosion or pitting that will interfere with proper function.

Fair - in safe working condition, but well worn, perhaps requiring replacement of minor parts or adjustments which should be indicated in advertisement, no rust, but may have corrosion pits which do not render article unsafe or inoperable.

Antique Conditions -

Factory New - all original parts; 100% original finish; in perfect condition in every respect, inside and out.

Excellent - all original parts; over 80% original finish; sharp lettering, numerals and design on metal and wood; unmarred wood; fine bore.

Fine - all original parts; over 30% original finish; sharp lettering, numerals and design on metal and wood; minor marks in wood; good bore

Very Good - all original parts; none to 30% original finish; original metal surfaces smooth with all edges sharp; clear lettering, numerals and design on metal; wood slightly scratched or bruised; bore disregarded for collectors firearms.

Good - some minor replacement parts; metal smoothly rusted or lightly pitted in places; cleaned or reblued; principal lettering, numerals and design on metal legible; wood refinished, scratched, bruised or minor cracks repaired; in good working order.

Fair - some major parts replaced; minor replacement parts may be required; metal rusted, may be lightly pitted all over, vigorously cleaned or reblued; rounded edges of metal and wood; principal lettering, numerals and design on metal partly obliterated; wood scratched, bruised, cracked or repaired where broken; in fair working order or can be easily repaired and placed in working order.

Poor - major and minor parts replaced; major replacement parts required and extensive restoration needed; metal deeply pitted; principal lettering, numerals and design obliterated, wood badly scratched, bruised, cracked or broken; mechanically inoperative, generally undesirable as a collectors firearm.

The Photo Percentage grading system is best judged by comparing the firearm to a series of (surprise, surprise) photographs found in The Blue Book of Gun Values.  Below is the approximate equivalent conditions under the NRA system.

Perfect - 100% with or without box.  Not mint - new.  100% on currently manufactured firearms assumes NIB condition.

Excellent - 95%-99% (typically)

Very good - 80 - 95% - all original

Good - 60 - 80% - all original

Fair - 20 - 60% -May not be original (shootable, not very collectible)

Poor - Under 20%

Misrepresenting a firearm (lying) does no one any favors and just makes for bad feelings all around.  As soon as the prospective buyer sees the firearm in person, he’s going to see if you were telling the truth.  It’s better to underestimate the condition than overestimate it.

When buying firearms take the descriptions with a grain of salt.  When purchasing used or surplus firearms from Shotgun News or Gunlist, even from established dealers, I always downgraded the condition by one notch.  I read “excellent” as “very good”, and “very good” as “good”.  I was seldom disappointed.  I was also seldom wrong.

“Mint” is meaningless as a term.  In all my years buying and selling guns, only twice was a gun described to me as “mint” really in mint condition.  “Mint” means absolutely perfect.  It does not mean “pretty good for its age.”  Many, if not most, of the guns described to me as “mint” were, in fact, in good to poor condition.  I will not honor a sight-unseen price estimate if the gun has not been accurately described.  No one will.  If you lie about the condition of a firearm, ship it to the buyer, and then refuse to refund his money– you have just committed fraud. 

Choosing a Recoil Spring

CHOOSING A RECOIL SPRING

by
Donald Plunkett

A quick look at the latest Brownells catalog will show a bewildering selection of recoil springs for the 1911 pistol.  Listed by weight, they range all the way from seven to 26 pounds and come in straight and variable rates.  Why so many different springs for one pistol?  Which one is the best?  Understanding and choosing a recoil spring isn’t difficult, and it’s worth the trouble as the correct recoil spring is critical to the reliable operation of the pistol.

The recoil spring is the big spring that compresses under recoil and furnishes the force necessary to finish cycling the action when it returns to length.  Please note that, although it may be the largest spring in the firearm, the recoil spring is not the mainspring.  The mainspring is always the spring that powers the hammer or striker when the pistol fires.  Some mainsprings also perform other functions in some firearms designs, but they still provide the force behind the hammer or striker.

