How Many of You Kept Your Factory Springs?

[Pat Riot]

While we are talking about springs something I remembered that I thought I should pass along. In 2006 I wanted a Ruger Birdshead Vaquero. Ruger had stopped making them but I found a “gunsmith” in Texas that had a brand new one that he could sell me if I had him do a trigger job on it and had “lighter springs installed”. I put “gunsmith” in quotes above because I doubt he was a gunsmith, but a guy with a gunsmith FFL that allowed him to sell guns.
Anyway, I bought the gun. The trigger pull was light as was the hammer pull. Operated beautifully with snap caps.
Wouldn’t ignite cartridges with CCI primers even 50% of the time.
I disassembled it.
He had cut one leg off the trigger spring and at least 4 coils of the hammer spring.
I called Ruger and got the springs replaced. I sold that gun one day as I never shot it much. Still kicking myself for that.

Anyway, the reason I mentioned this is if you have someone do a spring job for you, get the details on what they are doing and insist on quality spring replacements, not cutting up existing springs. Springs are fairly inexpensive to replace. Buy quality ones.

 

[cfullgraf]

I'm pretty much happy with the way my revolvers come from the factory.

My S&W 642 started to have light primer strikes and a replacement mainspring cured the problem.

The old spring went in the trash.

 

[Rodfac]

I've owned and shot handguns for over 50 years now and never felt the need to change out factory springs....the exception being 1911 & Browning Hi Power recoil springs. I will say that I've done the vaunted "poor man's trigger job" on several Ruger New Model BH's (lifting one leg of the trigger return spring off its peg). For the first couple hundred rounds, this cuts the trigger pull weight considerably, and stays this way till the piece is broken in. All are then returned to "as issued" by Ruger.

Gun-guys as a rule, love to tinker...for me, it's with the factory stocks. These I often replace with some of my own making and some with after market offerings. Without a search of the safe, I can think of only two that still have their original grips...a Smith Model of 1955, N frame Target in .45 ACP; and a Model 24 in .44 Special. Here's a pic of the pair for those of you that like 'em. Best Regards, Rod

 

[.38 Special]

When I was very young, every new S.A. Ruger that came home with me got the "poor man's action job" of just lifting one leg of the trigger return spring off of its peg. As I got older, more picky, and a bit better funded, most of those guns were shipped off for action jobs, which included spring replacement. I went through a period where I still would try the trigger spring trick and then see if that was good enough. At this point I only have one Ruger that passed the test. All of the others have had professional action work, and as I have often written here, I just budget for the cost of such things whenever I consider buying another gun.

The only "horror story" I have on the topic is not very horrifying. I have a Taurus 85CH which came with an unbelievably bad trigger. I put in a Wolff kit and now it doesn't work at all - and I have no idea where the original springs went. Some day I will try to find some factory (or factory replacement) springs for it, but then it would still have an incredibly bad trigger. So I'm not especially motivated.

 

[Confederate]

Well, Ruger got their asses sued off by morons who didn't have enough sense to operate an Old Model Blackhawk without shooting themselves. Hence the warning label, be mad at them for it, not Ruger.

Yeah, and courts are oftentimes only too happy to award idiots. That warnings telling people to read the manuals had to be put on guns speaks volumes. And attorneys who are offended by lawyer jokes need to take notice.

​

I also do not think that Ruger invented the "magna" style grip panel.

True. Had a S&W 13 with them and it was a beauty. Why I let it go is beyond me. Just another reason people should heed the adage: Don't sell your guns! I miss my lost guns and don't even remember what I did with the money I got by selling them!

 

[JohnKSa]

Well, Ruger got their asses sued off by morons who didn't have enough sense to operate an Old Model Blackhawk without shooting themselves. Hence the warning label, be mad at them for it, not Ruger.

The entire truth is almost too bizarre to believe.

A teen stole an Old Model Ruger Blackhawk. He and a friend (13 and 14yoa) stole several guns and other property from at least two different houses. They loaded the gun (including a live round under the hammer) and were carrying it around in a paper bag. The bag ended up getting dropped and the gun discharged, hitting the teen in the leg--which had to be amputated. He sued Ruger and initially won over $400,000, in large part because the judge would not allow the fact that the gun had been stolen to be admitted in evidence.

https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/964/376/341451/

Ruger appealed and won the appeal, but it seems to have left quite an impression.

 

[.308 Norma]

All my guns have factory springs.

As best as I can remember, the only gun I have that doesn't have factory springs in it is my "Barbie Doll" Ruger 10-22.

 

[Hokkmike]

Changed out the spring on my Ruger a Wolf - my Taylor was smithed before I bought it with original springs replaced. Heavy trigger pulls are problematic for me.

 

[TRX]

Make sure you get the box and anything that comes with it from the gun store. Put the springs, original grips, and anything else you replace in the box and put it somewhere where it won't get damaged.

