A client, a 93 year-old WWII vet who fought in the Bulge, brought in a Whitney 1861 Navy revolver in .36 that he acquired when he was young. He has never shot it. He just likes to collect. This year he took it out to do some dry firing, and he noticed something not right. What’s wrong is the hand is missing its leaf spring, so the cylinder sometimes doesn’t rotate when the hammer is cocked. It is quite possible the revolver has had the broken hand since he bought it. He just didn’t notice it till now.
Anyway, the question is whether a hand for a Colt 1861 would fit. Also I noticed at least 3 of the nipples on the cylinder were plugged, possible by black powder residue from last firing decades ago. What’s the proper way to fix this? I tried picking them with a thin spring stock, but I could only manage to clear one.
Thanks in advance for your advice. -TL
Fabricate a new hand spring from some Brownells flat spring stock. You can use a small drill to remove the plugged stuff from the nipples. Ken
Question Follow Up
Thanks Ken. I also thought it would be the best course. I have done a few other leaf springs, so it shouldn’t be too hard.
The spring was staked in a narrow slit in the hammer. The spring has been broken, but the stump is still rather tight in the slit. How would you take it out? I thought of cutting it with a jeweler’s saw or punching it sideways with thin spring steel stock. -TL
Answer
I just punch ‘em out , be sure it is well supported. Bill
Follow Up
Thanks Bill. Will give it a try. -TL
Answer
Make a sharp wedge shaped punch or a screw driver edge to punch/drive it out. Often hitting it from one side first then the other side and move it out slowly will work for you. Soak in a good oil never hurts either. Ken
Reply
I managed to punch it out with a small screw driver. It did take some doing. I was afraid the metal was going to snap on me. The sides has been staked over, so the spring stump actually had to push out a small chunk of metal on its way out. Thanks guys. Now I am going to make a small leaf spring with 0.02″ stock. –TL