The recoil spring works by absorbing the recoil energy caused by the firing of a cartridge.  The spring stores the energy by compressing, and releases the energy by relaxing.  In order to compress, the spring has to work against some resistance.  Some resistance is provided by the mass of the pistol but the primary resistance is provided by the shooting hand.  Sufficient energy must be stored to allow the spring to complete the firing cycle as it relaxes.  The spring must also provide enough force to keep the action closed until the pressures in the barrel drop to a safe level.   A reduction in the available energy means a lighter spring is needed.

What reduces the energy?  Lighter bullets, lower muzzle velocities, compensators, and increased slide and barrel mass will all reduce the recoil energy.  Reduced resistance to the recoil will also reduce the amount of energy available to the spring.  Lightweight frames and a weak stance will cut down on the amount of energy the spring can store.  Allowing the wrist to flex freely under recoil— called “limp-wristing”— can actually cause malfunctions due to lack of spring energy.

What increases the available energy?  Heavier bullets, higher velocities, lighter slides, or a strong wrist and grip will all increase the available energy.

The recoil spring weight is measured at the full recoil compression.  A Government model, five inch barrel, 1911-A1 in full recoil has 1.625 inches of room left for the recoil spring.  It takes 18 pounds to compress an 18-pound recoil spring for a Government model to 1.625 inches.  A Commander length slide only leaves 1.125 inches in full recoil so an 18-pound Commander spring will require 18 pounds to compress it to 1.125 inches— the same spring weight but completely different springs.  The Officer’s model compresses its springs to 0.700 inches.  The maximum or “solid” compression length of a spring is the number of coils times the diameter of the wire.  If the solid compression length is longer than the room left for the recoil spring at full recoil, the spring won’t work.  A recoil spring for a Commander must have a solid compression length of less than 1.125 inches.  The shorter full recoil compression lengths also mean that the springs have to absorb the same amount of energy in a shorter distance.  A shorter slide requires a heavier spring to do the same work.  The spring rate is determined by the uncompressed or “free” length of the spring, the diameter of the wire, the number and spacing of the coils, and the construction material.  Colt lists their springs by the number of coils rather than by weight.

Most recoil springs are constant rate.  This means that for every inch of compression, the force required to compress the spring goes up by a fixed amount.  For example, one pound compresses the spring one inch, two pounds compresses it two inches and so on.  The force required to compress variable rate springs increases in a curve rather than at a straight rate.  It may only take eight ounces to compress a variable rate the first inch, then 18 for the second inch and 30 for the third.  The total force required to bring a 20-pound variable rate spring to full compression will be the same (20 pounds) as a 20-pound constant rate but the way it gets there is a little different.  The advantages to a variable rate recoil spring include the ability to smoothly handle lighter loads mixed in with full loads, easier unlocking, and smoother recoil.  One disadvantage to a variable rate is that, for a given weight, the variable rate will tend to unlock the action earlier than a constant rate spring; this may cause problems with heavy loads.

Recoil springs do need to be replaced periodically.  Most of the top 1911 gunsmiths recommend replacing the recoil spring every 2,000 to 5,000 rounds.  I have heard some other folks recommend replacement every 10,000 to 20,000 rounds.  I think I’d rather play it safe and change my springs out a bit more frequently.  According to the technicians at the W. C. Wolff company, Wolff springs of the correct weight for the application will go a minimum of 2,000 to 5,000 rounds before they need replacing.  A single spring used to replace a double spring set may require replacement in as little as 750 to 1,500 rounds.  It’s a good idea to replace the firing pin spring at the same time as the recoil spring.  Another method of determining when a recoil spring needs replacement is to buy two identical springs and compare them when you field-strip the pistol.  When the used spring is two coils shorter than the unused spring, replace it.

New springs will take a slight set immediately.  Wolff rates their spring weights with this in mind.  A 16-pound Wolff spring will be at 16 pounds after this initial set.  Further reduction in weight will occur much more gradually.

