SPRINGS for Handguns

I have been buying GUN SPRINGS for at least 40 years, and I now stock at least 3000 springs of all kinds. I have a great interest in springs because every handgun that is carried, its reliability is dependent on its springs. Most gunsprings are made using music wire, and they work well. in some applications Chrome Silicon alloy wire springs have a definite and very positive advantage, that music wire does not have.

Most all handguns made have music wire springs and they work very well in many applications.
In Semi Auto Pistols such as the 1911 there are 2 (two) types which break down to Ideology which defines RECOIL SPRINGS, one is a Conventional Recoil Spring where all the coils are spaced equally apart, except for the closed ends.
The other is a Variable Recoil Spring, where the space varies between coils, wider on one end and closer on the other end. I ONLY BUY CONVENTIONAL RECOIL SPRINGS because I work on STREET GUNS that use heavier loads, and I want to keep the slide closed upon firing the gun as long as possible.
The Variable Recoil Spring unlocks the slide much easier and its mostly used by Target Shooters using lighter loads. I DISLIKE THESE VARIABLE RECOIL SPRINGS FOR MY TYPE OF WORK, I do not buy or recommend or use them.

Music Wire Springs will take a set (become shorter) quicker than Chrome Silicon Alloy Wire, I have used both types. In my Custom 1911 Government Model Pistols I use the Factory Standard Rated Recoil spring which is 16 lbs.

I have used Wolff Magazines with their 11 lb. rated spring and they work very well, they use the standard Colt type follower.
I have also used the Cobra Magazines made by Virgil Tripp and he uses Chrome Silicon Alloy wire for his magazine spring, they are made very well and his advanced follower is the very best there is.

I would never use a stronger 18 1/2 lb. recoil spring with a cheap 8 shop magazine with a weak spring BECAUSE YOUR SLIDE WILL BE OUT OF SYNCH WITH YOUR AMMO COMING UP IN YOUR MAGAZINE. You will create major problems. If you were to use a stronger recoil spring you must use a stronger magazine spring to be able to keep the slide in synch with the magazine spring, factory springs are selected for timing to eliminate operational problems.

Every handgun that I work on has there very own problems but it is much to involved to do it all in one commentary article. Small 1911 pistols use dual recoil springs to substitute the standard type recoil spring, lack of room and lack of slide weight make it necessary to use these dual type recoil springs. They should be wound in opposite directions so they do not bind. It can get very complicated.

My advice to you in most cases with springs is to stay with the factory standard rating.
The average handgun has about 65 to 70 parts and has about 8 springs and I work on over 100 different models of handguns, and its not easy to keep up with everything as I do.

For Wolff Springs call 800 545 0077 (Music Wire)
For ISMI Springs call 800 773 1940 (Chrome Silicon)
For Cobra Mags. call 432 837 9445 (Magazines and Followers)

I will "NOT" discuss the physical pros and cons of the various WIRES such as Tempering, Stress Relieved, Shot Peened, Aerospace Specifications, etc. in this commentary at this time as this is a very detailed subject and far to complicated, I will have another commentary at a future time.

Beware of what these part time Supersmiths are telling you, ask the spring companies for advice, as well as the factories that manufactured the handgun.

Teddy Jacobson