revolver hand spring repair

[Moptop]

I'd like to ask you all for some help in finding info on repairing a broken hand spring by replacing it with a round one make from spring wire. I know I read a post about it somewhere but I cannot find it. My buddy just bought a very ornatley engraved '51 navy and the hand spring is broken. I thought I would try to reuse the old hand and just make a new spring rather than just replacing it saving myself the trouble of having to shape and fit it to the revolver.

Thanks much!

 

[BHP FAN]

you can reuse that hand wiothout having the hassle of switching to coil springs. you can make a new hand spring out of a broken trigger/cylinder stop spring [my prefered method] you can buy the spring alone from Dixie Gunworks, or you can buy the hand and spring from VTI gunparts. be sure to get the same brand as your revolver. While the ASM, Uberti, and Colt parts are similar, Piettas are slightly larger, and will not interchange easily with other brands. You can also, in a pinch, make a spring from a bobby pin. The hard part is driving the stub of the old one out of the slot in the hand. I like to reuse the original hand to preserve the stock timing. When I can't, I still save the old one as a ''template'' to file the new one down to.

 

[Jim K]

I have repaired a whole bunch of percussion revolver hands by replacing the spring with flat or wire springs. To be honest, it is enough of a PITA that I usually just replace the whole hand. The minor fitting involved is not nearly as hard as replacing the spring.

Jim

 

[J-Bar]

Replacing flat hand spring with wire

I learned this from a gunsmith in Kansas City. When I get a new revolver I don't wait for the flat hand spring to break, I do this modification immediately.

The process is simple.

Break off the old flat spring, and dig the piece of flat spring out of the slot.

Flatten or even cup the slotted area a bit with a file or Dremel, to make it easier to drill a hole completely through the hand. I use a regular drill press with a 1/8" Center Drill (a large shanked bit with a very short tip) to prevent the drill from walking on the hand. They are only a couple of bucks and worth the trouble. I got mine from Grizzly.com. I only use the very small pilot tip of the center drill to start the hole in that hardened steel hand. Then I switch to a regular carbide 1/16" bit to complete the hole all the way through the hand.

File a groove around the bottom of the hand to accept the bottom end of the wire.

Fashion an "S" shaped piece of spring wire as shown in the photos. You will have to play with the amount of arc depending on the size of the wire you choose. I bought a selection of straight spring wires from Wollf Springs, and find that diameters about 0.024 to 0.028 work pretty well. If you use big wire or put a large arc in the wire, the excess friction of the hand sliding in the frame can actually slow the hammer fall and cause failure to fire. The straight spring wire can fatigue and break if you work it too much back and forth. I use my wife's beading pliers or surgical hemostats when shaping the "S". You want just enough arc in the wire to make the tip of the hand protrude when the hammer is cocked.

I test my spring by pointing the gun vertically and cycling it. If the hand protrudes enough to rotate the cylinder when aimed upwards then the spring is doing its job. I like a fairly light spring pressure and this may change the "4 clicks" you expect to hear when cycling the action. You may not hear the hand clicking over the ratchet when the hand spring pressure is light.

The gunsmith soldered the wire in place. I have secured them with JB Weld, but I have found that if you shape the "S" correctly, the wire will stay in place just from the pressure of the spring in the frame alone. I can do one start to finish in about 10 minutes now.

I don't know how long this mod will last. The first ones haven't broken yet after about 6 years competition use.

 

[Moptop]

J-Bar. thanks very much for the info and the pictures. That is exactly what I was wanting.

 

[J-Bar]

Cool! Let me know if you hit a snag.

I edited my post to provide more detail on drilling the hole. I switch to a 1/16" bit after getting the hole started with the center drill. The full 1/8" bit would be too large of course; sorry for any confusion.

 

[rupe01]

PS Dont forget guitar strings are very cheap and strong too, if they will work. I intend to try them out when i change them next. Has anyone else already tried them?

 

[Moptop]

guitar strings

Yes, guitar strings will work. I'm a guitarsit myself so I'll have no shortage of used strings to choose from. I'll bet the core from a bass string would work the best since it is of a larger diameter.

