1911 Scope Mounts

All but one of my 1911s have slide mount scope bases on them, the .38Spl has a frame mount becuase it is a .38spl and I didn't want to fool with higher pressure loads to get it to cycle reliabley. 
Old age is catching up to me and my hands are feeling the battering my 45 has pummeled it with over the years so I'm looking to change scope mount styles and put a frame mount on it so I can shoot lighter loads and get reliable function.
A couple of questions for those who have switched from slide mount to frame mount scopes are one did you find that your guns were less accurate at 50yds and which brand frame mount did you switch to.

I have a Weigand frame mount on a few different guns, I like it better than the les baer version that I previously had on one particular gun (it was a 38, seemed to always catch brass). I would like to spend some time with a Sam’s style mount, It should be significantly lighter and get the optic closer to the bore.

As far as accuracy difference between frame and slide mount, I have not converted one to another, but I would find it hard to believe a difference would exist. So long as the barrel is good, it is fit well, and sprung correctly the accuracy potential should be the same assuming the load is good.

Accuracy shouldn't be an issue if slide fits frame well. Since barrel is locked up into the slide and if done right slide mount accuracy is better if slide is loose on the frame. AMU would build either with same accuracy however shooter preferred slide mount due to less felt recoil. I was at the AMU trailer at Perry when Henderson was demonstrating the difference, He was using the Plastic 1911 the guy selling eye glasses next door had. Slide mount recoil looked as the typical 1911 recoil, gun raised a few inches, but frame mount look like some shooting a .50 caliber revolver, heavy recoil combined with what looked like someone swatting away and attacking bee. Exaggeration, yes but he was trying to make a point.

Rodger Barthlow wrote: so I'm looking to change scope mount styles and put a frame mount on it so I can shoot lighter loads and get reliable function.

To best achieve that goal, you may want to switch to a faster twist barrel (1:13) in order to stabilize lighter loads at lower velocities.

As far as scope mounts, I personally haven't seen any commercially available frame mounts that didn't look unappealing and raise the scope up higher than a slide mount rail would. To keep the scope down as low as possible, a custom mount fitted to your gun would be the best, lightest way to go.

DA/SA is correct. You can't lower powder charge that will lower recoil and velocity and get the same accuracy of a bullet type. Back when Adam was home and didn't enlist yet I was keeping him in Bullets getting Remington 185gr jacked bullets in bulk from Midway. Been over 20 years ago but if my memory is correct the bulk box contained 2000 bullets, I would order 2 boxes. One time they didn't have 2 boxes so I got one box of Remington and another Winchester. They looked identical yet when the Winchester was loaded same a Remington they would not group well!. When Adam used all the Remingtons he changed powder charge and accuracy came back.
 Simply put each bullet type needs a certain velocity with twist rate so as to stabilize. Therefore if velocity is lowered twist rate must increase to stabilize the bullet.

I can't really speak for the .45 but when I built my .38 Super with a dot, I focused on accuracy.  My gun builder welded up 4 spots on the frame and fit them to the slide perfectly.  I was shooting Bianchi Cup and was getting a sub 2" group at 50 yards with 124 gr bullet.  The 158 gr bullets shot closer to 1.5" but that rocked the gun too much for that style of shooting.  It took a long time to find those recipes.  Biggest thing to make sure of is slide to frame fit.

I have a wiegand 1911 frame scope mout if anyone is interested.

Jim

Accuracy shouldn't be an issue if slide fits frame well. Since barrel is locked up into the slide and if done right slide mount accuracy is better if slide is loose on the frame. AMU would build either with same accuracy however shooter preferred slide mount due to less felt recoil. I was at the AMU trailer at Perry when Henderson was demonstrating the difference, He was using the Plastic 1911 the guy selling eye glasses next door had. Slide mount recoil looked as the typical 1911 recoil, gun raised a few inches, but frame mount look like someone shooting a .50 caliber revolver, heavy recoil combined with what looked like someone swatting away an attacking bee. Exaggeration, yes but he was trying to make a point.

I've tried the grip panel mounts - did not like them.
I've used both a slide mount and a Baer frame mount. The Baer mount is nice as the weight of the optic is back, over your hand.
No real preference. Shot HM scores with both.
Recoil pulse with a slide mount is very slow. Sort of a ca-chunk. With a frame mount, it's like a real 1911.