Over the last year the strength in my hand has gone to hell due to some nerve damage from a car accident.I was wondering what the lightest recoil spring I could use in my SA LW Operator and still have it function reliably.I mostly shoot 230 gr FMJ in it and it's mostly a range toy.
Could I get away with a 14 lb spring and not beat it to death?

Yes , you can use a 14 pound recoil spring in a 5 inch 1911 and it works wonderful . I've been using 14 lb recoil springs for years with no problem, I think it works better. I too have ulnar nerve damage. You'll be good to go.

Thanks man.Some days I can rack the slide and other days it's just a no go,but almost.

14 lb will be fine with hardball but make sure your mag springs are in good shape as you'll be more prone to inertia feed with hotter ammo and a light recoil spring.

A Wolff 11lb spring in a mag with a flat, dimpled, g.i. style follower will be your best bet.

Thanks for the heads up man.Most of my mags are the SA mags and a few Shooting Star mags.

And be prepared to change it out more often.

Ordered 4 Wolff 14lb springs,thought that they might need replacement more often than the heavier ones.

Im curious as to what the recoil impulse will feel like with the light spring.

I used a wilson flat wire for a bit. It was significantly lighter than a 16# spring if you ask me. Its possible I got an out of spec spring. I never contacted wilson about it. Eventually just went back to 18.5# springs

I developed a very weird flinch over the course of a few months when I tried the flat wire. I would dip and immediately pull back up. On paper it did not seem that I had a flinch. But my groups were wider than normal.

One thing worth mentioning is my TRP that I tried it in started to have the glued in parts walk out. My front of my frame also peened a bit.

Let me know how it turns out

I would rather use the rear sight on a corner of the kitchen counter or table than lower spring tension. Todays ammo is getter hotter than the 16 lbs. standard springs should have to put up with. As a general rule your brass should be ejected at a right angle to the slide. You should have a pile of brass a three O' clock from
your shooting position (yea right...dream on; I know) that is the ideal.

14 lbs. springs were for ammo that have a muzzle velocity of the original specification of 802 fps.
The army wore out the entire fleet of M1911's by having 14 lbs. springs in guns that were firing 850 fps ammo (Vietnam era stuff).

Now standard guns have 16 lbs. springs for the 850 fps ammo, and the ammo is getting hotter. Wally mart was selling a white box bulk pack that had a muzzle velocity of 960 fps. If you are shooting stuff like that with a 14 lbs. spring you are battering your slide and frame to death.

You could get a chunk of 2x4 put in on your night stand and use the rear site too hook on the corner of your cocking assist and use that to charge your weapon for the day and keep the proper spring in it. Get it long enough to use your non-firing hand to hold the board while you do this one handed chocking drill.

I had looked into getting one of these slide rackers to use on a 1911 I use in matches. I have a red dot sight on it and grasping the slide is awkward.
I might make things easy on you.

Op have you tried different slide racking procedures? My wife has a hard time racking the slide in a slingshot method (using the pointer finger and thumb only on the slide) with the primary hand gripping the pistol. However, when I showed her what I call in my own words a "chest squeeze" racking procedure, (using four to five fingers of the support hand firmly on the rear of the slide behind the chamber area in a C clamp style grasp; and the primary hand gripping the grip and turning the pistol to the side in an almost parallel position to the body; using each hand to push toward each other in toward each other until slide lock?) I'm sure there is a specific name for that kind of chamber but the gist is you use both arms in a push/push pectoral muscle squeeze until slide lock before you release the support hand. This is with your trigger finger outside the trigger guard of course. For my wife and MIL, they are able to rack a 1911 and CZ every time. If I had to give a percent let off or relief from the standard sling shot method of the slide I'd say its about 50% easier to rack a slide using this method. I hope that made sense...

He'll be fine with a 14.

The military shot full power hardball and likely never changed recoil springs until the gun just wouldn't run.  The last batch of pistols they bought lasted for over 40 years of continuous use....

Your spot on Sam! A testament to the design for sure!!!

Define "40 years of continuous use."

Most military arms spend most of their life in a box in the armory.

I have worn out a couple of Bullseye 1911s.
They gradually opened up till i could tell.
Relegated them to practice till it became annoying enough to have them refitted.

Many many tens of thousands of rounds.
Even with typical Bullseye loads things start to wear long term.

I have worked on guns that likely had frame hardness defects that allowed the stop pin to wallow out of round.
A couple with frames wallowed out on hammer pins.
Mass production is just that, mass production.

Zraptor, you'll be more than fine with a 14lb spring, trust me , the slide and frame abutments are made to bump each other as the slide recoils. What damages your 1911 is a heavy recoil spring slamming forward. Read Brian Enos forum and see how light springs are used in competition pistols.

my comp 1911 uses a 14 lb spring, but my loads are weaker than factory. A 200 or 230 projectile that only makes 173 pf, does not need a lot of FPS.

I'd run a 14 over an 18.5 with hardball loads every time.

Heavy springs are a ridiculous fad these days...

Thanks for all the replys and help guys.My SA Champion Comp that I carry all the time is a lot easier for me to rack back than the new Operator.I got it back in 96
If I remember right.it's been back to SACS twice over the years,once for a complete going through after it was stole then recovered.
Even when it was new it wasn't as hard to pull the slide as my newer ones.

How did the 14# spring turn out?

Im thinking about giving one a shot as well

I found a 15# to try out.

Must say I kinda like it.

Gun recoils much quicker. Doesn't seem to lift as much under recoil

 It's nice ain't it?

Them hard ass springs make a little 'ol 45 kick like a MULE!

I run a 15# Wolff in my RIA 2011 .45acp

Seems just about right...

I forgot about this.
It works great.Cycles fine and easier for me to rack the slide.
Piles brass at between 3 and 4 nice and neat.
I dont notice any more recoil that before.

This 1911 of mine has always launched brass into outerspace. I guess it has something to do with the ejector as all the springs get changed when they should.

Ill be honest I didn't pay attention on where the brass was going this time around with the lighter spring, but I would imagine it launches them farther due to increased slide velocity. As long as its getting out of the gun Im okay with it.

Im not completely set on the lighter spring just yet, but I think itll be a winner in the end.

I went to a class in Alabama with Frank Proctor. He wanted to shoot my 1911 and when he did he gave me this weird look when he racked the slide. He told me to try a 14# and wouldn't need any more.

Not gunna lie I thought you guys were crazy when I came across this awhile back