Modified or Stock

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I have a USP 40, and I found the stock, 14 lb. hammer spring to be too stiff, so I replaced it with a Wolff 10 lb. hammer spring. The result is the double-action pull is much smoother, and I can stay on target much easier. I carry decocked and safety off.

I've read about courts finding fault in SD situations where people have modified their pistol. Does anyone know of any case law here in WA that in some way addresses the stock v. modified issue?

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Why would you ever bring it up?

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Palouse wrote:

I have a USP 40, and I found the stock, 14 lb. hammer spring to be too stiff, so I replaced it with a Wolff 10 lb. hammer spring. The result is the double-action pull is much smoother, and I can stay on target much easier. I carry decocked and safety off.

I've read about courts finding fault in SD situations where people have modified their pistol. Does anyone know of any case law here in WA that in some way addresses the stock v. modified issue?

Click to expand...

I think it would apply more in a ND case more than a Defensive Combat case. If you moded your gun and had a ND it could be easier to prove Negligence of the gun owner as they are not a gun smith.

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heresolong wrote:

Why would you ever bring it up?

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I've never been in a situation where I had to shoot anyone in self-defense, so I can't answer your question specifically, but if you hang out on gun forums and read gun rags enough, the majority opinion seems to be to leave the gun stock, presumably to avoid being prosecuted for somehow making your modified pistol more likely to have a ND.

I don't plan on putting the stock spring back in, so I'm not particularly worried about it, but I've read enough of the stock-gun proponents predicting doom and gloom and jail time to those who modify their SD pistols that I was curious to know if anyone knew of any case law that's dealt with the issue.

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Triple Tap wrote:

Palouse wrote:

I have a USP 40, and I found the stock, 14 lb. hammer spring to be too stiff, so I replaced it with a Wolff 10 lb. hammer spring. The result is the double-action pull is much smoother, and I can stay on target much easier. I carry decocked and safety off.

I've read about courts finding fault in SD situations where people have modified their pistol. Does anyone know of any case law here in WA that in some way addresses the stock v. modified issue?

Click to expand...

I think it would apply more in a ND case more than a Defensive Combat case. If you moded your gun and had a ND it could be easier to prove Negligence of the gun owner as they are not a gun smith.

Click to expand...

I'm not worried about a ND with the pistol. The pull is just as long as a stock Kahr P45 I used to own, and it's a tad stiffer than the Kahr. Besides I had a ND years ago, and I don't want to have another, so I'm pretty careful.

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Google for Massad Ayoob.

He testifies in court as an expert witness and keeps track of this sort of stuff.

If memory serves it was he, in either a blog, internet journal, or a magazine article that said in so many words:

Its defensible in court. Basically, by lightening the trigger spring you are making it easier to shoot straight, lessening thepossibility of an errant shot that hits a bystander.Such concern about misses hittingbystandersshowsa responsible attitude.

If I recall it came up in a case where a prosecutor tried to push the line that a lighter trigger meant the gun could be fired faster and was thusmore deadly. This idea was shot down by simple physics--lighter spring equals gun fires more slowly.

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I have a USP 9mm which came with a Wolff 10lb hammer spring in it and the stock spring loose. I switched a couple times then decided to keep the stock spring in it. Just for the reliability aspect.

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I would love to have a short trigger job done on my Sig P226, but two things are stopping me right now, and neither of them have to do with legal aspects. Money, and the fact that I love carrying it too much to be without it for that long