Why is clipping off coils in springs considered bad? I've replaced stock springs with lighter Wolff springs in rebound slides and main springs. I can save a few bucks by clipping off a few coils but from what I've read, it's not a good thing to do but I haven't found any explanation as to why. Can someone educate me? Thanks.
Why is clipping off coils in springs considered bad?
- Thread starter R*E
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series guy
Member
A coil spring is nothing but a torsion bar wrapped in circles. As you can guess the shorter the torsion bar the stiffer it is (more effort needed to twist it). By shortening a coil spring you decrease the preload but you increase the amount of force needed to compress it. Also being shorter it will "stack" quicker. So while you may end up with a little better single action trigger your double action pull will get progressively harder through out the travel. I hope this helps.
When going for the lightest possible trigger, as in my wife's range only revolver, replacing (and saving) the original springs allows me to return to the "stock" configuration if necessary. That's a good thing if the revolver begins to misbehave for some reason or if it needs to go back to S&W for warranty attention.
Shortening an after market spring, allows for some amazingly light triggers, without any risk. The after market parts are usually ordered at least in pairs so that a half step back to a fresh after market spring is possible if she ever experiences light strikes.
No problems so far . . . knock wood.
Shortening an after market spring, allows for some amazingly light triggers, without any risk. The after market parts are usually ordered at least in pairs so that a half step back to a fresh after market spring is possible if she ever experiences light strikes.
No problems so far . . . knock wood.
I have a 442 in which I installed Wolff 13 lb rebound spring and 8 lb main spring and it made an incredible difference in lightening the trigger pull. Hasn't compromised reliability one bit.
I have a 60 no dash with the heaviest trigger pull I've even encountered. I also installed 13 lb/8 lb springs but it made no difference in lightening the trigger pull. I clipped 4 coils off the main spring. I'll be heading to the range this weekend. Not sure why the spring kit didn't make a difference right off the bat like it did with the 442.
I have a 60 no dash with the heaviest trigger pull I've even encountered. I also installed 13 lb/8 lb springs but it made no difference in lightening the trigger pull. I clipped 4 coils off the main spring. I'll be heading to the range this weekend. Not sure why the spring kit didn't make a difference right off the bat like it did with the 442.
I have had good luck in shortening the rebound springs. A coil or two off is usually fine. It does make a difference. The danger here is if you cut too much off, you will have a sluggish trigger return, especially in the double action mode. You need sufficient spring travel to reset the trigger reliably every time. My uses are all for sporting purposes, and for this, cutting the rebound spring works just fine. For duty or SD, taking Murphy's law into consideration, I would go with the Wolff reduced power rebound springs. I would feel better in having the full travel to reset the trigger under adverse conditions.
I have also narrowed and polished the hammer mainsprings, in K, L, and N frames. It makes a difference here also. As with the rebound springs, trimming a little can be good, and too much is bad. Causing misfires as a result.
Unless you really like to experiment, going with the reduced power spring kit, would be the way to go with the least hassle.
I have also narrowed and polished the hammer mainsprings, in K, L, and N frames. It makes a difference here also. As with the rebound springs, trimming a little can be good, and too much is bad. Causing misfires as a result.
Unless you really like to experiment, going with the reduced power spring kit, would be the way to go with the least hassle.
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05CarbonDRZ
SWCA Member
I have always wondered how polishing the leaf style mainspring helps?
gwpercle
Member
Because they are easy to clip off and impossible to put back when you have clipped just one too many off and your gun starts misfiring.
If you want to play with springs, save the factory one and get a spring kit from Wolff's to try, you can then go back to factory one if desired.
Gary
If you want to play with springs, save the factory one and get a spring kit from Wolff's to try, you can then go back to factory one if desired.
Gary
Cal44
Member
I bought an m37 recently where someone clipped the mainspring.
One out of five rounds got light strikes and didn't fire.
A new stock mainspring fixed the problem.
If you know what you are doing clipping is ok, but some people don't and make the gun unreliable.
One out of five rounds got light strikes and didn't fire.
A new stock mainspring fixed the problem.
If you know what you are doing clipping is ok, but some people don't and make the gun unreliable.
