SR9 - When should you change the recoil spring?

[fmcgraw]

Sorry if this has been answered before but several searches yielded no easy to find results. Can anyone advise on recommended timing to change the recoil spring in my SR9? I've got 1500 rounds through it and wonder when I should think about a new one. Thanks!

 

[Big Stu]

I think you have a long way to go before you need to change it. When it is no longer working right then swap it out, but it won't hurt to have a new one on hand if you're concerned.

 

[axisofoil]

New parts when the old ones stop working.

OR when you feel the need for some more bling and grab a stainless one from galloway precision.

 

[Code-Red-1]

I'm getting one early because I do not like the sound or feel of the factory plastic guiderod. So galloway it is...

 

[Tam 212]

I've been told 5,000 rounds seems like a good replacement interval. Maybe less if you shoot a lot of hot loads like NATO spec 124gr or +P stuff?

A weakened recoil spring may potentially result in additional wear of the barrel hood/cam block...

 

[resident]

...A weakened recoil spring may potentially result in additional wear of the barrel hood/cam block...

You don't suppose 5,000 rounds didn't have something to do with that?

Other than range rental-guns, I suspect there's a lot of exaggeration or over-estimation by some owners as to to how many rounds they've actually fired thru their guns. I bought a Marlin Mod 60 purely for the purpose of letting my guests bang away when they're out here visiting at the ranch. That gun has been kept hot for 16 years, and yet, I just recently threw away it's third "brick" of 500 rounds....so that means it'ss only had 1500 rds thru it...yet my buddy, who bought the identical rifle on the same day as I did ....(they were on-sale at Target for $75 with a newspaper-coupon so he and I spent the day together having lunch and buying sporting goods).... he has recently estimated he has shot "at least 5,000 rounds" thru his. He lives in town. He only has a few opportunites to shoot. Before he could shoot 5,000 rounds ...my gun will have gone thru 50,000 :!: Yet that was his casual comment at a recent gun show and he's not the sort of person who ordinarily exaggerates.

I think lots of gun owners have no idea how many rounds they've run thru guns...but for some reason it's always the magical 5,000 rounds that have been: shot: resulted in parts failures: or met whatever other "record" needed addressing in conversation. I can't figure out why that particular number is always the magic number.

 

[Tam 212]

I log my rounds sent downrange each and everytime I go to the range or a training class so I know exactly how many have gone through my guns.

I'm guessing protracted firing with a worn recoil spring is going to incur more wear the gun than regular replacement for a new unit.

Additionally, since my SR9 also serves as my house/SD gun, I find running it until it stops running to be less than appealing, especially if it stops running when I need it most. Just a little preventative maintenance to replace a spring/guide rod or other components like magazines - which get dropped on gravel, sand, mud and concrete during classes.

If I had the time and money, I would love to be able to put 500 to 1,000 rounds downrange a week but alas, I don't have enough of either to facilitate that. Only 3,140 through the SR9 since purchased last Sept.

 

[fmcgraw]

I log all of my rounds as well, nice to see I'm not the only one. I agree I don't want to find I need a new spring the hard way either since my SR9 is my nightstand gun. I'll have to buy a spare and start paying more attention to how it's cycling. I checked out galloway's website and it looks promising.

 

[Egalloway]

Thanks guys for all the positive feedback. We aim to please round here.

 

[alphaSR9]

I'm getting one early because I do not like the sound or feel of the factory plastic guiderod. So galloway it is...

http://guiderod.com/index.html

 

[exavid]

I've never worried about recoil springs, I had a S&W model 39 9mm for over 30 years and though I never counted the rounds fired through that gun it was a lot because I reloaded piles of 9mm for that gun over the years. Never had a problem with the pistol in that time. Several people told me the gun wouldn't last long because of it's alloy frame. Oddly enough it was still shooting like new and still accurate when I finally sold it for a plastic SR9. I still believe if it ain't broke don't fix it. I can't believe that recoil springs fail catastrophically very often seems most likely to me that any problems will show up with occasional problems anyway so there'll be plenty of warning if the spring needs replacement.

 

[Pinecone]

Simple advice. Replace the recoil spring when the gun starts "malfunctioning" and you can attribute the "problem" to the recoil spring! As noted above, I have pistols that have the same recoil spring in them for over 30 years and still work perfectly. I have worked on hundreds of guns with the original recoil spring in them, according to the owners, and that "part" still working as engineered! It really comes down to a "suit yourself" choice!.....................Dick :wink:

 

[jhearne]

Mine works fine, not 5000 rounds in mine, but nothing to sneeze at either. They'll make SR9 parts for quite some time I imagine. They carried the full PSeries lineup for what, 2+ decades (if not 3?)? Aftermarket makers will be able to help after then.

Like said above, replace after you can tell that the spring is the issue.

Josh