Spring maintenance

[olympicmotorcars]

After my trip to the range last week My Glock had one failure to feed (Gold Dots) and my Walther had 2 or 3 failures to feed (Gold dots and winchester white box). The only gun that functioned with no problems was my PM 40.

After posting on the Walther forum it was suggested I change recoil springs and magazine springs. This seems logical to me and should bring the guns back up to almost like new condition.

So I splurged and got new magazine springs and recoil springs for all 3 guns.

I have 2 questions:

1. Am I being foolish and over thinking it by changing springs in my Kahr when it has not malfunctioned yet.

2. Do all of you have a system for replacing magazine springs after a set time or round count?

I have heard both sides to the argument about magazine springs not wearing out by sitting in tension, only by repeated collapsing and expanding.
But is not collapsing and expanding exactly what they are doing each time we take our guns to the range?

[Alfonse]

I changed my recoil and mag springs at somewhere between 1500 and 2000 rounds on my PM9 even though it had not malfunctioned. The new springs are noticeably stiffer, but still no malfunctions.

I'll give you a bit more "internet" knowledge, springs will take a set being constantly compressed. The phenomenon is known as creep in steel. If they didn't take a set, and continue to set while compressed, the old spring would be the same length as the new one.

Get a new magazine spring, compress it once by filling the magazine and let it sit for 6 months. It will be shorter than a new one.

[muggsy]

I thought on this awhile and I can't ever remember changing a magazine spring. I have replaced a few recoil springs, but not because of one or two failures to feed. I might be just a bit more critical of the springs in my carry gun, but I count on that one to save my life. What you did can't hurt, but I don't know if it was really necessary. Just my humble opinion.

[kahrnut1]

i've got 40 cal glock mags that have been loaded since i got guns in late 80s that still work fine. never had to change mag springs on anything i did not let rust or bought that way

[Barth]

I've had to change recoil springs when a gun starts to fail to return to battery.
My Glock does this at around 3K to 4K rounds.
Never have replaced mag springs on any gun.
Although my Glock has started to occasionally FTF so maybe it's time.

[b4uqzme]

I've only NEEDED to change out a recoil spring once and that was when I purchased a 15 year old firearm. I suspect it had the original spring. It was on my K40 and it was functioning fine. The symptom was really harsh recoil. New spring fixed that right up. So, like you, I will just change them out periodically for inexpensive, proactive maintenance. IMHO you did good.