I posted this in "Gunsmithing" but got no responses. sooooooo........

[Bugscuffle]

I have a multi part question about replacing the spring set in my pair of EAA Bounty Hunters revolvers in .45 L.C. The end result that I am looking for is a reduced trigger pull and eliminating a very slight creep in the trigger. Firstly I understand that the EAA Bounty Hunters use the same spring sets as the Colt SAA's. Is that correct? Secondly, there are at least two types of spring sets available. One uses a wire type sear spring and the other uses a stamped flat steel spring. The prices are just about identical, but is one preferable over the other? Once I have selected the spring sets, who is/are the best choice(s) for a gunsmith to install them? I really do not want to do this myself. I have worked on many guns over the last fifty years, but never on a SAA or a clone and I want the two to have as similar a trigger pull and action as possible. I would appreciate any sugestions.

[Jefro]

The Lees Gunslinger spring kits are the most popular (wire type). Very easy to install yourself, or you should be able to find a good local gunsmith. Good Luck
Lees Gunslinger Springs


Jefro Relax-Enjoy

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

Changing springs will not affect trigger creep. Trigger creep is simply the distance the trigger moves before the hammer trips. With a SAA or similar gun, the trigger is a simple lever. The upper tip of the trigger is the sear. It fits into the various notches cut into the hammer. When the hammer is set at full cock, the sear moves forward as the trigger is pulled. Once the trigger moves far enough forward, it slips out of the full cock notch, allowing the hammer to fall. That forward motion of the sear out of the full cock notch is trigger creep. Several things may affect trigger creep, but changing springs is not one of them. Going to a lighter or heavier spring may make trigger creep more evident, but it will not affect it. Changing the geometry of the sear and full cock notch can change trigger creep, but if you are worried about changing springs, you sure do not want to be messing with the sear or full cock notch.

Traditionally, all the springs inside a Colt Single Action Army were of the flat leaf spring type. This included the main spring (hammer spring), hand spring, and the split spring that moves both the trigger and the bolt. The problem with flat leaf springs is over time they can develop micro cracks at sharp corners. If these micro cracks form, they can eventually propigate across the spring, causing it to break. That's why wire type springs were developed for the split trigger/bolt spring. Wire springs never develop the types of micro cracks that cause flat springs to break. So a wire type split trigger/bolt spring will probably never break. That's why some folks think they are better. That's also why Bill Ruger designed his line of single action revolvers from the ground up to use wire coil springs. The downside of that is a coil spring requires more parts than a leaf spring. You usually need to drill a hole for the spring to sit in, and you usually need a rod shaped plunger for the spring to shove against whatever it is pushing.

In my experience, most wire type split trigger/bolt springs are a little too weak, leading to a lighter trigger pull than I am comfortable with. Of course, one can always bend a leg of the spring to exert a little bit more force. For the record, I had the leaf type hammer spring snap in half on my '73 years ago, because it was poorly manufactured. I also had a leaf type trigger/bolt spring break on me in a C&B revolver about 40 years ago. Other than that the only leaf spring I have had break in the last 30 years is the trigger/bolt spring in a Colt last year. Not a bad record for leaf springs, knock on wood.

Changing springs is about the simplest thing you can do in a SAA clone. If you have worked on many guns in the last fifty years, you should be able to change the springs in a SAA clone. All you do is take the gun apart, and replace the spring. The hand spring is a bit trickier, but the trigger bolt spring is under the trigger guard. Once you remove the trigger guard, there is one screw with a very wide head holding down the spring. Take out the screw, remove the spring, and put in the new one. Just be sure when you tighten the screw that both legs of the spring are bearing on the proper surfaces. Same with the hammer spring. Remove the grips, the spring is underneath held down to bottom of the trigger guard by one screw. Remove the back strap, remove the screw, and replace the spring. Before tightening, be sure the little roller on the hammer is rolling properly on the end of the spring. Then put the backstrap and the grips back on.

I dunno where you got your information about springs, Colt uses Colt springs. I dunno what the EMF Bounty Hunters use. I have always been happy with Wolff springs. They make after market springs for lots of guns.

http://www.gunsprings.com/home

[Shotgun Franklin]

I've honestly tried the 'wire' springs and found them wanting. I've gone back to the flat spring. Any decent SAA gunsmith can take out a little of the trigger creep. It is better to have just a little creep than to have a hair trigger.

[maldito gringo]

A trigger that does not feel creepy with a full weight mainspring may feel creepy with a light weight spring, simply because you are reducing the mechanical advantage that the hammer has over the trigger, depending on the sear angle and the point of contact along the depth of the hammer notch. In other words, if you reduce the spring weight, you might have to adjust the trigger sear to get a clean breaking trigger at the pull weight you are looking for. I found that the factory SAA spring reduced about 10-15% of it's weight gives an easy cocking gun. With the sear point about half way under the hammer notch, My trigger pull is about 4 lbs. So, spring weight, hammer cocking notch angle, trigger sear angle and point of contact along the depth of the
notch all play a part in the way the trigger feels.