Limp Wristing Fact or Fiction-Calling 'Tuner

[barnbwt]

This can be blamed on the notion that a strong spring is required to prevent frame damage

I always thought springs were made heavy to delay unlocking a tad, to help make the shot more accurate (i.e. less movement in your hand while the bullet is in the barrel). I have a (too) heavy spring in my CZ52 for this reason (and the old one was a limp noodle), and it is very easy to limp wrist with the 2X heavier spring. However, I no longer have a lazy slide bouncing around my return to aim every shot

TCB

 

[holdencm9]

I always thought springs were made heavy to delay unlocking a tad, to help make the shot more accurate

No the short recoil system (the barrel being locked to the slide) is what "delays" that. The spring does very little, at least in the first fraction of an inch of movement. It has more of an effect the more it is compressed, but overall still not much.

The only time my Beretta choked was on underpowered (Rem UMC) ammo with a new recoil spring, and running pretty dry (my fault). It was not limp-wristing per se, but had the same effect i.e. the slide had too much resistance relative to the frame. And likewise, you could "force" it to function if you sort of pushed on the grip as the trigger was pulled, which enabled the slide to cycle completely, regardless.

Limp-wristing is real, just the extent of how sensitive guns are varies. Imagine if you put an autoloader sideway on a smooth surface like a glass table, and fired a shot with no resistance...most would not cycle, because the force of the cartridge would be applied to move/rotate the gun across the table instead of cycle the action.

 

[1911Tuner]

I always thought springs were made heavy to delay unlocking a tad, to help make the shot more accurate.

Nope. I've shot a 1911 more than a few times without a spring in it to demonstrate that it has nothing to do with unlock timing. As long as a full-length guide rod is used to keep everything aligned, you can shoot it repeatedly with no issues or frame damage.

A straight/undelayed blowback does depend to a large extent on the spring to keep the breech from opening too early...but not a locked-breech pistol.

 

[hentown]

Some people are just better at limpwristing than others.

 

[AK103K]

Yea, the ones who dont know how to shoot properly.

 

[r1derbike]

Xd-s .45acp

Had one FTF (fire) high-primer strike because of 1 failure to return to battery in over 900 rounds on my SA XD-S. My fault entirely. I was crankin' rounds downrange as my wife was waiting for me, and my grip was so tired I just blew it. Prolly rode the slide home a bit too on that round. Held downrange for 30, slapped, racked, kept on booming 'til empty, loaded-up the round in another mag, held-on firmly as usual, and finished the session. Don't remember how many rounds 200-300 maybe, and it was obviously 1 too many.

Small frame semi-auto hand-cannon with stout springs and short, somewhat light slides are prone to it. Definitely have to show those things who's boss.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

If it is too sensitive to a perfect hold to run, I don't want it. You may not be able to achieve a perfect grip or stance if, for example, you've been wounded yourself.

I have run a magazineful or two through a S&W Third Generation, SIG-Sauer and a Glock, using my weak (left) hand with a loose grip, and never got them to malfunction, at least for that brief period. But then, I have also read accounts of normally reliable pistols malfunctioning when fired from a machine rest. Here, the gun is left free to recoil and swings up from the bottom, albeit far below where a human hand would be able to grasp it.