Springs... do they wear out?

[Kentactic]

Hey i just thought id share this lil thing i noticed today when i changed out the cheap magazine tube follower that comes in my 870 for a nicer one that wont cock sideways in the mag tube. with the follower also came a replacement spring. that replacement spring i beleive is identical to the factory one. im basing this all on visual inspection. it seems to be the same gauge wire and it looks like it was the same length at one time because the coils are now shorter as if its been compressed.



so as you can see it is now shorter then the one that came in the kit. this springs only had 5 out of the maximum 6 rounds loaded in it sitting for maybe 1 month total time. i dont know if its just normal breaking in for it to compress some what but i just thought id share what i found and let you guys decide for yourselves. 

[v0dka]

normal breaking in.
all mag springs get a little smaller after being used.

[Kentactic]

also on a side note... changing the follower made a big difference... its much smoother to load rounds and dosent ever jam up on the extension area or anything like the factory one did. i did some research and this one seemed to be one of the best options for followers out on the market right now. im happy with the purchase.

http://sjhardware.com/store/modules.php?name=catalog&file=product_info&cPath=107_123&products_id=313

[thatGuy]

Springs wearout due to cycling not compression. If they did you would need to replace the springs in your car... all the time.

[Reaver]

Springs wearout due to cycling not compression. If they did you would need to replace the springs in your car... all the time.

Well said.  [URL=http://www.smileyvault.co

[Kentactic]

Springs wearout due to cycling not compression. If they did you would need to replace the springs in your car... all the time.

that analogy isnt exactly fair in my opinion..leaving your mag spring totally compressed (full mag) in comparison with a car would be like leaving your trucks bed full of dirt to its maximum capacity or your car loaded with its maximum weight of passengers for the same given time...an empty truck is like an empty mag..still compressed but not to its max capacity. and the reason theres rubber dampners on your car is so you dont over comnpress the springs..if that happens they will end up different sizes and they will need to be replaced.

[Reaver]

Springs wearout due to cycling not compression. If they did you would need to replace the springs in your car... all the time.

that analogy isnt exactly fair in my opinion..leaving your mag spring totally compressed (full mag) in comparison with a car would be like leaving your trucks bed full of dirt to its maximum capacity or your car loaded with its maximum weight of passengers for the same given time...an empty truck is like an empty mag..still compressed but not to its max capacity. and the reason theres rubber dampners on your car is so you dont over comnpress the springs..if that happens they will end up different sizes and they will need to be replaced.

Also Very well said.  [URL=http://www.smileyvault.co

Come back anyone?

I'm perfectly ok with leaving my shit maxed out. I've done it for years and have never ever had an issue.

[Kentactic]

Springs wearout due to cycling not compression. If they did you would need to replace the springs in your car... all the time.

that analogy isnt exactly fair in my opinion..leaving your mag spring totally compressed (full mag) in comparison with a car would be like leaving your trucks bed full of dirt to its maximum capacity or your car loaded with its maximum weight of passengers for the same given time...an empty truck is like an empty mag..still compressed but not to its max capacity. and the reason theres rubber dampners on your car is so you dont over comnpress the springs..if that happens they will end up different sizes and they will need to be replaced.

Also Very well said.

Come back anyone?

I'm perfectly ok with leaving my shit maxed out. I've done it for years and have never ever had an issue.

well let me add that all springs are not created equally because your cars springs dont endure the same extreme changes from full compression to minimum compression, also they are much thicker coils so between less overall compression and a much stiffer coil the two springs cant really be compared fairly.

i know for a fact that every spring does wear out over time no matter what type...the only thing really up for debate is how long that time period is. i think it can be quite long in most gun applications..but i dont think its nearly as long as a cars spring will last just supporting the normal weight of a car under the same conditions the magazine springs will get as far as temperature and moisture.

[thatGuy]

It is CYCLES that wear a spring not compression. I have had a 3,000lbs welder on a truck that is rated for 2,000lbs for over 5 years. Are the springs bad? Did they shoot out of the truck? Are they in pieces on the dirt? No, no and no.

If you over compress a spring it will break, if you wear it out it will quit rebounding. You have a spring that is showing its wear.
Do an experiment, put the old spring in the gun with the new follower and see if it still works. You are dealing with two replacement parts on that firearm and one of them could have made all the difference.

[Kentactic]

It is CYCLES that wear a spring not compression. I have had a 3,000lbs welder on a truck that is rated for 2,000lbs for over 5 years. Are the springs bad? Did they shoot out of the truck? Are they in pieces on the dirt? No, no and no.

If you over compress a spring it will break, if you wear it out it will quit rebounding. You have a spring that is showing its wear.
Do an experiment, put the old spring in the gun with the new follower and see if it still works. You are dealing with two replacement parts on that firearm and one of them could have made all the difference.

yeah the origonal spring still worked just fine...the guns only a few months old. i replaced the follower because in 870's they are peices of shit. they are as cheap as can possibly be made and thats one of the first things to be replaced on a shotgun for self defense use. brand new or 5 months old dosent matter the stock follower in 870's tend to jam up. so theres nothing mechanically wrong with the spring i pulled out. i just thought id show what i saw which was the length difference between the brand new one and the one thats mere months old. my first assumption is its normal break in wear. but thats quite a bit of loss in length so i thought id share being the guns only a few months old and only had the magtube loaded for a small part of that time.

[thatGuy]

You're right about that follower.. I wonder if the spring is so much shorter or if the new one is longer..

[Reaver]

You must not have a Wingmaster.
Granted I replaced the follower, not because of any faulty issue but because it is bright orange letting me know my last round.

[Kentactic]

You're right about that follower.. I wonder if the spring is so much shorter or if the new one is longer..

yeah i was wondering if perhaps they were different lengths to begin with. no way to really know for sure. but i will say if i had to guess id say they were the same length at one time because the shorter one appears to be shorter from compression because the coils are a little bit tighter then the new one is so it looks like its just been smooshed down to that size. in a month ill pull out the new spring and compare the sizes again to see if they end up being the same length after the new one breaks in.

[Kentactic]

You must not have a Wingmaster.
Granted I replaced the follower, not because of any faulty issue but because it is bright orange letting me know my last round.

yeah the factory ones on an 870 (atleast mine) came with a bright orange follower...but the first time i took apart the shotgun i felt that follower and thought a 2 liter soda bottle cap would put it to shame in quality and integrity. the new one is stronger, has a tail so it wont tweak in the tube and has a bump in the middle of it so you know by feeling even with gloves on that theres no more rounds in the mag tube.

[1000meterstare]

The 70-year old hi-power I recently inherited has springs that are quick; it locks the action up like a bank vault.  The mag still works great, too.

[Reaver]

The 70-year old hi-power I recently inherited has springs that are quick; it locks the action up like a bank vault.  The mag still works great, too.

Roger fucking that.

Thank your 1KMS

Springs Wear from use, not lack of. ( packed or not ) Not stacking your extra two rounds or what ever you do is just stupid. The magazine capacity is 30 for a reason. Use it

[Outonowhere]

The 70-year old hi-power I recently inherited has springs that are quick; it locks the action up like a bank vault.  The mag still works great, too.

Roger fucking that.

Thank your 1KMS

Springs Wear from use, not lack of. ( packed or not ) Not stacking your extra two rounds or what ever you do is just stupid. The magazine capacity is 30 for a reason. Use it

 [URL=http://www.smileyvault.co

[RS762]

Not if they are ak mag springs [URL=http://www.smileyvault.co