[HighVelocity]

How often should a mainspring be replaced? I've had to replace mine twice in less than 10k rounds. This particular gun has an SVI ultralight hammer and tri-glide sear in it and I've been using 19lb Ed Brown mainsprings. Started having light strikes today and pulled the spring and it's a full 1/4" shorter than a new one. I have had other guns running the 19lb EB spring for many thousands of rounds and never had a single light strike. The only difference is the ultralight hammer. How long should this spring last?

Thanks,
Gary

[G-ManBart]

I've got an ancient Open gun with what is probably a 15lb mainspring (could possibly be 17)....probably only has 100K through it and I don't remember ever changing the mainspring.

I'd switch to an ISMI MS and see if that lasts longer. R,

[Jim Norman]

Perhaps you have a mainspring from a batch that was not properly tempered? The spring is compressed only a certain amount regardless of hammer weight. so I think that would not have an effect. If however the spring has improper temper and loses its "Springiness" then it could take a set at a compressed length and not give you the poser you need to make a firm strike.

There was a thread on mag springs that were doing the same thing a while back. They'd run just fine but not for long, they would lose power and not lift the column of rounds.

You may not be able to determine a lot number, so just ordering the same brand and part number might not help. Try changing brands as even going to a different supplier might not help since all springs in that lot could be spread throughout the supply chain.

I am not a gunsmith, but I deal everyday with springs and after 30+ years I have seen all sorts of oddities with springs.

Jim

[Steve J]

FWIW, Les Baer recommends replacing the mainspring every 5000 rounds and the recoil spring every 2000-3000 rounds. That's what I do. My pistols run... always. Those two springs are your pistol's life blood. Don't starve your gun. It doesn't cost much to keep your springs fresh and your equipment in tip-top shape.

[HighVelocity]

Well, I replaced it last night. We'll see how long this one lasts. I'm working through a 5 pack of the 19lb EB springs but will try the ISMI next time.

[Steve J]

HighVelocity, on Oct 27 2008, 02:19 PM, said:

Well, I replaced it last night. We'll see how long this one lasts. I'm working through a 5 pack of the 19lb EB springs but will try the ISMI next time.

I prefer Wolff.

[HighVelocity]

Steve J, on Oct 27 2008, 02:28 PM, said:

HighVelocity, on Oct 27 2008, 02:19 PM, said:

Well, I replaced it last night. We'll see how long this one lasts. I'm working through a 5 pack of the 19lb EB springs but will try the ISMI next time.

I prefer Wolff.

I believe that the Ed Brown springs are made by wolff.

[Steve J]

HighVelocity, on Oct 27 2008, 02:29 PM, said:

Steve J, on Oct 27 2008, 02:28 PM, said:

HighVelocity, on Oct 27 2008, 02:19 PM, said:

Well, I replaced it last night. We'll see how long this one lasts. I'm working through a 5 pack of the 19lb EB springs but will try the ISMI next time.

I prefer Wolff.

I believe that the Ed Brown springs are made by wolff.

May be, but why "see how long this one lasts"? Replace every 5000 rounds as recommended and no worries.

[HighVelocity]

Steve J, on Oct 27 2008, 02:32 PM, said:

HighVelocity, on Oct 27 2008, 02:29 PM, said:

Steve J, on Oct 27 2008, 02:28 PM, said:

HighVelocity, on Oct 27 2008, 02:19 PM, said:

Well, I replaced it last night. We'll see how long this one lasts. I'm working through a 5 pack of the 19lb EB springs but will try the ISMI next time.

I prefer Wolff.

I believe that the Ed Brown springs are made by wolff.

May be, but why "see how long this one lasts"? Replace every 5000 rounds as recommended and no worries.

To be honest, I do not keep an exact record of rounds fired. When I say that I've replaced the spring twice in 10k rounds, I am estimating. It may be a few k more.
I know that you keep very detailed records and I think that's great but I am not as organized. For me, it's like keeping track of how many nails have been hit with a specific hammer.

This post has been edited by HighVelocity: 27 October 2008 - 12:36 PM

[Steve J]

True. I do keep better track of rounds fired and when I need to change springs, than how many miles between rotation on my tires. Speaking of the devil, I'm down to the tread wear indicator on the tires that came on my Ford Fusion after only 48,000 miles. WTF?

