Making Springs for H&R Pull Pin Revolver

[tractorfarmer]

How hard is it to do?
I need a small v spring. Is there a company that sells a good selection of springs where i can buy only a few?

What I need is a Center Pin Catch v spring for a Harrington & Richardson "Pull Pin Style" Revolver. The American Double Action. 1st model, 3rd variation.

I know Wolf makes a spring kit for these with most of the springs, but all I need is this one, and I am not even sure if the Wolf kit includes the one I need.

Is making springs as easy as getting an assortment of spring metal and bending your own?

[knight0334]

Making flat springs isn't hard at all.

The hardest part is cutting and trimming the spring steel without heating it up. If you do heat it up, you have to really heat it up more, then temper it hard/stiff again.

If you're talking a wire type spring, well that's easier yet.

Good needle nose plyers, a hammer, and a good vice is about all you need to make springs from flat spring steel or wire. if you need to cut the flat steel, use hacksaws and files.

[tractorfarmer]

But doesn't the spring steel need to be hardened after it is bent to make it springy? I thought if you bent a spring after it is hardened it will just snap. I think when you buy the spring steel it is special steel for making springs, but needs to be hardened properly to make it keep its spring. Or am I wrong?

[red dog]

if this is something you are interested in doing check out agi dvd on making flat and coil springs. midway #145-282. good luck, it is cool to see someone who wants to do things themselves.

[tractorfarmer]

I like fixing things, but I'm not a machinist or gunsmith. If I can just bend one fairly easily, then I'll give it a try. I'll think about the video. Thanks for the info.

[knight0334]

But doesn't the spring steel need to be hardened after it is bent to make it springy? I thought if you bent a spring after it is hardened it will just snap. I think when you buy the spring steel it is special steel for making springs, but needs to be hardened properly to make it keep its spring. Or am I wrong?

If you bend it slowly it shouldn't heat up and lose it's springy. It really depends on the spring steel on if it will snap if you bend it. Some are over-hardened, some allow bending to shape. You will need a couple samples for a trial and error construction.

I've made springs for guns, carburetors, and a few other devices. There were a few I had to heat up with a propane torch to bend it without breaking, others I just had to bend slowly. The one I had to heat I then had to re-temper.

[tractorfarmer]

Thanks knight and red dog!

[mauser]

You could try Numrich, AKA e-gunparts.com
They have quite a selection of everything.
They list parts for about 90 models of H&R revolvers, a good number of them have schematics. You can buy just one spring from them, if they have the one you need. Their prices are reasonable.
http://www.gunpartscorp.com/catalog/...aspx?catid=229

[tractorfarmer]

Hi mauser. I tried there and they are out of stock on that item. From the schematic, it looks like its just a flat piece of spring steel bent in half. I wish Wolff had a listing with a photo of each spring they make.
I was just thinking. If you get an old spring, then who knows what the life of it will be. If I learn how to make them, and one breaks, I can just make more. But I would like to do it correctly so I don't have to take the thing apart often.

[tabasco_joe]

Do you have the old spring to use as a guide in making a new one?