Main Spring Housings on Production 1911's

[BazookaBob]

Why on almost every new 1911 style pistol are the manufacturers going with a straight main spring housing like the original M1911. The manufacturers tend to incorporate many or all of the upgrades from the M1911A1 except the curved or humped main spring housing. The production exceptions of course are the M1911A1 clones and I am sure others that I am unaware of. I have noticed this over the past 20 years or longer.

Is it a manufacturing cost issue or looks issue or what. Even my 34 year old Para double stack has a straight main spring housing. Just looking for answer and/or interested in everyone's opinion. I apologize if I am misinformed or just incorrect. Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!

[Rick McC.]

I believe that it’s because the straight MSHs seem to be more popular with 1911 folk.

[Doran]

The arch added to the mainspring housing to "give a more desirable angle to the rear of the grip." Some prefer the "old" angle.

[BazookaBob]

I think I prefer the arch housing based on my own experience with ship's armories during my time in the navy. I however have kept the straight housing on my own weapon, Just not looking to modify or change anything. I was just curious why current manufacturers appear to produce modern versions with straight housing for the most part.

[Doran]

Less material and simpler tooling costs less per unit, but likely not enough to make much difference in a medium to higher end pistol. I suppose the mfrs have studied the market and decided more customers prefer flat than arched.

[Hawkmoon]

The arched mainspring housing of the M1911A1 was a concession to muscle memory. The M1911 was the first semi-automatic pistol adopted by the U.S. military. Any soldiers who were already in the military at the time of the change had to transition from shooting revolvers to shooting the new-fangled semi-auto. Many of them reported (I was going to write "complained," but that may be too strong a word) that the M1911 "shot low." This was almost certainly, at least in part, a result of muscle memory -- their hands and arms tended to hold the new pistol the same as they had held their previous revolvers. The arched mainspring housing was intended to compensate for that, so in the same hands the barrel alignment would be a little bit higher.

That was a century ago. The need for the arched mainspring as a way of compensating for soldiers accustomed to shooting revolvers is long gone. Now it's a question of whatever you shot first is probably what's going to feel natural. Although not always. My first exposure to the M1911A1 was in the U.S. Army in 1967. Once I left the Army, though, I didn't touch another 1911 for over 30 years. When I did, the first one I bought had a straight mainspring housing. The second had a straight mainspring housing. The third had a straight mainspring housing. My muscles became accustomed to holding and aiming a pistol with a straight mainspring housing. Today, however many thousands of rounds later, the straight mainspring housing points naturally for me, and I find 1911s with arched mainspring housings to be uncomfortable to hold and to shoot.