heavy 1911 - anyway to shave weight?

[Hogleg Hunter]

I bought an e-series S&W sw1911ta with the accessory rail a while back. I would like to use it a backup pistol but the specs list it at 41.5 oz. I assume this is without a magazine? I haven't had access to a scale to weigh it yet. Does anyone use this pistol and if so what did you do to make the weight limit?

[Boggus Deal]

If it has a guide rod, replace it with GI type parts. Lighter stocks. Aluminum or polymer main spring housing.

[Wild Bodie Tom]

Maybe try a grip change and a plastic mainspring housing off a new Colt or Kimber.

Might get ya down there with that.

Just sayin.

[Wild Bodie Tom]

Don't you do anything slow Boggus..... LOL

 

Ditto on your reply.

[Boggus Deal]

WBT, some folks are fast and some folks are halfast.........

[Wild Bodie Tom]

True. LOL

 

 

[Garrison Joe]

Swap out extended safety with standard one.  Save a fraction of an ounce.    ;D

 

Grind positioning button off the grip safety.  Save another fraction of an ounce.    ::)

 

 

[DUSTY BODDAMS]

 

 

that is WITH a magazine.

[Two Dot]

I'd find a scale before I started grinding or swapping parts.

Harbor Freight sells a diet/ postal scale that works well.

[Allie Mo]

Hi Hogleg,

 

If you plan on shooting Modern with the pistol. The following applies.

"Unloaded pistol weight may not exceed 42 ounces with an empty magazine inserted."

 

Regards,

 

Allie

[Wild Bodie Tom]

Ya could just walk into the post office and have em weigh it.....

Just kidding.

 

As Dot said, a gram/ounce scale works well.

Even Wally World has em. Bout 20 bucks.....

If its close however, a way to verify the scale is a good idea.

I have certified weights for the one I use. It gets used a bunch.....no comment...LOL

[Hogleg Hunter]

Hi Hogleg,

 

If you plan on shooting Modern with the pistol. The following applies.

"Unloaded pistol weight may not exceed 42 ounces with an empty magazine inserted."

 

Regards,

 

Allie

 

This is what had me worried. S&W website has gun at 41.5oz. -too close to depend on a cheap scale.  Someone above said that weight was with a magazine which would bring it in under the weight limit.

[Wild Bodie Tom]

The cost of the scale is not the issue.

Its if its correct that counts.

Not sure where you reside, but would think somebody has a scale.

No worries until ya get to State or above matches.

Leastways round here.

Understand wanting to be correct however.

Good luck with a holster as well..... Just sayin.

[Hogleg Hunter]

I have 2 big matches coming up. There should be a scale at at least one of them.

 

The trick is determining if a scale is accurate. Certified weights can cost more than the scale to be calibrated.

 

I was going to have the holster custom made for it anyway.

[Garrison Joe]

The trick is determining if a scale is accurate. Certified weights can cost more than the scale to be calibrated.

 

So, you make your self your own darn check weight!  Stop by a junk yard, pick up a chunk of heavy steel that you can cut down to ABOUT 40 ounces.  Perhaps a heavy angle iron or even a short length of i-beam.    Just using a bath scale, lop off pieces until you get between 2.5 and 4 pounds.  When you go to a big match with a calibrated scale, have them weight your check weight.  Write the weight on a label on the chunk. 

 

Then, if you get a cheap kitchen scale to do your own weighing, start by weighing your chunk and calibrate scale to read out that weight, and to read 0 when the scale is empty.  You  will be almost perfectly calibrated to weigh a 1911 then.

[Happy Jack]

I know there is a law concerning it, but my postmaster is a close friend and shoots on my range. I have certified weights and a scale at home but I know I can take mine in to the PO and weight it if I want. (very small town and do it when no other customers are around) If you live in a larger town don't even think about it  ;)

[J. Frank Norfleet]

GJ if HH gets his pistol weighed will it then qualify as a chunk of heavy steel? :)

 

We all joke about the Post Office.  The current postmaster general contends it is a felony offense to have a firearm in your vehicle parked in post office parking lot.  And they wonder why folks go postal.

 

In NM the state certifies all scales used for public commerce.  Your butcher shop or grocery store might have certified scales.  Ours are certified by the state.  Recognize that the scale used at a match is the official scale for that match.  If you are riding the line you may go over at one match and not another.

 

When I had my match pistol built the first big match I planned to use it at was WR.  I caught WBT before the shooting started and he weighed it.  Had it not passed I would have used the pistol which up until then was my main match pistol.

JFN

 

[Wild Bodie Tom]

My procedure which has worked to date at AZ. State, Utah State, WR and EOT is as follows.

Yes I have what most consider a "cheap" scale.

BUT, I also have NRA certified weights.

The scale is plus/minus a tenth of an ounce. So dependent upon God, weather, temperature, etc, the scale can vary. As I would feel most would regardless of cost.

So heres the deal.

When a competitor weighs his pistol with mag and its good, its good.

If it goes over, come get me.

I will then weigh the gun, immediately weigh the check weight(s), then the gun one more time in succession.

If the check shows the scale to be a tenth off, and the gun ends up over anyway. Guess what.

 

I would highly suggest that one does not skirt within a tenth or two of the limit.

If I attend an out of town match.... Guess what. I take my check weights. Just sayin.

However, I run light enough it has, and should never be an issue. Kinda like power factor.... run enough to be safe.

 

I have not DQ'ed anyone for weight ever.

Just sayin.

 

Traditional guns are running 37-39 ounces

Moderns are scaling 38-40.5.

With anything over 40 being the exception by far in Modern.

 

Hope this helps.

 

The rail guns.....

I have worked on and check weighed those.

They usually run 40.5-41.5 with a mag.

I had one go 42.2

 

Grip change took care of it.....

 

Thanks

Bodie

[Hogleg Hunter]

[quote author=Garrison Joe link=topic=1927.msg13711#msg13711

 

So, you make your self your own darn check weight!  Stop by a junk yard, pick up a chunk of heavy steel that you can cut down to ABOUT 40 ounces.  Perhaps a heavy angle iron or even a short length of i-beam.    Just using a bath scale, lop off pieces until you get between 2.5 and 4 pounds.

 

The forest and the trees again. Sometimes the easy logical solutions elude me.

[Wild Bodie Tom]

Being as I am not where you live, I cannot check it for you. I gladly would. I take mine to the monthly matches I put on if someone needs to know.

Not knowing the dynamics of where you shoot, or who may shoot with you, other than whats been offered, I do not know how to address a solution.

 

Not knocking the suggestion to obtain/provide a weighed piece of something if you cannot get your pistol scaled, I don't know. But, cannot say if that would fly if contested at a State or above.

 

As stated by others. The scale at the event, if you are requested/required to weigh, IS the scale.

No different than the Chrono is THE Chrono for that event.

 

Folks place a lot of time and effort into putting on these events, and enforcing what needs to be enforced.

We as shooters need to insure we abide by the rules.

PM me if you wish, as perhaps I can find someone in your area to help you out with this.

As stated. I am a 1911 pistolsmith. Have been for over 35 years. No, in the past before WB, the weight was never an issue. However, since it has been, I do check customer guns as they roll through to make sure. Especially the Traditional guns. They CAN have problems.

And in that time, the only one that went over was a "rail" gun with aftermarket grips. Once a stock type WOOD set of grips were installed, it was fine.

 

Understand as stated before, and I commend you on wanting to be PC. But unless you have scale nazis at all your local events, shoot on....Just sayin....

 

Thanks

 

Bodie.