Trimming Single Six mainspring coils. How many?

[Tallbald]

Need to lower the poundage on a Ruger Single Six mainspring for a little more friendly pull. Have several old take-outs from installing Wolffe kits, so keeping the spring cool to keep the temper, how many coils should I remove at a time? DOn't want to buy another spring kit. Thanks. Don

 

[Certaindeaf]

Probably like zero. Sounds like it needs stoned and honed by a skilled gunsmith.

 

[mnrivrat]

Start with 1&1/2 to 2 max and see how it goes for awhile. If you think you need more go about 1/2 to 1 coilo at a time and remember at some point you will loose reliable ignition if you keep going.

 

[788Ham]

Sounds like you might listen to deaf, instead of having to add to that box of springs you have! Stoning might make the difference, then you won't have to cut the spring again.

 

[BCRider]

Since you have more than one you can work on this for yourself. Cut a little off then use it for a while. Try different brands of ammo as well. Some seem to need a quicker strike to fire off. When it gets to where you cut off a 1/2 turn and you begin seeing FTF's then cut one of the other stock springs to the last known 100% reliable length and call the loss of the first spring "development cost".

Keep the hammer spotless on the sides where it rubs in the frame too. And use only a little of a light grade of oil. If you're working with less spring energy you need to keep the hammer moving with a snappy manner to ensure that the spring energy is enough to get the hammer moving fast enough. It's not pressure that sets the primer off, it's how FAST the pressure is applied so the priming compound is shocked into firing.

While some gains can come from clipping the mainspring for this sort of thing the guys are right about stoning, sizing and polishing the sear and hammer hooks being the best option. You'll get SOME improvement from the mainspring clipping but it'll still leave a gritty feeling trigger as gritty feeling.

 

[CraigC]

Cutting a spring down reduces its length but increases the spring rate. Springs are cheap. I install Wolff 17lb hammer springs in all my Rugers.

 

[ThomasT]

You could do a "Poor Boy" trigger job. Take off the grips and at the top of the frame you will see a single wire leg on each side that hooks over a pin in the frame. This is the trigger spring. Unhook one side and see how your trigger feels. Sometimes thats enough for a lighter trigger. I think I read about this on gunblast.com. Do a seach for the whole article.

 

[clamman]

Ratshooter that's what I did to mine and I love it.

 

[Tallbald]

Thank you all! Good information and guidance and I appreciate it. Don

 

[Drail]

Reducing the spring rates in a Ruger SA is not the way to improve the trigger. Ruger SA revolvers have a very slow lock time from when you pull the trigger to when the gun actually fires. Ever shot a flintlock? It's hard to hold the sights on the target when you have to wait for the ignition process to start. Reducing the spring rates also does nothing for the horrendous creep almost all Ruger SA guns have out of the box. The hammer and sear must be recut to fix the poor trigger Ruger's lawyers give you. The mainspring should be increased for faster locktime. Most competitors use a heavy mainspring, not a lighter one. The "poor boy's trigger job" will not give you a nice trigger pull either and the loose end can become entangled and tie up the gun. Save up and have a real trigger job done or shoot it stock.

 

[ThomasT]

Tallbald Drail gave you the best answer. I have several ruger single actions and none of them have the Poor Boy trigger job I mentioned. I have tried it and it does feel lighter but I am too anal when it comes to a jury rigged fix. I like it done right. And the real gunsmith tune up is the right way to do it. It will cost a little but when you have a sweet trigger pull that never jumps the sear you will forget the cost and have a gun that puts a smile on your face each time you shoot it.

Sorry I can't recommend a GS to do the work.

 

[CraigC]

I have various Ruger, Colt, USFA, Uberti, etc. single actions ranging from factory to custom, numbering somewhere around three dozen. I have installed lighter main springs in all of them. I shoot them VERY often. I have never experienced anything to support this theory about slower locktime with lighter springs.

IMHO, factory guns come with heavy springs to overcome the inherent friction in an untuned action and ensure utter reliability. Remove the friction, lighter springs are possible. I believe that because most factory guns are oversprung and most shooters have never experienced a tuned action, which leads many to believe that heavy springs are necessary. They are not.

