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[Seth Hawkins]

 

[Steel Horse Bailey]

The spring alone CAN be replaced.  A good piece of steel to be used can be found in Bobby Pins of all things.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I've heard of using piano wire to make replacements, but I don't know the full how-to on that one. Maybe one of the other pards here can help with that.

[jiminy criquet]

I'm trying to remember how they come, and I think that the spring is already attached to the hand when you get it in some cases, as with the 1858 Remingtons.  (In any case I normally order a few of each when I order them in case I mess one up, as they're only a few bucks a piece).

You have to look at the hand to determine if it needs replacing also.  If the hand is all beat up and/or worn down, then it doesn't make much sense to just replace the spring, particularly since it only takes a file and a little time to install a new one.  Use the old hand as a pattern to fit the new one, going slow and leaving excess material on the face where it engages the cylinder to allow for the old hand being worn down.

[jiminy criquet]

The 1858 Remington hand springs are held in with a set screw if I remember correctly.  I think the Colts are just drifted or pressed into position, so I imagine they are removed the same way.  Maybe they have a little solder on them too? ...so a tad bit of heat if it seems stuck?
Someone with experience working on Peacemakers (& clones) could better answer that one.

Is it 'difficult' to fit a new hand?  I suppose that depends on how much patience you have making little parts fit together with a file....'time consuming' seems to be a more apt term for it

As long as the hand in your gun is good, I would just replace the spring.  The bobbypin steel sounds like a good idea to me (you could always put a little dab of lead-free solder on it if needed.  (And I don't think the 400° or so solder temp will hurt the hardening of the hand to any significant amount, it'd likely just temper the hand slightly.)

[Marshal Will Wingam]

The springs in my Uberti hands aren't held in with a setscrew. They are simply swedged into a slot in the hand. I got mine out by working it back and forth with a pair of vicegrips. Once out, I slid a new one in and peened it in place. I may have had to open the slot with a knife blade first before the new one would slide in.

[Russ T Chambers]

The new SAAs I have use the coil spring type hand spring.   However the old Hartfords I had were still the flat spring/hand combination.  I found a local parts supplier who frequented local guns shows and carried the spring only.  You need to have a small pin to drive the old spring out of the hand, and a pair of needle nose pliers to hold the new spring as it is driven back into the hand.  I still have a few springs in my gun box just in case I have to use one of my old SAAs and one breaks.  I have replaced two or three at matches over the years between stages.