NM Vaquero Wolff Spring Kit

[Tazman1602]

Hello All,

As some of you know, I've been fighting my NM Vaquero for a decent cast load. Some of those issues have been a trigger that is, well, it just plain STINKS. I've fought this thing for a year and know some of the accuracy issues have been with that trigger pull and creep.

A Power Custom kit -- complete, runs close to $300. Almost $500 for the gun and another $300 for the Power Custom trigger and hammer assemblys................well, I would have bought a Smith if I wanted to spend that much money.

I bought the Kuhnhausen Ruger Single Action book -- I love his books and have most of them, and spent the last two or three months memorizing how this thing came apart and went together. I'm a Mauser guy and a 1911 guy but never in my life have I had a revolver apart.

After doing lots of research and studying that book a lot I decided to take a chance on a Wolff spring kit from Brownells for $20. That ain't too much to spend to make a difference.

BOY did it make a difference! The spring kit is RSA-106 (Brownells #080-665-106) and comes with three different hammer springs, 17, 18, and 19 pounds, a reduced power hammer spring and an extra power base pin spring.

I decided to use the middle of the road hammer spring (18lbs) because they are kind of a pain to install -- I could see that, and because the loudest sound in competition or a self defense situation is "click" I did not want any light hammer strikes.

Anyway my 6 pound creepy trigger went to a VERY manageable 3lbs with the installation of the reduced trigger spring -- yes it's still creepy but is sure is not as noticeable with 3lbs as opposed to 6 -- and I'm loving shooting it now. Fires every time and no light primer strikes, probably could have used the 17lb spring but it's in there now. Highly recommended if you are on the fence as to what to do with a heavy trigger on your Vaquero.

Mine is a .357 by the way.

Art

[Maven]

Art, I had my gunsmith put a Wolfe spring kit in my Ruger SBH and did it make a difference. With the original springs, my right index finger became quite tender after firing 50 rounds (not due to recoil as they were light loads). With the new springs and trigger job, the gun is a pleasure to shoot.

[Tazman1602]

Yup that was one of my issues Maven. After 50-100 rounds (I'm a lefty...) my blasted finger muscles were in spasm and I had a bear of a time without a rest.

Going back to work tomorrow (THANK GOD.....) so won't be able to shoot for a few days but I can't wait to try out the way it affects my shooting after a bunch of rounds.

I still can't believe the difference those springs made..............

[BCB]

I have Wolff springs in my Super Redhawk, Security-Six, Single-Six, and Blackhawk…

They all made a tremendous difference…

I had the lightest hammer spring in my Redhawk and I did start to get misfires. So, I replaced it back to the factory. But I think I could have just put the middle weight Wolff spring in and it might have been O.K. It’s not that difficult so I might just do that…

I buy mine directly from Wolff and it might be a bit cheaper than going through a middle man…

Good-luck…BCB

[GARCIA]

Have a NM Blackhawk that was giving me all sorts of pain as described above. Took the poor man's way out and removed one of the leg's off of the hammer (?) spring. Well it's the one that looks like a dog leg and it's attached on either side of the frame on studs. Cut the trigger pull by at least half.

Tom

[shooting on a shoestring]

That creep can be removed by judiciously stoning the step on the hammer down to about 0.015" to 0.012". Just be sure to use a guide to keep it all square.

I had an issue on my NMBH SS...groups were always larger than should be. Turned out the hammer was striking the frame intermittently. I shimmed the hammer so it would fall straight and miss the frame. Groups shrank accordingly.

[Tazman1602]

Do any of you who have replaced the hammer spring have the "safety lock" block thing under the grip panels? I'd also like to know how you went about compressing the hammer spring. I used the "install the lock pin and wind the spring down around it until it's in" method described here:

http://www.cylindersmith.com/Ruger-spring.html

Contrary to popular belief it was a BEAR to get those last two coils wound in but it worked well...........despite the fact my gloves have two holes in the thumbs now and my hands are wore out this morning. If I do many more of these I think I'll build a hammer spring installer tool....

