Firing Pin Springs

[Rich Bagoly]

I don't think I have ever got more than 3000 rounds out of a firing pin spring before the breach end started chipping off.  I got the same life in 3 different slides made by different manufacturers.  I can't say for sure, but the springs were most likely all made by Wolf.

Is this normal?  Are there any tricks for making them last longer?

[Philip Dedmon]

I am a little unsure what you are talking about. Do you have photos of the spring? Do you mean that the coils on the breach face end of the spring are breaking off? If that is what you are talking about, I have never seen that.

I use the Nowlin Heavy Duty Firing Pin Spring. I have them in all my 1911's and they are working for me. I put a new one in about every 3000 to 4000 rds.

(Edited by Philip Dedmon at 12:07 pm on April 14, 2002)

[Rich Bagoly]

I can take a picture of the spring, but you won't be able to see it.

Small pieces break off of the end of the spring.  It can be hard to spot if you arn't looking for it.

[Duane Thomas]

I've never run a firing pin spring that many rounds. I replace it every time I install a new recoil spring which tends to happen about every 2,000 rounds.

[shred]

Wow.  I can't remember the last time I changed a FP spring.  So long as they're longer than the pin, I figure they're good to go.

[Rich Bagoly]

I have put 5000+ rounds on the ISMI recoil springs without loosing more than 1/8" from original length.

With the loads I am using, 5000 rounds without cleaning is doable.

I don't like that the stupid spring self destructs after 1000 rounds or so.

Do the guys that shoot 50 thousand rounds/year buy them by the gross?

(Edited by Rich Bagoly at 3:16 pm on April 16, 2002)

[benos]

Weird - I seldom replace firing pin springs. The only thing I've seen is they occasionally will lose a coil...

be

[Rich Bagoly]

I don't get big pieces breaking off.  Never anything near a full coil.  The springs are still fully functional, except I am totally phased by the idea that a broken segment of the spring will jam the firing pin.

[Detlef]

I have *never* had a firing pin spring break on me ... until last Sat. at a big match in mid-stage!!! The gun went from autoloader to repeater. Turned out the spring was chopped in two (about 1/3-2/3 length) and then the two pieces collapsed into each other. The FP was not returning reliably any more and stuck out while the next round wanted to feed. Apparently the manual racking of the slide provided enough time for it to retract and the next round to feed. DAMNED!! From now on I will replace them every time I replace the recoil spring. This FP spring had about 8k rounds through it...

--Detlef

[ErikW]

You guys made me paranoid and I changed my f-pin and recoil springs for the 3 gun nationals. (F-pin spring was good; recoil was way short.)

[db4]

Detlef- bad timing, but you were lucky.  I had one break, collapse, lock the FP, and the retainer fell out. Turned it into a club, not even a repeater! Luckily it was during practice so it was just a good lesson: change it out with the recoil spring like Wolff says.

db4

[Duane Thomas]

"(F-pin spring was good; recoil was way short.)"

The late George Nonte had what I've always felt was an excellent rule on when to replace your recoil spring. Have a brand new spring set aside for use - and when I say "new" I mean it's never even been in the gun. Every time you clean the piece, compare the length of the new spring to the old. When the old spring's become so compressed it's three coils shorter than the brand-new spring, toss the old one and replace with the new. Therefore you don't have to worry about counting rounds between spring changes. And some gun/spring combos get worn out a lot faster than others. Simply comparing the length of old to new will stop you from continuing to run a worn-out spring, even though it's been so compressed the gun is battering itself on every shot, until you reach the magic number. It also stops you from throwing away a spring that might still be perfectly good.

[Flexmoney]

DT,

Sounds like George had a great idea.  I'd likely lose the spring though.  Maybe I'll just use one as a templet and simply put some cheater marks right on my bench.  Cool.

[Nolan]

Buy the recoil spring gauge made by SDM Fab.  It's a very good tool for tuning guns.  Then once you know what weight springs will run in the gun, measure the spring each time you clean the gun.  Also good when you buy new springs to check that it actually is at the advertised weight.

[Flexmoney]

The SDM spring gauge is sold thru Brownell's.  It is on my list of "ought to have" items.  I think it would be the ticket, especially for 1911 guys that have amassed a pile of springs over the years.

Here is the website of the inventor/gunsmith:

http://www.sdmfabricating.com/

[shred]

One of these days I'm going to cobble up a spring tester with a couple washers and some coathanger wire. Won't be near as cool as the SDM one, but I'll get a few thousand primers out of the deal.