Firing Spring Change out Necessary?

[Gunnar897]

I just received a new Wolf recoil spring in the mail and it came with a new firing pin spring. Should they be changed out together? I have always changed recoil springs without changing the firing spring. In fact, I don't think I have ever changed out a firing pin spring. I have never had a light strike problem either. Am I missing something?

[Guy Neill]

Check your present firing pin spring. If the firing pin tip protrudes past the spring, it's likely best to change it.

The old one will work, but it has lost some ability.

If your firing pin spring has been subjected to a lot of shooting and/or dry fire, there also may be pieces of the front end that have broken off.

Guy

[JonSnow]

+1 to Guy. You don't have to change out the FP spring when you swap recoil springs, especially if you're doing it to tune the gun and not just replacing a worn recoil spring. If you current spring passes Guy's test just stash the new one somewhere for future use.

[Gunnar897]

I was just tuning. I will check the FP spring as I have no idea on the round count of this gun.

Thanks for the info

[bountyhunter]

Make sure that new FP spring is stock, not extra power as that can give light strikes. The ones I bought always included an XP firing pin spring.

Edited January 6, 2015 by bountyhunter

[Postal Bob]

The firing pin spring does not power the firing pin, as you made mention of not getting light primer strikes. It's purpose is to prevent accidental firing of the gun, if the gun should take a blow like dropping it. The spring prevents the pin from moving foward from inertia from either dropping it or from the recoil effect. And of course it retracts the pin back into the breachface after firing.

[bountyhunter]

But the FP spring "eats energy" from the FP's detonation strike as the FP flies forward compressing the spring. Installing an extra power spring can and does cause light strikes, especially in guns where the hammer spring is reduced power either from age/use or by intent to get a better trigger pull. I recommend always using a stock FP spring, although in some cases I have had to use a reduced power firing pin spring when the trigger was being tricked out and a light hammer spring was being used.

[DGS]

But the FP spring "eats energy" from the FP's detonation strike as the FP flies forward compressing the spring. Installing an extra power spring can and does cause light strikes, especially in guns where the hammer spring is reduced power either from age/use or by intent to get a better trigger pull. I recommend always using a stock FP spring, although in some cases I have had to use a reduced power firing pin spring when the trigger was being tricked out and a light hammer spring was being used.

+1. This is especially true with CZs.

[Gunnar897]

My logic driven guess was that the only time I would consider a lightened FP spring would be from the use of a lightened/spurless hammer due to lack of weight/energy being transferred in the FP. And/or for sub 2lb trigger jobs(I may be wrong on this). I always assumed a FP springs main function was to be light enough to fly forward to ignite the primer and strong enough to get out of the way as the shell casing is being pushed up the breach face by the mag spring.

I assume they are sold together with the idea that if your recoil spring is worn out that it is a safe assumption your FP spring could be as well. As I was originally doing this for tuning purposes I need to confirm it is a stock spring and will replace it if so. I will be able to confirm its reliability while testing recoil preference and function.

Please let me know if trigger job spring weight requirements and how these are related

Thanks again

[bountyhunter]

But the FP spring "eats energy" from the FP's detonation strike as the FP flies forward compressing the spring. Installing an extra power spring can and does cause light strikes, especially in guns where the hammer spring is reduced power either from age/use or by intent to get a better trigger pull. I recommend always using a stock FP spring, although in some cases I have had to use a reduced power firing pin spring when the trigger was being tricked out and a light hammer spring was being used.

+1. This is especially true with CZs.

and Browning HP's.

[bountyhunter]

My logic driven guess was that the only time I would consider a lightened FP spring would be from the use of a lightened/spurless hammer due to lack of weight/energy being transferred in the FP.

As odd as it may seem, a lightened hammer or striker actually delivers MORE strike energy for a given strength of mainspring because it gets going faster and energy is proportional to 1/2 mass x (velocity) squared

And/or for sub 2lb trigger jobs(I may be wrong on this). I always assumed a FP springs main function was to be light enough to fly forward to ignite the primer and strong enough to get out of the way as the shell casing is being pushed up the breach face by the mag spring.

The FP spring must be strong enough to retract the tip of the FP before the case starts being extracted to prevent primer wipe across the face of the primer. You can usually see that on the fired casings. In states like california, the guns have to pass a muzzle drop test so the FP spring also has to be strong enough to prevent an "inertia fire" when the gun is dropped on it's muzzle.

I assume they are sold together with the idea that if your recoil spring is worn out that it is a safe assumption your FP spring could be as well. As I was originally doing this for tuning purposes I need to confirm it is a stock spring and will replace it if so. I will be able to confirm its reliability while testing recoil preference and function.

The kits I saw with multiple recoil springs for tuning always had an XP firing pin spring included which I assumed was "lawyer proofing". I guess they were afraind a really strong recoil spring might slam the slide into battery hard enough to get an inertia fire (?) I have always used stock FP springs in every gun I ever had.

Edited January 7, 2015 by bountyhunter

[bountyhunter]

Please let me know if trigger job spring weight requirements and how these are related

That's a complicated topic.

[Gunnar897]

Tons of therapy gone in seconds - I had just gotten over my poor Physics grades:)

I truly appreciate the information as I have been shooting from a young age but now have a desire to understand how the 1911 system works as a whole. I like many here have plans to build my own. We will see how it goes.

Thanks again