New CS45 - S&W Snorted At Me.

[Guevera]

I purchased a very clean CS 45 and am as impressed as I can be without shooting it yet. The first thing I always do is replace the recoil spring in used pistols I buy, but am getting a little nervous in that the Usual Suspects for springs don't seem to sell replacements for this model.

Is there a source for recoil springs for the CS 45?

Edited to add: I now have checked Numrich and Midwest Gun Works. The guy at Smith & Wesson actually snorted at me when I told him why I called. He told me to try Jack First Parts, and they had nothing, either.

 

[walter o]

I bought 2 from the S&W Customer service ,Had to wait for them to come from supplier last year

 

[twistedracer]

I just did a search on midway , no springs but they have mags. Good luck on your search.

 

[tom 45]

I posted this a while back for someone with a CS9.
It might help you too. I can't figure out how to link to that post.
I don't remember how many coils the CS45 has but you should be able to count them.
Hope this helps.

A while back BMCM wrote some things about recoil springs.
What he said that I really liked was that some Glock springs are flat wound and the dimensions, ID, OD and coil thickness,are the same as some S&W springs...
The CS9 is one of those.
The picture shows my CS9 recoil spring next to a Glock 17 spring.
The factory CS9 spring has 16.5 coils... Why .5 I don't know?
Glock springs are easy to get... Just be sure it is flat wound.
I got a 17 lb and 20 lb that I was going to experiment with. Factory I believe is 17 lbs.

Just get it cut to 16.5 coils and you should be GTG.
A Dremel tool with a cutoff wheel should work.

 

[timn8er]

Have you tried Wolfe Springs?

 

[Guevera]

Have you tried Wolfe Springs?

No dice, and I don't think they make flat springs anyway.

 

[TercGen]

If the S&W CS rep didn't even let you backorder the part, you must have got one of the few 'unhelpful' ones. It's unusual IME, as I've always had luck calling in and placing items on backorder. You could try them again and order by the part # ( 263310000), which has always worked for me in the past.

If not, I have seen these in stock at Midway more than once during the last few months, so S&W is definitely still making them. They are listed as 'Overdue' by Midway at the moment, but going to places like Numrich or Jack First will probably only net you another used spring anyways. S&W, Midway, or Brownell's would be my choices for a new spring (in order).

I bought a CS9 a few years ago and it was sidelined while waiting on Midway to get springs in stock. I waited months for this to happen, all Summer actually, before finally calling S&W and getting 4 of them sent out the next day! Try calling again, I bet you get a more helpful person this time. Good luck either way!

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

Try S&W again, maybe you will get one of the adults this time. In the alternative you might do just as well getting new magazines.

 

[Big Shrek]

I wonder why Wolff doesn't do them,
they supply springs for some mighty archaic guns...
why not some popular S&W's??

Just shot J&P Springs a line about it, while I was at it
They do some pretty oddball stuff too,
just not S&W's yet

 

[BLUEDOT37]

I wonder why Wolff doesn't do them, they supply springs for some mighty archaic guns...
why not some popular S&W's??

I suspect they don't make a spring for the CSxx series because they're the only 3" bbl. 3rd Gens. They make them for the many 3-1/2" bbls. Guess they it wasn't worth it to them. (Looks like the CS40's & CS45's use the same spring PN# though.)

.

 

[GaryS]

Wolff doesn't make any flat wound springs at all. They don't have the equipment and have no interest in acquiring it.

This came up a while back and that was the answer.

Springco might, but I'm not sure.

I wonder why Wolff doesn't do them,
they supply springs for some mighty archaic guns...
why not some popular S&W's??

Just shot J&P Springs a line about it, while I was at it
They do some pretty oddball stuff too,
just not S&W's yet

 

[Fastbolt]

I've had to wait a few months for back orders for CS series recoil springs, as they apparently only infrequently order them from their vendor. I order 5-10 at a time because of this.

 

[Guevera]

Mr. Fastbolt, what kind of service life would you expect from one of the flat-coil springs in a CS45?

