lighten hammer pull with . . .

My 1858 Remington has a real hard pull to the hammer. Question: Will simply replacing the main spring (from Dixie Gun Works) lighten the cocking action? Or, do you have other suggestions? Thanks in advance.

It's hard to say, the quality of the Italian replacement springs is an individual thing and it might come out harder or lighter. Buy several to try or take it to a good gunsmith for a tune up. Reducing the strength of the mainspring will also have the effect of lightening the trigger pull but may also reduce the hammer impact to the point where it won't set off caps reliably or at all. If you look at the front grip strap you will see a screw down near the bottom. Turning it out will reduce the pressure on the mainspring somewhat. Tweaking the mainspring is done, in conjunction with other work, to give a good trigger pull and still bust the caps, not to ease cocking, if everything else is acceptable that should take care of itself.

On the inside of the grip near the bottom their is a screw you can loosen it a little that will lighten the spring some. You can shorten the main spring the hammer end. You have to be careful if you lighten the hammer spring to much you will trouble touching caps.

As mentioned the gun should be gone through and slicked up but when adjusting tension doesn't help enough after all else has been done I reduce the spring thickness by grinding and then sanding it down. It must not be heated to the place it turns brown though from the friction or it will loose it's hardness and need to be re-heat treated.
You must also maintain the taper profile as you remove steel.
All grinding and sanding must be done length wise and the corners should be sanded round and any nicks removed.
I use a small 1/8x 1.25 inch sanding wheel on my Dremel tool for such spring reduction.
Also, almost all these guns need a trigger job to get their best out of them. Mike D.

Most times, simply adjusting the screw will give you what you want.

I guess it depends on what you want from your gun but I have never been able to get it from just adjusting the hammer spring tension screw.
Once you know what a properly tuned revolver should feel and shoot like it spoils you for the way they usually come from the factory. Mike D.

Actually, a properly tuned revolver will spoil you for just about ANY sort of handgun that comes from the factory, replica or modern -- particularly those DA brass slingers. They have a trigger pull like running a rasp over jagged glass. :grin:

M. D. & Bear Rider, I'm 100% in agreement with you there.

I have 4 58 Remingtons and on only one have I ever been able to detect any change no matter which way or how far I turned that screw. The one was an early EOA and I was able to reduce the trigger pull almost 3/8ths. of a pound by backing the screw out all the way.

On my Pietta, adjusting that screw makes a significant difference. If the spring is a hair too long it kinda binds at the bottom which hinders the adjustment. smooth it out some to alleviate the issue.

Some folks put a washer between the frame and screw if they back out the screw very far.