Firing pin spring replacement?

[Raythemanroe]

How often do you change your firing pin spring? Every season? Certain amount of shots?




Ray

 

[carlsbad]

My answer would be "don't fix it if it ain't broke".

I just bushed the firing pin for a customer on a 30+ year old Remington 700. The spring had worn a few grooves in the old firing pin but still seemed to be in good shape. Customer chose to reuse all components except the firing pin.

--Jerry

 

[Raythemanroe]

I'm sure a week spring isn't great for consistent strikes, but I wouldn't replace it during the season unless I was having trouble.. I'm just wondering how frequently


Ray

 

[STS]

I have a Remington firing pin spring that is 45 years old and had worn out 4 .22-250 barrels. It still provided great ignition.

 

[LHSmith]

For serious competition, every year. If you are disciplined enough to ALWAYS uncock the bolt when not in use, perhaps every other year.

 

[tenring]

I recently replaced the FP spring on my Hall action. Thought it should be done after 25K rounds went thru it.

 

[carlsbad]

You can see the opinions run from never to yearly.

Theoretically a spring should never need to be replaced since it is never stressed beyond yield and should retain the same stiffness.

However, there are things that can affect a spring--excessive heat is the worst. Some think that compressing a spring for long periods of time causes it to weaken. Some think excessive cycles will weaken a spring. Most manufacturers will tell you that a spring is designed never to be replaced (not just gun springs but car springs and all the rest of the springs used in industry and machinery).

The exception would be springs in severe service such as refineries or manufacturing where temperature can cause problems or if exposure to harsh environments can cause cracking.

That said, springs are cheap and if someone thinks it improves performance to replace them then I certainly wouldn't argue with them.

--Jerry

 

[WayneShaw]

Measure it! Take a piece of 2x4, drill a hole in it about 1/4". Set wood on bathroom scale, put the firing pin down in the hole and push down on the bolt shroud until the pin is in the cocked position and read the scale. Simple. Other scales would be more accurate, but this will be within a pound or two.

 

[Joe Salt]

Wayne I'm going to try that! Ray if you buy another spring, compare the two for lenght. Keep the old one so when you have nothing else to do you can pull the spring out and see how much shorter it has gotten. With my Remingtons I use a 28 lb spring. And if I'm not mistaken Bat. has also gone to 28lb.

Joe Salt

 

[WayneShaw]

Some smiths set up bench guns with lightened springs, lock time isn't as big an issue as cycling the bolt quickly without disturbing the gun in the bags. So you compress the spring to the cocked position, read what it is, then cut a coil or two, and remeasure. I don't know if a spring looses it's umph over time or not. I've got a pretty old Panda that is smooth as silk, I can lift the bolt with one finger, and it never misfires.

 

[Raythemanroe]

Wayne I'm going to try that! Ray if you buy another spring, compare the two for lenght. Keep the old one so when you have nothing else to do you can pull the spring out and see how much shorter it has gotten. With my Remingtons I use a 28 lb spring. And if I'm not mistaken Bat. has also gone to 28lb.

Joe Salt

Thanks Joe


Ray

 

[Joe Salt]

Ya I don't know how these spring work either, was wondering about stretching one and see what happens, don't know if they have a memory!

Joe Salt