Art

[BCB]

Tazman1602,

I use a vise or a pair of needle-nosed vise grips. I open them just enough to allow the "thing the spring slides on" (sorry for not knowing the correct terminology). I push down on it and remove the retaining pin...

I put on the new spring and do the opposite. A second pair of hands are necessary--or at least that is what I needed...

As far as the safety lock--I forget. But my Blackhawk does have one of those...

NOTE: The hammer spring for the locking models is different for the regulare non-locking models. Wolff Springs sent me the correct one after I called them for technical info as I could not get the one I ordered to install. It was my mistake ordering what I did, but Wolff sent the correct one free of charge...

Good-luck...BCB

[Tazman1602]

............and that's probably why it was so blasted tough to install. Methinks I'll be calling Wolff Monday even though Brownells said it was the proper spring setup.

It works just FINE and I'm very happy with it but I was wondering about that one. The lock is stupid, you have to remove the grip panels to even get to it -- anyone know if there's a way to get rid of it (OH NO! Did I just open up a liability lawsuit???)

Art


Tazman1602,

NOTE: The hammer spring for the locking models is different for the regulare non-locking models. Wolff Springs sent me the correct one after I called them for technical info as I could not get the one I ordered to install. It was my mistake ordering what I did, but Wolff sent the correct one free of charge...

Good-luck...BCB

[BCB]

Tazman1602,

You can check with Brownells or Wolff, but I think if you got it installed, it probably is the correct one...

With the wrong one that I had, I don't think there was room to compress it enough to fit...

Don't know for sure...

I would be interested in knowing what you find out...

Good-luck...BCB

[Heavy lead]

Hate to tell you this, but I did get a regular blackhawk 28 pound extra power spring on my .44 Anniversary with the lock, yes it was tight, but it's on.
I like the extra power springs, and the light target trigger springs from Trapper Springs, there kit is sold at Natchez, excellent trigger spring.
Now my .357 New Vaquero the spring wouldn't go on, I had to cut two coils off it to get it on that one. The 28 pound springs are a BEAR to put on, I use a really long pair of needle nose to compress the spring and lock, or retainer in case of the older blackhawk without the lock, I put the other end in a hole I drilled in a piece of hard oak about 1/2" deep, then hang on.

[Tazman1602]

You know Heavy I don't do that anymore because I *used* to do that stuff all the time when I worked on cars/trucks full time. A buddy of mine was trying to compress a spring -- can't remember what it was now, but I do remember looking up and laughing at that spring sticking out of his forehead bouncing up and down..........

.........until I realized what happened to him. He still reminds me how I laughed at him.....................

[Dale53]

I use a discarded table fork to compress the spring while holding the mainspring strut securely in a vise. The fork easily slides between the coils just below the pin. You press down on the fork (fingers on the tines close to the strut), slip the pin off, and CONTROLLING the spring back it off. It works quite well. By the way, when I say fork, I mean a STRONG stainless steel fork (not some flimsy metal or plastic fork[smilie=b:).

NOTE:
Please, please wear a pair of strong safety glasses or a face shield while doing this. You can loose a spring OR an eye (or both) in a fraction of a second of inattention...

Dale53

[Heavy lead]

Safety goggles always.

[Tazman1602]

BCB --

You are indeed correct. Got Wolff on the phone today and indeed, the small frame XM3 Vaquero's with the internal trigger lock do indeed take a different hammer spring than what was in that kit. I couldn't figure out why the trigger worked so well but the hammer pull was almost exactly the same and that is why...the replacement spring is the exact same poundage that the factory spring is but needs to be a few coils shorter. Wolff has them in stock but the lady was shocked that I had actually gotten the wrong spring in there.

I wrote Brownells tech support with part numbers asking if they would straighten this out for me or not so we'll see. Not a big deal but just so you know they ARE different and you'll need to get them through Wolff for now. I'll let you know what Brownells says.