 

[Tallbald]

Thank you all for the input. Don

 

[skt239]

I hate to be the boring guy of the group but I like the trigger on my Ruger SA. I will admit, the trigger was not what I expected when I got my Ruger, which was also my first SA revolver. I tried the poor boy trigger job but it reversed it after less than a day. Like every other gun I've owned (expect one) the only trigger work that is done consist of live and dry firing. For what it's worth, I shoot my stock Ruger SA better than any other gun I own.

 

[BADUNAME37]

Before I would cut anything, I would go to Wolff Gunspring and see if they have different weights of springs for your gun.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

IMO it's never a good idea to cut any springs. Sorry if that's not what you were looking for but it's true, again, IMO. so to answer your question directly, none...

 

[murf]

if you don't have a lot of rounds through the gun, try dry-firing it a couple hundred times. may smooth it up and may lighten the trigger.

murf

 

[CraigC]

PM me your address and I'll send you a Wolff 18lb hammer spring. I have a bunch.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

First off, are we talking about a lighter hammer pull or a lighter trigger pull? Some posters have suggested the 'poor man's trigger job' which is applicable to reducing trigger pull. Others have responded regarding lighter hammer springs.

Also, somebody mentioned that most competitors use a heavier mainspring, not a lighter one. Huh? I dunno about other disciplines, but we are talking about a single action revolver here, and I can assure you that NOBODY wants a heavier mainspring in CAS. EVERYBODY either uses the original spring, or a lighter one.

In CAS anyway, the reason shooters go to a lighter hammer spring is so they can pull the hammer back with less effort, and therefor shoot faster. Yes, in CAS one can actually lighten the hammer spring too much so that a really fast shooter will get ahead of the hammer. It is because lock time has been reduced enough that a really fast shooter will be grabbing the hammer before it has completed its fall. Of course, for Joe Average Shooter this is not a concern.

I can attest that reducing the hammer spring strength does indeed lighten trigger pull slightly. This is because there is less friction inside as the sear is pulled out of the full cock notch on the hammer, the hammer notch is not pressing down on the tip of the sear with as much pressure. This will in turn reduce trigger pull by a few ounces.

Regarding cutting coils off a Ruger mainspring, it is done all the time in CAS. Personally, with my Rugers I have always just bought a Wolff spring as a replacement instead of cutting coils.

Of course, as CraigC says, reducing internal friction as much as possible will go a long way towards making any gun more reliable, and yes, most manufacturers do supply springs that are overly strong, because they do not take the time any more to truly fit the parts together. Yes, if you have ever shot a properly tuned revolver it is a revelation over what comes from the factory. Rugers are not all that hard to tune, much easier than a SAA.

Personally, I do not care for the 'poor man's trigger job', I prefer to see a spring engaged the way it was designed, in the case of a Ruger trigger spring, with both legs engaged.

One last thing; be very careful removing the mainspring from the strut on a Ruger. There are several ways to do it. The main thing is, DO NOT PUT YOUR FACE DIRECTLY IN LINE WITH THE SPRING. The spring is under a lot of tension and if you slip, it will be heading right for your eye.

 

[Red Cent]

Generally you can take a factory single action and do this experiment. I suppose I should mention that you make sure it is unloaded!

Fully cock the revolver and hold it up to see the profile of the revolver. Start to apply pressure to the trigger. Most will move the hammer very, very, slightly. That is because most triggers and sears are fitted to be super safe and has a "wrong angle". Changing the hammer notch angle to fit the angle on the sear is usually the way. Go to far and it will fire without pulling the trigger (will not stay cocked). The creep or travel (not pretravel) is the sear being pulled cross the hammer notch/shelf. This needs to be diminished to shorten the travel.

Being a SASS/CAS shooter, we cut springs, we spin them on a dowel and hold sandpaper on a block to thin them, we hourglass flat springs, and anything we can do to go faster. And safe. My 3 screws have 1.5# triggers.

Btw, that 22 will need most of the spring to have consistent ignition. My single six has the factory spring. But it has a 3# trigger. Crisp, no creep.

 

[JohnBT]

"My 3 screws have 1.5# triggers."

My 1972 Single-Six Convertible came with a perfectly clean 2# and 1/10th of an ounce trigger according to my Lyman gauge. I was looking for a cheaper .22 that day, but it was too nice to pass up. A new Ruger was a lot of money to me in 1972.