Changed My Spring - and a Tip

sweetknuckles · Post by **sweetknuckles** » February 27th, 2009, 9:54 pm

Boy do I feel like a MAN!

After being emasculated because I couldn't for the life of me get that hammer to fall on DA pull, I changed out my spring today with the Wolff 18lb. Hope it doesn't cause any mag issues, but from what I've soaked up, it seems that's the one people go with generally.

WOW getting that mag retention clip to line up and seat that pin was hell on wheels. Are there any tricks?

What I finally ended up doing was using a zip tie to hold the mag release against the frame, so I could focus more effort pushing against the spring.

Basically, spring on post, mag release on spring and get it in the nook. Then zip tied it at the spring/post to the backstrap of the frame and then pushed that mag release up to line the holes for the pin.

I had Wolff make me a special spring pack.. 18, 18, 19, just in case I buy another.

Post by **normsutton** » February 27th, 2009, 10:03 pm

sweetknuckles

you should of gone here

http://p64.proboards67.com/index.cgi?bo ... hread=1584

NORM

sweetknuckles · Post by **sweetknuckles** » February 27th, 2009, 10:07 pm

Ha Ha...thanks Norm.

I KNEW I had seen that somewhere before.

Aw, I just went to the Fixes section of p64resource.com

Bookmarked that thread in case I gotta do it again. Thank you.

olympus · Post by **olympus** » February 27th, 2009, 10:24 pm

I agree, it was a two-man job for me. But we eventually got it back together.

daddyrabbit · Post by **daddyrabbit** » February 28th, 2009, 10:44 pm

thanks Norm
easy to do (with pic & good directions)
Keith

hairypolack · Post by **hairypolack** » March 1st, 2009, 1:47 am

i got the twenty pound recoil spring in the mail today and slipped it right onto my barrel, though it was a little harder to get the slide back on.

catz631 · Post by **catz631** » March 11th, 2009, 7:30 am

I am a newbie to this site and have pretty well followed the instructions and tips. I too bought my gun from J & G and it arrived in excellent condition. I had a real time changing the springs out though. The 18 lb wolff spring was too long and I had to cut it by about 1/4 inch and grind the end to get it to fit (I thought these were suppose to fit now) I then put the 20 lb recoil spring on and could not get the slide back on.( wore my hand out) I finally called a gun smith and he told me to put it in a padded vice and use more leverage as he figured the slide was about a 64 th off or so from the catch for the rails. I did that and it worked. I finally have the gun back together after about 1 1/2 hours of work I have yet to fire it but will. It is a nice looking gun and if I ever get my carry permit here in Fl (been over 4 months now) it will be my social gun.
Dick

Post by **normsutton** » March 11th, 2009, 7:50 am

Dick

(do not cut the hammer spring )put it in this way you'll be fine http://p64.proboards67.com/index.cgi?bo ... hread=1584

recoil spring small end of spring goes on barrel first

NORM

catz631 · Post by **catz631** » March 11th, 2009, 8:17 am

Norm,
I have already installed the spring and the gun is back together. It appears to work fine firing it with snap caps. The mag release works fine. The spring I received from Wolf was so long that it would have compressed so that each of the coils of the spring would have touched each other (looking like one solid piece) and would have been too long to fit on the shaft. I cut the new 18 lb spring to the same length as the spring I took off. Of course I don't have another 18 lb spring. I bought the spring pack so my next one is a 19 lb spring I believe. I hate to take the gun apart again as it is rather a b^%4h ! to get the hand grips on and off (fit too tight have to use a small hammer) and the hammer spring system apart again. I also ended up breaking off the end of my only 1/16 " pin punch. It was brass. It will be awhile before I fire this gun do you think the spring will be too weak when I fire the gun ? It sure works nice now.The trigger pull is perfectly acceptable and the mag stays in the gun fine. Thanks for the reply Norm as I know you are the expert on these guns. By the way I made sure the small end of the recoil spring did go on first . That new 20 lb recoil spring was the same length as the old one. I guess the strength of the new spring was not allowing the slide to come back far enough. Maybe the thing will lossen up after firing. (or I will take a padded vice with me)
Dick

Post by **normsutton** » March 11th, 2009, 8:34 am

Dick

change the springs the way I do it and all you have to do is push the pin out with a paper clip, and I think you will get miss fires and if you get it to fire the mag will drop when fried

NORM

electross · Post by **electross** » March 11th, 2009, 11:59 am

What Norm says! You should not have to put your P64 in a vise, padded or otherwise to get your slide back on. On some P64's (not all) you have to get a flat block of wood and wrap it in fine graphite paper or sand paper. Sand the narrow end of your recoil spring a little at a time and keep trying it on your pistol until the slide goes on. Typically the very end of the coil spring is the culprit and getting it more even is all you have to do. I would not cut any springs from Wolff. I would not cut the hammer spring. Takes tough fingers and a little patience.

catz631 · Post by **catz631** » March 13th, 2009, 7:31 am

Thanks for the tips ! I will change out my hammer spring again today per your method Norm and I will also try to fine tune the end of the recoil spring so that I can get the slide on and off without using a vise. Man my fingers were getting sore !
Dick

catz631 · Post by **catz631** » March 14th, 2009, 8:04 am

Well I changed out my hammer spring in about 3 minutes thanks to your super deluxe method Norm, Thanks ! And electross you were certainly right about the ends of the recoil spring needing sanding. That did it and now my slide will fit on the rails (although still a very tight fit)
Dick

grayfox · Post by **grayfox** » March 14th, 2009, 11:07 am

catz631 wrote:Well I changed out my hammer spring in about 3 minutes thanks to your super deluxe method Norm, Thanks ! And electross you were certainly right about the ends of the recoil spring needing sanding. That did it and now my slide will fit on the rails (although still a very tight fit)
Dick

Good luck on a very fine gun. This is the best forum going for the P-64, and Norm is a wealth of info.
Sam

tmcblane · Post by **tmcblane** » March 29th, 2009, 7:25 pm

I haven't had a chance to search much here but see you guys have a line on some replacement springs to improve the trigger. Can someone post a link on where I can get these springs and what do you recommend. thanks in advance guys!

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