Cocked & Locked (C&L)

[stash]

I read in a gun mag yesterday that a 1911 that has been C&L for a year should have the mainspring changed. Any opinions on this.

[Ryan]

Just for clarification...I'm assuming this means a 1911 that's been in condition 1 for a year but not used / fired, correct?

In that case, I honestly couldn't give an opinion as I don't own any guns that don't get fired for that length of time. However, I'm very curious as to the opinions on this though.

[crazy2medic]

If it is a quality firearm using quality parts I would say that is a bogus article, my P14 has gone up to 2 years cocked and locked because I lacked the money to do any practicing, when that changed and I could afford to start shooting again , it functioned flawlessly!

[Topbuilder]

I would think it is no different than a magazine spring. It is not the at rest or the compression which wears a spring. It's the cycles back and forth.

[cbunt1]

At the risk of sounding snarky, my OPINION is that the article was written to support gunsmith parts and labor.

The mainspring of a 1911 is a simple coil spring, and I've only NEEDED to replace one once, on a 1911 with over 10K rounds through it. The rest I've replaced for other reasons, where I was working toward a specified (very light--competition) trigger break pressure, to increase slide resistance on recoil or some other marginal/fringe competition rig.

Take it to the range, and if it fires it's good. If you want to dry-fire instead, the old "pencil test" will be sufficient.

I'd have no concerns. If it's not "right" you'll know it...there's nothing marginal or questionable about a worn mainspring on a 1911.

[G.A. Heath]

At the risk of sounding snarky, my OPINION is that the article was written to support gunsmith parts and labor.

The mainspring of a 1911 is a simple coil spring, and I've only NEEDED to replace one once, on a 1911 with over 10K rounds through it. The rest I've replaced for other reasons, where I was working toward a specified (very light--competition) trigger break pressure, to increase slide resistance on recoil or some other marginal/fringe competition rig.

Take it to the range, and if it fires it's good. If you want to dry-fire instead, the old "pencil test" will be sufficient.

I'd have no concerns. If it's not "right" you'll know it...there's nothing marginal or questionable about a worn mainspring on a 1911.

or this particular magazine has multiple full page adds for brands of firearms that are striker fired and was asked to do them a favor...

[Steve]

I've had a 1911 in condition one (cocked and locked) for well over a year with no issue. In fact, I suspect the mainspring will lost longer than I will. I should probably take it to the range more but 9mm is just so much cheaper to plink with.

[treadlightly]

The spring isn't relaxed when the hammer is down. When the hammer is down, figure the spring is 30% compressed. Cocked, it's probably 35% compressed. I'm just pulling numbers our of the air, but I don't think there is much difference to the spring between cocked and de-cocked.