Synthetic washers or buffers that fit between the recoil spring and the recoil spring guide rod are great.  The first commercially available were the Shok-Buffs made by Bill Wilson.  Buffers keep the frame from battering under full recoil and actually cushion felt recoil a bit.  Buffers also come apart without warning leaving little bits of plastic or fiber inside the pistol; that’s just asking for a jam and is unacceptable in a carry gun.  One solution is to replace the buffers before they have a chance to wear out.  A better solution is to put the buffer in for practice sessions and remove it for carry.  The synthetic buffers can provide some indication that your recoil spring is too light.  If the buffer is showing signs that the slide is hitting it with some force, a new or heavier spring may be indicated.

Another item that works like the synthetic buffers is a recoil guide rod with a spring and plunger assembly built in.  A set of dual nested recoil springs is used in some pistols for a similar effect.

The best way to see which recoil spring weight will give the best results in a pistol is to buy a series of springs of different weights and test them.  Always make sure the pistol is in good working order before trying different spring rates.  Other problems with the pistol can mask or imitate malfunctions caused by an incorrect spring rate.  The best rule of thumb is to use the heaviest spring that gives reliable functioning.  Remember that how you hold the pistol will have a big impact on how well a given weight of spring will work.  A firm Weaver stance will allow a much heavier spring weight to function well than the offhand stance will.  Also remember that a spring that works well with one load may not work as well with a heavier or lighter load.  Match the spring to the ammo.  Adding compensators or barrel weights will change the required spring weight.

Always start with the heavier springs and work down.  A too heavy spring is not as dangerous as one that’s too light.  Ejection is a good indication of how a particular spring weight is working.  If the empties are just dribbling out the ejection port, the spring is probably too heavy.  If the fired casings are sailing over the horizon, that’s a pretty good indication that the spring is too light.  With most 1911s an ejection pattern that lands one to two yards out is about right.  As the spring weight gets too heavy the slide will not come back far enough to eject the spent rounds resulting in stovepipes or even failures to eject.  The slide may also fail to come back far enough to pick up a new round, or engage the slide stop.  A very heavy recoil spring can cause the slide to close with excessive force.  Not only will this increase the wear on the pistol, it can induce slam-fires when the firing pin is flung forward.  A heavy-duty firing pin spring or even a lightweight firing pin are strongly indicated when a heavier than standard recoil spring is installed.  Very heavy recoil springs also make it difficult to manipulate the slide.

A too light spring will allow the frame and slide to batter under recoil.  Sometimes a light spring will also fail to engage the slide stop.  The excessive slide velocity will cause it to bounce past the slide stop without catching.  The biggest concern with a light spring is the slide unlocking too early while the chamber pressure is still high.  The first indication of early unlocking may be elongated firing pin indentations on the fired primers.  The cases may begin to bulge where they overhang the barrel feed throat.  At its worst, the case will actually burst allowing the hot gasses to pour out of the open action.  This situation is very dangerous.

Even when the pistol and load call for an extremely light recoil spring— as can be the case with compensated target guns— the light spring may cause some feed problems.  The spring just doesn’t have the oomph to handle a slightly oversize cartridge or a dirty chamber.

One other problem that may crop up is recoil spring binding.  If the spring weight is correct and the spring is for some reason binding in its raceway, a full length guide rod can help ameliorate the problem.  I have never had a problem with spring bind in a quality 1911 with a quality spring so I am disinclined to use full length guide rods and instead try to isolate the cause of the binding.

What are the “standard” spring weights?  The military specifications for the M1911 .45 caliber, 230 grain cartridge call for 855 fps plus or minus 25 fps measured at 25 feet from the muzzle.  The last field manuals list a muzzle velocity of 830 fps.  The issue springs were 16 pounds which may be a bit light for full loads.  American factory loads dropped in velocity to avoid battering the pistols.  A few years ago, commercial ball chronographed at 800 to 820 fps and the generics chronographed at 750 to 800 fps.  Foreign ball was still at 850 fps.  Current catalogs list 185 grain target loads at 770 fps and hardball 230 grain loads at 845 fps.

