Spring "setting", by the way is dependent on several factors. Wire quality is one, but processing methods can have a significant effect on settling behavior.
And yes, I make springs for a living. None for firearms - at least not yet.
Yep, you can certainly run into some springs that are better than others. That's why it's a good idea to spot check where your brass is landing from time to time. My S&W Commander came with (I think) a 20lb spring, stiff as all get out. Still, brass ejects a 4-6 feet away even after 7 years with that gun and a few thousand rounds.
Wire quality and its Metallurgic compound are everything.....cheap wire=bad springs......I used to have made a 18.5lb square wire spring for the 1911. It was a high silcone content wire that comes from England and its mainly used in aerospace applications that are subject to huge tempature changes. The spring (I still have about 50 of them) nevers seems to quit...I have one in a gun that took over 20K before I replaced it. I figured that by using square wire you get appox 24% more metal in the spring and at 50% or more life out of it...it also stacked flat not wanting to roll off itself.....but the wire cost was 3.5 to 4 times that of our other springs....People just wound not buy them due to the price...too bad as I only sold it for 10.00 and my normal springs then were 4.00 each....So Tex....how about making some springs for me???
