How to reduce weight on a 1911 for traditional class

[Jack Spade]

As the title states I have a 1911 I want to shoot in traditional class and decided to check the weight on a scale.  Turns out my milspec gun weighs 40.5 oz with a magazine inserted.  The scale I am using is pretty accurate but I am going to double check it. So how do you reduce weight?  Drill holes in the frame under the grips? 

[Nickel City Dude]

Get the Chinese to loan you one of there lighter than air balloons and attache it to the front sight.  Get paid by brandon and claim it is all Trumps fault.

[J. Frank Norfleet]

Check your magazines, are they heavy? What kind of grips? Wooden grips are the lightest and G10 are the heaviest. I've also seen people hollow out the grip panels. Replace the steel mainspring housing with a plastic one. Do check the scale. That sounds heavy for a mil-spec pistol.

JFN

[Garrison Joe]

Does it have a rail?   Remove - it's illegal in Traditional.   

Arched mainspring housing?  Replace with straight anodized aluminum or plastic one.

Steel trigger? Replace with aluminum.

It is allowed to make ejection port relief cuts even on a Traditional gun, and a good idea too unless your ejection is well tuned.

Do you have a base pad on that magazine?  Remove.   And check with several of your mags - some may be heavier than others.

And, you are allowed a grip cut at the magazine release for "relief" - there is no spec'd limit on how much that relief can be (hint).

You are also allowed beveling of the magazine well. I bevel enough that the bottom edge of the frame is close to a "knife edge." 

As mentioned above, it is real unusual for a real govt spec gun to come in that heavy.  My Colt series 70 from the 1970s is only 37.5 or so.  You are only looking for a half ounce shaving off, since the weight limit for Traditional is 40 ounces.

good luck, GJ

 

Edited February 9, 2023 by Garrison Joe

[Jack Spade]

I think the first thing I am going to try is an aluminum mainspring housing.  Don't care for the plastic ones.  I have a set of stag grips on it but they are thinner than the wood, maybe that added the extra weight.  I will weigh my magazines and see what I come up with.  No rail or anything not milspec on the gun except those grips.  I am going to have $2k in this $500 pistol before I am done! LOL!