The lady at Wolff actually asked me "You got that spring ON there?" and I explained yes I had. Heard her laugh and say dang you must be good. Well, good because I got it on there but stupid because I knew it shouldn't be that tight.........

This forum is great. I wouldn't have had a clue unless BCB had made that post.

THANKS BCB!

Art



Tazman1602,

I use a vise or a pair of needle-nosed vise grips. I open them just enough to allow the "thing the spring slides on" (sorry for not knowing the correct terminology). I push down on it and remove the retaining pin...

I put on the new spring and do the opposite. A second pair of hands are necessary--or at least that is what I needed...

As far as the safety lock--I forget. But my Blackhawk does have one of those...

NOTE: The hammer spring for the locking models is different for the regulare non-locking models. Wolff Springs sent me the correct one after I called them for technical info as I could not get the one I ordered to install. It was my mistake ordering what I did, but Wolff sent the correct one free of charge...
Good-luck...BCB

[sniper]

I replaced my Single Six's springs with a Wolff kit, and as said, it made all the difference in the world. :-D

I first tried unhooking one leg of the trigger spring from the pin that holds it, and that didn't lighten anything very much. I found I could replace the trigger spring without disassembling the entire frame, like the manual says. It takes a bit of finagling, and holding your mouth just right, but is doable, and fairly simple. (Read...if I can do it, almost anyone could!):wink:

[Tazman1602]

As has been said on this thread the spring for the small frame XM3 Vaquero's with that stupid lock take a different spring than what I got.

The new springs came in yesterday and I installed the 14lb spring this morning -- took about ten minutes as it was MUCH easier to put on than the incorrect spring which WILL go on and will work, but it's a BEAR to get on.

Stock hammer spring on these IS 17lbs and I had zero misfires with the 14lb hammer spring. Just wanted to update you and thanks for all the good advice!

Art

[John Barleycorn]

Ruger has eliminated the internal lock on the New Vaquero's. Good riddance!

[44man]

I stone or grind the hammer down to get rid of creep, then polish the surfaces. Yes I actually put the hammer to my tool grinder, knowing just how much to remove. Keep angles right.
Now a big mistake is to use a weaker hammer spring. Ignition is not right even if every shot fires.
I don't know about those locks since I have none. I would toss them and make a new hammer strut.
Factory Ruger and BFR springs run about 23# but take a set after a year or so. I shot IHMSA and I would see accuracy go away, not good at 200 meters and I shot to 500 meters on occasion.
I went to 26# Wolff hammer springs and re-bent the trigger springs. There is no need for another trigger spring.
I bought packs of factory springs until I found Wolff. As soon as accuracy got bad, I changed the spring. Wolff will stand up. The hammer impact MUST be strong. NOT time, just impact.
Here is a list of my trigger pulls.
Old Army-30 ounces
SBH-1-1/2#
.475 BFR-26 ounces
45-70 BFR-19 ounces
.45 vaquero-1-1/2#
All with 26# hammer springs.
A caution if your trigger is too light, the transfer bar will drop off the pin if your trigger kicks your finger. On several guns I made new longer bars by hand. The transfer bars vary and some are long enough. I dare not send my parts with a gun to Ruger. They will put lawyer proof back in. I can see them if they pull my triggers!!!!!!!!!!!
If you want accuracy, install a better, stronger hammer spring. Much money is made with those kits. The hammer spring has nothing to do with trigger pull.
The standard RH drives me nuts, hate the system.
If you have a revolver that shoots rifle rounds with LR primers, you need 28# springs.
14# in a Vaquero? Not going to happen here.169843Here are 5 shots at 50 yards with mine, 320 gr Lyman with 21.5 gr of 296 and a Fed 150.
Don't use in newer, smaller gun.

[johnson1942]

put wolf springs in my ruger old army and it made a big difference in the feel of it. i shoot long colts in it and much more fun to shoot now.