The five inch Colt Government model and Springfield 1911-A1 in .45 ACP are standard with a 16-pound spring.  If full loads are to be used, a 17 or 18-pound spring reduces wear and improves feeding.  For someone who uses full loads exclusively and shoots from a firm stance, a 20 or even 22-pound spring may be better.  An 18.5-pound spring is a bit more forgiving of a looser grip and that’s what I use in my carry guns.  I will generally use a pound or two more weight with a variable rate spring.

The Gold Cup comes with both a 16-pound (32 coils) spring, and a 14-pound (28 coils) spring for target loads.  The 14-pound spring is also standard for the 9mm, .38 Super, and the .22 lr Ace and conversions.  The 10mm Delta Elite uses a second inner spring in addition to the standard 16-pounder.  The .40 S & W uses a 19-pound spring.

A 20-pound spring is standard in the 4.5 inch Commander in .45 ACP.  The Commander in .38 Super or 9mm uses a 16-pound spring.  The Officer’s model comes with a pair of nested springs that run 22 pounds.  Two extra pounds of spring weight for either of these pistols is a good idea for heavier (230 grains at 860 fps) loads.

The technicians at Wolff’s or Brownells can help you pick the exact spring for any pistol or purpose.  Choosing a workable spring is easy and finding the perfect spring only takes a little more effort.  Recoil springs are inexpensive but they are critical to the function and longevity of your pistol and certainly deserve some thought.

Brownells, Inc.

200 South Front Street
Montezuma, IA  50171-1000
Phone:  515-623-5401
Fax:  515-623-3896
www.brownells.com

W. C. Wolff Company

P.O. Box 458, Dept. 100
Newtown Square, PA 19073-0458
Phone:  610-359-9600
Fax:  610-359-9496
www.gunsprings.com

Wilson Combat Handguns

2234 CR 719
PO Box 578
Berryville, AR 72616
Phone:  800-955-4856
Fax:  870-545-3310
www.wilsoncombat.com 

Sniper Formulae

Sniper Formulae

Here are some formulae that you may find useful in your long range shooting.  But first, a few words concerning Minutes of Angle (MOA) and Mil (milliradian) dots.

Both MOA and mils are used to measure angles.  There are 360 degrees in a complete circle.  There are 60 minutes in a degree.  A radian is defined as the plane angle with its vertex at the center of a circle that is subtended by an arc (not a line) equal in length to the radius.  There are 2 times Pi (6.283...) radians in a complete circle.  A milliradian is simply one one-thousandth of a radian.  We take the mil to mean a distance equal to one one-thousandth of the distance to the target.  (The Army further confuses things by defining a milliradian as 1/6,400th of a circle.  Don’t worry about that unless you get assigned to an artillery unit.)

As shooters we tend to think of one MOA as equaling one inch at 100 yards.  Our scopes are usually calibrated to give us one quarter (or one eighth, or one half, or one, unless it’s metric then you get about one third) inch adjustment per click at one hundred yards.  The scope manufacturers don’t say “quarter minute clicks” but that’s how we interpret it.  A true MOA is equal to 1.047 (rounded off) inches at 100 yards.  The difference is minor.  Even at 1,000 yards it’s slightly less than a half an inch, but it is there.  Where we get into trouble is when we start running numbers up on the calculator.  One true milliradian equals 3.438 (rounded off) true MOA.  This means one true milliradian equals a very tiny bit less than 3.6 inches at one hundred yards.  3.6 inches at one hundred yards or 36 inches at 1,000 yards is exactly how we want to use the mil.  If you think your calculator is telling you that a mil equals 3.438 inches at 100 yards you are mistaken.  Fortunately, the differences are too minor to make a difference.

Just remember that for shooting purposes, virtually all scopes, reticles, and shooter’s formulae are calibrated so that one MOA equals one inch at 100 yards and one mil equals one yard at 1,000 yards.

