1851 navy mainsprings

[Thundermaker]

I just got back into black powder in the midst of this ammo shortage. I got a pair of Uberti 1851 Navies. The mainsprings are pitiful, thin, flimsy things. They used to be twice as thick and a lot stronger. I foresee a lot of blowback problems. Does anyone know where I can get some stronger mainsprings? I think they're the same ones used in the SAA clones.

[lar45]

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/gun-manufacturer/uberti/black-powder-rev-uber/1851-navy-3

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/gun-manufacturer/colt/revolvers-colt/single-action-army

[Nobade]

https://www.vtigunparts.com/store/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=297&cat=Uberti+1851+Navy

[Thundermaker]

I appreciate the replies guys, but I need something stronger than the factory springs. The ones I have are not worn. The guns are new. They're just flimsy from the factory.

[Abenaki]

Try https://taylorsfirearms.com
I know of people who double up on the main springs.

Also try slixshots nipples. They are vented to help prevent blow back.

I have a Uberti 61 navy. I use the slixshots nipples and no problems with blow back.

Take care
Abenaki

[Thundermaker]

I know the mainsprings on my old piettas were a lot stouter. I have a set of TOW nipples on the way. We'll see how it works out.

[45 Dragoon]

Thick, stiff springs tend to break, flexible, light springs tend to stick around. You know, saplings bend, Oaks break . . . Not to mention, thick heavy springs don't lend themselves to "fast action", ease of operation. The new springs are plenty strong enough (about a 5 lb + - hammer draw), if you're having ignition problems, it's probably the cylinder being too far away . . . cause you don't have the wedge in far enough . . . cause if you do, the bbl locks the cyl. . . . cause the arbor is too short.

Mike

[Der Gebirgsjager]

You might try Dixie Gunworks. I suspect that 98% of all replacement springs you find will be replacement for factory spec. Just possible that maybe Wolff Guns Springs might have something....or an idea.

[Thundermaker]

Thick, stiff springs tend to break, flexible, light springs tend to stick around. You know, saplings bend, Oaks break . . . Not to mention, thick heavy springs don't lend themselves to "fast action", ease of operation. The new springs are plenty strong enough (about a 5 lb + - hammer draw), if you're having ignition problems, it's probably the cylinder being too far away . . . cause you don't have the wedge in far enough . . . cause if you do, the bbl locks the cyl. . . . cause the arbor is too short.

Mike

I'm not getting ignition problems. I haven't fired the things yet actually. I'm just going ahead and fixing all the things that I know will be a problem. The first thing I did when I took them out of the box was fix the arbor issue. I soldered a steel disk to the end of each arbor and fitted them so that the barrel just barely touches the frame and the wedge peeks out just enough so that the flat edge makes full contact on both surfaces of the barrels, which was a real b#$%, because the bottom of the arbor hole in the barrel isn't flat. It's a shallow cone, like they just ran a big drill bit in there.

I fixed the timing so that the bolt drops in the right place, not halfway over the cylinder slot.

Now I just need to open up the loading area on the barrel so I can load conicals.

I've played with these things enough to know that there will be blowback issues with the stock springs. Even with your pin mod, the caps still blow apart and fragment. Blowback allows those bits to get under the hammer and impede ignition. Maybe the TOW nipples will solve that. Of course, the caps are the real problem. Modern caps are half as thick as the originals used in these guns, but that's not getting fixed any time soon.

As for the other issues, I think I'll be buying piettas from now on.

[45 Dragoon]

Break the edges of the safety notch in the hammer face and polish the face. You probably won't have cap frag problems. The cap post is mainly there as a "blowback arrest" (can't blow the hammer back further than the cap pushing it). This is what allows a light mainspring. Some cowboy shooters are faster with cap guns than some of the cartridge guys . . . hard to do that with 8+ lb hammers though! Lol!!

Oh, if you go with Pietta's, you'll need the little heavier mainspring. Ubertis -not so much.

Mike