Single action gunsmith question...

[Burnsome]

this is one of those live and learn stories so bear with me.....

took my Ruger Vacaro apart the other day to install one of the power custom paws to allow the cylinder to rotate both directions, but screwed up and let the hammer mainspring get apart from the frame.  Anybody know of a trick to get the mainspring and plunger back into the frame without killing yourself?  its one tough mother i tell ya....... :roll:

[ButlerFord45]

Use the tines of a fork to push the spring below the hole in the.....late night....metal piece, insert a small nail, remove fork, install ........metal piece and spring.



Butler Ford

[Flint]

If the spring/strut/plate are still assembled, you insert the tip of the strut into the hammer, rotate the botton into place in the gripframe, cock the hammer to release whatever you locked the spring with, and you're done.
If you disassembled the strut and spring, that's another story.  With someone helping it's safer.  lock the top of the strut in a vise, slip the spring on, place the retainer plate, wings toward the strut's bottom (down installed) and using pliers or such, pressing on the plate, compress the spring until you can get a 1/16 dia pin or small allen wrench into the hole in the strut, the release to lock it together.  Then insert the assembly into the gun as above.

[Burnsome]

got it back together ----  thanks guys.  took a bit of elbow grease and some vice grips to hang on to the spring....

 

[Flint]

Incidently. there's no reason to dusassemble the spring/strut/keeper unless you'r going to actually change the spring for a lighter, heavier or such coil.