1 actual MOA = 1.047 inches at 100 yards

1 actual milliradian = 3.438 actual MOA

1 actual milliradian = 3.600 inches at 100 yards

1 actual MOA = .291 actual milliradians

1 shooter’s MOA = 1 inch per 100 yards of range

1 shooter’s MOA = .278 mils

1 mil = 3.6 shooter’s MOA

MOA adjustment times the range in hundreds of yards (600 yards = 6) equals change of impact in inches.

MOA X R = Inches

Inches adjustment divided by the range in hundreds of yards equals MOA.

Inches

——— = MOA
R

Desired MOA adjustment times the resolution of one click equals total adjustment in clicks.

5 MOA X 1/4 (.25) minute clicks = 20 clicks

I prefer to memorize my come-ups in clicks rather than MOA.

Total drop in clicks from a 100 yard zero minus the total clicks of all come-ups to the new zero range equals your come-up to that range.  Start at 200 yards and work out.

Clicks at 500 yards minus come-ups to 200, 300, and 400 yards totaled equals come-up from 400 to 500 yards in clicks.

The height of an object in yards times 1,000 divided by the apparent height of the object in mils equals the range in yards.  Height in meters yields range in meters.

Height X 1000

—————— = Range
mils

The apparent angle from vertical of mirage divided by 8 equals the windspeed in miles per hour.  Mirage angle must be read with the wind blowing directly from the right or left.  Turn your spotting scope if you have to.

Angle

——— = MPH
8

The apparent angle from vertical of smoke, flags, or the arm pointing at lightly balled piece of paper dropped from the shoulder divided by 4 equals the windspeed in miles per hour.

Angle

——— = MPH
4

The Marine Corps Windage formula:

Range in 100s of yards (600 yards = 6) times the wind in miles per hour divided by the constant C equals MOA change.

Range X MPH

——————----- = MOA
C

For the M118 round at sea level

C = 15 for 100 to 500 yards

C = 14 for 600 yards

C = 13 for 700 to 800 yards

C = 12 for 900 yards

C = 11 for 1000 yards

For the M852 round at sea level

C = 13 for 100 to 200 yards

C = 12 for 300 to 400 yards

C = 11 for 500 to 600 yards

C = 10 for 700 to 900 yards

C = 9 for 1000 yards

To adjust wind speed for differences in wind direction from ninety degrees from sightline multiply total wind speed by the constant C.

MPH X C = adjusted MPH

If wind direction is 90 degrees from sightline C = 1.0

If wind direction is 65 degrees from sightline C = .9

If wind direction is 45 degrees from sightline C = .75

If wind direction is 30 degrees from sightline C = .5

If wind direction is 15 degrees from sightline C = .25

If wind direction is 0 degrees from sightline C = 0

To adjust range for an up or down angle shot multiply the actual range by the Constant C.

Range X C = adjusted range

For an up or down slope of 5 degrees from horizontal C = .99

For an up or down slope of 10 degrees from horizontal C = .98

For an up or down slope of 15 degrees from horizontal C = .96

For an up or down slope of 20 degrees from horizontal C = .94

For an up or down slope of 25 degrees from horizontal C = .91

For an up or down slope of 30 degrees from horizontal C = .87

For an up or down slope of 35 degrees from horizontal C = .82

For an up or down slope of 40 degrees from horizontal C = .77

For an up or down slope of 45 degrees from horizontal C = .70

For an up or down slope of 50 degrees from horizontal C = .64

For an up or down slope of 55 degrees from horizontal C = .57

For an up or down slope of 60 degrees from horizontal C = .50

For an up or down slope of 65 degrees from horizontal C = .42

For an up or down slope of 70 degrees from horizontal C = .34

For an up or down slope of 75 degrees from horizontal C = .26

For an up or down slope of 80 degrees from horizontal C = .17

For an up or down slope of 85 degrees from horizontal C = .09

For an up or down slope of 90 degrees from horizontal C = 0

To adjust elevation for an up or down angle shot multiply your total drop from the horizontal boreline by the constant C and hold low by that amount from your estimated zero.

