How do I remove this mainspring?

[Dale Lilly]

Needle nose pliers, out in a second and in in a second. The naysayers will say " your spring will sail across the room and be lost forever", use a light touch and this will never happen.

You can buy small, nearly needle nosed, vice grips that will maintain your hold and prevent flying springs, etc. Dale

 

[SDSmlf]

The pipe cleaner I used was likely as old as me or from the 70's. Something mom had that belonged to her dad, they were made in the USA. For the sake of progress, I tried some of my daughters arts and craft pipe cleaners and they all broke without removing the spring. Curious to try SDSmlf string or twine method of removal, just need something strong enough to overcome the spring.

As long as the hammer/cock is in the full forward position, the string works. It would be very difficult to do in half or full cock with the spring already partially compressed.

 

[Yewbender]

 

[Yewbender]

Oh, almost forgot…be very careful when removing. The mainspring guide is inside the mainspring and under pressure. When removing keep it pointed in safe direction because if you don’t get a good hold and it slips the mainspring guide will shoot out like a missile…ask me how i know!!! It happened once to me as it hit the concrete wall bending the guide and chip’n the concrete.

 

[Century to late]

I remove mine with a pair of needle nose pliers gripping the shank at 90 degrees ahead of the spring stop where strut head goes goes into the tumbler after securing the lock plate in a leather pad in a vice. You only have to retract it enough to clear the strut head purchase.

Yep, my method also.

 

[laagamer]

That video popped up in the "shorts" that YT has now.
And not a week later I found I had to rework the lock on my Lyman Trade Rifle.
It does work, but I'm going to say Lyman main springs must be a lot stronger than TC ones. It was a real bear. And even harder putting it back in. The pipe cleaner broke just as soon as I had the spring back in place.
I needed to hold the lock in a vise and use two hands with the pipe cleaner coiled around some needlenose to pull down the spring.
Sure am glad I saw the video though.

You called it. Broke every pipe cleaner I tried, sadly!

Waiting for my TotW tool

 

[pacanis]

One day I'll have my TC apart and I'll compare mainsprings.
Although my TC is a flinter and the Lyman a percussion, so there could be a different weight spring used between the two anyway.

 

[laagamer]

One day I'll have my TC apart and I'll compare mainsprings.
Although my TC is a flinter and the Lyman a percussion, so there could be a different weight spring used between the two anyway.

Please, post the comparison if you ever do!

 

[necchi]

Oh, almost forgot…be very careful when removing.

All you have to do is relax the spring.
In the case of the flint lock, remove the rock and let the hammer all the way down to the pan;

 

[pacanis]

Ah... I still have the nipple in.
Maybe that was it. Just enough tension to take up any slack it might have had.

 

[Eric Krewson]

Like I said, one second out, one second in, the video shows it, it's not complicated.

 

[Rudyard]

When I was down In India we had a word for such locks ,Or I did ,It was'' Gangees'' meaning 'Carefully consign it to the River'. It was regarding a ropey double shotgun but could equate to your lock. At first they where horrified " Nyee Gangees!" there after it became a currency word for us regarding poor items .Ime being unkind its usually part burnt bodies they consigned to that Sacred river from the ghats of Cawnpore or any ghats along the river .
Regards Rudyard

 

[Banjoman]

I made this video here while back. I keep pipe cleaners in my shooting box to clean nipples and flash holes / liners. Doesn't have to be a pipe cleaner, thin wire would work. Some folks don't like this method as it doesn't always work with cheap pipe cleaners (cheap ones break)...those folks use pliers on the spring guide rod.

Welllllll doggy! Thanks!

 

[Rudyard]

Oh Good my missing post re India popped up Now Ive lost the other bit but might have gone PM to Brer Laagamer. They who are interested in India would enjoy Eric New bolds?' Slowly down the Gangees' or just watch ' The man who would be King 'a film with Sean Connerey & Michel Cain dated but both explain the tumultuousness of that sub continent .Its got Guns if mostly Martini's feature, Black powder at least.
Rudyard

 

[M. De Land]

Howdy, again! Apologies for all the questions.

Been studying up to learn how to take apart the lock on my flint. Saw a bunch of diagrams and part lists online for basic locks. I felt like I had a pretty good understanding.

But, to my surprise, when I removed my lock it turns out the mainspring on a Lyman Great Plains is a little different.

Well, upon removing it, I found the mainspring wasn't the type I saw online that looked similar to a frizzen spring, but like this:

View attachment 244956

Is it even possible to remove this using the mainspring vice I have?

Does anybody know a good guide or video for assembly and disassembly of this kind of lock?

Thank you guys again!

Needle nose pliers in a padded vice. Done it many times personally.

 

[reddogge]

Pro tip. Buy one of those large magnets to sweep your floor if you intend to work on gun parts. Very handy.

 

[Grenadier1758]

A big white sheet on the floor helps too, but it must be kept clean. I have disassembled locks inside a large box. Even then, small parts can escape through the opening.

 

[fishmusic]

View attachment 245079

I have this device and it is not easy to use. It digs into your palm and the spring ca go flying. I was using it on a GPR lock and managed to get it to work but it was not easy.

 

[Century to late]

You can buy small, nearly needle nosed, vice grips that will maintain your hold and prevent flying springs, etc. Dale

What Dale sez!! Works every time!! Might put on safety glasses just in case.