Tuning the Uberti Open Top Revolvers By Larsen E. Pettifogger

[Hedley Lamarr]

As seen in previous Cowboy Chronicles, reproduced here with bigger photos!
Now available for download!

http://www.theopenrange.net/forum/index.php?topic=7988

[Nine Toe Jim]

Hey there Hedley I see your still around.

[Fingers McGee]

Thanks Hedley.  And, thanks Larsen.

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[Fox Creek Kid]

Great article. Would someone however please explain to me this fetish of converting the hand spring to a coil spring.    I have broken two flat hand springs in my lifetime and that was after THOUSANDS of rounds. Is it merely a fear of breaking a spring or is there a difference in ``feel``?    I don`t  get it.

[Coffinmaker]

FCK,

Simple really.  It's the fear of breaking a hand spring during a match.  And watching someone else win the Pearlescent White Caddy Escalade. 
I've broken a couple, you've broken two and the idea is the coil and plunger will "never break."  Well .... Maybe never.  There is a slightly different feel ...... I guess.  When the timer goes off, I can't tell the difference if both are properly "adjusted."  I personally haven't converted any of my flat hand spring guns to coil.  Haven't felt the need to.  I have however, converted a lot of my customers guns.  None of whoom are in the top 20% of shooters.  Just fickle.

Coffinmaker

[Crow Choker]

Thank you Hedley for posting and a thank you to L. Pettifogger for writing. Good info and needed. Will have to reread and absorb more of the 'jewels of information' Yers' Crow Choker

[Pettifogger]

I'll tell you why I convert ALL my C&B's (including Remingtons).  First, what is the single most common problem reported on the various wires related to shooting C&B's?  Broken hand springs.  The Italian guns have soft hands and brittle springs so for durability both need to be addressed.  If I drive 2000 miles to a shoot I go there with the intent of winning.  If a better shooter beats me that doesn't bother me a bit.  However, if I lose because of a gun malfunction I'm more than a bit irritated--with myself.  Especially, if it was a problem I could have prevented.  Fox Creek you said you have had two broken hand springs.  You sort of answered your own question.  If a gun has a known problem my goal is to fix that problem and make the gun more durable and/or reliable.  I haven't had a flat tire in years, but I have a spare in the trunk.  Also, time is money and the hand channel on the reproductions range from super smooth to looking like the surface of the moon.  If the hand channel is rough it's a lot quicker to drill a hole and install a plunger and spring and polish the back of the hand than it is to flle/stone/hone the hand channel.  As Coffinmaker noted IF the hand and spring are properly adjusted (which includes addressing any problem with the hand channel) then there is little difference in feel.  (There is still the issue of long-term reliability, however.)  However, if the hand channel is rough and the home gun tinker doesn't have the proper stones to hone the channel, the spring conversion gives an immediate improvement in feel.

[John William McCandles]

As seen in previous Cowboy Chronicles, reproduced here with bigger photos!
Now available for download!

http://www.theopenrange.net/forum/index.php?topic=7988

Hedley;

I was not able to get #2 and #4 to open, could you send these on an email?

Thanks for putting these up on the web.

Regards
JW