Recoil springs - when to replace

[vt_shooter]

'Curious how people know when to change the recoil springs.
Do you keep track of how many rounds you've shot then replace the spring after x rounds, or use some other system?

 

[OKFC05]

Depends on the gun and type of spring. I am particularly fond of the ISMI flat-wound springs that are OEM stock on the M&P semi autos, which last far longer than piano-wire springs, including a full year of competition up to 50,000 rounds for one of our Oklahoma champions the year he made Master.
For a GI 1911 using the finest piano wire springs, I compare the recoil spring to a new one, and replace when the spring becomes 1/2" shorter.
Simpler than counting rounds.
In the M&P, the recoil spring is probably the least likely spring in the gun to fail; trigger spring and striker spring are more common failures that I've seen in matches. As always, YMMV

 

[chief38]

I've changed only a few springs over 50 years of shooting. Those have included the recoil spring on my 1911 Colt Gold Cup NM, a few M1 Carbine magazine springs due to failure to feed the last few rounds, and the recoil spring on my M41. That's all I can recall ever changing. I have auto loaders that are over 100 years old, still have the original springs and to me they are still quite good and do not need changing.

 

[stansdds]

I actually keep records of rounds fired for my firearms. My pistols are typically older designs that use round wire coil springs, so replacement cycles around sooner than those that use flat wire coil springs. My general rule of thumb is based on barrel length. Each inch of barrel translates to a maximum of 1000 rounds fired, but if the rounds are +P, then I deduct about 15% from that 1000 rounds/inch guide.

Do I replace springs more often than that rule of thumb? If the spring seems weak or is significantly shorter than a new spring, then yes. Springs are cheap, slides and receivers are expensive and sometimes irreplaceable.

 

[cracker57]

no round count, I just notice that slide slows down and the rhythm is different. I can feel the slide slowing down when stripping a round from the mag and chambering a round.
when my rhythm is off so are my shots, its about the rhythm for me.
carry one...

 

[vt_shooter]

Thanks for the responses. I just noticed them today, 8 days after I posted the question. The day I posted the question I got a message from a moderator telling me to obey the rules and post things in the correct category, and I thought he had just deleted it.