Buttstock Recoil Spring on Autoloaders

[Guyon]

Actually, I didn't know that autoloaders have a recoil spring in the buttstock. Guess I need to take a closer look at the manual for my 1100. Anyway, I was reading an article on gun maintenance in Tennessee Sportsman and ran across this paragraph:

One special note: for autoloading shotguns, be alert to the single-most-often-overlooked auto-shotgun maintenance item--the recoil spring in the buttstock, which is a natural grit/gunk trap and is the most common source of all "unexplained" autoloader failures. Whatever other auto-shotgun cleaning and maintenance you may do, get a stock-screw bit for your screwdriver, yank off the stock (at least once a year), and clean the spring. An amateur gunsmith buddy of mine was hired a few years ago to look at about a half-dozen "problem" Remington 1100s that a local gun shop had acquired. The shop offered him $30 apiece to look at them. He pulled the stocks off all six and cleaned the springs, and they worked fine.

Good advice? How often do you all clean this spring in your autoloader?

 

[Dave McC]

Good advice.When I got the old Model 11 Remington I've mentioned, a new spring went into the stock and the area cleaned for the first time in 40 years. Gunked up good, it was.

Also, I'd suggest replacing that spring every 10K rounds or so, just for GPs. I think Bruce Buck also advocates this.

HTH....

 

[mikey357]

...my OLDEST autoloader--that has a recoil spring in the stock, anyway--is a mid-'70's production 1100 "Skeet B" 12 ga....until I "retired" the worn-out receiver two years ago, I had NEVER had the recoil spring out of the stck...AND, it was one of the most reliable semi's I've ever owned...with that said, however, I think that periodic checking/degunking is NOT a bad idea, ESPECIALLY on a hunting gun that may be subjected to harsher operating conditions than a "Target" gun...FWIW....mikey357