Revolver Mainsprings

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Onward Allusion

New member
Take the following scenario...

new revolver - tier 1 mfr - S&W, Ruger, Taurus

In general, how many rounds before the mainspring needs replacing (i.e. light strikes in double action).

My personal experience has been a couple of thousand rounds with small frames, around 5K with large frames, and about 500 rounds with NAA Minis.
 
sprung springs

Good question.

My daughter's S&W model 14 circa 1952'ish still has the original springs and has never had a light primer strike.

Rounds fired must be around 500,000!
 
I have not had any issues with light strikes when firing even when round count is in the 5 digits for small & large frames in single action.
 
None in any of my guns, several from the 50s and earlier, another batch from the 80s. Make sure the strain screw is properly tightened (S&W) and no problem. If you are only getting 5K before light primer strikes, something else is wrong.
 
My snarky reply from us Ruger Single Action guys is "How many rounds before you order the Wolf REDUCED WEIGHT Main Spring?"

I can't imagine it wearing out.
 
Like I'd said - no issues in SA. I'm wondering if my DA shooting style is impacting the spring's life. I have a tendency to stage my trigger in DA.
 
Onward Allusion said:
Like I'd said - no issues in SA. I'm wondering if my DA shooting style is impacting the spring's life. I have a tendency to stage my trigger in DA.
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The spring doesn't know whether you're cocking the hammer with your thumb or the trigger. If anything, double action would, in theory, be easier on the spring as it is VERY slightly less strained than when fired single action as the hammer doesn't come to the rear quite as far.
 
There was a British legend that mainsprings on Smith & Wesson BSRs would weaken to the point of misfire on .380 Revolver (.38-200). I wonder if that might not be connected to the strain screw exposed for tinkering.
 
My snarky reply from us Ruger Single Action guys is "How many rounds before you order the Wolf REDUCED WEIGHT Main Spring?"

I can't imagine it wearing out as the single actions run better in my opinion with a lighter main spring anyhow.
Click to expand...

Not sure if I qualify as a "Ruger Single Action guy" I only have 8, but even if I'm not, I do need to ask, what is this "reduced weight" spring you speak of??

And, why would anyone bother??

I get that its your opinion they "run better" with a lighter spring, but its not something I ever noticed the guns "needing".

Never found cocking the gun an onerous chore, or anything difficult, so what's the "problem" a lighter spring fixes??

Considering the number of guns I've owned or seen & worked with that date from the 1890s on up, and are working just fine with their all original parts, I wouldn't worry about the mainspring of a quality DA gun like Colt or S&W.
 
A broken mainspring cost me a revolver. I had a Colt New Service, vintage unknown. It was originally a Canadian Mounties gun, in .455 caliber, reamed out to .45 Colt and then converted to .44 Special. I acquired the revolver in 1954. Around 1970 or so the mainspring spring broke. Easy repair then, but I decided to put it in a new gunshop that had opened in my area. While in the gunsmith's shop my gun was stolen.

I was reimbursed with a new Ruger Single Action which at the time satisfied me. But still miss the old new service.

Other than that, I've never replaced a mainspring in any gun that I have owned.

I might add that many of my revolvers are over twenty years old (in my possession) and most in excess of 10,000 rounds fired and exhibit no problems to this day.

Bob Wright

I have to back track a little. Years ago I traded into a well used S&W Model 19 that had a weak mainspring. I did replace that one.
 
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I've never replaced a weak mainspring in any gun but i'm only 75 years of age, it may happen yet. I've replaced several that I thought were too strong........
 
It used to be, people were changing autoloader springs like they were changing their underwear.
Now, they are doing it to revolvers!
In 99% of the cases, changing springs is not necessary.
Now- before you tell me I don't know what I'm talking about, I'll tell you that I make springs- thousands of them. Most are leaf springs, but there are a few coils here and there. A spring is a spring.
 
I just watched a video by Paul Harrel (who thinks an awful lot of himself.)
He stated that he rotates his magazines every 90 days. Wow! Springs are not alive, and they don't need to rest.
 
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