Ruger LCP II - Bent Recoil Springs

Captains1911 · December 16, 2018, 08:15 PM

I have a brand new Ruger LCP II, and noticed when I disassembled after my first range trip of about 100 rounds that both the inner and outer recoil springs had a slight bend to them, located about 1/3 of the way from the front end. I chalked it up to a spring issue (bad heat treat or something), and ordered a set of Wolff springs to replace them. After 50 rounds on the Wolff springs, they are bent exactly the same way (see photo below). The gun has been 100% reliable so far, and I’m not necessarily concerned about it considering the function of the guide rod and the gun’s reliability thus far, but I do find it odd since I’ve never seen this on any other gun, including my original Ruger LCP, and am curious on what is causing it.

Any ideas?

Bill DeShivs · December 16, 2018, 09:59 PM

There is nothing wrong with the springs.
There was nothing wrong with the original springs.

Captains1911 · December 16, 2018, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill DeShivs

There is nothing wrong with the springs.
There was nothing wrong with the original springs.

Yes, I know. I’m just trying to understand what’s causing it.

Bill DeShivs · December 16, 2018, 10:24 PM

Compression is causing it. It's normal.

Captains1911 · December 16, 2018, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill DeShivs

Compression is causing it. It's normal.

I’ve owned and shot a lot of different guns for many years, all with springs that undergo compression, and have never seen this before. So I’m going to disagree with you and say that it’s not normal.

**JohnKSa** · December 16, 2018, 10:36 PM

It's not uncommon/abnormal for springs to get a bend in them from use. It's more likely when the spring stock (wire the spring is made of) is very thin and the springs are bent in use.

A spring of thick stock, or one that is tightly fitted to a guide that doesn't allow it to kink or bend won't easily develop a bend like that.

Cirdan · December 16, 2018, 11:35 PM

I would chalk it up to relatively strong lateral forces on the spring when you field strip the weapon.

briandg · December 17, 2018, 09:48 AM

I see no problem with them.

I believe that the inner, smaller spring may have become trapped by the outer, heavier, and crimped somehow. Spring steel of some alloys can be permanently bent, especially very fine wires. larger gauge or diameter material will usually take a great deal of force to permanently distort it.

Maybe the springs are just so darned fine that they distorted through natural forces. The barrel does in fact tip downwards and the front of the spring is held in place.

Since there is a guide rod, the potential for failure of any sort is negligible, it's never going to go off the rails, so to speak.

Eventually, that thing is going to wind up looking kind of weird, I guess.

Personally, I would have noticed that, registered that something was not right because they weren't in the same condition as they were when I put them in, and in the next few seconds realized that it was cosmetic only and dismissed it from my mind. You are obviously someone who thinks more deeply on anomalous things. You may be hypersensitive to a sound that your car might make, or a change in the sound of your stereo. I am also hyper observant like that, but most of the time it's easy to see that the changes are unimportant.

USNRet93 · December 17, 2018, 09:56 AM

I just changed the guide road and springs on my LCP..I think same part as LCP-2 and the old one wasn't bent like that..after about 300 rounds...BUT since the springs surround a guide rod, don't see how it's an issue(but I aren't a gun smith)...

Captains1911 · December 17, 2018, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by briandg

I see no problem with them.

I believe that the inner, smaller spring may have become trapped by the outer, heavier, and crimped somehow. Spring steel of some alloys can be permanently bent, especially very fine wires. larger gauge or diameter material will usually take a great deal of force to permanently distort it.

Maybe the springs are just so darned fine that they distorted through natural forces. The barrel does in fact tip downwards and the front of the spring is held in place.

Since there is a guide rod, the potential for failure of any sort is negligible, it's never going to go off the rails, so to speak.

Eventually, that thing is going to wind up looking kind of weird, I guess.

Personally, I would have noticed that, registered that something was not right because they weren't in the same condition as they were when I put them in, and in the next few seconds realized that it was cosmetic only and dismissed it from my mind. You are obviously someone who thinks more deeply on anomalous things. You may be hypersensitive to a sound that your car might make, or a change in the sound of your stereo. I am also hyper observant like that, but most of the time it's easy to see that the changes are unimportant.

I wouldn't say that I'm "hypersensitive," but as a professional engineer, I do tend to pay more attention to details, and like to understand the cause of anomalies I observe.

briandg · December 17, 2018, 10:57 AM

understandable, i feel the same way most of the time. quite maddening sometimes, isnt it?

i spend far too much time thinking about why a bolt is in one place or another.

i saw a story about the guy who designed a recent improvement in aluminum cans; by altering the curves of both the base and top, he strengthened the structure and saved a few grams of metal as well. The lid was narrower, allowing a few percent more lids to be created per roll of metal.

Wife said "fiddlesticks. Big deal."

I reminded her that 200,000,000,000 times a few grams of metal that never makes it into the waste system is a whole lot of money.

