Wolff Springs on my replica's...what do I need?

[Gino den Ridder]

Hi all,

I want to change the springs on my Uberti 1858 New Navy Remington, my Pietta 1851 Colt Navy, and 1860 Colt Navy. I'm looking at Wolff Springs, but its not clear what to get.

Any ideas?

 

[hawg]

Springs for Colt SAA should work for all of them. All you need is the mainspring and bolt/trigger spring.

 

[45 Dragoon]

Hi all,

I want to change the springs on my Uberti 1858 New Navy Remington, my Pietta 1851 Colt Navy, and 1860 Colt Navy. I'm looking at Wolff Springs, but its not clear what to get.

Any ideas?

. . . and you want to change them in order to . . . ?

Mike

 

[Gino den Ridder]

. . . and you want to change them in order to . . . ?

Mike

I read somewhere that it makes the guns run smoother, that's why.

 

[gobsauce]

I read somewhere that it makes the guns run smoother, that's why.

Not really, but you're somewhat right.

Lighter springs will make it easier manipulate the hammer. This may or may not lead to light hammer strikes or hammer blowback ( or make it worse, I've never had it happen ).

If you want your action to run smoother, I suggest polishing the contact surfaces. I did that to my 1851 Navy and it actually made a huge difference. Or, if you really want a slick Iron, you can ask @Jackrabbit1957 or @45 Dragoon about having one of them slick your action.

But to answer your question,you need a screw driver and the springs. Find a YouTube video on how to disassemble your arm, in this case a Remington 1858 NMA and a Colt 1851/60 Navy/Army, and take note of how they remove the spring. Once you've done that, just put the new spring in and put it back together.

 

[noelf2]

It just lightens the hammer pull, and strike. A lighter spring can cause a fail to pop caps, and gas blowback through the nipple can bounce the hammer. I would only do this mod when converting to cartridge shooting. It doesn't smooth anything. It just makes it easier to pull the hammer. I have an 1858 with a colt SAA spring and cartridge conversion.

 

[hawg]

I have a Uberti/Cimarron 1873 with Wolff springs. Hammer/mainspring and a flat bolt/trigger spring. It has an easier hammer pull and a lighter trigger. The hammer clicks are softer. They don't sound like heavy machinery anymore. I've not had any light strikes.

 

[45 Dragoon]

Heavy springs make rough, ill fitted parts (production parts) function. Lighter springs may or may not have the ability to overcome some of the "production" ills which may result in light strikes, a dangerous trigger and other malfunctions. This is the reason those springs may work in a particular revolver but the sequential number to that revolver may fail miserably. Be careful when swapping springs, you don't want to end up with a dangerous situation (for you or those next to you).

Mike

 

[Gino den Ridder]

Thanks guys, much appreciated. I'll first walk the route of polishing.

 

[AntiqueSledMan]

Hello Gino den Ridder,

Mike Beleveau did a video on the Wolf's Reduced Pressure Springs.
If I remember correctly the Remington reproductions functioned fine,
but the Colt reproductions had a lot of trouble setting off caps.

I do have Wolf's springs on my Cartridge Conversions, both Remington & Colts, no issues.

AntiqueSledMan.

 

[gtrgy888]

You want the mainspring to propel the hammer with authority for reliability so heavy is fine. The trigger/bolt spring on the other hand should be just barely tight enough to fully protrude the bolt. Fully tightening the screw bends the spring unnecessarily and can make them snap eventually.

All burrs should be removed from the trigger/bolt spring, around the hammer, and inside the frame and hammer channel with sandpaper or a fine needle file. My 1860 felt clunky out of the box and ran like a different gun after I smoothed the parts and dialed in the proper spring tension.

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

There are methods to tune the existing springs, you can buy Jerry Khunhausen's shop manual for the cost of a set of springs and have a great reference book that shows how to tune, inspect and maintain single action revolvers.

 

[44 Dave]

Wolff springs on hammer/bolt are as far as I would go, possibly the wire spring mod. for the hand that some of our "tune up" friends here do.
Remember all of these little pieces don't lend them selves to "gun cleaning around the camp fire".

 

[tinhorn]

I do have Wolf's springs on my Cartridge Conversions, both Remington & Colts, no issues.

AntiqueSledMan.

Others have said the same, but when I first dropped the hammer on a .45 cowboy load (Uberti 1858 Remington w/ Taylor's conversion cylinder and Wolff's mainspring) I got dead silence. I'd installed the lighter spring thinking it would do less damage to snap caps and laser cartridges. Or maybe I bought some bad ammo? What do you think?

 

[AntiqueSledMan]

Hello tinhorn,

I was going to snap a picture, but I already nocked the primers out of my fired cases.
I'm using a Pietta 1858 Sheriff with a Howell .44 Colt Cylinder,
Starline Brass with a Winchester Large Pistol Primer.
They shoot fine for me.

AntiqueSledMan.

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

Your pics show a light hammer strike, check the pull weight with a small scale, I go for no less than 4 pounds. Might come down to putting the original spring back in.

 

[gtrgy888]

Others have said the same, but when I first dropped the hammer on a .45 cowboy load (Uberti 1858 Remington w/ Taylor's conversion cylinder and Wolff's mainspring) I got dead silence. I'd installed the lighter spring thinking it would do less damage to snap caps and laser cartridges. Or maybe I bought some bad ammo? What do you think?

View attachment 1058401

Maybe use the regular spring for firing and the lighter spring for laser training.