 

[Mal Cap]

Hello guys. FYI S&W no longer makes the CS45. They no longer offer CS45 parts for sale. The exception is the magazines which they charged about 42.00 each. Good luck with those flat recoil springs. I sold four new ones some months ago. If anyone desires to keep this pistol, bone-up on the parts. I still have my barrels and standard series 45 mags for sale in the classified section.

 

[CS45Fan]

Just to add my 2 cents worth here.

I've been through what Guevera is now experiencing. I was told by Wolff they don't have this recoil spring because they did not have the specs to make it My guess is there's not enough demand. As someone already mentioned, according to the S&W parts catalog the cs40 and cs45 are the same recoil spring and I was told by S&W C\S last year that this recoil spring (which is where I got my stash) is NOT on the discontinued parts list. So I would keep after them.

A recoil spring will last thousands of rounds, and if you are like me you probably have several toys to take turns with and a single spring will last a very long time.

Good Luck!
CS45Fan
PS worst case scenario - I understand some guys cut longer flat springs to size etc to work in CS45. I never tried it.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

...I understand some guys cut longer flat springs to size etc to work in CS45.

I assume the CS45 guide rod is the large diameter (.290") rod since it's a single spring gun. The ISMI GLC/GL flat springs require the smaller diameter (.237") rod or the large rod turned down to .255" to work with them.

Personally I'd buy an assortment of 4516-1 recoil springs (round wire) from Wolff & cut off 1/2 a coil at a time until the slide did not bottom out on the spring when fully rearward & then see how it cycles.

.

 

[TercGen]

I assume the CS45 guide rod is the large diameter (.290") rod since it's a single spring gun. The ISMI GLC/GL flat springs require the smaller diameter (.237") rod or the large rod turned down to .255" to work with them.

Though I don't have a CS45, it does look to have a thinner .237" guide rod, like the CS9 (which I can verify is actually .237", as is my 4040PD and 457 guide rods). Looks like it would work as-is for the ISMI springs, provided the right spring # and length also works.

Luckily, S&W is still making these springs, as well as many other spare parts for the CS45. They may not make them as often, but with some patience people should be able to stock up on spare parts and springs.

 

[Fastbolt]

Mr. Fastbolt, what kind of service life would you expect from one of the flat-coil springs in a CS45?

In the armorer classes I've attended they gave the same standard recommendation for recoil spring replacement for all the 3rd gen guns, meaning either every 5,000 rounds fired or every 5 years of service use.

Personally, I've typically replaced the recoil springs in my smaller pistols on a more frequent interval than the factory recommendation. That's usually meant somewhere around 800-1200+ rounds fired, for me, for my CS guns. However, I've also used issued +P and +P+ loads in my CS9, and for a while I was using +P in my CS45. I wasn't experiencing problems in the way of stoppages, but occasionally I started to feel some slower slide cycling. I replaced mine so frequently because I could, meaning I had extra springs, and thought I'd err on the conservative side of perhaps hoping to reduce the potential for battering.

Then again ...

A couple years ago one of our guys was qualifying with his CS45 while I was working the range. He's owned it for more than 10 years, and hadn't ever replaced either the recoil or may springs (I asked). He said he's never experienced a stoppage or malfunction in all the time he's been qualifying with it (usually twice a year). I suggested he replace his springs, if for no other reason than he'd exceeded the normal time-in-service recommendation by twice the number of years.

Next time I saw him at the range he'd not yet replaced his springs, but said he'd ordered them and had them at home. The next time after that when I saw him at the range, he smiled and said he'd replaced them. Still no problems.

Personally, as an owner and an armorer, I'd not suggest going that long on the same set of springs.

 

[Big Shrek]

Caliber is usually my biggest determining factor in when to replace springs,
as some are MUCH harder on 'em than others

9mm & .45acp seem to wear about the same...5K rounds is a good marker.
.40S&W & 10mm tend to start showing their age around 4K...
if using hot 10mm loads regularly, somewhat quicker

 

[whiteviper1964]

A suggestion, have you looked at SigSauer springs for the SP2022? They are flat springs and you could probably fine tune one for your CS45.