Make sure your recoil spring is correctly matched to the ammunition you are shooting. When you have the proper weight recoil spring for a particular load, ejected brass should land 8-12 feet away. If brass is falling within a few feet of you, your spring is too heavy for that load. If brass lands more than about 12 feet away, your spring is too light for that load. Either case leads to reduced reliability.
We recommend replacing the recoil spring every 3,000 rounds. Ed Brown 5-inch 45 ACP Government models are equipped with an #16.5 recoil spring as standard (part number 9165-G), while the #18 recoil spring (part number 918-G) is generally preferred for heavier loads. Ed Brown 4.25-inch 45 ACP Commander models are equipped with a #20 recoil spring (part number 920-C).
