# Compensators



## 1911AZ (May 16, 2012)

What is everyones thoughts on 1911 Compensators, Im looking to do some customizing to my Springfield A1 and compensators have been on my mind, so pros and cons and thoughts please. Also which ones are good to go with and where to get best priced and best quality.


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## ponzer04 (Oct 23, 2011)

I will answer first. I have had 2 comps for my 1911 one of them a cheap $19 off of e-bay, and one about $50 from brownells. I have since resold them on e-bay.

I never noticed much difference between the two. I didn't have them fit to the barrel or anything so that may be why I saw no real performace increases (i was pretty new to my hangun also and just wanted to try them cuz i thought they looked cool.) 

be willing to refinish your pistol if you find a comp you like because more than likely it will not match and stand out like a sore thumb on your pistol.


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

What caliber are you running,that will be the deciding factor if it will be worth the money.

38 Super and hot 9s will work the comp,so you'll see the largest gain.45 is a low pressure round so generally you won't see much benefit,but there are some efficient comps that do work in 45.Brand wise I can't recommend anything because I've been away from game guns for over 10 years,sorry.

What you don't want is to be cheap about it and just throw a bushing mount comp on.Some are just a ported tube,some are a compensator but aren't as efficient as can be because they are overbored to guarrantee the bullet wont hit in a large range of guns.

A good setup is going to be a comp/barrel assembly fit to that specific gun,by someone that knows how to properly fit the barrel,face off the comp to the slide so it looks gapless but doesn't batter each other,the ream the comp for bullet clearance,but tight enough to contain gasses for the baffles and chambers to work efficiently.5 bills is probably cheap in today's world.

If your barrel is fit correctly,which really is a crap shoot with production guns,you could save some money threading a cone comp to yours but then you can't go back to stock without a new barrel or having a sleeve made to replace the comp.This can be one drawback to comps,and the only others I can see is the added length and if you take advantage of the extra sight radius you need to like a black front sight,because the sight will be covered with soot from the ports as you shoot it.Oh,they will blind you at night too.It isn't a con,but you will have to respring the gun to compensate for the added recoiling mass.A lighter recoil spring can work alone but it's best to reconfigure the hammer and recoil spring because the hammer spring has most of the influence to control unlocking and rearward slide travel,the recoil spring is involved but it's main purpose is getting the slide back foward and in lockup.

Sounds a little discouraging,but comps are cool if you have the need for them.EGW makes top shelf stuff,beyond them I don't know who is still in the game these days with efficient designs.


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

Ditto above.

Here is a 45 Cal 1911 with a carry comp I used to have. Out of all the guns I have bought and sold over the years - this is the ONLY one I wish I would have kept:


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## Bisley (Aug 24, 2008)

1911AZ said:


> What is everyones thoughts on 1911 Compensators, Im looking to do some customizing to my Springfield A1 and compensators have been on my mind, so pros and cons and thoughts please. Also which ones are good to go with and where to get best priced and best quality.


Since you did ask for everybody's thoughts, here's mine:

Unless you are shooting certain types of competition, or you want to shoot hot .44 magnums or above in something, you shouldn't need one. A good grip and a lot of practice makes the recoil from most .45 ACP rounds negligible, to most people who don't have some sort of injury or condition that makes any recoil painful. Most of the time, a person's problem with recoil is merely a pereption that causes them to flinch, most often seen with folks who use poor ear protection, or none at all, and have an old fashioned grip.

I have helped several brand new shooters get started, and in every case, I have been able to bring them from shooting .22 CBs well, to .45 ACP, in a single session. It's a matter of pacing them along with something that doesn't shock their senses and letting them feel like they are good at each level, before jumping to the next.

That's just my personal opinion, though, and I don't claim to be expert on the subject.


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

I remember that comp you had Shipwreck,a buddy had one on a Super and it just pushed straight back into you,really efficient and fast.Can't remember who made it but I liked the sight behind the ports.Is that a pure SA or a build on another frame?Something looks different about the frame but I can't put my finger on it.I had a first run SA Defender (5") that was a good piece,but my second SA was a much poorer example.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Bisley said:


> ...Unless you are shooting certain types of competition, or you want to shoot hot .44 magnums or above in something, you shouldn't need one. A good grip and a lot of practice makes the recoil from most .45 ACP rounds negligible...Most of the time, a person's problem with recoil is merely a per[c]eption that causes them to flinch...


I'm supposed to agree by typing "+1," but I feel that this isn't enough.
I don't merely agree, but rather I agree wholeheartedly.
I particularly agree with: "A good grip and a lot of practice makes the recoil from most .45 ACP rounds negligible." I must add that this observation is not limited to only the .45 ACP, but rather that it applies across the board, to every kind of gun and every size of cartridge.


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

rex said:


> I remember that comp you had Shipwreck,a buddy had one on a Super and it just pushed straight back into you,really efficient and fast.Can't remember who made it but I liked the sight behind the ports.Is that a pure SA or a build on another frame?Something looks different about the frame but I can't put my finger on it.I had a first run SA Defender (5") that was a good piece,but my second SA was a much poorer example.


That was actually a factory Springfield gun. Came on a national match frame back then. I got it because it looked like the gun on Nash Bridges


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

I'll be,I don't recall that one.The NM frames wee the best,but it's been so long I forget the exact difference between those and the standard frames.I believe they were final machined here,where the N prefix frames were done completely in Brazil.

Clark just popped in my head for the comp,maybe?Jim was one of the great pioneers of the 1911,may he rest in peace.


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

It was PDP Defender - in the ate 1990s, Springfield had a really interesting production catalog


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