Lifespan of magazine tube spring?

[MikeSp]

My milspec model 590 Mossberg's mag spring will not hold its temper much past one year with 6 shells stored in the tube (leaving room for two more). When I replaced it after a little less than two years, it was 6 inches shorter than the new spring. Does the mag spring need to be replaced in most shotguns (that are used for home defense or LEO work and kept loaded) every year or more often? Are there better springs than OEM Mossberg that would have a much longer lifespan? Obviously, in the unlikely event that the shotgun was really needed for self defense, it would be a disaster if it failed to feed due to a weak mag spring. Opinions??

Michael S.

 

[sm]

Welcome to THR.

I have never replaced a mag tube spring . I have left quite a few loaded for years (cruiser ready), and yes one might say I have shot my guns "a little".

Dunno, my guns are stock as far as mag capacity.

I did furnish one mag spring for a friend, for an 1100, he bought really really cheap at an Sheriff's auction. Some "organized youths of questionable character", *ahem* had removed it and were in the process of "modified smithing". Really got into this gun cheap and a new youth size buttstock, mag spring, plug and cap...some cleaning up still running.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Haven't replaced any yet. May soon, one here is getting a trifle soft. It's about 50 years old.

 

[DBR]

You can help the spring life and reliability a lot by loading one or two down from max capacity. This also allows the immediate insertion of "optional loads" like slugs in a gun normally loaded with buckshot.

 

[mnrivrat]

Like most everything these days the quality of mag springs vary. Some last a very long time without a problem -- as they should if they are good spring stock that was properly tempered.

Unfortunately of late I have changed out a lot of magazine springs for being weak. This is especialy a problem with auto's that require a more authoritive feeding force to trip the bolt latch. I would keep a new spare handy and check on aftermarket springs of higher quality for your 590.

 

[IMtheNRA]

What about changing to a slightly longer spring? I think Wolff has a way for you to order a spring to your specs - add about a year's worth compression to the replacement spring and see how it does. It would probably be tough to load to full capacity in the beginning, but I think the added reliability and longer spring life will be worth the inconvenience. Has anyone tried this?

 

[ACP230]

My Dad bought a new 12 gauge Model 12 in 1935.
It still has the magazine spring it came with.

My Model 12 was made in the mid 1940s. It was bought used in 1969 and still has the same magazine spring.

These guns spend most of their time unloaded, but were hunted with a lot at one time.