recoil spring question

[nc-gun-guy]

ok, so if a standard recoil spring for a "commander" size gun is 18#, why do custom gun makers like ed brown, les bear, nighthawk, and wilson slap 20# recoil springs in there guns?

[Tom]

My uneducated guess: to make sure that on "short-cycle" 1911s that the extra two pounds of forward thrust help overcome any minor feeding issues. It's the "larger hammer" theory at work.