"Improve your Pietta 1858 for $15"

[drobs]

Copying this title and thread directly from ssb73q's post at:

http://1858remington.com/discuss/index.php/topic,5248.0.html

Click on "Click to expand..." to see the full post.

Hi, there is a nice improvement you can make on your Pietta 1858 revolver for $15, add a Wolff 32280 reduced power mainspring. I have installed this spring in each of my eight Pietta 1858 revolvers.

The benefits:
1. Much lighter trigger pull.
2. Less impact on cap and ball nipples.
3. Less impact on conversion cylinder firing pins.
4. Ease of installation and removal.
5. Less stress on the revolver.
6. You will enjoy fondling your revolver more.

I have fired thousands of rounds with both cap and ball and Taylor (R&D) conversion cylinders without a single fail to fire.

This improvement has been mentioned before, but was buried in another subject. After experiencing the improvement anew after installing the Wolff spring in my newest Pietta 1858, I thought it would be worth mentioning again.

After you install the Wolff spring, tighten the mainspring screw so it is flush with the revolver frame.

BTW, I have no financial interest in either Pietta or Wolff.


Regards,
Richard

I bought 2 of the above mainsprings for my pair of Pietta 1858 Remingtons and have to agree adding this spring greatly improved the overall handling / action of my guns. I've always considered my Pietta Remingtons to have a gritty action with a difficult to cock hammer. This spring lightened up the hammer and smoothed up the action of the gun.

I bought the spring directly from Wolff:
https://www.gunsprings.com/COLT/SINGLE ACTION ARMY - COWBOY ACTIONS/cID3/mID1/dID96

Note I read on that thread that the same 32280 spring works on both Pietta and Uberti Remingtons.
I can only speak to the Pietta Remington improvements.

Further reading of that thread, states to avoid replacing the trigger spring and mainspring as it result in light hits to the caps. YMMV.

 

[noelf2]

I did this same thing for my Remi several years ago. I use a cartridge conversion, so don't really need heavy hammer strikes anyway. One thing to watch for if you're using a reduced power mainspring on a cap and ball gun is gasses pushing back on the hammer and rebounding it. If that happens, slix shot nipples can help.

 

[45 Dragoon]

What folks don't seem to understand is how the mainspring tension being reduced isn't an "action job" any more than putting high octane gas in your car turns it into a race care. Sure you have less tension on the hammer and trigger but it may be making a " bad" situation worse!! For instance, the lighter trigger pull. If you have neg. engagement (hammer moving forward while pulling trigger), you just moved the inevitable "accident waiting to happen" closer to the present! Even if you have neutral engagement, extra care should be taken to make sure you don't end up with a neg. engagement situation.

Lite cap strikes are mostly from the other friction causing problems that are masked by all factory mainsprings. Not to mention, now that you don't have to "really pull" that hammer back, you may find that throw-by happens occasionally or more frequently. The cylinder is out running your hammer cycling because you aren't exerting as much force. Now you'll need to correct the late timing that you didn't realize you had.
As far as the hammer hitting the nipples too hard, careful dressing of the hammer face to zero contact or a "cap protected kiss" takes mainspring tension out of the equation. Do this only on revolvers that have min. cyl endshake or miss-fires may show up.

Just be careful.

Mike

 

[drobs]

I did this same thing for my Remi several years ago. I use a cartridge conversion, so don't really need heavy hammer strikes anyway. One thing to watch for if you're using a reduced power mainspring on a cap and ball gun is gasses pushing back on the hammer and rebounding it. If that happens, slix shot nipples can help.

I was wondering about that and just fired off a cylinder through my Pietta 1858 Sheriff with cast .454 ball and 40gr of Graf's FFFg measured with my adjustable powder measure. Figuring the heavier charge would push back the hammer. Didn't experience rearward hammer movement, but further testing may be required.

I normally shoot w/ 30gr of FFFg as that is what my powder flask nozzle throws. With 40gr I still had room left in the chambers for the ball = it didn't fill the chamber to the rim.