Jammin'!
Studyin' on this one a little...
I'm thinkin' that the tired recoil spring is related...but it's not the real problem. The gun ran fine until recently, and when the spring started to
lose some of its "oomph" the failure to go to battery started.
I'm thinkin' maybe a little stem bind that the fresh recoil spring was able to overcome early on. Try this test the next time it happens.
Take a small length of wood to the range. When the pistol hangs up...
use the stick to push backward on the barrel. If it's a stem bind, the
slide should go to battery. Push gradually instead of forcefully or quickly.
My bet is that just a tiny amount of push will do the trick.
If it doesn't go to battery smartly, you've got other problems, but none are
complicated. The gun ran fine before. If it's got an external extractor,
spray some WD40 on, under, around in the extractor area and see if it cures the problem. If it does, it needs a good cleanin'. An internal extractor should be removed and the channel cleaned.
The mag spring may be too tired or weak to help get the rim started under the extractor hook. Not likely...just a possibility. Take the magazine apart and clean it. LIGHTLY oil the spring with an oil-dampened rag.
The short pistols need oil to run unless they've been slickered up with the
slurry treatment. Clean the gun up and get some oil in the rails and on the barrel OD. A drop on the disconnector rail and on the link too. Put a drop
on top of the disconnect and let it trickle in. Anything to reduce resistance
to the slide.
Try these things and get back to us.
Standin' by...
