Rebound lever?

[darkgael]

What is a rebound lever? What does it do?
Following up my earlier post about needing books to learn about gunsmithing a little antique bulldog pistol, I've started to work on the gun. I've disassembled it and reassembled it so that I understand how it goes together.
Three parts need to be replaced. One is the spring which controls the hand, one is the rebound lever and the third - not sure of the term - is the cylinder stop (the little nub on the trigger assembly that prevents the cylinder from turning as the trigger is pulled and the hammer goes back).
The hand spring and the rebound lever are missing.
I have made a new hand spring.
The cylinder stop is worn down; I have a good sense of how to fix it.
The rebound lever is missing. I know what pin it goes on but not what it does and so not what it might look like. If I can find that out, I can make one.
Help, please.
Pete

[James K]

Please jog my memory on the type of gun.

A rebound lever is a part that cams the (usually) bottom of the hammer up and forward so as to pull the top of the hammer back. Rebound levers are usually found on swing out cylinder revolvers, to get the firing pin out of the cartridge primer so the cylinder can be opened. They also allow movement of the hammer block in front of the hammer.

The older Colts use a rebound lever that also operates the hand and the cylinder stop. The old S&W's have a rebound lever that does just that one job. Newer S&W's have a rebound slide. Ruger DA's use a transfer bar and don't need a rebound system. Top break guns often don't have a rebound system, as the cartridge moves away from the firing pin when the gun is opened.

Jim

[darkgael]

Jim: Thank you for your response. The gun is an antique .32 Short Colt Bulldog. It is pretty much an exact copy of the Forehand and Wadsworth gun pictured in J.B. Woods' Gunsmithing book, though this one has a folding trigger. When he gets to "remove the rebound lever screw", I'm right there. But......when I remove it, there's nothing on it, no lever as pictured. The thing that I do not understand is how it functions. The pin that it is apparently attached to does not move. This lever then would be able to rotate on that pin but .....it could not pull on anything though something could pull on it.
The springs that I have made to replace the missing hand spring have not been successful so far.The steel - from jeweler's saw blades is the wrong temper. They break or take a set and only function once. I'll get it, though.
Pete

[James K]

I assume there was a rebound lever and it is now missing. Missing parts are a common problem with old guns, and it takes a pretty good smith to make parts without an idea of what the part should look like.

That rebound lever might be of the type that has a front end pushed on by the back of the trigger when the trigger is released. The trigger cams the front end (up or down, they were made both ways) and the back end pivots down/up and cams the hammer back. If so, lotsa luck making one. It can be done (I have done it) but it isn't easy partly because you have to first study the mechanism and the wear patterns to determine how the thing works.

FWIW, I have had good luck making flat springs out of binder clips. They are available in different sizes, cheap and easily cut with shears, a hacksaw or (making sure not to get too hot) a Dremel tool with a cutoff wheel.

Jim

[darkgael]

Jim: Thanks. That binder clip idea is good. I have made one today from an old wristwatch mainspring; it works. I like the binder idea better because I can cut one pre-bent.

Pete