By John Farnam
Firing Spring Replacements – Spring Clean Up
Ft Collins, CO –-(Ammoland.com)- Comment on pistol striker springs, from a well-known gunsmith:
“I’ve been experiencing light primer strikes with a well-used GLOCK G19. As it turned out, my striker spring had become weak. Of course, primer-cup thickness varies with brands of ammunition, but a good service pistol should be able to shoot it all!
It’s a standard OEM Glock spring, but has been in the gun since it was new, now going on nine years. The pistol has had well in excess of 15k rounds through it.
When I replaced the striker spring, the new OEM spring was a quarter inch longer than the old one and provided noticeably more force necessary to pull the striker back, restoring trigger-pull weight to factory specifications.
Spring update fixed the problem!”
Comment:
Deteriorating striker springs, and recoil springs, are probably inherent in all striker-fired pistols, including Glock, SIG 320, SA/XD, S&W M&P/Shield, FNS, Walther PPQ/PPSM2, Ruger AA, H&K VP9, et al
1) Re-spring your service pistol at least every 5k rounds. Stick with OEM parts!
2) Do not install a weak striker spring in order to lighten trigger-pull weight!
3) In your next lethal encounter, ammunition you are compelled to use may be only what you can find, not necessarily your favorite flavor!
/John
About John Farnam & Defense Training International, Inc
As a defensive weapons and tactics instructor John Farnam will urge you, based on your own beliefs, to make up your mind in advance as to what you would do when faced with an imminent and unlawful lethal threat. You should, of course, also decide what preparations you should make in advance, if any. Defense Training International wants to make sure that their students fully understand the physical, legal, psychological, and societal consequences of their actions or inactions.
It is our duty to make you aware of certain unpleasant physical realities intrinsic to the Planet Earth. Mr Farnam is happy to be your counselor and advisor. Visit: www.defense-training.com
This is probably a stupid question, but is the removal/reassembly for the M&P and other striker fired pistols the same?
My experience is striker/hammer springs, recoil springs and magazine springs should be routinely replaced about every 10 years. Sooner if the gun sees much use or the magazines are left loaded for weeks or months at a time.
Some LEOs and CCWs are firearms fans and learn to shoot their carry arms very proficiently. Others have little interest in firearms and practice only the minimum needed to qualify. In my experience as a gunsmith, the lightest and cleanest trigger that can be produced WITHOUT modifying any action parts is what most people who carry for protection should use. Modifications of any sort are obvious to prosecutors and open a legal Pandora’s box in the event of any discharge. I have installed lighter commercial replacement hammer springs in any number of hand guns, with and without hammers, and they… Read more »
Hey Phillip, please reference some actual cases where prosecutors indicted and/or convicted a gun owner for an otherwise legal shooting because of altered guns or nonfactory aftermarket gun parts installed in guns. Actual cases only, not just “but they could” or their “survivors could” sue you. Not being a smart butt, I actually want to read up on it, but only actual case law. Thanks
I installed stronger springs in all my Glocks and replaced the recoil springs in all my older Glocks. The stronger springs make the trigger pull heavier so I installed lighter connectors. It’s a little lighter than stock but not much, the travel is less and resets better, a little shorter. This does help with accuracy by the shooter and insures any ammo can be used. Things wear out, things wear in, know the difference.
IMHO both firing pin springs and recoil springs should be regularly replaced in hammer fired pistols as well. They are not immune from deteriorating springs either.