S&W 4516-2 Reoil Springs

[The Reverend]

Some months ago I purchased a used S&W 4516-2 to keep my 4506-1 company. Upon feilding stripping the weapon I noticed something I had never before seen in a modern auto-loader. On the guide rod were (2) recoil springs. A smaller spring inserted into a larger one, both on a standard S&W guide rod.

I have done quite a bit of shooting with this gun and all is functional with several different types of ammo. No FTF or FTE to report.

Is this a normal set-up for a 4516-2 or was this a necessary modification someone made later on?

Any info you all may have would be helpful.

God Bless

 

[Walosi]

Rev, that is the standard recoil setup for the -2 (not sure about the predecessors). Mine has had one feed failure in nearly 4000 rounds - end=of=day mixed loads in an aftermarket mag, fired by a shooter who was a very experienced 1911 gun, but his first time out with a S&W .45. After three tries, they finally got it right and then discontinued it,IMO, in favor of "lighter, friendlier" variations. Great gun - mine isn't for sale.

 

[fastbolt]

The dual spring assembly is the standard recoil spring setup for the current 4513TSW and the 4013TSW. As a matter of fact, both pistols share the same recoil springs/parts numbers. You'll notice the "inner" spring is shorter than the "outer" spring, too ...


This dual spring, or nested spring, design is used by other manufacturers of compact & subcompact pistols, in one variation or another, as well as some after market parts makers. This gual spring design is used in the King's Officers Recoil Guide & Spring Kid, as an example.

I was once told that when S&W was trying to resolve some of the functioning issues in their early 4516 (no "-X") pistols they had to make some changes in regard to the slide mass and slide velocity during recoil. A change in the weight of the slide was made, but more importantly, the dual recoil spring assembly was incorporated at some point. There were also some changes made in the magazine, too. You'll find at least one of the magazine variations identified by a printed warning on the magazine body which states it's only to be used in a specific model variation, if I remember right ... I came across one such magazine once, and gave it to a friend which carried that version. Hmm ... I think it was the 4516-1 ... Don't really remember, though ... sorry.

In one of the Wolff Precision Gunsprings catalogs I have, under the S&W Semi-Automatic Pistols section ... there's a precaution against using one of their single recoil springs in early 4013/14/53/54 pistols which use the Revision 4 S&W factory dual recoil springs ... and the spring offered for the 4516-1 and compact 40XX pistols isn't listed as being used for the 4516. The catalog states to call Wolff for the 4516.

You should use the proper S&W springs in your 4516-2, as well as the magazines suitable for that model, for optimum & proper functioning of our pistol.

I fired a 4516-2 a while back, belonging to one of our guys ... Nice pistol, but I find I prefer the lighter weight aluminum versions for carry purposes. I think one of our other guys also carries a 4516-1, if I remember right ...

Nice little collection of S&W "transition" pistols you're collecting ...