[Drakejake]

I have two identical pistols. One has never jammed. The other one, recently acquired, frequently fails to fully load or go into battery. A gentle push on the slide solves the problem. It seems to me that the likely culprit is the recoil spring. If the spring is too weak, there might not be enough force to bring the slide all the way back to battery after a shot is fired. The two springs seem to be the same except that the one in the jamming pistol is slightly longer than the one in the well-behaved example. I have switched the recoil rods and springs and will see if that makes a difference on my next trip to the range.

Any predictions or comments?

Thanks,

Drakejake

[Drakejake]

Correction:

The heading should be "Recoil Spring and Failure to LOAD"

Drakejake

[Handy]

I'm betting it's not the recoil spring, since the failure is happening at the end of spring travel at the slide's highest velocity.

Usually, (with a Browning action) something is too tight. This would include the frame to slide lockup, extractor tension, breachface width and chamber dimensions.

I would try hand cycle the guns with and without dummy ammo and see if you can feel a difference.

[JohnKSa]

Buy a new recoil spring.

If the old spring is three coils or more shorter than the new spring replace it.

[Handy]

John, the old spring is the one that's working correctly. Are you recommending replacement just because it's obviously worn compared to the new one?

[Cal4D4]

Ammo? Reloads that may not be properly resized, dirty/tight/rough chamber or feed ramp? No two pistols are really identical. When the barrels are removed, do the rounds fit freely and the same with both chambers? What caliber and pistols are we workin' with here?

[PCRCCW]

Actually, it could be either one. Too tight of parts/friction overwhelming the spring..or just a spring thats toast/too weak.
Ive had guns do the same thing do to both situations....
Easy analysis...get a Wolf Recoil spring....if its not fixed..start looking at rubbing/catch points....locking lugs, inside slide etc...
Shoot well

[Walt Sherrill]

If you want to know whether its a recoil spring problem, simply swap springs. If the problem switches guns, you've got your answer.

Its probably NOT springs.

[Drakejake]

I have swtiched springs and will probably test this out tomorrow. These are two Star Megastars in .45. I have not been able to find any replacement Megastar springs around. Wolff is trying to find a spring that is similar.

What about adding a smaller spring inside the existing one? If one used the right kind of spring, wouldn't that increase the power with which the slide returns to battery after a shot is fired, without causing a jam?

I doubt that anything is too tight in the pistol or that something is blocking the return to battery. The pistol does work properly sometimes, especially before the dirty PMP factory ammo has fouled the ramp. But the other Megastar works fine with the same dirty ammo. But the pistol seems to be almost new and may require some breaking in.

Drakejake

[Handy]

I don't think one can just create their own nested spring surprise. The two springs would likely bind on each other and become unpredicatable and destructive.

You may not need MORE spring tension. Heavier springs don't necessarily improve the cycling of an auto, and can make the gun short stoke.

Did you try the hand cycling comparison?

[Drakejake]

Adding another spring--just a thought.

Both Megastars cycle fine with the switched recoil springs.

Drakejake

[Drakejake]

Clarification:

I should have said "hand cycle" fine.

Drakejake

[JohnKSa]

I was telling you to buy a spring because you need one on hand to determine when it's time to replace an old one.

Then, I told you how to determine when it was time to replace an old one.

I don't know how relevant it was, but the intent was good... ;)

Springs are cheap--everyone should keep at least one spare recoil spring on hand for every gun they own.

[Blackhawk]

Have you swapped mags to see if you also swap the problem?

If not, does each mag "unload" by thumb with the same ease? Sometimes rough mag lips require a LOT more force to strip the round, which seems like a weak recoil spring.

[Drakejake]

I switched the recoil rods and springs in the two pistols and fired both Megastars at the range today, 25 rounds from each pistol. Neither pistol had a problem. If the spring by itself was the problem, one would expect the jams to transfer over to the pistol that got the spring from the jamming Megastar. But that didn't happen.

I had a similar experience with two Makarovs. One never misfired, the other did frequently. I switched the slides and both pistols worked fine. I eventually eliminated the problem by wholesale replacement of parts in the misfiring Mak. My guess is that the problem was caused by the interaction of the hammer and the safety.

Can anyone explain my adventure with the Megastars? If this fix proves to be permanent, I have solved my problem, because I can just leave the switched rods/springs in place. There is no reason why one spring assembly has to go with a particular pistol.

Drakejake

[Handy]

Maybe spring binding in coordination with some tight dimension? If the swap worked, go with it. Likely the problem will work itself out with more rounds fired.

[PCRCCW]

If your recoil spring is just going south...it will throw off your slide speed/timing. If your mag springs are stronger than they should be to match the "going south recoil spring" or are working as they should....it will lock your slide back. Im not an engineer or a smith...but Ive seen it cured everytime with a new recoil spring...
Shoot well.....