What is wrong with this mainspring?

[SkyHawk]

I got a new Pietta BP revolver, a replica of a Confederate Griswold & Gunnison. I took it out of the box and one thing I noticed right away was a very light (1.5lb measured) trigger. But the mainspring felt strong and I tested a cap which ignited no problem.

So I cleaned it up and lubed it to stash in the safe for awhile. While I was writing out a hangtag for the gun sock, I left the gun sitting on a towel with the hammer cocked. At some point a couple minutes later I hear a 'click'. I look over at the gun and the hammer is still cocked so I figure it is a squirrel outside or something, I can't figure out what the noise was.

When I get over to the gun to ride the hammer back down, I notice it is stuck - there is no tension. I figure out pretty quick that the noise I heard was the mainspring letting go, and I can hear it rattling around. The grips are one piece so I have to pull the bottom off the gun, and sure enough the mainspring has snapped.

A closer look at the exposed metal along the break looks like some type of composite (which I guess all steel is) but powdered steel, really not looking like good spring steel - very rough, porous and gritty with shiny crystals, sort of gray and looks like some cast metal or something.

EMF-Company where I bought the revolver is sending me a mainspring so it is no problem, but I wonder how many of these are out there.

Take a look, tell me if you think this was bad steel for the job, is it even possible this was a casting? Surely not? Maybe just a bad alloy job. Anyone else ever hear of something like this?

[TKM]

Bad or no heat treating.

http://www.vtigunparts.com/store/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=66&cat=Pietta+1851+Navy

[jericho89]

GLUE WE NEED GLUE

[ojisan]

Super Glue!



The metal does look kind of junky.
Possibly over-heated?
SAA main springs do break like this.
Get two replacements so you will have a spare, they are not too expensive.
One of Murphy's Laws will then apply: if you have a spare mainspring, the one in the gun will never break again.

[kcstott]

I got a new Pietta BP revolver, a replica of a Confederate Griswold & Gunnison. I took it out of the box and one thing I noticed right away was a very light (1.5lb measured) trigger. But the mainspring felt strong and I tested a cap which ignited no problem.

So I cleaned it up and lubed it to stash in the safe for awhile. While I was writing out a hangtag for the gun sock, I left the gun sitting on a towel with the hammer cocked. At some point a couple minutes later I hear a 'click'. I look over at the gun and the hammer is still cocked so I figure it is a squirrel outside or something, I can't figure out what the noise was.

When I get over to the gun to ride the hammer back down, I notice it is stuck - there is no tension. I figure out pretty quick that the noise I heard was the mainspring letting go, and I can hear it rattling around. The grips are one piece so I have to pull the bottom off the gun, and sure enough the mainspring has snapped.

A closer look at the exposed metal along the break looks like some type of composite (which I guess all steel is) but powdered steel, really not looking like good spring steel - very rough, porous and gritty with shiny crystals, sort of gray and looks like some cast metal or something.

EMF-Company where I bought the revolver is sending me a mainspring so it is no problem, but I wonder how many of these are out there.

Take a look, tell me if you think this was bad steel for the job, is it even possible this was a casting? Surely not? Maybe just a bad alloy job. Anyone else ever hear of something like this?

1. Poor quality steel poor grain structure.
2. Poor heat treat.

to fix it you need some 1045 or 1095 a torch and some oil. Cut a chunk of metal to the size and shape of old spring, being aware of polish lines and sanding marks, put a slight bend in it not fully bent to final shape. heat treat and draw the spring back. then bend to final shape. install and test. Done right it will out live you.