C&B problems

[pvt.Long]

I have a pietta made 1860 army/navy and I've taken it to the range twice both times it totally crapped out on me, trigger spring busted both times. Only fired off two rounds both times and leaving me stuck like chuck pullin the other balls. *grumbles about italian made guns* I've got so much beef with the two big companies that produce bp repos its unreal. Put 30 grains of 3f both times. I was wondering if y'all could give me some advice

[simonkenton]

The Italian repros are notorious for having bad springs.
I can't figure it, other than that, they make good guns.
Send in to VTIgunparts.com, get two trigger springs while you are at it, and better luck next time!

[Hawg]

You need to find out why it's breaking springs. I've had four Pietta's and none of them ever broke a spring.

[emishi]

While I've not had any trouble with the flat-stock springs, I've replaced my Uberti 1851 springs with Brownell replacement piano-wire springs. These replacement springs were a bit short for my Pietta 1851's, so I purchased some .042 piano wire from the local hobby shop and fabricated my own using the hammer screw, vice-grips and needle-nosed pliers.

It took about 30 minutes to fabricate two trigger/bolt springs. I wrapped the center of the wire around the hammer screw to form the circular portion, then worked the legs. The upside is I can now fabricate future springs very inexpensively and the trigger pull is lighter and smoother.

[long rider]

LIKE HH SAID, dont be put of by a hick up,
check there must be a reson why its giveing
you probs,

[long rider]

ERRR do a complete strip down, then check internalls.

[madcratebuilder]

You need to find out why it's breaking springs. I've had four Pietta's and none of them ever broke a spring.

I've had the same experiences as Hawg. I think the only trigger spring I have lost was a used revolver about thirty years old. I have broken a few hand springs, I have also had to replace parts in my S&W's.

[Hawg]

I think the only trigger spring I have lost was a used revolver about thirty years old. I have broken a few hand springs,

OOPS! I forgot I did break a hand spring in a 35 year old(at the time) Rigarmi 58 Remington Beals.

[Tom2]

I thought the factory springs in those Italian guns were pretty stiff items. LIke the hammer springs on all of them seem to be alot more powerful than needed to bust a cap. I lighten up the bolt springs sometimes in the replicas to reduce the drag lines and wear on the cylinders. I also polish the tops of the bolts to reduce the scratching and wear on the cylinder and notches. I polish that part up too, on modern revolvers. ON Smiths the stop or bolt comes up a bit faster than on a Colt design and anything to reduce the ugly drag line helps.

[Hawg]

Drag lines on the cylinder are caused by letting the hammer down from half cock or otherwise mishandling it, not from spring strength.

[long rider]

OR timing is out? i have a saa 44 from 1960 and there
is no line round the cylinder, now thats timing.

[Fingers McGee]

I've got more than a dozen Colt style Pietta and Uberti revolvers that have thousands of round through them combined over the last 15 years or so. I've only broken one trigger spring in all the time, and it was on a Pietta 1860 that had some burrs in the frame that probably caused it.

Like HH said, you need to find out what's causing it.

[pvt.Long]

I think the fact that its on such a mass scale production of a copy of a copy of a bad original with the engraveing and everything. I cant count the times ive sat there and meticulusly taken it apart beofre and after every reenactment. Its cheep steel thats breaking the springs.

[Noz]

I've been shooting Pietta 1860s as competition guns for nearly 4 years. That's a lot of powder and balls down range. I've worn out a trigger nose and broken several handsprings but all guns are still on their original trigger springs.

[CaptainCrossman]

private, I'll give you $140 shipped for your 1860 gun, I fixed a Walker and another 1860 with the same problem, and I know exactly what it is

I'm not going to post it here though, because I won't give out free helpful gunsmith information to the people here, who flamed me in other threads

[SamStafford]

Right on, Capt.

[Indian Outlaw]

Drag lines on the cylinder are caused by letting the hammer down from half cock or otherwise mishandling it, not from spring strength.

I am told that you can reduce peening of the leading edge of the notch by either lightening the spring or by loosening the spring's screw.

[w_houle]

Drag lines on the cylinder are caused by letting the hammer down from half cock or otherwise mishandling it, not from spring strength.

I have an Armi San Marco with a deep groove all the way around that I had since it wasnt there that would like to contest that claim as well as a Armi San Paolo that has six dimples and drag marks from the dimple to cylinder stop. Oddly enough the only cylinder that I drop the hammer on the half cock is my R&D, but that is because it has the cylinder stop for it.

[Smokin_Gun]

Suggestion: don't give anyone a fuse to light... ie no more flammin'.

[pvt.Long]

Heres the thing im willing to fix the problem ma self if ya tell me what to do how to do it and the materials that are needed. I hate when other people do something for me i realy do

[mykeal]

A broken trigger/bolt spring is a very unusual failure, despite the rants about 'soft' Italian gun parts. Your description gives very little information to use in diagnosing the root cause and thus taking corrective action.

I assume by 'broken' you mean 'fractured', as in broken into pieces. Where did the fracture occur, and what action caused the spring to break? Did both springs break at the same location, and did the same action result in the break both times? When you disassemble the gun did you notice any other anomalies? Were there any unusual problems in reassembling the gun? Did you attempt to dry fire the gun after assembly, and was that successful with no incidents? When you draw back the hammer, how many clicks do you hear, and when do they occur?

Without more information the only action you can take is to replace the spring. I recommend the Heinie Colt SAA wire trigger/bolt spring available from Brownell's: http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/sto.../BOLT%20SPRING
although you can certainly fabricate one yourself as emishi did.

[pvt.Long]

as in broken i mean failing the cylender would rotate one way when the hammer was pulled back all the way not makeing the usual clicks and when i gently let it down the cylender rotated the opoiste directing inwhich it should have. Ive already forked out the money for a new spring and cylender haveing to pull the 4 balls out by hand ruined it. I noticed nothing else rong with the firearm. After the replaced parts it worked perfectly

[mykeal]

Pulling 4 balls from a cylinder ruined it??? How? You just remove the nipples and tap the balls out with a punch.

[pvt.Long]

well i didnt have a punch to do it with i had a ball screw and on top of that i let it sit in its holster for a few days the nipples rusted in so i just gave up on it and replaced it after i pulled the balls