Spring life

[rob_s]

I am a go/no-go kind of guy when it comes to parts replacement, expecially springs. I happened to be changing some parts out today and snapped some pics. I started getting some stuck cases and so I wanted to change out the bolt and the buffer spring.

These parts come from a Colt 6933 with several thousand (I don't count) rounds of Wolf through it. Until these recent stuck cases I have experienced intermittent issues. Perhaps once every thousand rounds or so (meaning once per three-day class) I might get a stuck case or similar related malfunction. Recently I was getting more like one per hundred rounds, and then one per magazine.

Colt Extractor, buffer and spring on the right, new extractor, spring and buffer from BCM replacement bolt.
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q111/rob_s/gun%20stuff/EXTRACTORS.jpg


Colt buffer spring on the top, BCM replacement spring on the bottom.
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q111/rob_s/gun%20stuff/SPRINGS.jpg


I'm planning to get to the range on Tuesday to see if these changes solved my problems or not. Will update at that time, but I expect that everything will be resolved.

[Heavy Metal]

That buffer spring is still in spec.

[rob_s]

Yeah, I have that book (http://www.scribd.com/doc/23333957/TM-9-1005-319-23-P-Rifle-5-56MM-M16A2-W-E-Carbine-5-56MM-M4-Carbine-5-56MM-M4A1) too, but "in spec" is 10 1/16" an this one is within 7/16" of that, and I have new springs here, and if replacing the spring solves the problem then no amount of "in spec" really matters.

If the gun wasn't having problems I'd let it get down to 10" even or so before giving it a second thought, but better to just change it out and see if the problem goes away IMHO.

[glockeyed]

couldn't the buffer weight also be a factor with the spring length?