P99C recoil spring failure

[andy t]

Well today when I was at the range my P99C's recoil spring failed. It was made in June of last year and has about 3500 rounds through it. Has anyone else experienced similar failures? I guess I will have to make sure to change recoil springs every 3k rounds.
Time to call S & W tomorrow.

 

[tele_mark]

What part of it failed, the spring itself or the plastic guide rod? The guide rod has always had me a little worried.

 

[kendall-op]

Well today when I was at the range my P99C's recoil spring failed. It was made in June of last year and has about 3500 rounds through it. Has anyone else experienced similar failures? I guess I will have to make sure to change recoil springs every 3k rounds.
Time to call S & W tomorrow.

Failed how, spring or plastic rod or both?

 

[andy t]

A picture is worht a thousand words:

It looks like the little ring that holds the maing spring snapped off.

 

[tele_mark]

Now, that would be a shitty thing to happen right when you needed the gun the most.

 

[drgrant]

Hmm.... 3500 rounds is a lot through a little pistol like that.

Not saying that the gun won't take it, but the spring getting the
snot pounded out of it doesn't surprise me. Smaller guns
with "compromise" recoil springs like an officer's model and
other subcompacts tend to wear out springs faster because the
springs are shorter and the recoil is more abusive. Might be worth
having a spare spring around. If you practice with it a lot,
get two springs, test both in the gun, practice with one, carry the
other. Probably cheap insurance.

FWIW, a friend of mine, the frame on his SW99 compact ended up
cracking and a chunk broke off towards the bottom of the frame. (we
couldnt find the piece, it occured during shooting) He sent it to S+W
and they gave him a new frame a week later. Never had a
problem since.

PS: is that lube I see on the spring?!?!? I think lube on the assembly
was part of the reason the rod warped in my SW99 .45. (Just a hunch, and
I have nothing to back it up... except that when I kept the new rod dry it did
not warp. )

-Mike

 

[benster]

woah... thanks for the heads up. I'm gonna check the spring on mine tonite before I shoot it.

 

[dvajda]

It is highly doubtful that lube would cause a spring to fail. I mean, you saying the lube ate into the steel spring/rod? If that were so, wouldn't it destroy other steel parts in your pistol? Lube basically will just lower the friction between parts by providing a coating, so parts don't make metal/metal contact. This should actually increase the lifespan of parts, since friction = heat = wear. So reduced friction means less wear on parts, thats why you lube the slide rails and such.

 

[drgrant]

It is highly doubtful that lube would cause a spring to fail. I mean, you saying the lube ate into the steel spring/rod? If that were so, wouldn't it destroy other steel parts in your pistol?

No, you missed it. I think the lube -may- cause degredation in the
plastic. The spring -itself- didn't break, but the retaining plastic
piece did. (is it made of plastic?) I'm saying that some types of lubes
may degrade some types of plastic. In my case the rod didn't fail, but
the plastic guide rod was certainly ugly. (it was warped.). It was bad
enough that when I sent the gun to S+W for another problem that they replaced
it. Of course it's also possible that the previous owner of the gun
ran tons of ammo through it and got the gun so hot that it warped the
rod. (although when I bought the pistol it looked barely used. )

-Mike