Old H&R wheelgun, need gunsmithing help

[rbstern]

Picked up an H&R auto eject model in 38 S&W.

The gun has a broken leaf spring. It's a very small spring that is press fit into the pawl. It looks like the sear presses against the spring, forcing it forward to engage and advance the cylinder ratchet. Here's the broken leaf spring shown below with the pawl:

http://www.zjstech.net/gunstuff/HandR/MVC-281F.JPG

Can anybody suggest a source for this spring, or should I just plan on finding a wrecked version of the same revolver, bought for parts? Can parts this small be welded?

Other than that, the gun looks like it's in great shape. Really strong rifling, very clean bore, and the bluing is in great shape.

Buckshot, I recall your words from the nightstand revolver thread: Like the Iver you were talking about, these are nicer guns than people credit. This one is very, very tight and smooth. If I can get the spring replaced, she should make a nice shooter.

Here's the old girl just after breakdown:

http://www.zjstech.net/gunstuff/HandR/MVC-282F.JPG

[Harry O]

I have had the same problem with a couple of old revolvers I have. I tried to buy replacements, but (when and if available) they were ungodly expensive for a cheap revolver.

I ended up making a replacement spring. It really is not that hard. I took apart some old springs I had, heated and hammered them until they were about the right size, then heated them up and quenched them. I took out the remainder of the old one and tried it. The first one bent. The next one cracked after a few rounds. The third one worked perfect. You will know VERY quickly if your spring is any good or not.

The key seems to be quench it from red hot then "temper" it. That is heating it up to only 400-450 degrees and letting it cool slowly. Since it did not fit perfectly in the indexing piece, I soft soldered it into place. Have been using it for several years now. The second one I did was much easier.

[45 2.1]

I was looking thru the local gunsmiths supplies a few years ago (I do some work for him occasionally) and found a big load of coil and flat springs. He said they came from Brownells. Try them, measure the width of the flat and the thickness to match your spring.

[44man]

I would make the spring. If you don't want to buy a tube of spring stock from Brownell's you will still need a piece of tool steel. Make the spring and heat it cherry red, soak it with the heat for a while and quench
in transmission fluid or oil. Do NOT try to bend it at this time. Put the spring in your lead pot and set the pot for 600 degrees. Float it on top for an hour and fish it out and put it on the top edge of the pot. Unplug the pot and let everything cool.
400 to 450 degrees is not hot enough to temper springs. They will be too hard and brittle. A polished piece of steel should turn a nice blue for a spring.
If you use the flat stock from Brownell's, you can file or grind (Don't over heat it.) it to shape and carefully bend it to shape. You will not have to harden or temper it. Just don't try a sharp bend.