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Compensator for Springfield Range Officer

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  • jcb7469

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    Hey folks I have a question regarding the Springfield Range officer and a Compensator.

    Does a compensator like the ones sold at Brownells make a noticeable difference?
    The website says it requires a two piece guide rod as well.

    Doese anyone have any guidance, and or recomendations for which particular one to buy?
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    SIG_Fiend

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    Compensators are relatively useless on stock production guns running standard pressure ammo. You will notice a difference in the recoil impulse, usually with a feeling of the gun being forced back down after cycling. It's an odd feeling, unless it's on the right gun with the right ammo and with the shooter properly "timed" to the gun. The best use of a compensator on a pistol is for running hotter loads or handloads and fine tuning the recoil impulse in conjunction with the load to achieve maximum control over muzzle flip. Pretty much race gun stuff. On a factory production gun running standard pressure ammo, sometimes it can lead to a very clunky feeling recoil impulse, or potentially the comps characteristics on a given gun and ammo load might not be well matched and may force the muzzle down too much, so with your followthrough the muzzle isn't returning on target but past that and down.
     

    jcb7469

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    its honestly functioning fine or was when I left for Afghanistan, im just wondering what I could do to make it run better or just more custom. Im wondering if putting a mag well and or the magwell mainspring housing combo is a good idea or just a waste of time. Would the little 8 dollar front strap checkering piece from brownells be worth the effort?
     

    40Arpent

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    As is, it will serve you well for years and thousands of rounds. A magwell is a good addition for easing reloads at speed, but if you're going to carry it, be aware that the magwell adds a bit of length to the grip, which is the most obtrusive part of the gun when attempting to conceal. If you feel like you need more purchase on the front strap, that Brownells part might help. You can also try skateboard tape. Bottom line: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

    Best thing you can do, if you haven't already, is buy some quality mags, like Wilson or Tripp.
     

    Texasjack

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    Your questions are confusing because you're describing things kinda backwards. If you can state what it is that you're trying to accomplish, you will probably get more helpful responses than describing what you're thinking about buying without explaining why.

    There are tons of things that can be done to a 1911. You can easily spend more than the original cost of the pistol on upgrades (which is why people who've gone through that process tell new guys to save their pennies and buy a more dressed-out pistol to begin with.) Some upgrades will help with shooting, but many are just cosmetic or handling tweaks.

    The Springfield RO is a pretty decent 1911, right out of the box. What would you like to improve? Is the trigger crisp? (Springfield triggers are usually not bad - I had a Colt with a trigger like a sponge and a $75 trigger job made it shoot WAY better.) Are you good with the sights? Maybe some Trijicons. If you really want to make a pistol look "yours", then consider some nicer grips - and that can go a couple of ways, like deep grooved rubber versus some really nice wood or synthetics. A mag well is nice if you're shooting competitively, but isn't going to do much for normal range shooting. SIG_Fiend's advice on the compensator is dead on the money, as is the later advice to buy quality magazines.
     

    Andy

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    Depends on the caliber and the design of the comp.

    Comps have more pressure to work with (that is, a greater difference in effect) in higher-pressure calibers such as .38 Super and even 9mm over the .45acp, although you'll notice a slight decrease in muzzle-flip with a well-designed comp in .45

    Don't customize without a plan - there should be some benefit you gain from it, whether practical or looks.

    Good mags - definitely. I used to be a fan of Wilson mags, but less so over time (mostly due to the design and material in their polymer follower) - nowadays I've standardized on Chip McCormick Power mags.
     
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    Andy

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    Rock Island Armory 1911, perhaps. They're inexpensive but decent quality and are great for tinkering with. That's why I originally bought mine - but I didn't expect it to be good enough become my primary, which it was and did :)
     

    SIG_Fiend

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    Well if you just want to modify it, just to modify it, certainly nothing wrong with that! ;)

    I guess the best thing to do would be to determine what exactly you might like to modify. Is there anything in particular that seems appealing to you? What about aftermarket sights? How about replacing the grips? Ever tensioned a 1911 extractor before? Why not play around with that and testing extractor tension. Considering the aftermarket support for the platform, the number of aftermarket components out there are near limitless. I'd just decide where you want to go with it and get to modifying! ;)
     

    jcb7469

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    Not trying to be disrespectful or combative but genuinely want to know. Why would someone mess with the extractor if the gun is extracting reliably already?. I am thinking about changing out the main spring housing to an ed brown model (not sure i like the wierd ils thing springfields have) and going with a different mainspring to maybe reduce the trigger pull a little bit. Is it woth polishing the trigger bow and trigger track without fooling with the sear and disconnector?.
     