If you ever sell or trade it, there are people who are willing to ante up a fair amount of extra money for "all the stuff" even if it's not a collectable. Put the money toward your next gun...

 

[45 Dragoon]

Factory springs are for "worse case scenario". They have to work with all primers available AND cover any manufacturing tolerance "build-ups". I'm sure most of you know or can understand what I'm saying here. That being said, if you remove all the obstacles hindering the movement of the hammer so that it CAN "take care of business", that's when you can " improve the function AND functioning of the action . . . and THAT is what makes the difference in a TUNED revolver versus a user "spring change". With the later, it only magnifies the " factory " problems which is why a spring change works for some and not for others . . . it depends on your particular revolver.

Mike

 

[RugRev]

I change out the springs and slick up the actions of all my revolvers. So far I do not have FTFs on a variety of primers EXCEPT for a Dan Wesson 15 I had. Due to the short hammer arc on that one it was hard to get reliable ignition with reduced power springs.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Only factory springs I have ever changed in a handgun are in my Stainless Security Six-bought used. Bullseye springs gave me a light and smooth and reliable trigger pull. And the black Pachmayr grips look good on stainless steel.

 

[.455_Hunter]

I actually would like to run heavier than factory springs in a couple of my Vaqueros for decreased lock-time.

 

[45 Dragoon]

I actually would like to run heavier than factory springs in a couple of my Vaqueros for decreased lock-time.

You should be able to stack some washers (limited only by Max compression) to add as much power your main spring can produce. Of course it will tax the spring more than normal but you can at least get an idea of what more tension than factory will be like.

Mike

 

[lee n. field]

I wondered how many of you just left the factory springs in or (GASP!!), how many of you clipped a few coils or shaved some off of your flat spring.

I've never felt the need to change them.

How many different revolvers, over the years, let's see....8. So far.

 

[jfurlong]

Original springs in both my SP101 and GP100, but I stoned and polished the internals in both. GP trigger is as smooth as any pistol I have ever fired. SP is smooth, but still provides a lot of excercise.

 

[AMraider]

Sp101 and Single Seven. Both in 327 Fed Mag. Original springs. I did change the grips on the Sp101 since I use it for CCW at times. I am not that great of a shot but it's not the triggers fault.

 

[CajunBass]

I changed the springs on a Security-Six many years ago. I don't recall noticing much if any difference, but it was a long time ago. I probably saved the originals, but put them in a very safe place where I couldn't find them if my life depended on it. Of course I've moved a half-dozen times since then.

I've never bothered with any others.

 

[VMC]

I only changed my trigger springs in my Ruger Single Six and Single Ten. Groups improved a lot using Wolff Springs there. I never change main springs for fear of light strikes on rimfires. Still have the originals as I never get rid gun parts either.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

For example, we read three classics in English literature: War And Peace, The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire and the Instruction Book Warning on the side of our Ruger Security-Sixes!

It always made me laugh in school - and I even spoke up in High School and said something about it - that "War and Peace" was taught in English literature classes. Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, referred to in English as "Leo Tolstoy," was a Russian writer, and "War and Peace" was written in Russian and translated to English later. One of those things that kind of makes you go, "Huh?"

And, finally, do you have any horror stories? Clipped too many coils? Bought a gun with a light action only to have light primer strikes? And are there any downsides to using lighter springs?

Yup. A few. CZ-70 - clipped one too many loops off the coil to try and get a decent double-action pull. Had to shim the spring seat to get it to fire reliably in double-action. Worst is a Rossi small frame (I-Frame size) .32 Long that I not only clipped a little short but when stoning the action I took too much off the single-action sear notch and it almost pushes off when cocked by hand. Works fine as a double-action and it's now smooth as glass but, in single it's almost dangerous. I may have to bob the hammer and remove the single-action sear notch completely.

 

[Jonesy814]

Dry fire a couple thousand times to get the metal parts to mate, then Wolff springs. As long as it ignites cci or wolf primers, I’m happy.

Found the 11# spring to be the sweet spot.

Yep, I have the 11# in mine too. I kept the stock return spring though. The reduced power trigger return spring was way to mushy

 

[KevininPa]

Both of our 2 3/4 Sixes( Security and Speed) already had the triggers done and springs changed out when I bought them. They have really sweet triggers that reliably fire anything in them. The 4 inch Service Six that I have is a used Police gun. Doubt if it has anything done to it. It isn't bad. As a woods gun, I'll probably keep it as is. 9mm LCRX was sweet out of the box. That also stays factory.
'80s ROA and '57 or '59 Single Six are good as well. Really have to look up that Single Six date, did once and I know it's one of those years.

 

[Master Blaster]

Often the old S&W revolvers I buy have springs improved by a previous owner. I usually replace them with Wolf springs. On new Smiths often I keep the factory springs or replace just the main spring.