L1A1 Recoil Springs Question?

[kar66]

A few years ago I was building a spare lower for my L1A1. At the time inch parts were hard to find, metric were everywhere. Anyway at the time Tapco was still in the retail mail order business. They had metric and inch recoil springs. I ordered 2 sets of the inch ones. When I put it togeather they were so strong that it took both hands to cycle the bolt. When you fired it, the bolt wouldn't cycle. My question is can they be cut shorter and safetly used? Or should I just forget about them and get someother springs? If cutting is OK, how much? I wouldn't want to do it to many times. But I would like to salvage the new springs and use them at lest once.

[garyd1961]

I don't think cutting them will work. I asked a simular question before and was told by the experts that the lenght doesn't affect tension'

[FUUN063]

It sounds like other issues at work here. The stiffness you refer to may be that you are used to (and adjusted gas to) the old worn springs and their respective tensions. Strip the rifle clear down and clean thoroughtly. Then, apply a light coat of light weight oil to all parts and reassemble with the new recoil springs in place. Then, get good quality ammo and test fire. Adjust gas if necessary. This should remedy any issues. Also, there might have been an underlying issue that did not arise with the weaker springs, allowing function of the rifle. But, when the new springs were installed, the possible underlying issue reared its ugly head. There should never be an issue with returning the rifle to its original spring tensions. And, of course check the obvious things while the rifle is clear apart. This does two things. It gets you to know your rifle more thoroughly and it rules out certain simple, obvious solutions that need not be addressed such as bent rattails, packed-full-of-grease-recoil tubes, misadjusted gas regulators, etc. Good luck.

Leland

[MAINER]

Assuming there are no mechanical issues and the Recoil tube ass'y is clean,
they could be cut and stretched to proper length to reduce tension, but the problem would be knowing how much tension is right. If you had another L1A1 that functioned correctly, it could be used as a guide. I don't know how many pounds it takes to retract an L1A1 bolt with the Charge Handle, but that could be used as a guide as well. Fishing scale, anyone?

The "cut and try" method is going to require a lot of assembly/disassembly, hope you have a Buttstock Tool.

This is likely safer, and will help you keep your sanity longer;
http://www.tdwsales.com/catalog/item/239756/6757456.htm

[MAINER]

New info;
FUUN063 has a good idea about "other issues". I had a NOS Tapco recoil spring set is my parts box and just installed them in my L1A1. The tension needed to operate the CH is very much the same as the origional springs.

Have not heard of any trouble with Tapco's springs in this regard, but I only have one set to base my opinion on. I'd look for a problem other than springs.

[kar66]

Thanks guys, but this is a extra lower. Just one I assembled to have a spare handy. When it didn't work right. I put the other one back on and it worked fine. So if it is other issues they would mostly be with the spare lower would they not? As far as tools I have a take down wrench. But still I don't think this is a job you would do by cutting one coil at a time trying. I guess I sould have compared the new springs length with the old. But the old springs were still in the other lower. So I'm not sure about length old to new springs were. You know new should mean GOOD TO GO. Just assemble and shoot not in this case. Thanks again, Bill

[def90]

Seeing that you have the tool just take the springs out of both and compare them, then swap them in the 2 lowers and see if the problem follows the springs or the lower..

[kar66]

OK good idea thanks, I'll give that a try. I want'd to compare them in length anyway and would need both sets of springs out to do that.
Thanks again, Bill