Recoil spring replacement.

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by zormpas

If my springs are something like that, they'll either both be backwards, or there'll be one each way!

Danger, Will Robinson!!! Danger!!!

Here's the rule of thumb - Put the tight coils at the fixed end of the spring. On the Nambu, that'd be the back end, where they sit against the frame, and the slide pushes against the front. On the Luger, I think the tight coils go up, because that's where the spring abuts the frame, and the long hooked piece with the triangle at the bottom pushes up...

[Zorba]

I just went and had a look at the old spring from the Luger. No discernible difference in coil density from end to end - and I don't recall a difference on the new spring either.

ETA: Take a look at Thor's article on Luger mainspring replacement. My spring looks just like the one pictured there - no difference. Nor does he mention one. I think we're getting our legs pulled...

I also looked at the old Nambu springs - and can say the exact same thing about the springs. Perhaps not all makers make them like your picture? I'll pull the Nambu back apart when I'm cleaning guns anyway, and have a look, but I'm pretty sure there's no difference there either...

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by zormpas

I just went and had a look at the old spring from the Luger. No discernible difference in coil density from end to end...I also looked at the old Nambu springs - and can say the exact same thing about the springs...

<Whew!> You're OK then. Non-progressive springs can be installed either way.

I was going to explain left-hand twist springs vs right-hand twist...But that can wait until another time.

[Zorba]

Originally Posted by sheepherder

I was going to explain left-hand twist springs vs right-hand twist...But that can wait until another time.

Is that sorta like a left handed Crescent wrench?

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by zormpas

Is that sorta like a left handed Crescent wrench?

Ah, no...And you can't hunt snipes with it either...

You can wind a spring in either direction, to the left or to the right...In a system where you want two balanced forces working in harmony you would have one of each...In production pistols, rifles, motorcycles, etc this is impractical, but in high end systems you would spare no expense...You'd use ground wire, not drawn; and the ends would be ground flat and parallel...The number of coils would be equal and the overall length would be equal also...

When I worked as a millwright we often made our own springs (obsolete equipment)...Spring Winder pic attached...You feed the wire in and turn the crank...There is a finger that is adjustable for distance between coils, the mandrel determines diameter, and wire diameter determines resistance to deflection...



As all this applies to handguns, only the high end models have matched spring sets...But you can buy them for specific handguns...