I just got a metal magazine catch for my 908. The spring is a "tornado" type with one end bigger than the other. The old spring was installed with the large part of the spring facing the magazine catch nut (ie. with the smaller end of the spring in the hole for the spring ).

Is that correct?

Small end goes in the hole. Figured it out!

This is the picture of the parts provided to armorers. EDITED to state that the spring orientation in the picture below is incorrect, and the large end of the spring should face the mag catch button.



Armorers are also told to replace the polymer mag catch nut when servicing the VL/CS guns (meaning replacing the nut once it's been removed off the mag catch body).

I've never had occasion to remove the mag catch assembly in my CS pistols (same as Value Line guns), though. Why not call back and ask someone at the repair center? That's what I do if I were unsure of an assembly process I'd not done before.

Of course, it wouldn't be the first time S&W has changed the orientation of a spring. They reversed the extractor spring orientation in the SW99 series at one point, changing from the large end of the spring being inserted into the slide's spring hole to the smaller end being inserted.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer

Okay, I checked and discovered that the above picture is incorrect. The orientation of the spring is wrong. (Not the first time a mistake has occurred and slipped past editing in armorer materials, either. )

The tornado spring should have the large end facing the plastic mag catch button ... and the button should be replaced with a new one if it's removed. The inner raised ring inside the plastic mag catch button can become worn and out-of-spec once it's pulled back out & over the corresponding metal surface on the mag catch body, and it should be replaced with a new one if removed.

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Ret LE Firearms inst & armorer