This little guy is the easiest spring to loose of all of the 1911 springs. When you clean your pistol, the extractor and it's tunnel should be cleaned. If your pistol is a Series '80 design, you have to remove the firing pin safety plunger and it's spring before the extractor can be removed and right about there is when the tiny spring is going to head for the hills. Keep a couple of these on hand to cover you when this eventually happens. The spring itself has a very long life if kept from corrosion, but it loves to play hide and seek with you when it gets a chance!