Polishing the flats of the leaf mainspring supposedly smooths out the actuation of the spring. I can't definately say that it alone does, but I do it along with the rest of the tuning process. I read this one time in a book on gunsmithing. The author may have been George Nonte. It doesn't take much additional time and effort to deburr the edges, and lightly stone the flats smooth, and then buff it until it shines.
scattershot
Member
Never had a problem, but I never clip more than 1- 11/2 coils. If you are of the "if a little's good, a lot's better" school of thought, then maybe it's not for you.
Jst1mr
Member
When you clip off a coil spring, you leave an unfinished, random coil end - the configuration of the coil ends can significantly affect the spring rate. Theoretically, you could also stumble upon finding a natural frequency of the spring resulting in a spring that surges instead of working smoothly.
bergermeister
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Look at this this way:
About the same thing as taking some of the brake fluid out of your vehicles reservoir... It's easier to push ... But, it ain't gonna work as dependably
Think of a Wolff spring as an efficient [braking] system specifically designed to lessen the 'push' but maintain the 'efficiency'...
About the same thing as taking some of the brake fluid out of your vehicles reservoir... It's easier to push ... But, it ain't gonna work as dependably
Think of a Wolff spring as an efficient [braking] system specifically designed to lessen the 'push' but maintain the 'efficiency'...
The flattened (in thickness) coils at the ends of properly formed coil springs are referred to as "dead coils" and affect the function of the spring. If you're going to shorten springs, you really should restore the dead coils.
If you clip a rebound spring and put it in with the raw, clipped end against the frame stud instead of the rebound slide, it's possible for the spring to slowly escape. I've never seen it, but it's possible. This could have embarassing/fatal results.
If you clip a rebound spring and put it in with the raw, clipped end against the frame stud instead of the rebound slide, it's possible for the spring to slowly escape. I've never seen it, but it's possible. This could have embarassing/fatal results.
Continental Op
Member
Don't tell anyone, but I also own a Taurus revolver. I replaced the rebound spring with a reduced power Wolff. It was a little long and required clipping a coil or two because it was coil bound at full compression. I felt ok doing this because there was a note on the Wolff packaging that explained this.
I know just enough to be dangerous!
I took the j frame to the range and experienced about 20% failure to fire with factory ammo. I put the ammo that failed to fire into a 66 no dash and every round went bang.
Looking further at te j fame, I noticed that the b/c gap had closed up and the breech face/cyclinder face was not parallel, the two were touching near the top strap. End shake is about 0.006 inches. I have some shims on order the Brownells. This helps explain the heavy trigger pull.
I also ordered the Kuhnhausen manual.
I took the j frame to the range and experienced about 20% failure to fire with factory ammo. I put the ammo that failed to fire into a 66 no dash and every round went bang.
Looking further at te j fame, I noticed that the b/c gap had closed up and the breech face/cyclinder face was not parallel, the two were touching near the top strap. End shake is about 0.006 inches. I have some shims on order the Brownells. This helps explain the heavy trigger pull.
I also ordered the Kuhnhausen manual.
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Kuhnhausen writes that the rebound spring can be clipped to no less than 15 coils.
Installed 2 x 0.002" shims and it took care of the endshake, left the b/c gap at 0.002" and the gap is parallel. Trigger pull is smooth and light, can't wait to get to the range to try it out.
Installed 2 x 0.002" shims and it took care of the endshake, left the b/c gap at 0.002" and the gap is parallel. Trigger pull is smooth and light, can't wait to get to the range to try it out.
TiroFijo
Member
Here is some theory and discussion of what happens to the spring rate when you cut them:
Spring rates - 1911Forum
Spring rates - 1911Forum
gunblade
Member
Cutting the rebound slide spring affects the trigger return. One of the built in safety features of S&W revolvers is that the rebound slide returns the trigger to the forward position faster than the hammer can fall if the gun were cocked and the trigger accidently tripped, thereby blocking the hammer from moving forward and firing the cartridge. Try this sometime...make sure the gun is unloaded, then cock the hammer and tap on the trigger with the handle of a screwdriver until the hammer falls. The trigger should return to the forward position before the hammer falls all the way forward and the hammer should stop before the firing pin protrudes from the recoil shield. Clipping coils slows down the trigger return thus slowing down the rebound slide from blocking the hammer fall. Cut too many coils and the gun might fire if accidently dropped with a cocked hammer.
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