Ruger SR1911 10mm

[Wyocaddis]

Picking one up, anything I need to know about reloading for it? Anyone changing springs, Anyone running DT, BB, UW ammo with any issues? The plan is to get it running a MBW 200gr. WFN somewhere in the 1150-1250 range. Have not reloaded for the 10 before, 40+ years reloading in handguns that would include 9 & 45 Auto, and 32-20 to 475 Linebaugh in revolvers.

Thanks ahead of time 

[The_Shadow]

Wyocaddis, Welcome to the forum
Well with the WFN bullets some of them because of the nose profile need to be loaded to a shorter COL  1.242" to allow better feeding and improve the tipping angle as they try to enter into the chamber.  Loading is fairly straight forward but things will go better if you seat the bullet without any crimp applied and the crimp without any bullet movement.  This prevents shaving of the bullet material or buckling of the casing while seating & crimping in the same step...avoid using the LEE FCD as it can squeeze the cast bullet smaller and that can be a source of barrel leading!
Best of luck!

[sqlbullet]

Standard rules apply to this as any other 1911 in 10mm.

Flat bottom firing pin stop and 18.5-24 lb recoil spring depending on your school of thought (1911Tuner or Bill Wilson).

If the gun is otherwise properly set up, this combination will result in a lifetime of reliable service with SAAMI spec ammo.

[Wyocaddis]

"Flat bottom firing pin stop and 18.5-24 lb recoil spring depending on your school of thought (1911Tuner or Bill Wilson)."
I know comes factory with a 18#.

Could you explain a bit further: 18.5-24 lb recoil spring depending on your school of thought.


The 1911Tuner or bill Wilson places to find springs or both firing pin and spring


Thanks

[Wyocaddis]

As I dont have it in hand yet, I have been doing some further research including one of your posts. I do not know what the main spring is in the factory model any ideas?
My SR 1911 45 does have a flat bottom firing pin stop. For those that are familiar with the Ruger 10mm does it also have the flat bottom or should it be changed? Not knowing the weight of the Ruger factory main spring would you order another, and if so is the consensus 25#? Or are we talking recoil spring as that is what I mentioned above as being 18# LOL Confused

Trying to get parts needed here, so when pistol arrives I can swap from the start.
Thanks

[Spudmeister]

Just a suggestion but before you go changing things you might want to put 400 to 500 rounds thru the gun in stock condition.  Let it break in.  Learn the gun.  Find it's strengths and weaknesses.  Then decide if you need anything different.  Have fun and please share your experiences.

[Graybeard]

Totally agree with Spudmeister on this. Break in the gun as it was shipped. 1911 Forum is full of guys that immediately swapped out all MIM parts, springs, triggers, full length guide rods for GI guide rods, etc. They then whine that their gun is a POS for having problems feeding, ejecting, ..... I've always swapped out one thing at a time, particularly parts that require fitting. That way if problems start, you know exactly what changed.

Colt DE originally came with 23lb recoil springs, Kimbers with 18.5lb, I don't know about the Ruger. Typical mainsprings seem to be 25lbs. IIRC, Bill Wilson states that the 24lb recoil spring offers slightly longer lock time and 1911tuner disagrees, but  I could be wrong about that. Someone else may chime in.

[Wyocaddis]

Thanks guys for the common sense replies. Reading to much into posts I've seen, where everyone is changing this and that. Have 200 factory 180 loads on hand so will shoot those up and see where we go from there.

[sqlbullet]

Sorry for the delay in response.  I have been traveling a fair bit again for my work.  Been to Mexico and Ohio (still here) in the last two weeks  and headed to India 14 days after I get home from this trip.  The honey-do's stack up a bit.

1911Tuner asserts that the recoil spring has one job...To successfully return the slide to battery, including stripping a round from the magazine.  He even does a number of demonstrations of firing 1911 handguns with no recoil spring installed to show that the slide and frame can handle the forces involved just fine without a spring.  Further, he suggests that additional spring strength places stress on parts like the lower lugs, link, link pin and slide stop holes in the frame.  These parts have to stop the slide from coming off the gun as it returns to battery, and more spring means more velocity and force as the slide returns forward.  And unlike the impact abutments in the slide and frame, these other parts are not really engineered for the forces involved.

So why 18.5 lbs rather than the 14 lbs of a bullseye gun?  Well, too much rearward slide velocity can be a bad thing, but not because it is hard on the frame.  The slide/frame impact behaves like an in-elastic collision.  The harder the slide hits the frame abutment, the more of a rebound "head start" it gets on return to battery.  Too much head-start means it out-runs the magazine spring and you get a bolt over base three point jam. 

Read more here from 1911Tuner:  https://rangehot.com/1911-spring-information/

Bill Wilson, on the other hand, asserts that you should use the heaviest spring that will still allow the slide to lock open on an empty magazine consistently.  I don't have a lot of citation as to why he says this though.  Read the full comments by Mr. Wilson here: https://www.m1911.org//technic1.htm

I tend to land on the 1911 tuner side of things, though I find with my guns that I need to run about a 22 lbs spring to fully eliminate excessive rebound speed and three point jams.  I have two wide-body 1911's in 10mm where this is especially true.  My SR1911 just runs a flat bottom firing pin stop.

I do agree that you should use these changes to solve problems only if you have the problems.  No reason to through parts and money at a gun that runs fine out of the box.

[Univibe]

AA#9 is the premier powder for full house loads in 10mm.  I use it with either 180 grain FMJ or 180 grain hardcast.

  Is your 1911 barrel and feed ramp polished?  This will make for better feeding and easier de leading with hardcast


For FBI light loads, switch to AA#5.   

Is your chamber fully supported?  That increases confidence with full power loads.

Otherwise, 10mm handloading is no different from any other semi auto cartridge.