When to Change Magazine Springs?

[possum]

i was wondering whe do you guys normally or when is it normal to change a magazine spring? i am asking in particular for my xd mags. do you wait till there is a problem and replace them then, which i don't necissarialy like the idea of or do you do it every so many years, rounds etc? also what is the advantage of the wolff +10% springs? thanks guys

 

[WeedWhacker]

While I'm not a big fan of out-of-spec replacement parts, Wolff mag springs are the exception for me. I use them in my Glock mags and have few complaints regarding them.

My personal mag spring replacement regimen involves replacing springs in loaded mags (usually carry magazines, but not in magazines I used a few times a year to check for function and reliability) once a year whether they need it or not.
Needless to say, these are magazines for a firearm I keep for defensive purposes. For "range-only" firearms, I usually just replace springs when I start having feeding problems.

Recoil springs get replaced the moment the 'return to battery' test fails, though I should probably replace it once a year, too. (With a Glock: with the barrel pointing up, pull the slide back just enough to let the barrel drop down, unlocked from the slide, then let go. The recoil spring should have more than enough force to snap the pistol back into battery with no hesitation.)

The one problem I have with Wolff springs is that they generally need to be re-bent to fit properly in Glock magazine followers. Get yourself a pair of sturdy needle-nose pliers and this won't be a problem.

 

[10-Ring]

Each of my auto loaders have enough mags (6+ minimum per pistol) so that I only replace springs as needed. I think it depends on my things -- how much & how often you shoot, how long your mags stay loaded & under tension and the quality of the mag to begin with.

 

[1 old 0311]

Springs DO NOT get weak from compression. They fail from repeated use. Buy some springs, and when yours fail in, many, many years, you will have backups.

 

[WeedWhacker]

Springs DO NOT get weak from compression. They fail from repeated use. Buy some springs, and when yours fail in, many, many years, you will have backups.

Regardless, in carry magazines, I feel that $5 of waste per year is cheap insurance against something not easily tested when Old Man Murphy has so much hate for me and mine.

There's also some debate as to whether or not modern double-stack springs suffer fatigue which the old 1911-style single-stack mag springs did not.

 

[possum]

great info guys thanks alot!

 

[Katana8869]

On the rare occasion that I buy a used magazine, it ALWAY's get a new Wolf +10 installed in it. Otherwise it is as needed. I have never had a spring "wear out" but I have replaced a couple due to damage. If I notice a spring that gets kinked or bent, it get replaced.

 

[possum]

i haven't had any to wear out yet and i am wondering how long it will take, but i am sure that it will be a good long time.

 

[270Win]

Weedwacker makes a good point; a large part of the answer to this question is "what do you need your gun for?"

If it's meant for defense or duty, or to be used in competition, when failure of a mag spring really means something... then yes, changing them on some kind of schedule makes a lot of sense.

If it is a plinker, or just for targets, spends most of its life in the safe, etc ... change the springs when they wear out of break, which usually takes a very, very long time.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

I cannot honestly think of a mag spring I ever changed, but then again, I cannot think of a mag related failure off the top of my head either.

The key is that 'in general' I don't shoot wide body large capacity semi auto's. Mostly now 1911's or H&K P7's and 210's. No reason to change those mags.

 

[Super Trucker]

In my carry guns they are changed once a year, others are changed as needed.

 

[CWL]

I change out the mag springs of SD guns every 1000-1500 rounds (doublestack/singlestack). I keep track of this in my journal where I keep round counts of all my guns.

A simple way to keep track is like this: if you have 5 mags for a gun, then change all springs after 5 cases of ammo. This may need to be adjusted if you notice failures in specific magazines.

 

[Steve C]

Single stack magazines like those used by the 1911 pretty much never fail.

Double stack magazines like the Glock will occasionally need new springs. When they start to go bad it will not cause a failure to feed or extract so there's no danger that your pistol wouldn't function if called upon is a SD situation. What usually happens is the slide stop doesn't engage fully and reliably after the last shot. When it starts to happen with greater frequency it is time to change the magazine spring and often the follower. My original "non-drop free" magazines that came with my Glock 19 needed new springs after 12 years of use and many thousands of rounds.

 

[Jenrick]

My duty mags get rotated to range/practice schedule every 4 quals (I only shoot my duty mags at quals, once I know they function fine), so once every 2 years. I personally just get new mags, and cycle the olds ones to range/practice. My range/practice mags get beat up enough their usually non-serviceable after 3-4 years. 3 fresh mags to bangup every 2 years keeps it all flowing nicely.

-Jenrick

 

[kellyj00]

I had some very old beaten 1911 GI mags that had really weak springs and were very easy to load... they never once failed to get a round in the chamber. Surprising to me.

They did, however, fail to lock the slide most of the time, so the followers were out of spec. After I bought one chip mccormick stainless mag, I haven't gone back to the GI mags. The mccormick mag cost me about $10, a new spring and follower was going to be about $5, so I just went ahead and got a new magazine and gave the old one's away.

 

[possum]

I keep track of this in my journal where I keep round counts of all my guns.

so i guess i am not the only one! all the people that go to the range with me call me anal becuase i keep up with the rd counts and have to write it all down!

 

[joe_security]

mag springs/ P226 duty gun

I have a friend who has been a police officer 8 years....He claims his duty gun, (i believe its a west german made Sig 9mm P226) has 1 mag that doesnt always lock the slide back when shot empty. He claims 4 jams in 8 years of police qualifications...he doesnt know it yet, but i just ordered him a 3 pack of wolf 5% extra power magazine springs.....i want him to make it to retirement !