I am aware that most regular users of larger caliber semiautomatic pistols routinely replace magazine springs to maintain trouble free feed from magazines. What about maintaining traditional lever rifles' reliable feeding?

I suspect those who participate regularly and often in Cowboy Action competitions, and those who routinely leave their traditional lever rifles with under barrel tube magazines loaded - as their home defense guns, for example - might replace feed spring as well. How often would these people recommend replacing magazine tube's feed spring?

actually in the lever gun, the best thing you can do is take the spring out and clean the tube every year. Stuff can get in there.
For CAS, some people cut the spring to shorter length for more ammo capacity. You need 10 rounds in the tube for a stage most times.
The best thing you can do for new Marlins (Remlins) is replace the orange plastic follower with an aftermarket stainless steel unit.

You will find correct overall cartridge length and bullet shape are the 2 most critical factors in proper feeding.

I have found the Win. mod. 94 and the Marlin 36 series to function 110% out of the box and for at least their first 100 or so years...The most reliable feeders in gundome! No need for tweeking.

What Ray said + for the 1892.
My 1892 was made over 100 years ago and the magazine spring never comes to mind. If I feed it the right ammo, it feeds every time .
No, I did not buy it new!

My 1892 38/40 rifle is serial number 178, first year of production, My 94 is 2124, also first year of production..My 25-35 is probably eary 1900s or earlier...They all have the original magazine spring in them, They were my granddads Ranger guns and were always loaded and the 38-40 stays loaded in my house, has for many years, never a glitch..Thats been my experience.

Most Lever gun tube magazine springs aren't stressed as much as a pistol magazine spring so they last much longer. The biggest difference though is that a pistol cycles much faster than any shooter can cycle a lever gun, so there is much more time for the spring to push the cartridge into position. This allows a spring that has weakened significantly to still work. If you have a semi-auto 22 rimfire rifle with a tube magazine though you may find that you do need to replace the magazine spring every couple of decades to keep the rifle feeding correctly.

I had to remove the spring and follower from my Win 94 to get a round that would not feed, and noticed some red Loctite stuff on the stop screw. Assuming more Loctite is necessary, what is the best one for this purpose?

quote:

Originally posted by CMcDermott:
Most Lever gun tube magazine springs aren't stressed as much as a pistol magazine spring so they last much longer. The biggest difference though is that a pistol cycles much faster than any shooter can cycle a lever gun, so there is much more time for the spring to push the cartridge into position. This allows a spring that has weakened significantly to still work. If you have a semi-auto 22 rimfire rifle with a tube magazine though you may find that you do need to replace the magazine spring every couple of decades to keep the rifle feeding correctly.

Tell me if you can shoot a pistol this fast. Deuce cycles a lever pretty fast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8mpU8JXFWw

He worked that lever a lot faster than I ever will, but compared to a pistol he is about double the time. (10 shots / 1.57 seconds) * 60 seconds/minute = 382 rounds per minute. A pistol will cycle in the same time no matter if semi-auto or full auto, and full auto speed for a converted pistol like G33 Glock typically is around 750 rounds per minute, or twice as many shots per minute. So the cycle time is only half of what he is cycling that lever, which means the magazine spring has to really make each round move very quickly for proper feeding.

Next shoot I see him at, I'll tell him he has to double his speed to catch up with a full auto. That will give everyone a laugh.

There again, I packed a 1911 colt commander, a 1911 38 Super, and a Browning Hipower 9mm for 43 years on a daily bases and have shot them thousands or rounds and have never changed the spings in my magazines, They have all been throated and the 1911s had a trigger job..They don't jam or misfire...If it ain't broke don't fix it is a good practice in gunsmithing. Basically I was pretty good about keeping them clean..

I suppose I couldl say the same for my Win. mod. 63 22 L.R. if I keep it clean, if I don't being a 22 shooting greasy bullets it will jam on very rare occasions,but that's my fault. It still has the original spring in the tube. Same for my bolt action bolts..