Wire bolt/trigger spring

[Ballshooter]

Reason number 686 why folks shouldn't carry these novelties as concealed carry or open carry firearms for self defense purposes.

Why not I have been carrying my .36 1851 so far 1,300 rounds without a problem. I am also running full power loads and all original parts.

 

[1stnamebassist]

Drilling a small hole at the bottom of the left and right sides of the Colt trigger spring where they meet also helps take tension off the leaves.

You wouldn’t happen to have a photo that shows where you drill these holes and what size hole you drill. I’m not quite following what your written description says.

 

[M. De Land]

ONLY HITS COUNT? Well maybe not everybody can shoot as good as you....might need a few more bullets. I already told you carry whatever you want and so should everyone else. Just throwing in my 2 cents. MPO I practice quick draw and rapid fire with unmentionables and I know I'd rather have 15 shots at hand than five. Fact is sales and production all point to that is what most people want. Not going to carry this on any further.

Well in the end the best gun for you in a fight is the one in your hand when the s*$t hits the fan ! They all beat a sharp stick by a mile !

 

[Acorn Mush]

Well in the end the best gun for you in a fight is the one in your hand when the s*$t hits the fan ! They all beat a sharp stick by a mile !

Brief and to the point. I like it!

 

[Crow Choker]

You wouldn’t happen to have a photo that shows where you drill these holes and what size hole you drill. I’m not quite following what your written description says.

I should have been a little more specific on that post when I advised drilling a hole. On most of the trigger/bolt springs the gap between the trigger and bolt leaves/springs, what ever is the proper term is for the most part a proper gap. Down where they meet at the gap, if the metal is rounded, I've never had a problem with any cracks or breakage, but if it is sqaure, that's a crack/breaage wailtilng to happen. I have seen trigger/bolt springs that had the squared corners. Most I see on current revolvers using this style have the rounded corners.

What I was referring to if the corners are squared, a small drill can be used to drill right at the junction of the two springs so as to take the squared corners off and leaving rounded ones. Doesn't take much of a drill as far as diameter. A needle file can smooth things up and if ya want to take the time, use the file to round the edges, a drill is faster. I read of this procedure years ago when some of the trigger/bolt springs had the squared corners. I only did it once and that was to my first Colt '51 I bought back in '72, a EMF 51 Navy in 44 that had a #@%&*#$%^ action and sucked caps like a vacuum cleaner, but back then cappers were not as well built as today and some shooters (including me) were not as well informed /experienced as today. Few books, no internet, not as many cap n ball shooters as today. Sometimes the blind were leading the blind. LOL!!! Hope I 'splained this OK.

 

[1stnamebassist]

I should have been a little more specific on that post when I advised drilling a hole. On most of the trigger/bolt springs the gap between the trigger and bolt leaves/springs, what ever is the proper term is for the most part a proper gap. Down where they meet at the gap, if the metal is rounded, I've never had a problem with any cracks or breakage, but if it is sqaure, that's a crack/breaage wailtilng to happen. I have seen trigger/bolt springs that had the squared corners. Most I see on current revolvers using this style have the rounded corners.

What I was referring to if the corners are squared, a small drill can be used to drill right at the junction of the two springs so as to take the squared corners off and leaving rounded ones. Doesn't take much of a drill as far as diameter. A needle file can smooth things up and if ya want to take the time, use the file to round the edges, a drill is faster. I read of this procedure years ago when some of the trigger/bolt springs had the squared corners. I only did it once and that was to my first Colt '51 I bought back in '72, a EMF 51 Navy in 44 that had a #@%&*#$%^ action and sucked caps like a vacuum cleaner, but back then cappers were not as well built as today and some shooters (including me) were not as well informed /experienced as today. Few books, no internet, not as many cap n ball shooters as today. Sometimes the blind were leading the blind. LOL!!! Hope I 'splained this OK.

You certainly splained it just fine! I was using the piano wire springs and while they work, it doesn’t have the solid “feel” the original springs have. It feels like I’m cocking a sponge! I’ll have to give this a try. Much obliged!

 

[snrub47]

Where can I buy a wire spring for ASM Walker???

 

[Gee Dog]

Dismissed, kids.

Springer calls them “novelties”. I guess we’ve been wasting our time playing with novelties. Why did we even bother?

 

[Crow Choker]

You certainly splained it just fine! I was using the piano wire springs and while they work, it doesn’t have the solid “feel” the original springs have. It feels like I’m cocking a sponge! I’ll have to give this a try. Much obliged!

Give the washer under the spring a try also. Made a big difference on several of my Colt 1860 frame unmentionables. As recommended by a knowledgeable gun plumber on the CAS Forum, I'm going to try just to see how they affect the actions on several of my Uberti cap guns is the use of Pietta trigger/bolt springs. The gun plumber advised they aren't as stiff, easier on the snap of the bolt to the cylinder. He advised he replaced alot of Uberti trigger/bolt springs with a Pietta spring with excellent results.

 

[1stnamebassist]

Give the washer under the spring a try also. Made a big difference on several of my Colt 1860 frame unmentionables. As recommended by a knowledgeable gun plumber on the CAS Forum, I'm going to try just to see how they affect the actions on several of my Uberti cap guns is the use of Pietta trigger/bolt springs. The gun plumber advised they aren't as stiff, easier on the snap of the bolt to the cylinder. He advised he replaced alot of Uberti trigger/bolt springs with a Pietta spring with excellent results.

