Spiller & Burr

[sourdough]

Most of you know me as an 1851 Navy .36 Confederate "type" aficianado. I have decided to sort of branch out and won at auction a Navy Arms/Pietta Spiller & Burr .36 (BL/1998). It was advertised as NIB but upon receipt it seems it has been shot and put back in the factory plastic bag and the beat-up factory box.

I am a noob when it comes to these guns.

I disassembled it, cleaned it up, and reassembled it (much more difficult than a Colt Navy/Army). My first impressions are that it has a very stiff mainspring, so much so that it almost takes two thumbs to cock it. I have read the previous threads on this forum about S&B revolvers and would like to know about procuring a lighter mainspring for it. Hawg has suggested Wolff Springs as a source but I see nothing there on that site. Should I narrow the original mainspring to lessen the tension?



Regards,

Jim

[Captainkirk]

If Wolff doesn't carry a mainspring, you could indeed try narrowing (hourglass shape) the spring in the center (evenly; both sides) using a belt sander or similar. Make sure you blend out everything and leave no sharp right angles, taking a little bit at a time. As Dave and I were discussing just last night, I am currently doing the same thing with my Navy, and I found that simply placing a spacer washer between spring and grip frame reduced spring pressure by nearly 50%. Not sure if the S&B uses the Colt or Remmy style spring retention. Anyway, take it slow, no drastic changes, and check to make sure the hammer fall still will detonate the caps. Good luck.

[ShotgunDave]

Nice score Jim.

As far as I know, there aren't any aftermarket springs for the S&B. But I could be wrong.

You could order a new spring from VTI or the like, and experiment with it. At least then you wouldn't be messing up the original spring.

[mazo kid]

I'll look at mine tomorrow and see if it exhibits the tendencies you mention. I do have a couple of the Wolf reduced power mainsprings and can see if they can be made to fit also.

[AntiqueSledMan]

Hello sourdough,

I believe they use the same spring as the 1858 Remington's, at least Pietta lists them that way.
I have put the Wolf's Reduced Tension Spring in my 1858 Pietta, so I would assume it would fit in the Spiller & Burr.
I did this on Richards recommendation, asking him if I needed a filler as the Remington Style Spring was folded, he replied no shim needed.
That's the way I did my Pietta with the Cartridge Conversion Cylinder, same spring I put in my Colt Conversions.

AntiqueSledMan.

[ssb73q]

Hi Jim, you may find this thread helpful?:
https://blackpowdersmoke.com/colt/index.php/topic,1993.0.html

Regards,
Richard

[sourdough]

Thanks for all of the good replies, fellas. I am still learning.

If Wolff doesn't carry a mainspring, you could indeed try narrowing (hourglass shape) the spring in the center (evenly; both sides) using a belt sander or similar. Make sure you blend out
everything and leave no sharp right angles, taking a little bit at a time.

I will try to find an appropriate spring to modify before I modify the original, thanks to the suggestions from you folks. I have seen vids that suggest doing the "H" configuration and I concur.

As Dave and I were discussing just last night, I am currently doing the same thing with my Navy, and I found that simply placing a spacer washer between spring and grip frame reduced spring pressure by nearly 50%. Not sure if the S&B uses the Colt or Remmy style spring retention. Anyway, take it slow, no drastic changes, and check to make sure the hammer fall still will detonate the caps. Good luck.

The Spillers are more like the Whitney. There is no Remington "adjustment" screw, and there is no attachment screw like the Colt. The butt of the spring sits in a slot in the gripframe and is held in place by the hammer and the grip halves. I had to fashion a 3/8" piece of hardwood to hold the depressed spring in situ while I removed the hammer screw and hammer.

I think I can disassemble a Colt nearly blindfolded compared to this one.

A disassembled Spiller.



Until further notice,

Regards,

Jim

[mazo kid]

I wasn't able to get to mine today to check things out.

[Rebel Dave]

I drilled the grip frame on my Spiller & Burr, and taped it to M4X.07 screw size. Now I can adjust the hammer tension on it like a Remmie. I gound a Remmie mainspring to fit the Spiller & Burr.

If you do grind a Remmie main spring, be carefull not to grind it to short in lenght Its easy to do. Also the folded end is to thick to fit in the S & B frame slot.

M4X.07 is the thread size for most of the screws on Pietta revolvers.
Also when grinding on the spring, keep a can of cold water handy, to quench the spring in to keep it cool, and not to wreck the tension on it.

Dave

[Captainkirk]

Great idea, RD!