[Pbchcdpro]

I've owned a 238 for 2 years and shoot often. This gun is awesome and will probably always be my carry gun. 3 days ago I bought my 938 (after using a friend's to see if I liked it). Brought it home, clened her up and attempted to reassemble. Mind you, it has the same reassembly as my 238. Got to the recoil spring... are you freaking kidding me! It is impossible to get the spring back in!! Tried for an hour. A friend tried. To it back to my very reputable gun shop. Took the guy 15 minutes to muscle it back in. What??? Anyone have this problem? Any ideas for an easier way? I do have arthritis in my hands and have smaller hands... but seriously. No help from YouTube either. Looks like I won't be cleaning my new 938 very much.

 

[ajmarkowski]

With mine I line up the rod into the spring. Then place the spring into to slide hole. As I push the spring forward I use my left hand fingers to push the spring down as I push the rod forward I inch the rod forward using my fingers to resist the spring from bouncing up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[vulcan]

I've owned a 238 for 2 years and shoot often. This gun is awesome and will probably always be my carry gun. 3 days ago I bought my 938 (after using a friend's to see if I liked it). Brought it home, clened her up and attempted to reassemble. Mind you, it has the same reassembly as my 238. Got to the recoil spring... are you freaking kidding me! It is impossible to get the spring back in!! Tried for an hour. A friend tried. To it back to my very reputable gun shop. Took the guy 15 minutes to muscle it back in. What??? Anyone have this problem? Any ideas for an easier way? I do have arthritis in my hands and have smaller hands... but seriously. No help from YouTube either. Looks like I won't be cleaning my new 938 very much.

A lot of folks have had this difficulty in reinstalling the recoil spring.
If you look at a post on 5-3-2017 titled "Noob-Just picked up a new P938 Equinox" and scroll down a little ways there is a You Tube video showing an easy way to reinstall the spring.
It shows a dowel being used, inserted into the slide to guide the spring while pushing on the rod.
It should help you.

 

[red ryder]

In the video, the assembler says he painted the guide rod end of the recoil spring. I looked at both ends of my recoil spring and they look the same. I called SIG Sauer customer service and asked if the recoil spring ends were the same or different. I was told the newer P938's recoil springs had the same configuration on both ends. There is no need to paint one end of the newer recoil spring.

 

[Sigandcz]

I too have arthritis in my hands. I use a piece of dowel rod. Makes installing the spring much easier.

 

[ThnkFrst]

You Aren't Alone

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new P938.

That's a fairly common complaint with the P938; a much longer, stronger recoil spring than the P238 has. I haven't had to use the dowel myself but that method seems to work well for folks. Hopefully you can get a technique worked out that will allow you to keep your pistol properly cleaned and lubed.

The good news is that the install get's easier as the spring wears in. The bad news is that about the time it gets easy, it time to change the spring out (~1500 rounds).

The P938 recoil spring is the same on both ends and can go on the guide rod either way.

 

[Cobrajunkie]

Watch this...

 

[garyji]

Use the dowel trick. A cleaning rod works well, but be careful of scratching the finish.

G.

 

[Flibuoy]

I have found that my most valuable (well... useful) gun cleaning, detailed disassembly and assembly tools are the two common sizes of wooden skewers from a kitchen drawer.

Unlike your pistol they come without instructions so as a liability disclaimer I must add a caution about the pointy being pointy.

 

[Wagon]

I use the dowel trick but use one of those rods came with the Otis kit.