I read someplace where that's all this guy uses are g-strings. (from a guitar guys, not the other kind!)

 

[BowerR64]

I would think the G string would be way to thin. Unless its the bass G?

I dont see how you guys are drilling those holes, my hand is way to thin for any bit i have.

 

[Dframe]

I was wondering about that too. My hand seems to be far too thin for this modification.

 

[J-Bar]

The pilot tip on a 1/8" center drill is about 1/16" and very short, so it will not walk on the surface of the hand. I get the hole started with the pilot tip of the center drill, then complete the hole with a 1/16" bit, as I described in my first post.

It works.

picture of the center drill:

http://www.grizzly.com/products/1-8-Ground-Center-Drill/H4459

 

[rcflint]

My solution is a Ruger coil and plunger. Pictures here of an Uberti 71 Opentiop.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Got bobby-pins?

 

[Dframe]

Looks like a very inovative solution rcflint. I don't think it would work for the Rogers though due to different means of attaching the grip frame.
Hope I don't have to take a hit on my "Man Card" but I wussed out and bought a hand/spring assembly and fitted it to my gun. I deceided the old hand had been beaten up badly enough by previous owners attempts at repair, so I just replaced it.
J-bar I'd love to see a bit more on your creative solution. I'm a (sort of) guitarist too and have used strings available. I may try to drill the old hand for a music wire spring and if successful will keep it in reserve. I'm not sure I'm talented enough to drill that tiny a hole in a part SO small but I'd like to try it. You guys are GREAT at inovatative ways of repair. Guess it's true "there's more than one way to skin a cat"

 

[Dframe]

After repair. Took the revolver out to range today for a function test. hit eighteen of eighteen steel plates from about 12 yards. 24 grains of black and a 457 round ball. Gonna shoot from a little farther away next time. Couldn't ask for a nicer gun. Only stopped shooting because I ran out of #11 caps. The #10s I had were just too small to fit on the nipples.

 

[ZVP]

Uberti Hand spring

My favorite revolver broke it's hand spring and I have had a tough time finding a suitable sized part to fit it;
The revolver is a Uberti London .36 caliber Navy.
The 3 hands I ordered are way too large and need a lot of machieneing to even fit the frame!
Is there any place to just buy a Uberti hand with a spring on it to fix this fine revolver???
There is something special about this revolver! The action is the BEST I have ever felt on a revolver ever! It cocks so easy and smooth that it dosen;t even feel like a BP hammer stroke. I guess it's the geometry that makes it cock so well and it busts Caps every time without fail!
This one has been down for far too long nd I really want to get it fixed! It's also the most acurate of the 5 BP revolvers that I own, easilly shooting cloverleafs @ 21 ft! It shoots the heart out of an ace at that range offhand. You can see why it's so important to fix!
Any ideas?
BPDave

 

[J-Bar]

My favorite revolver broke it's hand spring and I have had a tough time finding a suitable sized part to fit it;
The revolver is a Uberti London .36 caliber Navy.
The 3 hands I ordered are way too large and need a lot of machieneing to even fit the frame!
Is there any place to just buy a Uberti hand with a spring on it to fix this fine revolver???
There is something special about this revolver! The action is the BEST I have ever felt on a revolver ever! It cocks so easy and smooth that it dosen;t even feel like a BP hammer stroke. I guess it's the geometry that makes it cock so well and it busts Caps every time without fail!
This one has been down for far too long nd I really want to get it fixed! It's also the most acurate of the 5 BP revolvers that I own, easilly shooting cloverleafs @ 21 ft! It shoots the heart out of an ace at that range offhand. You can see why it's so important to fix!
Any ideas?
BPDave

The replacements I used to get from VTI Gun Parts were virtually drop-ins with very little fitting necessary. I have not had to order hands or springs from them in a long time, don't know if the situation has changed.

http://www.vtigunparts.com/store/shopdisplayproducts.asp?Search=Yes&sppp=100