Just had a 1911 sear spring snap during a final function check

I was putting the finishing touches on a custom build for a local competition shooter, a real nice piece with a lot of hand fitting. Had it all together, went to do the final safety checks, and when I pulled the trigger to test the half-cock notch, nothing. Took the grip panel off and found the middle leg of the sear spring had snapped clean off right at the bend. This was a brand new Wilson Combat spring, not some old part. Happened yesterday afternoon and it totally threw off my schedule. I had to dig through my parts bin for a replacement, but it got me thinking about spring quality control lately. Has anyone else run into new, name-brand springs failing like this recently, or did I just get a bad one in the pack?

3 comments

3 Comments

baker.mary2mo ago

My buddy had a Wilson Combat recoil spring fail after just 200 rounds last month. It does seem like even the good brands can let a bad one slip through sometimes. That kind of last-minute failure is a real headache.

willow24427d ago

That makes me wonder if it's like everything else these days, seems like quality control's taken a nosedive across the board in a lot of industries honestly. I've had name brand tools snap on me first use and it's getting to where you just expect a dud now and then.

grayl652mo ago

My local shop had three Colt factory mag springs come back in one week. Baker.mary's story fits a trend I've seen where even top shelf parts aren't perfect anymore. It makes you want to check every single piece twice before it goes out the door.