[Jim Norman]

I have somewhere around 80,000 rounds through my Para. I believe that I may sometime in the distant past may have replaced the main spring. I have changed recoil springs, a couple times as well as having changed the firing pin spring once (It was actually broken)

I am not sure, but from what I know of springs, you can build one with a cycle life that is either shorter or longer depending upon many factors. They will produce the same results, but will have greatly different lifespan expectancies. Change the wire size, Number of coils and the angle the coils are wound to and you will change the life of the spring. If my understanding of the theory behind springs is correct, then an 18 lb mainspring can be made that will run 1000 rounds or 100000 rounds before breaking. Each time the spring is compressed will count as a cycle.

One would have to figure the available open space in the coils to determine the available wire sizes that could yield the same weight. Temper can also have an effect on the springs.

All said, with the relatively minor cost of a main spring, if you find one that works, measure it against a new one and run it. When it starts to measure shorter, change it as it sounds like they will lose power as opposed to breaking. Also, just like primers and powders, I'd try to get the springs from the same lots.

[Jasonub]

60000 rounds on a 15 pound ismi ms without light strikes. its been there for awhile and have not replaced it till maybe up to 100000

[Buzzdraw]

Chrome silicon springs will generally outlast music wire springs (recoil or main) in a 1911. If a batch of springs is made out of improper quality wire or is not properly stress releaved after forming, they will perform badly and often will take a short set quickly.

A recoil spring in a 5" gun may last 1,000 or 10,000 rounds depending on the ammo. A main spring is good for several 10,000's rounds. Neither is costly to replace. Replace the recoil spring when it is 2 full coils shorter than the same weight/maker new spring.

[lmccrock]

HighVelocity, on Oct 27 2008, 02:19 PM, said:

Well, I replaced it last night. We'll see how long this one lasts. I'm working through a 5 pack of the 19lb EB springs but will try the ISMI next time.

The springs in one pack will be the same batch, so if there is a durability problem, they may all have it.

I recently had what I thought at first was a worn-out mainspring. A round did not fire during a match; I figured it was a high or loose primer in my reloads, but to be sure I replaced the mainspring because I could not remember how old it was. Happened again during a match and I noted that the headstamp was the same on the brass: PPU. Prvi Partisan is good, but I culled them from loaded rounds and I will use them for practice.

By the way, ISMI all the way.

Lee

[Pat Harrison]

I just threw a 15# spring in my STI to try out, man it feels light compared to the stock spring. I was concerned about light hits, but it seems like a lot of people are using them successfully.
On another note, I had light strike problems with my SVI a couple of months ago. It was strictly a brass problem. With Armscor brass I was getting several light hitswith Winchester primers. Primers were definitly seated, well as well as a Dillon 550 can seat them at full push on the handle. I switched back to Starline and have had no further problems, I don't even have to lean on the handle to seat the primers. It may be just an incompatable brass/primer combo.

[Matt Cheely]

New springs once a year. Mags and gun.

[Pat Harrison]

Lol..uh oh...I don't think I have ever replaced the mag springs.

[chirpy]

I have been using Colt factory GoldCup mainsprings exclusively for years and have never replaced one! Used to shoot practice matches every Wed. (several times) and 2 matches a month.

FWIW

Richard

[larry cazes]

Pat Harrison, on Nov 25 2008, 10:28 AM, said:

I just threw a 15# spring in my STI to try out, man it feels light compared to the stock spring. I was concerned about light hits, but it seems like a lot of people are using them successfully.
On another note, I had light strike problems with my SVI a couple of months ago. It was strictly a brass problem. With Armscor brass I was getting several light hitswith Winchester primers. Primers were definitly seated, well as well as a Dillon 550 can seat them at full push on the handle. I switched back to Starline and have had no further problems, I don't even have to lean on the handle to seat the primers. It may be just an incompatable brass/primer combo.

Rimless 38 Armscor brass? I have had problems with the primer pockets being off center in the Armscor RL brass. Primers wouldn't seat all the way smoothly while loading on a 550B. Measured the brass with a caliper and the pockets were off center. Have switched back to Starline supercomp brass and after 10K rounds or so all has been well. Too bad since I found the Armscor brass to be very strong but inconsistent dimensionally.