Remi main spring

[44 Dave]

Have a problem on my Navy Arms (pietta) "1858" Army. Built in 1968 neither the first owner nor I had ever taken out the hammer spring. After cleaning out the dirt and bit of rust out of the slot in the frame the spring would slide off the hammer when the tension screw is turned in flush with the grip. Tried holding it up some but didn't help much. If the screw is out about 1 1/2 turns all is fine.
Any one else have this happen?

 

[dogrunner]

Yep, that spring's cut just a tad short. I had one in a '58 that'd "jump free" when I stoked the gun with a stout load of 777......tho strangely full house black loads did not cause that effect. Picked up a slightly longer spring and gun works perfectly.

 

[Hellgate]

Just keep the tension spring screw backed out a little. It lessons the heaviness of the spring which makes it easier to cock. Consider yourself lucky that the screw is actually functional to lower spring tension. I'd leave the spring in place with the screw backed out enough so there is no contact at all. Most of the time the spring tension is excessive anyway and you need to do things to lighten them. Just recently I "tuned" a friend's Pietta Remington that had a truck leaf spring for a mainspring. I removed it completely and replaced it with a Colt SAA spring. I had to grind the tip of the Colt spring so it didn't rub on the back of the hammer when cocked. Now it is a shooter.

 

[44 Dave]

I ended up relieving the spot the screw presses on the thick area on the spring.
I did not want to cut the screw and having it protrude from the grip was "not an option".
I had noted that the screw only distorted the spring to the slipping point in the last turn and a half, just enough to be annoyingly proud of the grip. the screw has almost another turn to bottom out.
Sure do not need all of that spring tension.

 

[Rom828]

That was real common with the reproductions until a few years ago having too much spring tension. I've got a Remington made by Pietta in 1994 that the spring tension is just right when the little screw is sticking out about 1/16". I might trim down the screw someday.

 

[jmay2174]

Anybody know the thread size of the main spring screw in the Pietta 1858 Army with the brass frame?

Thanks, Joel

 

[Jim K]

Like the screw in a modern S&W revolver, that screw is not intended to vary spring tension, only to retain the spring. If tightening it up properly causes the spring to come free, the spring is too short.

Jim

 

[rcflint]

I put a small spacer (1/16 diam pin) under the spring in the bottom of the slot to lift the top edge, it keeps the spring from slipping out from under the hammer. The grips and the tension keeps the spacer in place, just remember it's there when you disassemble it.

 

[44 Dave]

Yes the spacer under the spring is part of the "adjustments" I had to make.

 

[mec]

Mine will jump out if I tighten the strain screw with the hammer down. If I cocke the hammer before tightening the screw this does not happen and it has never been a problem once fully assembled.