I've heard about broken springs too, but I've used this one for skeet and clays for close to 20 years with no otherfailures except for a crack in the forend. And I bought it used from another skeeter. I could not count how many thousands of rounds it has shot. I don't know about the newer Tikkas, but IMHO the old Valmets are tough guns --- the poor man's Krieghof, some say.