Levergun and six gun springs

[J Miller]

For sake of simplicity lest say it's 1875 and you've just busted your converted Colt over a guys head cos he insulted your women folk. You picked his pockets and found he has enough coin to buy you a new Winchester 1873 and a new Colt SAA.

Now, both guns are new, and you shoot them quite a bit, take care of them and keep them properly lubed.

The question is, seriously now, how long till the springs, both guns have flat springs, break?

I ask this because I've read comments about 100+ year old guns that apparently have the original springs and are still shooting from a lot of posters, then there are the ones who gripe and complain that their springs break every time they shoot their guns.

What is the truth of this matter. I know I started this thread off with a little fantasy story, but I'm serious about the spring question.


Joe

[Malamute]

They should last at least a lifetime, and usually a lot longer. I've had exacly one flat spring break, in a Smith K frame gun, which is far less parts breakage than I've experienced in Rugers. I have one k-22 Smith (not the one that had a spring break) that I've shot well over 200K round thru, and absolutely no troubles with.

[Chuck 100 yd]

Properly made flat springs will last almost forever but are expensive to make. They are used in the highest grade competition shotguns because they are quicker than coil springs (short lock time).
Coil springs are very long lasting and cheap to produce.
All of my traditional muzzle loading rifles use flat springs. I have never had a one fail. I have replaced a couple for others though.

[airedaleman]

Having owned a couple of hundred guns - a broad mix to say the least - over the past 60 years, the ONLY spring that ever failed was the coil spring on my Model 19 Glock's slide release - after a grand total of 254 rounds through it! The department's armorer stuck a Model 22 slide release in it, and it's been percolating along quite nicely...

[Griff]

With unaltered springs, I have broke nary a one. I broke a couple of altered springs in my SAAs until if figured out the secret of having an altered spring and good life expectancy of same.

[marlinman93]

If it's 1873, and the guns are new, then by my precise calculations you'll be dead, as will your great grandchildren before your guns need new springs!

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

For sake of simplicity lest say it's 1875 and you've just busted your converted Colt over a guys head cos he insulted your women folk. You picked his pockets and found he has enough coin to buy you a new Winchester 1873 and a new Colt SAA.

Now, both guns are new, and you shoot them quite a bit, take care of them and keep them properly lubed.

The question is, seriously now, how long till the springs, both guns have flat springs, break?

I ask this because I've read comments about 100+ year old guns that apparently have the original springs and are still shooting from a lot of posters, then there are the ones who gripe and complain that their springs break every time they shoot their guns.

What is the truth of this matter. I know I started this thread off with a little fantasy story, but I'm serious about the spring question.


Joe

Joe,
It has to do with the gun design, how old it is and the type and application of the spring. Your example of a 73 win and a 73 colt are both robust designs in that neither have really tiny complicated springs more or less and I believe that is why they remained popular for so long. Those spring didn't often break like so many other guns of the era. The Win had no coil springs nor did the colt. The weakest spring in the colt is usually the hand/pawl spring. I have changed more of these than any other spring in the colts or clones. I do feel the coil spring will work longer if properly maintained. If they are allowed to rust the least bit, though they will generally fell before the same power leaf spring.
Guns made in that era also had springs that were sometime made from questionable metal as all metal was hit or miss back then. The same springs reproduced in modern steel and done well should have a better chance of surviving, I think.
For the CAS shooter that shoots colt style guns I recommend changing the hand spring to the ruger coil and plunger.

If it's 1873, and the guns are new, then by my precise calculations you'll be dead, as will your great grandchildren before your guns need new springs!

My point exactly. One of my pet peeves with the new Win/Miroku guns is all the tiny little springs both coil and flat that the originals didn't have. There is just no way those springs will last a 100 years or more like the originals. More parts always equals more likelihood of failure.

[J Miller]

Thanks for the answers. To put it more simply, the flat springs are nothing to be concerned about.

Joe

[kimwcook]

I've only ever broke two flat springs and both in my Colt SAA. One hand spring and one bolt spring. Can't tell you why, they just broke. I've since altered my springs per the book by Kuhn's (could be wrong on the name) and haven't broken a one.

[J Miller]

I've only ever broke two flat springs and both in my Colt SAA. One hand spring and one bolt spring. Can't tell you why, they just broke. I've since altered my springs per the book by Kuhn's (could be wrong on the name) and haven't broken a one.

Do you mean; Kuhnhausen by any chance? If so I've got his Ruger book. Don't have the Colt book yet.

Joe

[Griff]

Steve's reply jogged my memory, I did have a hand spring break in my ASM 1851 break inside the 1st year I owned it... shipped it off to Bob Munden and did the Ruger conversion Steve mentioned. I've since had all of my SAAs & 1851s done, whether Colts or clones. It's just too time consuming to rotate the cylinder by hand during a timed match! And I've never met anyone able or willing to predict when one will break!

[Hobie]

Well, I think Mr. Murphy has set it up so that those springs will all bust in 2010. See, its like this here, when you can least find the parts or a gunsmith is when they'll break and that will be after Mr. Obama has managed to put all gunsmiths out of business....

[J Miller]

Well, I think Mr. Murphy has set it up so that those springs will all bust in 2010. See, its like this here, when you can least find the parts or a gunsmith is when they'll break and that will be after Mr. Obama has managed to put all gunsmiths out of business....

Hobie, you might be on to something there. Could be we should all put in a stash of spare parts for our shooters.

Joe

[Hobie]

Mr. Murphy has been a friend and antagonist for 53 years...