Colt Defender Recoil System

[Ruzhyo]

I have a new Colt Defender and want to replace the cheesy recoil system in it with a system similar to the Officer's recoil system or one from ISMI. Can this conversion be done? We are only talking about a 1/2 inch here.

Your input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Gary

[Chuck S]

Surprisingly enough the folks at Colt's actually engineered that recoil system for reliability. Ya think the folks here know better? ;)

-- Chuck

[John]

What is that system? Can you please clarify?

Rgds

[Ruzhyo]

Well Chuck-- sometimes the other folks know how to build a better mousetrap. Colt hasn't always been known as the brightest bulb on the string. I am looking for a way to improve the cheesy recoil set up in the Defender. Make a better mousetrap or improve the existing one, if you will. Isn't that what experimentation, trial and error, and all that is about.

Gary

[Brian D.]

El Commandante, the Defender uses a dual recoil spring system, with funky looking guide rod. The springs are captive on the rod, at least the small diameter one is. Sorry I don't have a picture to show you, heck can't even go home right now to take a closer look at my Defender for ya. The back of the setup utilizes a flat metal (aluminum?) shock buff sort of gizmos.

[John]

The question is does it have a normal reverse recoil spring plug, or it has the stupid one the Officers uses, with a small protrusion, which goes in a slot in the lower part of the slide? The normal reverse plugs have a half-circular edge, which holds it there, the Officers one has that little protrusion.

[Brian D.]

Ah, that jarred my memory! The Defender uses a reverse plug as you mention. When you take the gun apart you can remove that plug. And then the outer recoil spring, which is the same diameter as a normal recoil spring, but way shorter. Fwiw I think it's just a cut-down 18 pounder. The inner spring is something different altogether, and the guide rod unit must be taken apart to access it. The rod is held at both end by "C" shaped spring clip fasteners, as the hardware store calls them.

Consarn it, 1911 Tuner, jump in here and give a better description (and a picture??) of the gizmo in question.. :D

[Ruzhyo]

I was over at Pistolsmith.com and one of their gunsmith guys told me that the Defender recoil system is almost identical to the Seecamp recoil system. Whatever it is, it needs imporvement. And Brian, you hit the nail on the head. Gizmo's, "c" spring type clilps, and other assorted crap found in a hardware store. Not exactly quality stuff. When I built my Para 12 I installed a recoil system from ISMI that was great. I put the same one on my Caspian Colt Officers. You would think that Colt would have made a better system. What is used on the Kimber Ultra Carry, or the Springfield Micro Compact or the Para P-10? Can any of these systems be machined to fit the Defender? Hell, anything is possible if ya got the tools and knowhow.

[SMMAssociates]

Consarn it, 1911 Tuner, jump in here and give a better description (and a picture??) of the gizmo in question.. Tuner's off having his brain re-lined or some such for a couple days.... :D

(You'll notice that nobody's been on my case lately....)

Regards,

[John]

I was wondering where Tuner is. I guess someone made him a good offer (another forum? offered him a lot of ammo?) and he is gone :-(

[SMMAssociates]

John:

I'm not sure what thread Tuner was in at the time, but he mentioned being offline for a couple of days without saying why.

Might be the collies turn to use the computer? :D

(A friend of mine used to be a K-9 Officer in Columbus. We're still trying to verify it, but it appears that the dog drove.... :eek: )

I'll be offline too for a few days in late February (dates still under discussion) for some not-quite-minor surgery. If the dog doesn't jump on the stitches too much it won't be a problem. I'll post something when I get a date.

Regards,

[mitchjoe]

Ruzhyo:

Not sure if this will help, but Kimber lists replacement guiderod's (provided it's a .45) for their 3" gun (UltraCarry I think) on their website for $39.95. Their rig uses a more conventional setup that may be more appealing. Not sure if it will fit, but it also uses a reverse-plug, etc. Here's a link to one of Kimber's PDF's that has a few pic's: http://www.kimberamerica.com/downloads/Manuals/Compact.pdf

mitchjoe

[lil toad]

I carry an Lite Weight Officer's model. The original recoil spring set up is a standard diameter spring encompassing a smaller diameter spring which fit tightly over the guide rod. The plug itself has a small potrusion extending off of it that slips into a similar sized recess in the slide. The only thing holding the set up together is that tiny little welded on piece of steel. I purchased a Wilson guide rod assembly for mine and had to have an 1/8 of an inch machined off of the rear of the bottom portion of the slide where the plug is held. It now sports a single spring and reverse plug and full length guide rod where the cheesy set up once belonged. Getting around machining the slide is impossible. You have to make room for the spring plug. It's a rather expensive way to go, but a way to look at it is how much is your life worth?

I believe the set up on the officer's model is similar to the old Para 12 set up. They both had the little nipple higamabob containing the entire set up.