Can I remove the lip on a TM style metal 1911 spring plug?

[CaptCalvin]

Or throw in a real steel one? Would that put significant additional trauma on the barrel bushing? If that's the case how does KWA get away with a cylindrical spring plug?

[ED-SKaR]

The TM design relies on that lip to bear the forces of the recoil, if you remove the lip then the forces are applied to the tiny locking surfaces of the barrel bushing. Depending on what slide you have, and what setup you are running it *might* be ok. But stock, it will rip the bushing out of the front of the slide fairly quickly.

[renegadecow]

Or throw in a real steel one? Would that put significant additional trauma on the barrel bushing? If that's the case how does KWA get away with a cylindrical spring plug?

The slide is magnesium.

But I have an early KJW P14.45 in plastic with a straight plunger and the slide's still relatively ok (some wobble on the bushing) going on for over a decade now.

[CaptCalvin]

The TM design relies on that lip to bear the forces of the recoil, if you remove the lip then the forces are applied to the tiny locking surfaces of the barrel bushing. Depending on what slide you have, and what setup you are running it *might* be ok. But stock, it will rip the bushing out of the front of the slide fairly quickly.

I was under the impression that the forces of recoil would mostly be on the lip (and in the case the absence of which, on the back of the slide's spring plug tunnel) striking the spring guide flange, which would be supported by the front of the frame bridge?

[ED-SKaR]

I was under the impression that the forces of recoil would mostly be on the lip (and in the case the absence of which, on the back of the slide's spring plug tunnel) striking the spring guide flange, which would be supported by the front of the frame bridge?

I'm not talking about damaging the frame, I'm talking about damaging the slide. Without the lip the stresses are very focused on certain parts of the slide and would damage it.

[CaptCalvin]

I'm not talking about damaging the frame, I'm talking about damaging the slide. Without the lip the stresses are very focused on certain parts of the slide and would damage it.

Well it wasn't what I was talking about either. The impact would be on the lip, which is seated against the back of the slide's spring plug tunnel so the force would be transferred over to that area anyway.

[renegadecow]

Impact on farthest travel, yes. But the bushing will take all the tension from the compressed recoil spring every time you shoot.

[ED-SKaR]

Impact on farthest travel, yes. But the bushing will take all the tension from the compressed recoil spring every time you shoot.

This too.

[CaptCalvin]

I would think the most impact on the bushing is from the inertia of the spring plug + recoil spring preload when the slide returns to battery actually.