I will! That one I understand without explanation! The piano wire springs “may” last longer but I can’t stand the feel. I’ll try both ideas. Thanks for everything!

 

[Curtis Lee]

The problem with wire springs that replace the flat springs is that they are just a modern version of the same "beam" spring that the flat spring is. They will still break. They "stack" tension just like the flat spring.

The advantage of the coil torsion spring is that it maintains a fairly constant ( no stacking) force on the part. That in turn means basically no wear on the spring as there is minimal movement of the trigger/ bolt anyway. Same with a coil and pushrod setup for the hand spring.
But, they aren't commercially available so . . . I would offer them commercially but there are part mods that need to be done so . . .

Mike

Hi Mike what dia. size spring steel shock should I try if i wanted to to make some?
I see some on Amazoon that is stainless. But I have to choose the dia.

 

[45D]

Hi Mike what dia. size spring steel shock should I try if i wanted to to make some?
I see some on Amazoon that is stainless. But I have to choose the dia.

.032" for most. .025 for Rem. hand springs and pocket pistol hand springs.

Mike

 

[Curtis Lee]

.032" for most. .025 for Rem. hand springs and pocket pistol hand springs.

Mike

I think I will use Music wire instead of SS wire.As I can Anneal /harden then temper . Would these sizes be good for making Trigger/bolt spring too? Similar to the ones WOLFF makes.

 

[45D]

I think I will use Music wire instead of SS wire.As I can Anneal /harden then temper . Would these sizes be good for making Trigger/bolt spring too? Similar to the ones WOLFF makes.

No need for any heat treat with music wire.
Sorry, I don't make "beam" springs. All my springs are coil -torsion springs. Thought that is what you were talking about. I use one compression spring ( for frame mounted hand springs like Ruger) and I buy it from McMaster-Carr.

My springs look like this :

This is the compression spring I buy. My "spring and plunger" is on the left, the Ruger is on the right.

 

[Curtis Lee]

No need for any heat treat with music wire.
Sorry, I don't make "beam" springs. All my springs are coil -torsion springs. Thought that is what you were talking about. I use one compression spring ( for frame mounted hand springs like Ruger) and I buy it from McMaster-Carr.

My springs look like this :

View attachment 312981

This is the compression spring I buy. My "spring and plunger" is on the left, the Ruger is on the right.
View attachment 312982

I FOLLOW. I have read this procedure in Larsen E. Pettifogger book.Thanks Mike

 

[Smokerr]

Just pondering dozens of grizzly bear encounters in Alaska (sorry, its going to keep me from sleeping, not as soothing a sheep jumping a fence I guess)

I can't say I have ever had any grizzly bear encounters. Maybe I am not living right? I have only seen a few. Closest as far as I know was 100 feet off the highway (I was on a motor cycle). Film does not do them justice, scary fast, better than the Perry The Fridge (or was that Too Tall Jones?) (well maybe one of those Ballerina types, twirl, and its gone) .

Maybe its not a good idea to walk in the woods with a salmon hanging out ones back pack?

F&G guys preferred shotguns now bear spray. I always thought a Sherman tank was best.

 

[fishmusic]

Back to answer the OP's original question. I have tried the Wolff spring and found it fiddly to get it to touch the trigger surface. I went back to the a new flat spring and the took a 4mm flat washer and ground it down to a .015 inch thickness (I used my drill press and a magnet to do this. Polished it up and filed the OD to fit and put in underneath the spring. The idea is to reduce the amount of flex the spring undergoes to increase its life. I have not yet had the new setup fail so I'm crossing my fingers.

Guess what! It failed just as easily as if the washer wasn't there.

 

[CaptainVane]

I always thought a Sherman tank was best.

The real Sherman would destroy every bear food source for 100 miles, toreup all the bear trails, killed its offspring, and told that griz dont ever fark with me again.
“Dont be eyeballin me boy!”

 

[Curtis Lee]

I wind my own coil and torsion/coil springs from piano wire for a good many different guns on the lathe and jigs I have made but the best fix I have come up with for single action revolver bolt/ trigger return spring is to make them from the stainless flat, drive spring , taken from a used Luftkin tape measure. The material is almost impossible to cut and drill with anything but carbide tools and cut off wheel but is perfectly suited in profile and flatness/thickness when finished to make a spring every bit as reliable as a piano wire spring with the added benefit of substantially lightening the trigger pull. The drive spring out of the Luftkin tape measure comes wound in a flat coil already shaped to work perfectly in any single action and is actually tougher material than is piano wire spring stock.
I have seen wire, coil and coil/torsion springs fail/break but never had one of the ones shown break.
They are a bit of a pain to make because of the stainless toughness but anyone with a Dremel tool cut off wheel and carbide bit could easily fabricate one for themselves.

I am planning in trying my hand at making one of your style trigger spring. Can you tell me the thickness of your tape measure spring stock?I have some huge SS hose clamps that is .025 ". I realize stock springs are .032"


POST OP.
It worked and looks fair. The trigger side feels weak. It will do as a back.