I just picked up a Dan Wesson Valor duty treat yesterday and am looking at getting a few spare parts and springs. Did a search on here and didnt really find much all the way back to 2009(unless I am not searching the right words). Looked around on 1911forum and those guys have some crazy spare parts lists that include everything but a new frame, slide and barrel. They recommend keeping a spare firing pin, firing pin retaining plate, fitted/tuned extractor, every spring in the gun x 3, wilson pin kit, safety, grip safety, etc… Their list is a bit over whelming.
This gun will most likely see fewer than 1000 rounds a year. It also most likely wouldnt get shot in any classes or competitions unless I took a 1911 specific class. I have HK’s and a tuned up M&P for stuff like that.
So can anybody give a run down of what I should keep on hand. Im thinking recoil spring is about it. Wilson sells a complete spring kit for like 16 bucks though thats not a bad price, just dont know if I need all of them. Im just not sure I need to keep a spare firing pin, extractor, etc…
Imho if you are only using her for a range queen then a spare spring kit is a good idea. If you were using it for duty or shooting it a lot I love would say getting a spare extractor tuned and a firing pin would be a good idea. I have seen where the safeties on the Dan Wessons have failed or were improperly fitted. Maybe just go with getting a Wilson bulletproof fitted and not worry about it. Or just shoot the crap out of her and see what happens. If you are not relying on it just have fun with a nice pistol.
Honestly in thirty years of using 1911’s ( to be honest sort of like leasing a car I tend to hold on to them for a few years run 20k or so through them then trade off or sell for something else) but I have never broken any 1911 part and the only thing to ever get replaced has been recoil springs. I can say the same for my run hard glocks- when built right to begin with ( Dan wesson has a good reputation in this regard) the chances of parts breakage especially if shooting only 1k a year is slim to none. Keep in mind except springs almost every part in a 1911 will require fitting to work best so I would not invest in a bunch of spares. If something breaks take it to a reputable 1911 smith and have them fit a replacement part.
that was my thought. Only experience I have with a 1911 is a Kimber my dad has and he has replaced the recoil spring once or twice and tuned the extractor. He probably has 2500-3000 rounds through that gun thats full of questionable parts and it runs pretty well. Ill grab a few recoil springs and call it done. Like I said for what I will be using this gun for, if it goes down on the range, not a huge deal.
It just seemed crazy that these guys were recommending keeping spares of all of this stuff and I was thinking “what kind of shitty guns are they running where they are worried about all these small parts breakages”. Thats one reason I bought a gun with non MIM parts so, in theory, they will last longer.
A lot of the time it is recomended to have spare parts for just in case scenarios. Going to a comp. or being in a zombie apocalypse if your stuff goes down. You can get her running again. Same for ARs and glocks. Shoot it-break it tell us what you had to replace hahaha.
I like to keep a spare set of plungers with the spring. Either Colt or Cylinder and Slide parts. I change 'em out every other recoil spring or so. I also change the firing pin spring with the recoil spring. I used standard (not Wolff’s extra power standard, a real Colt spec standard) power firing pin springs. I kept a spare set of springs and pins all the time. Not just for me, but to get someone else’s gun running.
I always kept a spare extractor after having one shit the bed two days before a major match and Dawson forgot to overnight my new one…
I also kept spare plunger tubes and grip bushings along with the proper tools to use 'em. These come in extremely handy.
Based on the volume of ammo you estimate the gun will see here are the spares I would recommend you have on hand:
[ul]
[li]Recoil spring - if it’s a 5" 45ACP gun I would recommend a Wolff 18.5#
[/li][li]Wolff Extra PowerFiring pin spring - this should come with the recoil spring
[/li][li]Plunger tube detent assembly - this would be the detent pins and spring that are in the plunger tube… you wouldn’t believe how often I hear of folks loosing these
[/li][li]Set of stock screws
[/li][/ul]
Please note that the above list is the “minimum” spares kit that I would want for a light use 1911. The parts represent things that are generally wear items (springs) and things that are often lost during field stripping or detail stripping.
If you wanted to compile what I would consider a “complete” spare parts kit I would add the following to the above list:
[ul]
[li]Fit, tuned, and tested extractor
[/li][li]Fit firing pin stop
[/li][li]Fit/tested slide stop
[/li][li]Extra firing pin
[/li][li]Complete pin set
[/li][li]Tuned sear spring
[/li][li]Extra mainspring
[/li][li]Extra set of stock panels
[/li][/ul]
Most of these parts represent key functional parts that would render a gun inoperable if they were to break/wear out and it’s most often easier to have a spare fit and tested before you need it rather than in a pinch. Other parts (such as the pin set, mainspring, and stock panels) are convent to have on hand in the event you loose one.
One additional item I typically fit on my personal guns that are intended for heavy use is a spare thumb safety… I personally have broken more thumb safeties than anything else on a 1911.