Drop X C = hold under

For an up or down slope of 5 degrees from horizontal C = .004

For an up or down slope of 10 degrees from horizontal C = .015

For an up or down slope of 15 degrees from horizontal C = .034

For an up or down slope of 20 degrees from horizontal C = .060

For an up or down slope of 25 degrees from horizontal C = .094

For an up or down slope of 30 degrees from horizontal C = .134

For an up or down slope of 35 degrees from horizontal C = .181

For an up or down slope of 40 degrees from horizontal C = .235

For an up or down slope of 45 degrees from horizontal C = .293

For an up or down slope of 50 degrees from horizontal C = .357

For an up or down slope of 55 degrees from horizontal C = .426

For an up or down slope of 60 degrees from horizontal C = .500

Bullet time of flight times the speed of the target lateral to the sightline equals total lead.  Speed in feet per second yields lead in feet.

Time X Speed = Lead

Whenever I change ammunition, rifle, or altitude I work up a complete set of tables.  A chronograph and a good ballistics program make this a whole lot easier.  I record all my values in inches, MOA, and mils.  For moving target leads I will also figure leads.  I run all my charts from 100 to 1,000 yards in 100 yard increments.  For no-reflex hits I also run a set of charts from 25 to 200 yards in 25 yard increments.  I record the total drop from the muzzle at each range.  I also record the bullet time of flight.  I figure my come-ups, and back calculate from the windage tables to get my constants for the Marine windage formula.  With those two progressions memorized I can handle most of my shooting chores without my tables, if needs be.

For my elevation tables I record the drop in inches, MOA, and mils at each range for a zero at each range.  That’s one hundred sets of numbers for the long range charts.  I only calculate my short range tables for a 100 yard zero.  That’s 8 sets of numbers.  For my short range elevation charts I don’t bother converting to mils.  I also record my actual sight settings for each zero range.

My windage tables yield inches, MOA, and mils for each range and run from 5 to 30 miles per hour in 5 MPH increments.

My moving target chart is calculated for a walk (3 MPH), a trot (6 MPH), and a dash (10 MPH).  I figure each range and speed (30 sets of numbers) in inches, MOA, mils and “leads.”  A lead is equal to the approximate width of a human body in profile– 12 inches.  Leads are very easy to visualize.  All moving target leads are figured from the center of the target. 

I run my up/down slope adjustment charts from 5 degrees from horizontal to 60 degrees in 5 degree increments and list inches, MOA, and mils.  Since this chart will not be used for quick targets-of-opportunity I calculate the hold under to be adjusted for, after the initial elevation adjustments have been made.  Short range slope adjustment charts are critical for no-reflex shooting.

I also have charts listing the mil height and range for men 6 feet, 5 feet 9 inches, and 5 feet 6 inches tall as 6 feet is unusually tall for most parts of the world.  That’s another reason I use yards instead of meters.  A six foot (2 yards) man appears 2 mils tall at 1000 yards.  The mil-dot formula is easy to calculate for two yards.  A man would have to be 6 feet 6 inches tall to measure two meters.  They’re even rarer than six footers.  To plug an average man into the mil-dot formula you’d have to use 1.77 meters.  A little less handy than 2 yards.

6 feet = 2 yards

5 feet 9 inches = 1.9 yards

5 feet 6 inches = 1.8 yards

The SEALs found the following changes in elevation applied to their M852 rounds with changes in temperature.  The higher the temperature, the higher the bullet impact.

At 300 yards there is 1 MOA change in elevation per 20 degree change in temperature.

At 600 yards there is 1 MOA change in elevation per 15 degree change in temperature.

At 1000 yards there is 1 MOA change in elevation per 10 degree change in temperature.

Only by firing your rifle under field conditions can you determine how much effect temperature will have on your ammunition.  If your computer generated charts don’t match your field data you must go with the field data.  Sometimes a change in ballistic coefficient will bring the computer in line with the real world.

The more of this information you memorize the better off you will be.