Trigger bolt spring broke, so...

[noelf2]

I was planning to shoot my '51 navy and found it with the tell-tale signs of a broken bolt spring. Looked through my parts drawer and I'm all out of trigger bolt springs. I think it was Hawg that said, in a pinch, you can make one out of a safety pin, so I gave it a try. After few cuts, bends, and filing, I had a perfectly serviceable trigger bolt spring. Trigger was a bit light so I put a bit more tension on that leg. Good to go!

 

[Blackpowderwarrior]

Good old American ingenuity!!

 

[hawg]

You can make a hand spring out of a bobby pin too.

 

[noelf2]

You can make a hand spring out of a bobby pin too.

Haven't had one of those break yet, but it's good to know. Way easier than fitting a new hand.

 

[hawg]

Haven't had one of those break yet, but it's good to know. Way easier than fitting a new hand.

I keep hearing about people that keep breaking hand springs. I've only ever broke one and that was on a brand new Pietta Griswold & Gunnison. The gun worked fine until it's first teardown. When I put it back together it no longer worked. When I tore it down I found the broke spring. Upon investigation it had a ledge in the hand channel. I was going to use a bobby pin replacement but I broke the hand getting the broke piece out. I know of people that have had a bobby pin spring for years.

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

I just set them up like a Ruger and get rid of the flat springs altogether. I also do music wire torsion springs as well for the trigger and bolt. Once that's done you have something that will last a looong time with no problems.

 

[hawg]

I just set them up like a Ruger and get rid of the flat springs altogether. I also do music wire torsion springs as well for the trigger and bolt. Once that's done you have something that will last a looong time with no problems.

You and Mike.

 

[noelf2]

I just set them up like a Ruger and get rid of the flat springs altogether. I also do music wire torsion springs as well for the trigger and bolt. Once that's done you have something that will last a looong time with no problems.

Maybe that would be worth the effort if I relied on the gun for competition, defense, and such. I don't. I've had the main spring on my flintlock fowler snap on me (Chamber's lock) and had to replace it. I'm sure a modern spring mechanism could replace it, but I'd rather not do that either. I've got a few more pietta and uberti TB springs ordered, and I'll be putting one in this 1851 Navy as soon as I get them.

 

[woodnbow]

Maybe that would be worth the effort if you relied on the gun for competition, defense, and such. I don't. I've had the main spring on my flintlock fowler snap on me (Chamber's lock) and had to replace it. I'm sure a modern spring mechanism could replace it, but I'd rather not do that either. I've got a few more pietta and uberti TB springs ordered, and I'll be putting one in this 1851 Navy as soon as I get them.

I don’t know. Those big flat mainsprings have been doing the job just fine for many years now and broken springs aren’t really a common occurrence. I understand the impulse to fix the unbroken but mainsprings?

 

[hawg]

I've been doing this since 1969 and can only remember breaking one spring during that time. I think I'm good to go.

 

[Mizar]

Those flat springs are stamped from sheet steel - deburr them and then polish (drawing strokes, not cross) with 360-400 grit sand paper to remove machining marks and to round the edges a little bit. Nothing too extreme is needed, nor a mirror polish - just a half an hour job in the company of your favorite ale... This will increase the life span of said springs tremendously.

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

Had one spring break on an 1858 many moons ago. Made another one from a car leaf spring, took several tries to get the temper right. Sold the pistol several years later, as far as I know it's still working.

 

[woodnbow]

Had one spring break on an 1858 many moons ago. Made another one from a car leaf spring, took several tries to get the temper right. Sold the pistol several years later, as far as I know it's still working.

You used a car leaf spring to make a hand spring??? Am I missing something or did you mean you forged a new 1858 from the car leaf spring? You’re a talented guy but holy crap!

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

You missed something or maybe I did. The mainspring broke and that's what I made from the leaf spring.

 

[hawg]

That must have had one helluva hammer pull.

 

[Mizar]

Maybe it was a small car, with small springs - like Yugo...

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

Nope, thinned it and filed it and tapered it all by hand. Took a couple of tries but once it was done I was pretty happy with the results.

 

[hawg]

You couldn't find another spring that was easier to work?

 

[woodnbow]

I’m picturing Dave attacking a 56 Plymouth leaf spring with a hacksaw, hammer and a set of files and whittling it down to a Remington mainspring… Sir, you are a tenacious bugger!

 

[misskitty2]

where do u get the parts to make the hand from

 

[misskitty2]

sorry not the hand but the hand like in the roa next to the hammer

 

[hawg]

where do u get the parts to make the hand from

You don't make a hand. You can make the spring but if you break a hand you have to buy a new one and it will have the spring attached. Hands are not drop in parts. You will have to file it to fit.

 

[hawg]

This part is the hand.

 

[Eyrie G. Dogg]

VTI Gun Parts, among others.

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

Wellll, you can make a hand if you have the patience and desire. I had to make a firing pin for a Remington model 121 if I remember the model, 22 pump gun, as a project at the trade school I attended 100 years ago. Point being it was way more complex of a part than a revolver hand. However it's much simpler to just order one.