Springs
Hello I have been on this site since the beginning of time.
But not so much on the gunsmithing section.
I have a Uberty 1858 Remington with a broken trigger-bolt spring.
#U0100019 .
I have been trying to find one in north America to no avail.
My last resort will be to write Uberty Italy.
Or make a spring myself.
Its a 2 prong spring.030" thick.
So the question if I could find a piece of spring steel say 2x2" and drill a hole with a carbide drill and without over heating with a very thin cut off wheel could I make one myself without it loosing it's temper,and if so how does one heat treat spring steel.???
Thanks in advance Martin

Can you run water on while making the cut?

Dixie Gun Works.
But you can work spring steel with regular tools; no need for carbide; it is not that hard. You won't have to re heat treat it.

The correct way to make springs is to start with spring stock of the correct thickness, in annealed state. You shape polish and bend the spring with the grain running lengthways. For this you use a hacksaw and files, polishing with emery again with the grain. When you have the right shape, you suspend the spring from a magnet, or a piece of steel to which a magnet is attached, over a jar of water. You heat the spring evenly until it falls off the magnet into the water. Then you temper it by heating it to circa 700F (just past light blue) for at least 15 mins, after polishing the surfaces you can get to once again. This tempering is best done in an electric furnace that has an accurate temp control. You can also do it by putting it in a tin of motor oil, and heating that until it catches fire. You then let it burn down until it goes out. Or you can heat up a pot of lead and dunk it in that for 10 mins.

The point being you can't really bend spring steel in the hardened state, and most springs have a bend to them.

Make a simple one out of a piece of spring wire.
A simple U shape with the extended arms adjusted slightly in length and curve for their separate jobs.

Bend it to the size and shape needed for the job. The two arms extend,,one to push on the bolt,,the other on the trigger.

The wire is easily bent with the aid of pliers. Needle nose and flat jawed work well. Small adjustments to the bends can be done after initial shape is done.
A good quality wire cutter pliers will 'snip' the wire to length.


The original attachment screw can be used to secure it in place if you make the U shape of it
narrow enough for the screw head to cover and hold it down.

Several springs of this type are available for the Colt SAA and Colt Repro revolvers. They drasticly improve the action especially on many of the repro guns as the springs can be very heavy for what they need to do.


Here's link to such a wire spring made for a Colt SAA. It's a commercial made product, but it gives you an idea of what something like this needs to look like.
Not much to it. and if you mess up one or two making it, you've only lost some time and a couple inches of spring wire.

BTW,,the spring wire by itself is often called 'Piano Wire' or 'Music Wire' when sold retail .

https://www.brownells.com/hand...spring-prod6875.aspx

Well thanks a lot guys.
I do have some piano wire I believe.

I just wonder if I can make the tight loop around the screw hole without any heat??
I am going to give it a try.
Nothing to loose

The thin stock you use for a Remington 58 trigger spring can easily be bent cold and in the spring state.
However, yes, a piano wire spring is easier to make and yes, you can bend it cold too.
Only with thick stock springs do you need to start with annealed spring stock.
Do not heat the piano wire.
However, a new one is only $4.95 from Dixie; just order one.

I make and sell literally thousands of trigger springs. Out of wire. Cold bent. However, I'd be with DCPD on this one, just buy it.

Bending nice loops in hard piano wire for a screw takes some skill and persistence to do well, a well as loop bending pliers or a bending jig. For a one of, just buy it unless you have something to prove to yourself. I do this a lot, and I'd have an hour in designing and making a spring to work, with good one to start with.

Checked with Dixie can't find them on there site, left message,
VTI list them they where checking for stock last week haven't heard from them yet .

Look on the dixie web site under original military handguns; Remington 1858.

Thank you Dpcd.
I could not find it on thre site but mr Google did

I've used load banding material a few times. Many of those are spring steel, or close enough.

Visit your local lumber yard or hardware store.
Most places just trash or scrap it.

I have 80 feet or so of ,060" 1/2" wide but, that's too thick for you.

Good luck.

George

https://taylorsfirearms.com/ub...-revolver-parts.html
https://www.gunpartscorp.com/g...1858-new-army-navy-4
Not to mention several trigger springs on e-bay.

Banding steel is a type of spring stock. I have made several springs using this steel. If it is too thick soft solder the spring material to a flat piece of bar stock and then draw file down to the dimension needed for the spring. I have used an electric lead pot and a Brownells thermometer set to about 675-85 degrees for temper after harden with a small propane torch quenched in water with about 3/16 oil to top.

On V type springs I had several forming dies in order to make the quick bend in some guns.

quote:

Originally posted by Martin@Hin:
Checked with Dixie can't find them on there site, left message,
VTI list them they where checking for stock last week haven't heard from them yet .

You'll need to register and log in to see all of their parts. Your spring is listed under original parts but they are repros.
Part #TP1576


https://www.dixiegunworks.com/...e+Remington+Revolver

You don't need to register to see that spring. Just click on SHOP, then on Parts for Original Handguns.