Uberti 1873 Lever gun hammer spring adjustment

[Ripsaw]

Have done some searching and haven't really found much guidance. There are two screws that hold the hammer spring in my 73s. These are accessible from the bottom of the tang.  A larger one toward the buttstock and a smaller one forward.  I understand turning in the smaller screw increases spring tension and hammer force. Is the rear screw supposed to fully tight? One of my Codymatics is tight, the others are loose a bit. What is the correct protocol for setting these two screws?  I've assumed that the rear screw should be tight and all the adjustment is with the smaller screw. Is that correct?  Do you use Loctite on them (or at least the adjusting screw) once you are happy with the setting? 

 

 

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

Bigger screw secures the hammer spring to the bottom tang. Should be tight. Little screw adjusts tension in the spring. Righty tighty, lefty loosey. Never had the need to use Loctite on either screw. 

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

I seem to recall some years back that Nate Kiowa Jones shared a technique that was "something like" tighten the main (rear) screw, then loosen it ( 1/2 turn??), then screw strain screw until it touched spring, then tighten main screw?   NKJ, was that close?

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

Well . . . I'm not NKJ, Didn't stay in a Holliday Inn Express (That I remember) But:  There rear screw is the spring retention screw and is suppose to be tight to the tang.  The smaller front screw is the spring tension adjustment screw.  There has been a school of thought, one can and should adjust Main Spring tension by running the retention screw "loose."  Not exactly ideal.  The shifting around of the Spring with a loose screw will also damage the screw over time.  The Strain screw was incorporated in an age of lousy metallurgy and was intended for springs that "took a set" and for less than consistent primers.

 

Best answer for the Main Spring is to "tune the spring" or replace it with an aftermarket spring.  It is also possible to place a small flat washer under the spring, but that doesn't actually do much good.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Back off the smaller strain screw and then tighten the larger mounting screw.

Then reset the strain screw. 

OLG

[Patagonia Pete]

An old thread ... 

https://forums.sassnet.com/index.php?/topic/234309-help-with-1873-winchester-main-spring-install/

[Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator]

Lefty Wheeler offer helpful hints at http://wheelergunworks.com/ . He does know them 73s

[Rance - SASS # 54090]

If you start jacking out live/unfired rounds..

It's a sign of too low of hammer tension..

You're outrunning the hammer fall...

then tighten the tension screw a half turn until it stops the problem..

 

Rance 

Don't ask me how I know