    SIG_Fiend

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    Not trying to be disrespectful or combative but genuinely want to know. Why would someone mess with the extractor if the gun is extracting reliably already?. I am thinking about changing out the main spring housing to an ed brown model (not sure i like the wierd ils thing springfields have) and going with a different mainspring to maybe reduce the trigger pull a little bit. Is it woth polishing the trigger bow and trigger track without fooling with the sear and disconnector?.

    It has been my experience that a majority of production 1911's, especially under $1.5-2k do not have 100% properly tuned or tensioned extractors. Considering it is a single piece component made from steel, hand fitted, and tensioned by a human being basically tapping on it to put a very slight bend in it, it's just generally a problem area of the platform and very inconsistent across the board. Sometimes you'll get one that does function like a sewing machine, and some manufacturers are more consistent than others, but it is still a mostly hand fitted hand tensioned component and will always have inconsistencies. Often, people won't realize that their gun is on the ragged edge of having extraction/ejection failure. They might function and not quite fail on a consistent basis, so without proper testing, the issue can often be masked. Unless a person is really paying attention to the ejection pattern, distance, etc., it's easy to miss that occasional piece of brass that just dribbles out of the ejection port, or ejects to 6:00 or 7:00, but those are still failures.

    Another thing to consider, in addition to swapping out the MSH, is a square bottom firing pin stop. These are actually what the original design utilized, and they change the way the gun cycles. It basically retards initial unlock, and can smooth out the recoil impulse. While it may not actually physically reduce recoil, the change in recoil impulse can often make the recoil characteristics much more pleasant for some shooters. Here's a good one: Oversized Series 70 Firing Pin Stop: Evolution Gun Works Inc.. All I know from my own limited experience with them is that the couple of 1911s I've shot with a proper square bottom FPS and perfectly matched springs had extremely smooth and comfortable recoil impulses versus the "ker-chunk" type recoil impulse from some less optimally tuned 1911s.
     

    Army 1911

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    Changing the power of a mainspring can affect the ability of the gun to fire. Standard MS in 1911s is 23#. SA because of their ILS (idiot locking system) MSH uses a 28#. So if you change to a standard MSH, go with a 23# mainspring. You will also need the pin set for the new housing. Chances are that a new MSH will just drop in and work, however, it may require some fitting to function. It may not line up with the bottom of the mag well evenly either. Also, the RO has a parkerized finish. I don't know if you can find a parked MSH. Changing the MS power will have little affect on the trigger pull weight, some but little.

    Changing any of the fire controls or modifying them should not be done unless you know how they work and interact with each other, the grip safety and thumb safety. Adjusting the screw in the trigger should not be done unless you know what you are doing and have read up on how to do it.

    The problem with 1911s is that they are the most easily customizable pistol and parts are seldom drop-in for either function or looks. Some fitting is almost always required. Way too many have been modified by owners who don't know what they are really doing and then they blame the manufacturer. Take a gun that runs well and modify it until it doesn't.

    Polishing the trigger bow isn't a big deal, nor polishing the trigger ways but those are parked and you will be down to bare metal (think rust). Doing a full trigger job, sear, disco, hammer hooks requires jigs and knowledge. It may require a new safety as well.

    Bushing comps generally don't work because they are oversized compared to the bore.

    Get the Kuhnhausen manuels, volumes 1 and 2 and lear,
     

    robocop10mm

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    The #1 "upgrade" I always recommend for ANY firearm is a case of ammo down range. Comps work by redirecting gasses upward to negate some of the muzzle jump. The ,45 ACP does not have sufficient volume of gas to make any difference. As stated previously, .38 Super? Good comp platform
     

    40Arpent

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    Rare is the time when a 1911 trigger kit is truly "drop in"......99% chance that it will need to be fitted (by someone competent to do so).
     

    40Arpent

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    True but at least with a drop in if i f it up i still have the old parts and im not out a stupid amount of money. just time and a lesson learned.

    You don't seem to be listening to what anyone has told you thus far, so why start now....definitely buy the trigger kit. LOL!
     

    jcb7469

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    LOL, I'm listening more than you think I am, im definitely not doing the compensator, and i'm definitely not doing a trigger job on the stock parts. I guess what I should have said was what trigger kit and besides a trigger kit what else should I buy? And as Im currently in bagram Afghanistan its not like im doing this anytime in the next month or two anyways. What I guess im trying to say is I want to do a project on the gun and I want to do more than change the grips but what can a guy with a reasonable amount of time and mechanical effort do to make the gun even more accurate. I had to get the original rear sight staked because when the slide was cut springfield messed it up a bit and it came off after about the 3rd box of shells. Sending the gun to Springfield was not an option because I was deploying in 2-3 weeks from the time they fell off. I do appreciate the advice but how does one gain experience if you don't do anything?
     
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