**JohnKSa** · December 18, 2018, 12:40 AM

If you do an image search using the terms:

used recoil spring

you will see that it is not uncommon for recoil springs to become bent or slightly kinked during use.

briandg · December 18, 2018, 09:53 AM

I would guess that any spring, especially fine wire will eventually fatigue in random places. The wire is extruded a number of times, formed, heat treated,you would think that it would create a wonderfully consistent piece of metal. but then you put it into an impossible situation, almost akin to stacking eggs. as you compress it it will flex and bend. without guide rods it would literally take off like a wild thing because the ends are tilted. So I guess there isn't anything odd about compressing a spring for months or even decades and finding that the metal has deformed a little bit, especially after violently compressing/decompressing over a few hundred or thousands of cycles.

December 16, 2018, 08:15 PM	#1
Captains1911 Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2009 Location: West of the Blue Ridge, VA Posts: 684	Ruger LCP II - Bent Recoil Springs I have a brand new Ruger LCP II, and noticed when I disassembled after my first range trip of about 100 rounds that both the inner and outer recoil springs had a slight bend to them, located about 1/3 of the way from the front end. I chalked it up to a spring issue (bad heat treat or something), and ordered a set of Wolff springs to replace them. After 50 rounds on the Wolff springs, they are bent exactly the same way (see photo below). The gun has been 100% reliable so far, and I’m not necessarily concerned about it considering the function of the guide rod and the gun’s reliability thus far, but I do find it odd since I’ve never seen this on any other gun, including my original Ruger LCP, and am curious on what is causing it. Any ideas?

December 16, 2018, 09:59 PM	#2
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,987	There is nothing wrong with the springs. There was nothing wrong with the original springs. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

December 16, 2018, 10:24 PM	#4
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,987	Compression is causing it. It's normal. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

December 16, 2018, 10:36 PM	#6
JohnKSa Staff Join Date: February 12, 2001 Location: DFW Area Posts: 24,994	It's not uncommon/abnormal for springs to get a bend in them from use. It's more likely when the spring stock (wire the spring is made of) is very thin and the springs are bent in use. A spring of thick stock, or one that is tightly fitted to a guide that doesn't allow it to kink or bend won't easily develop a bend like that. __________________ Do you know about the TEXAS State Rifle Association?

December 17, 2018, 09:48 AM	#8
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	I see no problem with them. I believe that the inner, smaller spring may have become trapped by the outer, heavier, and crimped somehow. Spring steel of some alloys can be permanently bent, especially very fine wires. larger gauge or diameter material will usually take a great deal of force to permanently distort it. Maybe the springs are just so darned fine that they distorted through natural forces. The barrel does in fact tip downwards and the front of the spring is held in place. Since there is a guide rod, the potential for failure of any sort is negligible, it's never going to go off the rails, so to speak. Eventually, that thing is going to wind up looking kind of weird, I guess. Personally, I would have noticed that, registered that something was not right because they weren't in the same condition as they were when I put them in, and in the next few seconds realized that it was cosmetic only and dismissed it from my mind. You are obviously someone who thinks more deeply on anomalous things. You may be hypersensitive to a sound that your car might make, or a change in the sound of your stereo. I am also hyper observant like that, but most of the time it's easy to see that the changes are unimportant. __________________ None. Last edited by briandg; December 17, 2018 at 09:55 AM.

December 16, 2018, 11:35 PM	#7
Cirdan Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2013 Location: Tahoe Posts: 363	I would chalk it up to relatively strong lateral forces on the spring when you field strip the weapon.

December 17, 2018, 09:56 AM	#9
USNRet93 Senior Member Join Date: October 23, 2018 Location: Republic of Boulder, USA Posts: 1,475	I just changed the guide road and springs on my LCP..I think same part as LCP-2 and the old one wasn't bent like that..after about 300 rounds...BUT since the springs surround a guide rod, don't see how it's an issue(but I aren't a gun smith)... __________________ PhormerPhantomPhlyer "Tools not Trophies”

December 17, 2018, 10:57 AM	#11
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	understandable, i feel the same way most of the time. quite maddening sometimes, isnt it? i spend far too much time thinking about why a bolt is in one place or another. i saw a story about the guy who designed a recent improvement in aluminum cans; by altering the curves of both the base and top, he strengthened the structure and saved a few grams of metal as well. The lid was narrower, allowing a few percent more lids to be created per roll of metal. Wife said "fiddlesticks. Big deal." I reminded her that 200,000,000,000 times a few grams of metal that never makes it into the waste system is a whole lot of money. __________________ None.

December 18, 2018, 12:40 AM	#12
JohnKSa Staff Join Date: February 12, 2001 Location: DFW Area Posts: 24,994	If you do an image search using the terms: used recoil spring you will see that it is not uncommon for recoil springs to become bent or slightly kinked during use. __________________ Do you know about the TEXAS State Rifle Association?

December 18, 2018, 09:53 AM	#13
briandg Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2010 Posts: 5,468	I would guess that any spring, especially fine wire will eventually fatigue in random places. The wire is extruded a number of times, formed, heat treated,you would think that it would create a wonderfully consistent piece of metal. but then you put it into an impossible situation, almost akin to stacking eggs. as you compress it it will flex and bend. without guide rods it would literally take off like a wild thing because the ends are tilted. So I guess there isn't anything odd about compressing a spring for months or even decades and finding that the metal has deformed a little bit, especially after violently compressing/decompressing over a few hundred or thousands of cycles. __________________ None.