[Walt Sherrill]

Springs, coiled and used in mags and recoil applications seem, at least to some of us, to be quite different from knife springs.

We've been through this before, in lengthy discussions here on TFL, Bill, and you've participated in those discussions. A couple of folks provided pretty extensive documentation and proofs in those earlier discussions, and there's been quite a bit already provided in this message chain.

It would seem to me that the kind of springs you make are dynamically different than the springs we're talking about: they seem to function differently. And, unlike magazine springs aren't expected to be kept compressed at high levels for extended periods under great loads. I think even recoil springs must flex in more ways than a knife spring, twisting as they are compressed.

I don't doubt your experience with knife springs, but am not sure that the springs you are most familiar with are all that similar to recoil or magazine springs in how they are made, how they work, or how they are stressed.

You mention over-compression. Over-compression may be the issue -- as it seems that with some guns, especially compacts, "over-compression" may now be a part of some guns' normal operating mode -- necessary to get the guns' to do what must be done, given their smaller size.

If that is so, the springs, in some guns, have become expendable components, just like bullets. In other weapons, it's not an issue. But springs do sometimes give up the ghost. Springs that are stressed less seem to last much, much longer.

Most of the sub-compact and compact .45 gun makers recommend changing out recoil springs in their smaller guns at a much lower round count than with their full-size guns. Why do you think that might be? Early on, when we first started this discussion, a year or so ago, you would have said "inferior design" or "inferior materials" -- as anybody knows that springs should last forever.

In the case of these smaller guns, it might be that we've pushed the envelope for spring steel about as far as it can be pushed, right now, and for the new smaller guns, there's not enough "spring" there to do the job...

I think you continue to compare apples to oranges (when talking about recoil/mag springs vs. knife springs) and are trying to tell us that just because they're both fruit (i.e., springs), that's is all that matters. You seem to be saying that the type of spring, and how it's used and must deal with loads, doesn't really make a difference. Springs are just springs. Maybe. Maybe not.

You are free to convince us otherwise, however.


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