Reducing cocking effort

[coupe]

Has anyone reduced the main spring effort by filing the spring narrower on a revolver?

 

[64Springer]

Buy a second spring and try it.

If it doesn't work, replace it with the original spring.

Also, that mainspring makes the gun go boom.

Reduce the spring weight and the gun may no longer go boom.

 

[Stantheman86]

You need a stout spring to keep the hammer down on the nipple when you fire, since the back of the chamber has a hole in it. It's just the nature of percussion revolvers

I'm actually going to try to make the mainspring stronger on 2 of my guns

 

[TDM]

Agree with @Stantheman86, if it takes a lot of effort to cock I’d order a couple of new mainsprings to try. Odds are one will give you a little less pressure.

 

[Stantheman86]

My mainsprings are all over the place as far as strength. Some seem twice as thick as others. Pietta and Uberti seem to just make them and whatever you get, you get

The mainspring on my 2nd Gen Colt Dragoon almost takes 2 hands to pull the hammer back

I have a pair of Walkers that are about 80 numbers apart and one has a noticeably much lighter mainspring than the other , and when the gun gets dirty it will sometimes not pop caps while the other one keeps going. I'm thinking I'll have to buy a new mainspring and hope by chance it's stronger

Welcome to the world of Italian cap and ballers

 

[Bunk]

My guns are fitted with reduced power either Wolf or Lee's mainsprings along with Slixshot firing cones.
No cap jams and no misfires except with RWS 1075 caps which DO NOT fit properly on Slixshot cones.
I am completely aware of this and the "damp fire" of not knowing whether there it will be a BANG or a THUNK that will show if you flinch. Great practice better that "dry fire" where you know nothing will happen..
One of my plinking gun is fitted with an original main spring and get pretty good result with RWS.
That is what works for me your mileage may vary but a man should do what he thinks best.
Respectfully
Bunk

 

[coupe]

stantheman, this navy is just like that almost two hands to cock, and I’m not a weak person. Kind of makes me feel like matty ross on true grit when she meets the dude she was hunting and cocked the dragoon!

 

[Stantheman86]

stantheman, this navy is just like that almost two hands to cock, and I’m not a weak person. Kind of makes me feel like matty ross on true grit when she meets the dude she was hunting and cocked the dragoon!

Either the mainspring is an extra beefy one and/or there's some rubbing in the action

I left the Dragoon alone, I know the caps will get smacked so hard they have no option but to pop no matter how dirty the gun is

 

[Pete453]

Yes, on an early 2000s Pietta 58 Remington, works great. I cleaned up the sides and tapered the thickness, getting thinner towards the hammer end. ALL grind marks ALWAYS go with the LENGTH of the spring, NEVER ACROSS, and polish it up as best you can and you'll have a long lasting spring.
Keep in mind, Remingtons don't usually have the same problems as Colts with cap jams and this one has aftermarket nipples. I don't remember the brand, but they've been working fine for almost 20 years. If doing this, be prepared to buy slix or treso nipples, or your cap problems will get worse

 

[Pete453]

Forgot to add, my 21 made Uberti 1860 army was near perfection out of the box.i polished and greased moving parts and put a 1/16"ish leather shim under the bolt/trigger spring, this goes a long way towards smoothing it up.. It is now perfection

 

[Bad Karma]

Has anyone reduced the main spring effort by filing the spring narrower on a revolver?

Yes, but often you’re going to get more bang for the buck by disassembling and smoothing the bits and pieces. Especially if it’s a Pietta.

 

[Bad Karma]

Yes, but often you’re going to get more bang for the buck by disassembling and smoothing the bits and pieces. Especially if it’s a Pietta.

Also, there are aftermarket springs available if you still feel they’re needed. And a good set of nipples should have an orifice no larger than .028” so hammer blowback doesn’t occur.

 

[Muley Gil]

I have, on a modern S&W revolver. Works fine.

 

[Pete453]

This is true, I also slicked that gun up, as I do with all of them. Sorry I omitted that part, I consider that the first thing to do with them.

 

[GR50036]

Historically they would lighten the mainspring by shimming them. You take a thin metal shim and shim the mainspring at the bottom of the frame where it screws into the frame. Just shim the bottom so when you tighten the screw the mainspring tilts forward. Beer can works great for this. cut an oversize piece, shim the bottom of the mainspring, tighten the screw down, and then cut or trim away the excess.

 

[Bunk]

My guns are fitted with reduced power either Wolf or Lee's mainsprings along with Slixshot firing cones.
No cap jams and no misfires except with RWS 1075 caps which DO NOT fit properly on Slixshot cones.
I am completely aware of this and the "damp fire" of not knowing whether there it will be a BANG or a THUNK that will show if you flinch. Great practice better that "dry fire" where you know nothing will happen..
One of my plinking gun is fitted with an original main spring and get pretty good result with RWS.
That is what works for me your mileage may vary but a man should do what he thinks best.
Respectfully
Bunk

with the slixshot nipples venting off pressure when firing the reduced mainspring does not cause a a problem. with hammer bounce and cap jams/

 

[Bunk]

Historically they would lighten the mainspring by shimming them. You take a thin metal shim and shim the mainspring at the bottom of the frame where it screws into the frame. Just shim the bottom so when you tighten the screw the mainspring tilts forward. Beer can works great for this. cut an oversize piece, shim the bottom of the mainspring, tighten the screw down, and then cut or trim away the excess.

a #10 flat washer that fits the screw will do the came thing.

 

[Pete453]

with the slixshot nipples venting off pressure when firing the reduced mainspring does not cause a a problem. with hammer bounce and cap jams/