1858 Remington Mainspring woes

[quincy1]

I am trying to get the mainspring installed in an Uberti 1858 /Remington Army revolver. Is there a tool used to assist this process? I have gotten the spring in the frame slot but I can not press the hammer down far enough to get the hammer screw in. I have heard of a spring vise tool, is this what I need and where might I find same? Perhaps someone has a "little trick” to do this job. I also have the Navy version of this gun and the above procedure works to get spring in, seem the Army has a stiffer (stronger) spring.
Thanks for any help.
Quincy1

[long]

To get the spring in line with the slot in the bottom front of the frame, I first put the top end of the spring into the correct portion of the hammer and then:

place a fulcrum between the spring and the front of the frame. This can be a scredriver shaft or a cartridge case.  

The push the bottom of the spring toward the slot allowing the spring to flex over the fulcrum. This will bring it into line with the slot and then you can push sideways to get it in.  

With my uberti 58, if i try to tighten the mainspring tension screw while the hammer is down, the top of the spring will pop out of the hammer seat.  Cocking the hammer and leaving it cocked while tightening the screw prevents this.

[quincy1]

I am trying to get the mainspring installed in an Uberti
1858 /Remington Army revolver.)

 


Well, it turnes out the spring was about a 1/16 inch too long! Even Uberti can make a mistake. I still wunder how the factory got it in?
Thanks all
Quincy1

[Flint]

Quincy, it sounds like you are trying to replace the spring with the hammer pivot removed.  That doesn't really work as the hand interferes with the movement of the hammer and the spring tension is too hard to overcome to reinsert the screw.

I grab the bottom end of the spring with pliers and that gives you the leverage to twist the end to align with the slot and get it started into place.   the tension screw is the last thing you adjust.

Long, if the spring pops out when you screw in the tension screw with the hammer down, it is either too short, or you turned the screw in too far.  The chances are it will pop out upon firing if it's that close.

[tx77057]

That is exactly the way I did it too. WIth a fulcrum.  Here is a little interesting story that someof you gents might have come across. I have a 51 Navy that I used to dry fire over and over at the TV set or just around the house. I broke the mainspring in very short order. I went to EMF and picked up a new spring and it also broke withint approx. 2 months. I then found an old "leg hold" trap in the garage and hacksawed off a portion of one of the springs and ground it into shape and drilled a screw hole. It has been in the gun now for over a year and I shoot it and dry fire it (with a small piece of rubber on the hammer) all the time and the spring is still going strong.  I guess they must make them too brittle from the factory.