Weak main spring

[tallpine]

I once saw an old original rifle with a thick piece of leather wedged in the main spring, probably not a permanent repair but it looked like it had been in there for a very long time. Might be a good way to confirm that in fact that the main spring is weak

 

[wb78963]

Rpatmuck,
Here is my experience with the hammer blowing back. it is on a Sharps carbine, but the blow back is the same.
Every shot I am struck in the face with CRAP (Carbonized Randomly Accelerated Particles) including bits of cap.
I have isolated my problem to a cone with too large an orifice to regulate the breech pressure. With good luck that may be your problem. Cones are not too expensive so I would say try that first. If the cap is exploding that is all it takes for ignition. That is less expense than a lock rebuild that may not be needed.
By the way spring making is an art that is learned by making and breaking a lot of springs.A whole lot of springs.
Happy New Year
Bunk

 

[Zonie]

To avoid some confusion, when the word "cone" is used like it was in the above post, it is talking about the part we now call a "nipple".

 

[wb78963]

When you get the lock fixed with a replacement, do a little research and try to repair the spring. I bet you will be surprised what a common propane torch and a little oil can do.

throw in a Dremel tool and really fudge thing up if you know what i mean
Bnk

 

[wb78963]

To avoid some confusion, when the word "cone" is used like it was in the above post, it is talking about the part we now call a "nipple".

yes because tweeking the nipples on a pair of 44's sounds naughty

 

[GREENSWLDE]

When you've re hardened your main spring, Before you temper, Degrease it in Meths. ,Alcohol, Trichlorethalene or other suitable solvent then rub it with dry lime to make sure it's clean.. If you don't the colour you see will be Faulse and not show the correct temper colour. OLD DOG..

 

[Britsmoothy]

When you've re hardened your main spring, Before you temper, Degrease it in Meths. ,Alcohol, Trichlorethalene or other suitable solvent then rub it with dry lime to make sure it's clean.. If you don't the colour you see will be Faulse and not show the correct temper colour. OLD DOG..

That's why I said polish it bright before tempering.

 

[sawyer04]

throw in a Dremel tool and really fudge thing up if you know what i mean
Bnk

please clarify.

 

[wb78963]

Hello sawyer04,
Spring making is an art learned by making and breaking a lot of steel.
Being a gunsmith is a skill learned by making mistakes and learning from those mistakes.
Check Mark Novak doing a rebuild of a lock spring. He is a master.
Unless a person has a LOT of experience they will F**K things up royally. That is about as family friendly as I can get it.
Load 'em heavy boys
I ain't kidding
They air a'comin'
Bunk

 

[sawyer04]

That's the point, make sure the weapon is fixed and play with the old parts. That is actually how I started gunsmithing over 50 years ago. Sure, things will get screwed up, but how else does one learn? At least in this day and time several forms of information is available to research. When I started I had old time coal fired blacksmith shop with a retired blacksmith / gunsmith as a mentor. I have put the spring in a lot of old springs with a propane torch and oil, ashes or sand. It can be done relatively cheap and inexpensive.

 

[wb78963]

That's the point, make sure the weapon is fixed and play with the old parts. That is actually how I started gunsmithing over 50 years ago. Sure, things will get screwed up, but how else does one learn? At least in this day and time several forms of information is available to research. When I started I had old time coal fired blacksmith shop with a retired blacksmith / gunsmith as a mentor. I have put the spring in a lot of old springs with a propane torch and oil, ashes or sand. It can be done relatively cheap and inexpensive.

Like my flight instructor said
"Experience is the thing you get right after you needed it"
Works for flying, works for LIFE.
Bunk

 

[Britsmoothy]

I made two v springs from diesel engine springs. The coils unwound, ground flat and shaped into v springs. Once quenched and polished and then backed to plum colour they worked fine.
When my frizzen spring broke I made a replacement and employed the same procedure as above. That was several years ago. It's still good and better than the factory spring.
If everyone and everything was approached so cautiously nothing would get done!
This gent has a complete spring. It wants heating up, spreading just a little. Heating again and quenching. Polishing bright and a bake. Rebuild and admire the grin on his face.

 

[Pete G]

Like my flight instructor said
"Experience is the thing you get right after you needed it"
Works for flying, works for LIFE.
Bunk

If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you

 

[ZUG]

If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you

Now that's funny ----
In reply to OP - I would buy a replacement spring then I would "experiment" on the original weak spring to get knowledge on how to harden and temper that spring for future spring issues

 

[GREENSWLDE]

IF you have a Lead pot for casting bullets an easy way to get a good temper is to put the spring on the moulten lead for 1/2 an hour.. Make sure you polish the spring well or you will have a lead plated spring.. No need to watch for colour. Been around spring making all the last 75 odd years. OLD DOG..

 

[BadDaditood]

IF you have a Lead pot for casting bullets an easy way to get a good temper is to put the spring on the moulten lead for 1/2 an hour.. Make sure you polish the spring well or you will have a lead plated spring.. No need to watch for colour. Been around spring making all the last 75 odd years. OLD DOG..

Lead pot good temp for springs.
My first spring took me 10 hours to make, then it broke. My second spring only took 6 hrs to break. I’m getting faster at it!