Ruger-type hand spring jig and parts availability!

[old fogey]

Felt like this should be posted over here, so if you're wanting to switch to a Ruger-type coil hand spring for your bp or SAA Colt, you can get this jig and precisely locate the hole needed to put this plunger and spring in to drive the hand forward!

            You can save yourself the $70 + postage by simply doing like this guy did here (pretty slick in my view)!

           Just thought folks might want to know. Kinda goes with this thread over on a different forum, but that's just imho (and most everybody knows I'm an a**hole, so fwiw, there ya go)!

[Captainkirk]

Also fair to point out that Mike (.45 Dragoon) of Goon's Gun Works does this mod. He did it to my 2nd Dragoon and it works great!

[ssb73q]

Hi, I must live a charmed life because I have never had a hand spring failulre. The more I hold to my closely held BP revolver beliefs, the less likely that I would ever do the Ruger mod to any of my BP revolvers. I keep them as close to, or be able to return to stock as much as possible is my creed.

But, then again, different strokes for different folks.

Regards,
Richard

[Captainkirk]

Thought this should be a sticky...so it is!!!!

[Captainkirk]

Hi, I must live a charmed life because I have never had a hand spring failulre.

You will sooner or later. I've had four so far.

[45 Dragoon]

Thanks for the mention Cap.!!

Just so folks know, you can use the original set up any time.  The frame mounted handspring doesn't take away that ability.

Also, any mod. done can be reversed,  just dont know why youd want to " un-fix" one .  .  .  .  .  I guess since im in the "fixin" business, it doesn't register with me.

Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com
Follow me on Instagram @ goonsgunworks

[mazo kid]

Wow! $70.00 for the jig to drill that hole. There is no reason you couldn't drill it yourself without the jig. Careful set up, clamp in a drill press vise, center punch, center drill and finish drill. I don't know if I will ever convert any of my guns, but it is a possibility. One thing to consider.....many years ago, I bought a Ruger OA, hadn't been shot for a while. Every 3-4 cycles of the action and the gun would lock up tight. I would have to take the cylinder out and replace it before it would do the same thing. I took the gun down and carefully lubed it, then noticed the coil hand spring was hanging up. Lots of black powder fouling in the spring hole, spring and plunger. Took it all apart, cleaned everything good and put the gun back together. Problem solved! So if you do this modification, pay attention to that area.

[ssb73q]

Hi mazo, great documentation on an unintended consequence of doing a Ruger hand spring mod. IMO any mod to a well designed firearm always comes with unintended consequences.

Years ago I put so many enhanced 1911 parts on my 1911s that helped accuracy and appearance, but seriously impacted reliability. Very few of my firearms now have so called tricked out parts, the only mods may be better sights.

IMO time shooting is a far more useful part of the BP hobby than redesigning and modding their already well designed handgun.

That's just my opinion.

Regards,
Richard

[45 Dragoon]

I agree with Richard! 

Time spent shooting an excellent running bp revolver is far better than replacing springs!
 Replacing/correcting the weak areas of a great design (non are perfect) only enhances  the experience of shooting our beloved bp revolvers.  Mods are fine as long as they "enhance" the overall function likewise, mods that introduce reliability issues or that total less than  expected results are best left off. That should be the purpose of any mod. That in fact,  entails the whole idea/need/reason for tuning any revolver. If they were "perfect" from the factory, the cost would be prohibitive.

That's why it's taken a lot of thought and time deciding on a "Ruger " type setup that still gives a close feeling and action of the original but gives the unquestionable service life of the Ruger frame mounted handspring.

It is what it is, a mod that folks can choose to have installed. It's a mod that I think is an enhancement that meets my personal requirements and that I have installed in my personal revolvers (It's also a part that I know I'll never have to replace!).

Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com
Follow me on Instagram @ goonsgunworks

[Captainkirk]

FWIW, the handspring on the Dragoon I stole bought from Krylandalian was broken at the time of the sale. I had read about the Ruger mod in the Pettifogger "Open Range" article and had always wanted to do it, therefore I had Mike go ahead with the mod at the time of the other work.
I like it.
I've replaced a good number of handsprings to date, several of them with bobby pins (which work quite well). I would not go out of my way to mod up a revolver with the Ruger mod, but it's not a bad option if you're doing other work or tired of replacing handsprings.

[ssb73q]

Hi Kirk, I don't understand on why you have so many handspring failures. I shoot a lot and haven't had one to date. Having said that I did have a couple of hand springs that were staked in with part of the spring overhanging the hand width where I stoned the spring flat to the hand. Those springs aren't hardened to a point where there isn't any ductulity left. "Soft" springs can out last a hardened spring because of better fatigue characteristics. Even if they are somewhat relaxed, they still work as designed. Never try to bend them back to original shape.

Tell me more on what you were doing just before or just as the hand springs failed.

People also complain about trigger/bolt springs failures. To address that potential issue I fitted the wire trigger/bolt spring to a couple of my revolvers only to have issues getting the trigger part of that spring correctly sized and not have it either slip off or block the trigger. I removed those wire springs, replaced them with the original leaf springs and haven't looked back. I never had a trigger/bolt spring failure.

Regards,
Richard

[Captainkirk]

Hi, Richard...
All but one failed as a result of "playing guns"; cycling the action multiple times at home just to be doing something. Only one (1851 Navy) failed at the range.
I supposed there's something to be said for not playing with your guns unless you intend on shooting, but to me that's half the fun!

[ssb73q]

Hi Kirk, you should be able to dry cock your revolvers until your thumbs falls off without having a spring issue. This has me wondering if your revolvers that failed weren't Pietta or Uberti?

Regards,
Richard

[Captainkirk]

Hi Kirk, you should be able to dry cock your revolvers until your thumbs falls off without having a spring issue. This has me wondering if your revolvers that failed weren't Pietta or Uberti?

Regards,
Richard

Correct.
Excam, ASP, ASM.

[ssb73q]

Hi Kirk, ah, I understand that the channel in the frame of older BP reproduction revolvers was always cut a bit rough. The newer Pietta and Uberti hand channels are machined much better where a rough channel may be the cause of hand spring failures. This is only my conjecture, maybe Mike will chime in?

Regards,
Richard