Main Spring in NAA Black Widow is broken.

Prof Young · February 7, 2020, 07:01 PM

First, see "Bad day at the range" in the general handgun forum.
OR
To catch you up, I was shooting Honady V-max 22 mag out of my NAA Black Widow and two of them were over loaded at the factory. They went BLAM instead of bang, and the gun would not fire after that. (Also see post about Hornady in the general forum.) Anyway, I called NAA today and guess who isn't open on Friday. But I know that removing the grips would not violate the warranty so I took a look. Main spring is broken.

My question to all you who may be in the know is . . . how hard is it to replace the main spring. If I can get them to send me one is it a DIY? Just trying to avoid sending in whole gun if that's possible.

Life is good.
Prof Young

Scorch · February 8, 2020, 01:59 AM

If you had an overload with factory ammo, call the manufacturer and tell them lot number and ammo type, and tell them you are going to return the gun to the factory for a once-over and repair. They will possibly pay for it.

Bill DeShivs · February 8, 2020, 04:00 AM

An overloaded cartridge would not break the main spring.

Schlitz 45 · February 8, 2020, 10:12 AM

NAA guns have a life time warranty & will repair for free (+shipping) provided the gun wasn’t altered or abused.
Or you could just buy a new mainspring, probably less than the cost to ship the gun.
https://www.gunpartscorp.com/products/417950

Prof Young · February 8, 2020, 09:35 PM

Scorch - Already had a phone conversation with Hornady. They have sent me instructions to send the rest of that box back to them, promised to send some new ammo and said they'd pay for the gun repair as well.

Gotta love that.

Life is good.

Prof Young

Prof Young · February 8, 2020, 09:39 PM

Bill:

Tell me more.

The NAA firing pin is a flange on the hammer. Could not an over loaded cartridge have enough recoil to break the main spring? This was on the second overloaded cartridge in a row. (Yeah, I know, I should have stopped after the first.)

Life is good.

Prof Young

Bill DeShivs · February 8, 2020, 10:32 PM

An overloaded cartridge could only cause the hammer to move if the case ruptured under the hammer. If that happened, it still wouldn't break the main spring.
The hammer can only be retracted by the amount you move it when you cock it. If that doesn't break the main spring, how could an over load break it?

Onward Allusion · February 9, 2020, 11:09 AM

Going back to the OP's question on the mainspring. It's very easy to replace yourself. The main caveat being that the side plate screw is reverse threaded (i.e. turn clockwise to loosen). The other caveat is that there are TINY springs inside.

Prof Young · February 9, 2020, 05:49 PM

Bill: I don't know enough to be able to answer your last question. Gun ran fine, then two overloaded shots and the main spring was broken. Could just be coincidence.

Allusion: Thanks for the advice. Problem is, if I take that side plate off myself the warranty is now violated. According to NAA you can take the cylinders out, you can take the grips off. Anything more and the warranty is over. I haven't talked to NAA yet. Will be calling them this coming Monday. If I wind up sending it to them for repairs this will be the second time this particular gun has had to go back. Kinda flies in the face of the good reputation NAA has earned.

Life is good.

Prof Young

Scorch · February 10, 2020, 11:57 PM

Send it to NAA. It's worth the trouble, especially since it sounds like Hornady is picking up the tab.

Prof Young · February 11, 2020, 11:24 PM

I talked to NAA today. Told em whole story. They are sending a prepaid shipping label and gun is covered regardless. Did find out that, while there is a life time warranty on NAA guns, if it is less than two years since it's date of manufacture, they will cover the shipping too.

Life is good.

Prof Young

Prof Young · February 26, 2020, 07:23 PM

Took them three working days to get the shipping label to me, but the turn around time has only been a week or so. Got word today that the gun is on it's way back to me. I assume it's fixed and ready to go. Will let you all know. Life is good.
Prof Young

Prof Young · February 27, 2020, 04:49 PM

NAA Blackwidow came back from NAA repair today. Quick turn around time, about a week or 10 days. Gun works as it should. No cost to me, not even shipping as it is less than two years away from the date of manufacture. This is the second time I've had to send this gun in for repair. First time the cylinder would not turn. Given the reputation of NAA arms I'd hope two repairs in two years is the exception not the rule.

Life is good.
Prof Young

**Unclenick** · February 29, 2020, 04:09 PM

It should be. They make guns to tighter tolerances than many in the industry. The plus is that when it is working well it is working really well. The minus is there is little room for error. Here's hoping it was sorted out for good this time.

SGW Gunsmith · March 1, 2020, 05:00 PM

You can rest assured that it will be fixed and done properly. The folks at North American Arms know exactly what they're doing. Your own advice was the best idea chosen.
Most likely the mainspring was poorly heat-treated. I've seen that with mechanical knives ( even some of the 'alleged best' ) and older Colt Single Action Army revolvers.

