SIGforum.com    Main Page  Hop To Forum Categories  SIG Armorer    Reducing weight on a 1911.
Go
New
Find
Notify
Tools
Reply
  
Reducing weight on a 1911. Login/Join 
Inject yourself!
posted
I have a Springfield Operator with the rail and I need to reduce the weight for IDPA.

I need to drop the weight by a full ounce to meet the rules.
It’s currently 42.8oz with an empty mag. Max is 43oz so I need a little more wiggle room for scale variance.

Currently it has 10-8 G10 grips and slide stop, flat aluminum Harrison trigger and 10-8 Stainless steel GI recoil spring assembly and a Stan Chen Magwell. I want to avoid changing any of these as it shoots and works well for me.

I’m thinking taking a bit of material from the back of the grips and possibly a little off the frame under the grip area.

Thoughts? I don’t want to damage the gun but a little lightening should be an issue.

Buying a new gun is not an option at this point do to timing constraints.




Do not send me to a heaven where there are no dogs.
Step Up or Stand Aside: Support the Troops !
Expectations are premeditated disappointments.
 
Posts: 8531 | Location: West | Registered: November 26, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Moderator
posted Hide Post
I know you don’t want to, but change out the mainspring housing/lose the magwell.


__________________


"Owning a handgun doesn't make you armed any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician." -Jeff Cooper



 
Posts: 8882 | Location: UT | Registered: December 05, 1999Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
Drill some holes in the stock panels, magazine and top of the slide. Done.
 
Posts: 23 | Registered: January 29, 2022Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
Barrel flutes would shave bit of weight. A different mainspring housing and magwell would definitely do it. Looks like there are quality aluminum units available by reputable parts suppliers, but not Stan Chen.
 
Posts: 548 | Registered: February 01, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
1. What level match? Level 1 club matches I have been to do not Box and weigh.

2. If you have time to change parts, you may be in love with all that steel but an aluminum, plastic, or short hollow GI recoil spring guide will take off a bit, as will an aluminum mag well funnel/mainspring housing.

I saw a guy blow his stack at the Nationals when his gun weighed too much, he was going to give that Les Baer fellow a piece of his mind. Not including FLGR and steel funnel, I bet.
 
Posts: 3486 | Location: Florence, Alabama, USA | Registered: July 05, 2001Reply With QuoteReport This Post
fugitive from reality
Picture of SgtGold
posted Hide Post
You don't want to hear this but ditch the stainless recoilparts and go back the the way Browning designed it. Problem solved.


_____________________________
'I'm pretty fly for a white guy'.

 
Posts: 7332 | Location: Newyorkistan | Registered: March 28, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
You're going to feel
a little pressure...
posted Hide Post
As above and maybe shave the rail off?

Bruce






"The designer of the gun had clearly not been instructed to beat about the bush. 'Make it evil,' he'd been told. 'Make it totally clear that this gun has a right end and a wrong end. Make it totally clear to anyone standing at the wrong end that things are going badly for them. If that means sticking all sort of spikes and prongs and blackened bits all over it then so be it. This is not a gun for hanging over the fireplace or sticking in the umbrella stand, it is a gun for going out and making people miserable with." -Douglas Adams

“It is just as difficult and dangerous to try to free a people that wants to remain servile as it is to try to enslave a people that wants to remain free."
-Niccolo Machiavelli

The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all. -Mencken
 
Posts: 4276 | Location: Sin City | Registered: October 06, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by RNshooter:
As above and maybe shave the rail off?

Bruce


That is what I would do ,too !
 
Posts: 1369 | Location: Idaho | Registered: October 21, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Inject yourself!
posted Hide Post
Thanks all! The rail stays. One of the primary reasons I bought the Operator model. I had t intended to shoot this in sanctioned matches. Haha.

The magwell is blended in nicely I’d hate to loose it but looks like it will be the easiest bet. I’ll try an AL magwell for now and work towards getting into a non railed gun for the future IDPA use.

USPSA is 45oz so I’m good there.




Do not send me to a heaven where there are no dogs.
Step Up or Stand Aside: Support the Troops !
Expectations are premeditated disappointments.
 
Posts: 8531 | Location: West | Registered: November 26, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
Plastic MSH should help.reduce weight.
 
Posts: 151 | Registered: September 22, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
Scales shouldn't have any variance. You're under 43 ounces, I wouldn't change anything. IF there is any issue, tell them they need to have their scale calibrated. .2 ounces is a lot for a scale to be off. Maybe change the mainspring housing, Colt used some plastic ones on some years/models that are pretty nice for what they are.
 
Posts: 21735 | Registered: June 12, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
  Powered by Social Strata  
 

SIGforum.com    Main Page  Hop To Forum Categories  SIG Armorer    Reducing weight on a 1911.

© SIGforum 2026