Hand Replacement

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Allison

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Joined
Aug 13, 2009
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Location
Athens, OH
The hand spring on my 1861 Navy recently broke so I ordered a
replacement. When I got the new hand assembly, it was about 1/16"
too long. I ground the replacement so that it was identical within
a few thousandths to the original. The gun cycles fine now but when
you set the hammer between the nipples on the safety pin the hammer
locks up and can't be pulled back unless you rotate the cylinder slightly.
Does anyone have any idea what's going on?
Also, can the hand spring be replaced? I've heard of people using coping
saw blades and such and was wondering if it was possible.

Thanks,
Al
 
I recently replaced the handspring on my 1861 .36 Navy with a piece of a bobbypin. It works fine so far.
 
Yes, you can replace the hand spring. Lots of different items have been used.

The lockup you describe is not unusual for that condition. The between-chamber safety position results in the bolt head resting against the surface of the cylinder instead of in a stop notch. This results in the action parts being a bit out of time with respect to each other. They sometimes need a bit of a nudge to get them working together again.
 
So do you just pry the broken spring end out of the hand, insert the new
one and peen it down again with a punch?

Mykeal-- Will it just wear in eventually? Other than the lockup, the gun seems
to cycle perfectly.
Thanks everybody!
 
So do you just pry the broken spring end out of the hand, insert the new
one and peen it down again with a punch?
Click to expand...
Yes.

Mykeal-- Will it just wear in eventually? Other than the lockup, the gun seems
to cycle perfectly.
Click to expand...
I would assume so but to be honest, I don't really know. I don't use that position, preferring to carry with the hammer on an empty chamber. The few times I've used the between chamber position have occasionally resulted in the lockup you describe, but it's not consistent. And some guns don't do it at all, so I assume it's a tolerance issue and will eventually resolve itself.
 
When you filed down the hand to match the length of the old one did you also duplicated the slight angle on the very tip of the hand and did you radius the right edge of the flat you filed? These are important little details that often get missed.
 
I duplicated the angle and everything but didn't radius the flat as the
original doesn't have a radius. Looking at the spring side of the hand,(ie.
with the spring toward you)
does the radius go on the right or left? How much should you remove?

Thanks, denster!
 
With the spring towards you it would be the right edge of the flat you filed to adjust length. You don't need to remove much just take a stone and break that edge so you have an obvious radius. This is important as the flat on the hand only carries the tooth of the ratchet through about the first 15 or 20 degrees of its 60 degree rotation. That edge then carries it through the next few degrees and the flat right side carries it to completion. If you leave that edge sharp it drags and can also bind up if there is a burr or bump on the tooth. Uberti generally allready does this(most always) Pietta it depends on whether Lugi or Guido was fitting hands that day.
 
Just to make sure were talking about the same angle on the tip of the hand. With the spring towards you and looking down at the flat you filed to adjust length. The angle across the very tip of the hand would be about 5 degrees starting at the left side and descending towards the right side. This is a clearance angle. Both Pietta and Uberti force fit this angle, why I don't know, when you remove the hand from a new gun you will almost always find this angle present represented by a rolled over burr on the top of the hand being largest on the right side that has to be stoned off and the angle trued.
 
does anyone have pics to show all of this so we can have a really clear idea? would sure answer a lot of questions.
I take off the burr on the very tip of the hand...all my Piettas have had it. I use a needle file first then an India medium stone and finish with a hard Arkansas fine stone on the tip. never noticed any angles other than on the right side of the hand at the top.
 
I'm not sure it would show up in a photo. The angle is very small to see it you would almost have to lay a square alongside the hand with the blade across the tip to see it. Thiink of it this way. When the assembler but the hand in at Pietta the tip of the hand was at 90 degrees to the sides. They then cycle the action several times and the thin metal at the tip forms it's own clearance angle by rolling over that burr. Not the best way of doing it but a cheap way of doing it.
 
Really good tutorials. Particularly the parts about rugerizing the hand spring and checking the arbor length. Not the best way to fit the wedge but workable in a way and the correct way sometimes requires making a new wedge. Pietta should include those tutorials in their instruction manual.
 
Great articles...thank you!!!!!!!
The only problem I will have is I don't have a good working drill press anymore...would it still be beneficial to smooth out most of the back of the hand the way that's shown (w/o breaking off the spring of course)?
 
I forgot to ask...what holds the Ruger hand spring and plunger into the frame??

The enco.com site for the deburring tool goes to a broadcast audio site...any idea where else the tool is available?
 
of course Mykeal...for some reason I had it in my fogged mind the hole was drilled through both the grip and receiver...dumb old me!
Thanks for the clarification.
 
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