Can't get hammer to stay cocked

[Bull Creek Cole]

Good Evening,

 

I am working on a 1873 Uberti rifle and trying to install a mainspring and a lever safety coil spring from Longhunter and I can't seem to get the hammer to lock back after working the lever. . I have taken out the mainspring and two flat spring looking thingy's, one thats rectangular and another that's about the same size with a leg on the end. Everything goes back together fine except that the hammer follows the bolt forward instead of locking back in the cocked position. I would appreciate it if someone could offer some advice or point me to a site where I could find some instruction on how to assemble/disassemble this part of the rifle. The whole story.... I bought the gun from a guy (who represented it as a functional gun) who had ground down the mainspring, and apparently other things I'm finding out, and generally monkeyed around with it until it wouldn't consistently fire due to light hammer strikes. I am installing a new mainspring to remedy the light hammer strikes and thought this would be a good time to install a lightened safety spring. Sounded like a simple project but I've been at it for several hours and can't seem to get it right.

 

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Boss Hoss Fly #63711]

More knowin will be along but i'd do a search in U Tube

[Bull Creek Cole]

I guess I should clarify that it is a flat mainspring and it did not come from Longhunter, it is from VTI. The lever safety spring is from Longhunter. He was was very helpful when I talked with him last month and ordered the safety spring. I think the parts are OK, I am just not putting everything back together correctly.

[Nota John, SASS #51089L]

Try www.chasjonesgunparts.com/page/page/4776715.htm for a printable schematic. Pictures always help. Yours. Nota John

[Col. Nathan C. Riddles, SASS # 7462]

Gotta add the http:// infront for it to be a working link.

http://www.chasjonesgunparts.com/page/page/4776715.htm

[Mink Shoals Bandit, #49388]

" I have taken out the mainspring and two flat spring looking thingy's, one thats rectangular and another that's about the same size with a leg on the end".

Sounds like you may not have the trigger spring in the correct position. You are probably putting the end of the spring under the upper trigger instead over it. It is a little tricky to get right and hard to see.

The trigger safety spring, the one with the "leg" on it, is not needed if you installed a coil spring safety. I have found that if you remove it completely you sometimes have the problem you describe. So I usually break the little leg off and put it back where it was to maintain the same tension on the upper trigger that you had before. May have to re-arch the flat springs to get the desired tension. All this is assuming that the rifle worked before you took it apart...........

 

http://www.vtigunparts.com/store/shopdispl...erti+1873+Rifle

 

...Mink..............

[Bull Creek Cole]

Thanks Mink, that did the trick. You definitely made my day. Any suggestions on how to properly tighten/adjust the main spring screw and tensioning screw?

[Driftwood Johnson, SASS #38283]

Thanks Mink, that did the trick. You definitely made my day. Any suggestions on how to properly tighten/adjust the main spring screw and tensioning screw?

 

Howdy

 

Usually it is an empirical process. It is easiest to adjust the strain screw (the tensioning screw) if you first loosen the main screw that holds the mainspring in place. You adjust the strain screw, and then retighten the fastening screw.

 

As far as getting the tension correct, that is the empirical part. Make up a bunch of primed empty cases with just primers in them, hopefully the same primers that you normally use. Put one in the chamber and cock the hammer and pull the trigger. Did it fire? Keep doing this until you reach the lightest tension on the spring that will reliably fire a primer. Then, and this is the important part, tighten the strain screw just a little bit more, for added insurance that you will set off all your primers.

 

I can't tell you the number of times I have been to a match with a recently tuned rifle that I have to tighten the strain screw just a little bit more to get them to go off all the time.

[Cypress Sam, SASS #10915]

The trigger/sear spring can be installed upside down. If it is upside down it won't put enough pressure on the sear to engage. Try turning the trigger/sear spring over.