• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades

Main/ hammer spring taking a "set" ?

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

kyron4

50 Cal.
Joined
Dec 25, 2021
Messages
1,062
Reaction score
2,102
Location
Indiana
I disassembled my Traditions side lock to brown the parts and compared the spring to a new replacement spring and the long arm was about a third to half way lower than the new one. I followed the instructions of setting to half cock, slipping my vice on spring, and lowering the hammer; so I don't think I smashed it down or over compressed it. Is it safe to assume ,like most spring. it has taken a set after being compressed and worked a few times ? It's a new lock and has been cocked and closed (riding hammer with thumb) maybe a dozen times. Just wondering if I should replace it now while it's apart. -Thanks
 
Here you can see the difference I'm seeing. What do you think ?
GEDC1429.JPG
GEDC1428.JPG
 
I put it back together with the original spring to get a pull weight and it looks to be around 9 lbs. at full cock. Sound about right ? Also this is for a flint lock
 
What do you think ?
I'm pretty sure both springs will perform the task in an equal manner.
It's going to take someone with a metallurgy background to explain the details but basically the difference is different metal composites from different centuries.
The springs job is to move the tumbler quickly from position "A" to position "B". Both of those positions have limits, and do it under a set parameter of tension.
Perhaps the old spring needs to have a longer flex curve to achieve that tension through-out the travel from "A" to "B" then the new one,,
The metal composite and temper of the new one is different, but the maintained tension is the same,,
Get it? (sometimes I ain't a good explainer)
 
I disassembled my Traditions side lock to brown the parts and compared the spring to a new replacement spring and the long arm was about a third to half way lower than the new one. I followed the instructions of setting to half cock, slipping my vice on spring, and lowering the hammer; so I don't think I smashed it down or over compressed it. Is it safe to assume ,like most spring. it has taken a set after being compressed and worked a few times ? It's a new lock and has been cocked and closed (riding hammer with thumb) maybe a dozen times. Just wondering if I should replace it now while it's apart. -Thanks
I'm in the camp of, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

Be aware of it, but if the gun shoots and functions properly…carry the spare, and if you need it, you'll have it.

Most of my guns have large Siler locks, and in my shooting bag is a spare spring, and a vice…so if that day ever happens, I'll merely be delayed, and not stopped.
 
Here you can see the difference I'm seeing. What do you think ?
View attachment 133784View attachment 133785
Look at the bend of each spring. The old one is pinched much further than the new spring…both springs have a slight arch in the arm, but that deeper pinch in the bend, there’s your difference right there.

I'd say what you are seeing is variation in the manufacturing process…
 
Last edited:

Latest posts

Back
Top