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Posted By: Gus Fisher
Date: Saturday, 6 May 2000, at 10:34 a.m.
Folks, if there is one thing I really wish I could get everyone to do is change the appropriate springs in service pistols on time. It saves the pistol from wearing out or permanent damage and the pistol will be reliable.
OK, we'll start with the recoil spring. The Mil Specs are a 16 1/2 pound spring and at least 6" long. The spring should not be bent or kinked. Besides giving the slide it's force to operate, this spring does something VERY important that most folks don't realize. It also keeps the slide from hitting the receiver too had, which cracks the receiver at the front of the rails for the slide. I've seen a lot of cracked receivers because the springs weren't changed on time. This spring should be replaced every 2,000 rounds to ensure total reliability. At about 4 or 5 bucks a spring, that's cheap insurance.
Oh, before we go on, don't let anyone tell you that stretching a spring will make it OK. It will compact to it's old length and lack of pound strength in only a few rounds fired.
I'll stray a little here to say if you shoot a lot of hot surplus ammo or some of the hotter commercial ammo, I would recommend going to an 18 lb. spring. (That's what I have in my pistol.) However, you also need the extra power firing pin spring with it to offset it's power. Many companies sell the recoil spring and firing pin spring as a kit, so that's no problem. Also, I put one of the various types of "shok-buff's" on my recoil spring guide and change them every 500 rounds. This is less than the manufacturer recommends, but you never have to worry about it failing when you need it. I love the way "shok-buff's" protect the receiver from cracking.
OK, the next spring is often overlooked because it's harder to get at. It's the firing pin spring. This spring should be two to three coils longer than the firing pin. One edge of the spring is tighter than the other and that's the edge that goes down over the firing pin to hold and maintain the spring. This spring should be replaced every 4,000 rounds or every other time you change the recoil spring.
Many original G.I. .45's need new sear springs. Since it controls the trigger, disconnector, sear, and grip safety; this is one you DON'T want to forget. (This spring is a leaf spring that is split into three arms towards the top of the spring and goes directly under the grip safety and mainspring housing.) Unfortunately, the surplus sear springs on the market aren't as good as during and prior to WWII. They often are so poorly made, they won't give reliable service to 1,000 rounds. So at 3 to 4 bucks, they are no value. After market companies sell mainsprings that average 5 to 7 bucks and they are so good they really are a bargain. This spring should be changed between 5,000 and 10,000 rounds. Personally, I buy and use the more expensive sear springs that cost about 8 to 9 bucks in my pistol as I shoot it a lot and keep it for defense.
The mainspring is the spring that powers the hammer and is held in the mainspring housing at the bottom rear of the pistol grip. The Mil Spec is a 23 lb. spring. In a Service Pistol, you can get away with a 20 lb. spring, if you shoot mostly commercial ammo, but DON'T go any lighter than that. If you shoot mostly surplus hardball ammo, you probably should stay with the 23 lb. spring as surplus ammo has hard primers. Lighter springs may not give the hammer enough power to whack the firing pin hard enough to set off these harder primers.
Almost everyone forgets the magazine catch spring. Since this spring helps lock the magazine, it is important. Replace it between 8,000 and 10,000 rounds for best reliability.
Now, if you buy an original WWII (or earlier) service pistol and plan on shooting it, the first thing you should do is replace the springs. Springs will set when stored over a long time, so there is no sense risking damage to a pistol for the small amount that springs cost. Also, I'd use a "shok-buff" when you fire the pistol to keep the strain off older receivers.
On a more modern used pistol; I recommend changing the recoil spring, firing pin spring and sear spring before I fired the pistol. I also suggest using a "shok-buff."
Finally, don't be surprised if some of the NEW commercial service pistol clones need a good sear spring and possibly recoil and firing pin springs. I've seen enough poor ones that I automatically change the sear spring as a matter of course. HTH
Date: Saturday, 6 May 2000, at 10:34 a.m.
Folks, if there is one thing I really wish I could get everyone to do is change the appropriate springs in service pistols on time. It saves the pistol from wearing out or permanent damage and the pistol will be reliable.
OK, we'll start with the recoil spring. The Mil Specs are a 16 1/2 pound spring and at least 6" long. The spring should not be bent or kinked. Besides giving the slide it's force to operate, this spring does something VERY important that most folks don't realize. It also keeps the slide from hitting the receiver too had, which cracks the receiver at the front of the rails for the slide. I've seen a lot of cracked receivers because the springs weren't changed on time. This spring should be replaced every 2,000 rounds to ensure total reliability. At about 4 or 5 bucks a spring, that's cheap insurance.
Oh, before we go on, don't let anyone tell you that stretching a spring will make it OK. It will compact to it's old length and lack of pound strength in only a few rounds fired.
I'll stray a little here to say if you shoot a lot of hot surplus ammo or some of the hotter commercial ammo, I would recommend going to an 18 lb. spring. (That's what I have in my pistol.) However, you also need the extra power firing pin spring with it to offset it's power. Many companies sell the recoil spring and firing pin spring as a kit, so that's no problem. Also, I put one of the various types of "shok-buff's" on my recoil spring guide and change them every 500 rounds. This is less than the manufacturer recommends, but you never have to worry about it failing when you need it. I love the way "shok-buff's" protect the receiver from cracking.
OK, the next spring is often overlooked because it's harder to get at. It's the firing pin spring. This spring should be two to three coils longer than the firing pin. One edge of the spring is tighter than the other and that's the edge that goes down over the firing pin to hold and maintain the spring. This spring should be replaced every 4,000 rounds or every other time you change the recoil spring.
Many original G.I. .45's need new sear springs. Since it controls the trigger, disconnector, sear, and grip safety; this is one you DON'T want to forget. (This spring is a leaf spring that is split into three arms towards the top of the spring and goes directly under the grip safety and mainspring housing.) Unfortunately, the surplus sear springs on the market aren't as good as during and prior to WWII. They often are so poorly made, they won't give reliable service to 1,000 rounds. So at 3 to 4 bucks, they are no value. After market companies sell mainsprings that average 5 to 7 bucks and they are so good they really are a bargain. This spring should be changed between 5,000 and 10,000 rounds. Personally, I buy and use the more expensive sear springs that cost about 8 to 9 bucks in my pistol as I shoot it a lot and keep it for defense.
The mainspring is the spring that powers the hammer and is held in the mainspring housing at the bottom rear of the pistol grip. The Mil Spec is a 23 lb. spring. In a Service Pistol, you can get away with a 20 lb. spring, if you shoot mostly commercial ammo, but DON'T go any lighter than that. If you shoot mostly surplus hardball ammo, you probably should stay with the 23 lb. spring as surplus ammo has hard primers. Lighter springs may not give the hammer enough power to whack the firing pin hard enough to set off these harder primers.
Almost everyone forgets the magazine catch spring. Since this spring helps lock the magazine, it is important. Replace it between 8,000 and 10,000 rounds for best reliability.
Now, if you buy an original WWII (or earlier) service pistol and plan on shooting it, the first thing you should do is replace the springs. Springs will set when stored over a long time, so there is no sense risking damage to a pistol for the small amount that springs cost. Also, I'd use a "shok-buff" when you fire the pistol to keep the strain off older receivers.
On a more modern used pistol; I recommend changing the recoil spring, firing pin spring and sear spring before I fired the pistol. I also suggest using a "shok-buff."
Finally, don't be surprised if some of the NEW commercial service pistol clones need a good sear spring and possibly recoil and firing pin springs. I've seen enough poor ones that I automatically change the sear spring as a matter of course. HTH