Winchester 190 Bolt Spring

[MI2600]

I picked up a Win 190 and printed the owner's manual online. The manual has disassembly instructions...very simple. It does not have complete reassembly instructions!

The problem is reinserting the bolt spring. Maybe I'm not doing something correctly, but after trying several times and exhausting all my four-letter words, I can't get the spring compressed enough to fit behind the bolt.

Maybe there is a secret to this. Anyone have one of these (or the Model 290) and have ideas or suggestions?

 

[Ifishsum]

The Winchester 190 is easily the most difficult .22LR recoil spring I've ever had the displeasure of dealing with. No special trick that I remember but I did get better at it after a few times; unfortunately I don't remember quite how. Seems like I had to stack the spring into the bolt as far as possible (under pressure of course) and keep it in place with a small screwdriver, far enough to start the spring guide and then pivot it into the receiver. I remember at first that every time I'd get really close, that almost impossibly long spring would sproing out at the last second

The 190 I worked on belongs to a friend of mine a few hours away so I can't take a quick look to refresh - but if you can maybe a photo of the bolt/spring/guide and receiver would spark the memory bank. It was a few years ago but I do remember fighting with that thing over and over and over the first couple times I tried.

 

[The Bushmaster]

I have the Mod 290 special. Ifishsum and I probably have the same advice...Just keep swearing and working that spring...It is a bitch...

 

[Bartojc]

The first time I did mine I searched and found a really good you tube video that helped a lot. Not sure if it's still around. It was basically using a small screwdriver or two to work it back one coil at a time until you have it compressed enough. You may still swear a couple times (I Did) but eventually it all works out. Unless of course you slip and you then hear the spring bouncing off the wall

-Jeff

 

[4v50 Gary]

try this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1EeX12yKDM

 

[MI2600]

Aargh!! He did that in less than two and a half minutes!!!

All 190/290 owners thank you.

 

[MI2600]

I finally got it in and the rifle actually functions. Two and a half minutes on YouTube in reality took about three hours...mostly spent chasing the spring and the yellow thingy all over the basement.

 

[The Bushmaster]

Ain't that fun...

 

[LoonWulf]

"How do we make people stop touching stuff?"
"I dunno, make it hard to take apart?"
"Naw they'd do it anyway"
"Fine make it hard to put back together"

 

[MI2600]

Although the exterior is in very good condition, the insides hadn't been touched since the factory.

The manual had "tips" on reassembling the trigger group, nothing else. One would therefore assume....