Recoil Springs effect on recoil ?

[TMan]

The other day I had the opportunity to shoot the IMI SP2109 marketed by Magnum Research. Having fired quite a few rounds through the Baby Eagle, I was curious how the SP21, aka the Barak, would shoot.

The amount of recoil surprised me. The gun has two recoil springs that are wire-wrapped (not sure if that is the correct term) springs. This begs the question: do heavy recoil springs give you more felt recoil?

["DoubleAction"]

TMan; The heavier recoil springs actually work to absorb the energy of the Slide's Recoil, minimumizing the pounding and hammering effect felt as the slide retracts. With the heavier recoil spring, the slide will also have more energy when stripping a cartridge from the magazine while going into battery.
I've shot some pistols with recoil springs so light that the slide fail to go into full battery. The recoil spring should be changed periodically if a pistol is shot often, this prevents premature wear of the frame caused by the excessive recoil pounding during slide cycle, from a weaken spring, and reassures that the pistol will function smoothly.
With the 1911s I install the shok buffer, which is placed between the slide and frame's impact point of the guide rod head.

[TMan]

Hmmm, so much for that theory - ranked right up there with the theory of evolution. I wonder why I feel so much recoil with this little sucker. It does have a shorter barrel than tis Baby Eagle brother.

I agree with you on the Shok-Buffers. I even use one on my S&W 41. The only problem I ever had with one was on the CZ75 where I got it in backwards. It made it difficult to manually lock the slide open, but it worked okay on the last round i.e. it locked open then.

["DoubleAction"]

TMan; The shorter barrels on the semi-autos require heavier recoil springs verses that of their longer counter parts in the same calibers. Reason being is the shorter distance in which the slide travels, (which sometimes do not allow enough space to accomodate shok buffs). With this in mind, some manufactures have installed dual recoil springs, or applied aftermarket ingenuity of using shock absorbing rods, such as those found from the "Recoil Master". The Recoil Master is a rod with two springs, each placed end to end for a variable effect in reducing recoil. Colt came up with the idea of using two springs on it's 3 1/2" inch .45 acp Officers 1911, having one outer,and an inner spring.
I modified my own Officer's acp using a shoulder tapered reversed recoil spring plug, a full length rod, a single 22 lb. Wolff spring, and a guide rod head that accepts an inner buffer and an outer buffer; One for the slide, and one for the frame with no metal to metal contact on recoil. This guide rod system was developed by Joseph Comminolli, which is referred to as the "Frame Saver".
There are less coils on the shorter recoil springs, because of the shorter space of barrel and slide length. This is one reason Sig provides flat coil wire on their recoil springs for the 239.