I have a 625-4 that had a reduced power mainspring installed years ago. I hadn't shot the gun for years because I got an occasional light strike, 1 or 2 out of 100 rounds. I'd like to put the gun back into rotation for matches, so I would like to install a factory mainspring and see if that helps.
Never, ever, go to a reduced power mainspring. It is a receipe for misfires and squibs.
this is always worth reading:
IT DON’T GO BANG: FIRES, HANGFIRES, MISFIRES AND SHORT ORDER COOKS IN JERSEY
By Mark Humphreville
Replacing old mainsprings in M41' and Ruger MKII 22lr pistols, along with the recoil springs noticeably improved ignition reliability and feed and extraction. These are auto pistols, but I learned decades ago about not using weak mainsprings in my Ruger Redhawk. Yes the single action trigger was better, but infrequent misfires showed me weakening the mainspring was a bad idea. You want the most energy possible on the primer for reliable ignition.
There are all sorts of "new" mainsprings on ebay. I found a listing where the seller showed the WW2 military package that had ten or so K mainsprings. I was pretty sure based on the picture, cosmoline included, that those were NOS mainsprings. I put one into my K38, and the ignition appears snappier. I do notice Wolff has K/L/N frame mainsprings, don't go for reduced power unless misfires won't bother you.
People who play "combat games" can use the most sensitive primers, can adjust their ammunition to their pistols, so that a misfire does not ruin their score. However, change ammunition in those pistols, and don't be surprised if in cold weather, you get a squib! Bud of mine sold me his M586 which he used in PPC, and that's what happened to me. He told me he had fired 60,000 rounds, and used Federal primers, which are the most sensitive primers on the market. I was firing my ammunition with Winchester pistol primers and a magnum ball powder and stuck a bullet in the throat. I replaced that old and tired mainspring with a new one, and that pistol shoots great.