February 7, 2020, 07:01 PM	#1
Prof Young Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2007 Location: Illinois - down state Posts: 2,404	Main Spring in NAA Black Widow is broken. First, see "Bad day at the range" in the general handgun forum. OR To catch you up, I was shooting Honady V-max 22 mag out of my NAA Black Widow and two of them were over loaded at the factory. They went BLAM instead of bang, and the gun would not fire after that. (Also see post about Hornady in the general forum.) Anyway, I called NAA today and guess who isn't open on Friday. But I know that removing the grips would not violate the warranty so I took a look. Main spring is broken. My question to all you who may be in the know is . . . how hard is it to replace the main spring. If I can get them to send me one is it a DIY? Just trying to avoid sending in whole gun if that's possible. Life is good. Prof Young

February 8, 2020, 01:59 AM	#2
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	If you had an overload with factory ammo, call the manufacturer and tell them lot number and ammo type, and tell them you are going to return the gun to the factory for a once-over and repair. They will possibly pay for it. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

February 8, 2020, 04:00 AM	#3
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,986	An overloaded cartridge would not break the main spring. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

February 8, 2020, 10:12 AM	#4
Schlitz 45 Senior Member Join Date: January 14, 2018 Location: Colorado Posts: 385	NAA guns have a life time warranty & will repair for free (+shipping) provided the gun wasn’t altered or abused. Or you could just buy a new mainspring, probably less than the cost to ship the gun. https://www.gunpartscorp.com/products/417950 Last edited by Schlitz 45; February 8, 2020 at 10:19 AM.

February 8, 2020, 09:35 PM	#5
Prof Young Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2007 Location: Illinois - down state Posts: 2,404	Scorch - On it! Scorch - Already had a phone conversation with Hornady. They have sent me instructions to send the rest of that box back to them, promised to send some new ammo and said they'd pay for the gun repair as well. Gotta love that. Life is good. Prof Young

February 8, 2020, 09:39 PM	#6
Prof Young Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2007 Location: Illinois - down state Posts: 2,404	Bill - tell me more. Bill: Tell me more. The NAA firing pin is a flange on the hammer. Could not an over loaded cartridge have enough recoil to break the main spring? This was on the second overloaded cartridge in a row. (Yeah, I know, I should have stopped after the first.) Life is good. Prof Young

February 8, 2020, 10:32 PM	#7
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,986	An overloaded cartridge could only cause the hammer to move if the case ruptured under the hammer. If that happened, it still wouldn't break the main spring. The hammer can only be retracted by the amount you move it when you cock it. If that doesn't break the main spring, how could an over load break it? __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

February 9, 2020, 11:09 AM	#8
Onward Allusion Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2009 Location: Back in a Non-Free State Posts: 3,133	Going back to the OP's question on the mainspring. It's very easy to replace yourself. The main caveat being that the side plate screw is reverse threaded (i.e. turn clockwise to loosen). The other caveat is that there are TINY springs inside. __________________ Simple as ABC . . . Always Be Carrying

February 9, 2020, 05:49 PM	#9
Prof Young Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2007 Location: Illinois - down state Posts: 2,404	Hmmmm . . . Bill: I don't know enough to be able to answer your last question. Gun ran fine, then two overloaded shots and the main spring was broken. Could just be coincidence. Allusion: Thanks for the advice. Problem is, if I take that side plate off myself the warranty is now violated. According to NAA you can take the cylinders out, you can take the grips off. Anything more and the warranty is over. I haven't talked to NAA yet. Will be calling them this coming Monday. If I wind up sending it to them for repairs this will be the second time this particular gun has had to go back. Kinda flies in the face of the good reputation NAA has earned. Life is good. Prof Young

February 10, 2020, 11:57 PM	#10
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	Send it to NAA. It's worth the trouble, especially since it sounds like Hornady is picking up the tab. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

February 11, 2020, 11:24 PM	#11
Prof Young Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2007 Location: Illinois - down state Posts: 2,404	Scorch - on it. I talked to NAA today. Told em whole story. They are sending a prepaid shipping label and gun is covered regardless. Did find out that, while there is a life time warranty on NAA guns, if it is less than two years since it's date of manufacture, they will cover the shipping too. Life is good. Prof Young

February 26, 2020, 07:23 PM	#12
Prof Young Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2007 Location: Illinois - down state Posts: 2,404	On it's way back. Took them three working days to get the shipping label to me, but the turn around time has only been a week or so. Got word today that the gun is on it's way back to me. I assume it's fixed and ready to go. Will let you all know. Life is good. Prof Young

February 27, 2020, 04:49 PM	#13
Prof Young Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2007 Location: Illinois - down state Posts: 2,404	Got it back and . . . NAA Blackwidow came back from NAA repair today. Quick turn around time, about a week or 10 days. Gun works as it should. No cost to me, not even shipping as it is less than two years away from the date of manufacture. This is the second time I've had to send this gun in for repair. First time the cylinder would not turn. Given the reputation of NAA arms I'd hope two repairs in two years is the exception not the rule. Life is good. Prof Young

February 29, 2020, 04:09 PM	#14
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,063	It should be. They make guns to tighter tolerances than many in the industry. The plus is that when it is working well it is working really well. The minus is there is little room for error. Here's hoping it was sorted out for good this time. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

March 1, 2020, 05:00 PM	#15
SGW Gunsmith Junior member Join Date: December 31, 2014 Location: Northwest Wisconsin Posts: 285	You can rest assured that it will be fixed and done properly. The folks at North American Arms know exactly what they're doing. Your own advice was the best idea chosen. Most likely the mainspring was poorly heat-treated. I've seen that with mechanical knives ( even some of the 'alleged best' ) and older Colt Single Action Army revolvers.