Spring Test

Test your recoil spring!

Recoil springs that are worn out can lead to malfunctions or even kb’s.  Perform this simple test and you’ll KNOW your spring is good.

Pre-cocked, Striker fired pistols rely on the recoil spring to pre-cock the striker.  It’s important that the recoil spring has more force than the striker spring and this test will let you know how your recoil spring is holding up.

1) Confirm the gun is empty by looking at and putting a finger in the magazine well.

2) Pull the slide back and look in the chamber to ensure there are no rounds in the gun.

3) Point the pistol straight up, pull the slide fully rearward AND pull the trigger fully rearward.

4) With the gun pointing up and the trigger still pulled to the rear, ease the slide forward.

The slide should come fully into battery.  If it does not come into battery your recoil spring does not have enough force to precock the striker spring.  Your gun MAY be functioning during live fire because the inertia of a cycling slide is enough to bring the gun into battery.

So what gives?  Why is this test so important?

The unseen looming danger is a gun whose slide moves out of battery during the trigger pull.  This can cause light primer strikes.  A weak recoil spring  may allow the gun to fire out of battery which can allow the pressure that should be in the barrel and chamber to exit rearward, into the gun, causing a KB.

It’s such a simple test and we’re all better safe than sorry.  Test yours today.

Need a new spring?  You’re in luck!  B~T Guide Rods can send you one installed on a Sta-Tite Guide Rod.

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