My carry guns have D springs, which I've found to be 100% reliable with factory ammo. My range gun has a standard power spring because I shoot Hambo Ammo Company reloads, and the QC isn't the best.
Back in days of the Elite 1 and 2, and whatever lightweight spring EL was selling at the time, none of them was 100% with factory ammo.
"Gunfighting is a thinking man's game. So we might want to bring thinking back into it."-MDFA
Beware of my temper, and the dog that I've found...
For you “high round count” 92 shooters, how often should a person dissemble slide and remove firing pin to thoroughly clean channel? It seems to me ignition reliability is dependent on a firing pin that is able to move somewhat freely. I am not a high round count shooter (no competition). I have about 2000 rounds in current 92. I have removed extractor and to access channel and used CLP in channel twice in 2000 rounds. That channel gets dirty. Probably why the standard Beretta hammer spring in base version 92s is 20#. Knowing the military pistols would be high round count and likely not cleaned much but still being able to fire when dirty. Disassembling the safety looks tougher than hammer springs, hammer return springs, extractors, etc. I guess I should quit being a sissy and just do it.
3 years ago when I first started IDPA I experimented w/ hammer springs w/ my 92g. All was well down to 13# but light strikes w/ 12#. So I came here and did some searching cause I thought I remembered some comments about the Beretta skeleton hammer helping w/ light strikes. Found my memory was correct so ordered one. Back to the range w/ the skeleton hammer and 12# spring. Winner, winner!. One thing I remember from when I got the light strikes was they all fired on the second trigger pull which is DA. So I have three of our 92s w/ 12# (the IDPA M9A1, the IDPA backup 92G, and my EII) and all the rest have 13# just for a slight safety margin. BTW, first season I shot a match once per month, second season I added an every Tuesday nite match to the monthlys, 2019 I shot 3-4 per month and they have all been w/ a 12# spring and never a light strike. Most were using Walmart Federal until they stopped selling it and, since then, CCI Independence aluminum case ammo.
I stuck with the OEM 16# mainspring on my 92D for years, with absolutely zero issues; when I switched to the Wilson/Langdon triggerbar and other associated improvements, I started with 14#, then switched down to 13#, after careful vetting. I've had zero issues with mine at 13#; as mine is used for duty as well as entertainment, I don't plan on going any lower.
GENERALLY, with a Wilson/Langdon triggerbar, I'd feel comfortable as a general rule starting out with a 14# mainspring, and then going lower only with individual gun/cartridge vetting. On an OEM Beretta triggerbar, especially for duty, I'd go no lower than 16# (the "D" spring), unless the gun/cartridge combination was carefully vetted-and re-vetted if there was any cartridge change.
Obviously, on a "game gun," going to 12#-11# with a Wilson/Langdon triggerbar (or, better yet-for everything we're discussing, with a LTT TJIB, or a LTT tuning) is very viable-but probably primarily with soft (e.g. Federal) primers.
My personal "litmus test" cartridge is Sellier & Bellot-clean, accurate, but with harder primers.
Best, Jon
This is a sound approach.Originally Posted by JonInWA
"When the phone rang, Parker was in the garage, killing a man."
In my experience, it's not grunge in the firing pin channel per se, it's the accumulated grunge on the extractor and extractor channel; but it's not a bad idea to simply get both. With my leverless/one-piece firing pin 92D, it's a pretty easy process; a bit more difficult to remove/replace the safety/decock levers as necessary.
Best, Jon
I'd suggest every 2K rounds and/or annually is a good yardstick. On reassembly, I lube the firing pin channel and firing pin/firing pin spring with a dry-film lube/anti-corrosive (Dri-Slide). After application, the liquid carrier solution evaporates, leaving a non-GSR attractant dry film lubricant.
Best, Jon
I haven't seen any specific numbers on this, but figure that a complete breakdown of the frame and slide isn't necessarily a bad thing every 5k or so, pretty much at intervals of replacing the recoil spring. Replace any other springs deemed necessary at the same time.
That's a lot of maintenance for 2K. Unless you're having problems, 10K is probably good, although I've gone way beyond that.
"Gunfighting is a thinking man's game. So we might want to bring thinking back into it."-MDFA
Beware of my temper, and the dog that I've found...
You're probably more correct. For me, my 92D is much easier to perform this sort of maintenance than on an F or G model, with the safety/decocker levers and more fiddly parts to juggle. Much more grunge accumulates under the extractor and in extractor channel than on the firing pin or in the firing pin chamber.
Best, Jon
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