Mainspring Housing / Mag-Wells

Your handgun’s firing mechanism relies heavily on several essential components, one of them being the mainspring housing. This item isn’t an option but a necessity. And if the one on your 1911 pistol is in poor shape, upgrading it is highly advisable.

At Fusion Firearms, we know how vital mainspring housing is to the performance of your 1911 pistol. That is why we only offer the highest quality components, CNC machined from bar-stock. These premium replacement parts are manufactured from the finest grades of carbon alloy steel, stainless steel and light weight aluminium alloy. Also, Fusion Firearms are availables in many variation to fit your frame size and application. Many popular options are mainspring housings, Mainspring housing with mag-well, & carry cut mainspring housing styles. . Visit our website for more details and a look at the optional textures and surface finishes.

What is a Mainspring Housing?

The mainspring housing is the part of the firearm that holds the mainspring ignition components. Without these components the pistol will not fire. It is the long, narrow part that is located at the frame's back-strap/grip area and at the extreme lower rear.

And speaking of the mainspring, this component’s primary function is storing the energy needed to ignite the cartridge’s primer and power the hammer.

But exceptional mainspring housing does more than holding the mainspring. For starters, it improves your handgun’s appearance and grip. That is why you should pay close attention to this component and always ensure it’s in top form.

What is a 1911 Mainspring Housing?

A 1911 mainspring housing is fundamentally designed for 1911 pistols, otherwise known as M1911, Colt Government, or Colt 1911. These firearms are semi-automatic, single-action, and recoil-operated.

Most importantly, 1911 handguns rely on a hammer assembly for proper operation. That is why some users and weapon experts refer to their mainspring components as hammer springs. So, to summarize, a Colt 1911 Mainspring Housing holds the hammer spring ignition components in place for proper and reliable operation.

The arched mainspring housing was introduced after World War 1. It came with the M1911A1 with one primary objective: to improve gripping of the pistol and pointing accuracy. Apparently, its predecessor, the flat mainspring housing, compromised accuracy by encouraging low shots when shooters used the conventional one-handed technique.

From what we’ve gathered, the arched mainspring housing 1911 comes with a classic look, while the flat mainspring housing offers better control with the use of today’s more modern beavertail grip safeties. Either way, the choice of an arched or flat mainspring housing is dependent on the gripping style and performance desires of the user.

Handguns often get lost. In fact, in 2021 alone, approximately 4,751 firearms were reported stolen or missing in the US. But you can avoid misplacing your pistol by securing it to your body or any other safe place using a lanyard loop.
A lanyard loop is simply a retaining mechanism similar to a ring that a lanyard rope or rope assembly is attached to at the mainspring housing. There are various lanyard loop mainspring housings available to suit the individual's needs. Regardless of the method of choice, you can use the lanyard loop style mainspring housings to secure a firearm via a rope or rope and clasp to your belt or holster using a lanyard or any other suitable rope or cord. If you want to implement this feature on your 1911 pistol, you can visit fusion firearms selection at: 1911 mainspring housing with a lanyard loop.

Do you have a Colt 1911 Officer’s Model? In that case, your handgun needs a 1911 officer mainspring housing. As the name suggests, this component is best suited for Officer-sized colt 1911 firearms and clones. These also include models such as the defender, officers, Micro-compact 1911’s, & CCO models.

The best 1911 Officer mainspring housing products are exquisitely machined and have essential features like the 1911 mag-well .

Fusion Firearms offers additional styles with a variety of finishes, materials, and textures for the 2011 style double-stack pistols. These are available in standard mainspring housing designs and also with optional mag-well. See our website for all the 2011 or double-stack options: :1911 mag-well .

The Mainspring housing with mag-well has several advantages and was designed to allow shooters to quickly insert a new loaded magazine. The mag-well style mainspring housing is designed with a wider flared base plate which will protect the bottom of the pistol frame and grips and also serve as a larger flared entrance way for inserting the magazine into the pistol. This also aids in faster reloading of the pistol which is crucial in many action and speed shooting competitions. So the mag-well mainspring housing is a very popular option with many 1911 pistol shooters. The best 1911 full size government or Officer mainspring housing products are cnc machined from bar-stock and are available through Fusion Firearms, 1911 mag-well .

The carry-cut mainspring housing was designed to allow for a person to more comfortably carry a 1911 pistol for self defence. The carry-cut mainspring housing is available for only full size Government and Commander size frames. In-addition, if your frame is not properly machined for a carry-cut mainspring housing, you will have to have this done for proper assembly. Fusion firearms offers these machining and fitting services in its custom shop. See our services section on our website: .

Carry-cut mainspring housings are very comfortable and cradle in a person's hand allowing for good control and also excellent comfort when carrying a 1911 pistol. This popular option has become a mainstay for many people who wish to carry a 1911 pistol daily.

If you want a better grip when handling your Colt 1911 pistol, consider upgrading to a 1911 checkered mainspring housing. This design offers a more positive and aggressive gripping surface which helps you keep the firearm steady and control its recoil.

Additionally, competitive shooting is enjoyable with a checkered mainspring housing on your handgun. The improved grip facilitates faster target acquisition and cuts the time between shots.

If you want a good grip with a less aggressive texture than the checkered mainspring housings then our chainlink or tru-link texture patterns are for you. These patterns give good gripping and are less aggressive that other textures. This adds to a more comfortable day of shooting for many people. So, for people who like a less aggressive gripping texture, consider upgrading to a Fusion firearms 1911 chain-link or true-link mainspring housing.

Many traditionalists like the serrated texture patterns on their 1911 pistols. Fusion offers several traditional serrated patterns for customers to select from. If you want a good grip with a less aggressive texture and a more traditional look than the serrated mainspring housings will work well for you.

Many people like the plain mainspring housings on their 1911 pistols. Fusion offers several plain mainspring housing with no texture for customers to select from. In-addition, many people will choose plain mainspring housings to add their own style of texture to or have them personally engraved. All of our Fusion Firearms mainspring housings have sufficient material for people to have their own personalised texture or engraving added.

The flat mainspring housing 1911 is for shooters that aren’t comfortable with the arched design’s feel or function. So, if your firearm has an arched mainspring housing that makes it point the muzzle higher and misses targets or feels lacking, the flat 1911 mainspring housing is a splendid alternative.

For a better experience, try a flat mainspring housing with a checkered body or 1911 flared mag-well. The former will improve grip, and the latter will lower muzzle rise by spreading recoil impulse.

What Does the Mainspring Do?

The mainspring in a 1911 pistol keeps the hammer under tension and directs it forward after you pull the trigger. As you may already know, this component is held in place by the mainspring housing, located at the frame’s rear end. Since the 1911 main spring’s function and form are similar to the famous hammer spring, some people refer to this component as the hammer spring or hammer spring housing.