Defenders/Lightweights

[SteelFrame]

Wondered if anyone here has a Defender or any other lightweight with a LOT of rounds through it.
My main duty carry is a Combat Commander but I do often carry one of my Defenders which has about 4k rounds throught it. I ran into a guy in Langley last weekend who has a documented 12k through his! And it's all original.

[Brian Dover]

How often do you change out the recoil spring(s) on your Defender? I have maybe 600rds through mine and am wondering if it's time yet..

A pretty good 'smith I know says you can just change out the bigger diameter spring and ignore the smaller one. He says to take a standard 18lb. Wolff and chop it down to the same number of coils as the one in the gun, and do this swap every 1,000 rds.

What has been your experience?

[SteelFrame]

I've intentionally let this specific defender go with no change and it works perfectly. No frame marks or peening and no misfeeding.

In other cases I usually adhere to the 1,000 round spring change.