Pre stressing springs.

[North West Outpost]

So simple and yet so usefull. Don't know why I didn't think of it sooner than last night...

A very easy way to settle your spring befor putting it into your gun so you can be sure what your fps is going to end up at. No more guessing.

Get yourself down to your local DIY store and buy a 10mm diameter bolt of some decription, my one was a wooden fence post gate bolt M10x180mm. An M10 wing nut and a couple of M10 washers.

Simply slide your spring onto the bolt, capping it off with a washer and the wing nut.





Then put it to one side for as long as you want to leave it. Over night should be fine. I wouldn't screw it to tight.

This will save you at least one full strip down and you will know the final fps from the start.

[Major]

Re: Pre stressing springs.

So simple, i do NOT know why you didnt think of it sooner

Obviously thinking bigger than the simple stuff!

[Beef]

Re: Pre stressing springs.

So simple and yet so usefull. Don't know why I didn't think of it sooner than last night...

A very easy way to settle your spring befor putting it into your gun so you can be sure what your fps is going to end up at. No more guessing.

I dont get what pre stressing your springs does? And how does this insure you know what fps its going to end up at??

[seansamurai1]

Re: Pre stressing springs.

Im failing to understand how you can say exactly what FPS it will do once its pre stressed, as it is springs arent an exact science and change from brand to brand and from what Ive seen and heard compressing a spring for a time doesnt actually do anything, if it does its only a short term thing.

[North West Outpost]

Re: Pre stressing springs.

lol..See it's that simple your both bamboosled.

What happens when people ask I have a new spring. What do all the replies say.

Along the lines of leave it compressed in the gun so it settles. If you do this you don't have to strip the gun put the spring in and leave the piston half cocked.

Once it has been left compressed and you put it in your gun, the fps should not alter. You will have your final reading and fps will not go lower. Giving you the oportunity to set your fps at any desired level.

So unless you have a new gun and are just replacing the spring, it saves a complete strip, putting the spring in then either using it as is or leaving it half cocked.

Most springs will bed in, to their normal working level then will stay at that untill they get work hardened. Which happens eventually.

[seansamurai1]

Re: Pre stressing springs.

For making life easier its a great idea, but its already been proved that pre stressing either doesnt do anything at all or drops the FPS temporarily.
I have only just found out my Guarder M100 spring is cronoing at 365 FPS on .20s, that hasnt dropped in a year and a half of heavy usage and at times being compressed for a week or 2. My crono was reading low as was my regular sites crono, but my new one which is reading correct on everything else is reading 365 on my main gun, the fact its a 100 spring with a shortish barrel and vented M4 cylinder, it just proves in one case this pre stressing and spring bedding makes no difference whatsoever.

[Gadget]

Re: Pre stressing springs.

I have to admit that would work for me, from my experience on loss of fps. I have found that some springs do stress down, after being in the gear box for a month or two. Had My C15 at 349 fps, after two months on the new spring its back to 330fps. And the same thing has happend to a friend, using Guarder springs on a another M4 version.
I will be glad to stress a spring before I put into a gearbox.

[North West Outpost]

Re: Pre stressing springs.

For making life easier its a great idea, but its already been proved that pre stressing either doesnt do anything at all or drops the FPS temporarily.
I have only just found out my Guarder M100 spring is cronoing at 365 FPS on .20s, that hasnt dropped in a year and a half of heavy usage and at times being compressed for a week or 2. My crono was reading low as was my regular sites crono, but my new one which is reading correct on everything else is reading 365 on my main gun, the fact its a 100 spring with a shortish barrel and vented M4 cylinder, it just proves in one case this pre stressing and spring bedding makes no difference whatsoever.

If pre stressing is going to work it will happen fairly soon after any pressure being applied.

I can't tell you exactly how long or how much effect it does have. But a spring has a working tension and an elastic limit. A spring may or may not need any tension applied to put it into its working state and it will stay there untill one or two things happen.

1) For what ever reason you damage the spring by either over compressing it or putting it under enough tension to alter it's shape which takes it out of it's elastic limit.

2) Through use work hardens and potentially snaps.

You can heat them up and cool them down using different techniques to alter their characteristics but it is a long while ago when I learnt all about that..

[Beef]

Re: Pre stressing springs.

OK i thought you meant you could make the fps reduce by pre stressing. I had heard that from people advising compressing the spring when the fps limit is too high to try and reduce it.

[Gadget]

Re: Pre stressing springs.

Been out to get the parts needed for this.
Ouch is all I can say, cost me about £10 to get two bolts, the wing nuts with washers, as they only seem to come in a multi packet. The bolts were more or less £2 each.
Still I am all up for saving, from going in and out of a gear box to many times.