Change of a 686 rebound spring

It can see that it requires some technique. I used a "ball pen" as shown in the video......but it was not that easy :-) ....a wooden pencil may be better. Maybe I should get the dedicated tool there is a link to.....very nice.....
 
re post #17:

I just put the gun in my lap with the barrel pointing toward my knees and pry the rebound slide up in the front just enough so the spring will "peek" over the stud. I put my left pointer finger over the spring and slowly "work" the front of the slide up with the screwdriver enough for the spring to come out. My pointer finger slows things down enough so the spring doesn't escape, or if it does....not very far. Put the spring (with the pin inside) in and use the flat side of the driver to "work" the slide and spring down over and behind the stud....then push it all down in place behind the stud. I do not completely remove the rebound slide in the process. Hard to explain just what position I have the blade in....it's just something I do. I do not put the blade between the slide and the pin. It won't fit. Maybe I'm doing this all wrong, but this process has worked for me 15-20 times as I recall. Just replaced the spring in my neighbors 617 yesterday.
 
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......but I can see now that I need to lift of the block until the spring releases......

Bingo! Keep your thumb over the spring, or it will jump out & detach a retina. Be careful NOT to gouge the pin, the block, or surrounding frame area.
 
I just use a wooden pencil tip to push the spring into the block and get the lower part of the coil over the pin, then pull the pencil while pushing down on the apparatus with your other thumb.
The spring will slide down the pin down until the top of the coil hits the pin, then you can just use a flat screwdriver to push it back and press the whole shebang down where it needs to be.

A torx bit also works well...
 
Brownells sells a tool for this. It has a slot cut out so it's easy to slide over the post.
 
I have the Brownell tool for removing the spring. It works fine for that. However, I find a small phillips head screwdriver works very well for replacing the spring.

I often throw a rag over the ***'y when removing the spring. It will capture it. A heavy plastic bag as suggested above is an even better suggestion.

ABOVE ALL - wear eye protection (safety glasses) as one of these springs CAN get away from you (the video is a perfect warning of what CAN happen). Losing the sight in an eye is not worth taking a chance. Safety glasses are a MUST!

FWIW
Dale53
 
I use a (wheeler?) rebound spring tool to remove the rebound slide, but reinstalling, I use a medium phillips bit to push the spring in until it clears the pin. Then the rebound spring tool gets used again, to push in the spring while I ush down & fully reseat the rebound slide.
Warning- some rebound spring tools need the slot cut a bit deeper. I fought mine for several mnths until I realized that it just wasn't cut quite deep enugh. A little deepening with a dremel & a cutoff wheel & it works like a charm.
 
The most important thing to remember is: ALWAYS WEAR SAFETY GLASSES! This spring is under a lot of pressure and if it gets away from you, which they have a tendency to do, it could do serious damage to an eye.

As far as tools go, you should be able to remove and replace the rebound spring with nothing more than a flat bladed screw driver. The task specific tools that Brownells and others offer are designed more to separate you from your money than to separate the spring from the gun.
 
Ok.....but I am glad that the no. 15 did the job as Wolff no. 16 would be hard to install. With a screw driver there is a chance that it will slip and cut into a finger. I had glasses on.....but not safety glasses but they can probably sit "outside" the other glasses. Will use them next time.

I noticed on the picture I attached showing the rebound block and spring.....if you look at the upper right corner.....there is a little "cut" in both frame and block....like something "happened"? ....do you thing it happened during the assembly / test at the factory? .....it looks worse than it is as the image is magnified.....
 
It looks like someone tried to pry the rebound slide out of the frame from the wrong end. It looks like it shouldn't cause much of a problem. Once you get the slide out just stone it smooth and it will be ok. I know it's a bit tricky getting the slide and spring in and out but after you do it a couple of times you'll get it down. Just go slow and watch your eyes.
 
If you do more than a few removals of the revolvers innards you will appreciate a special tool. I find the Smithmaster works better than any other method, including the dogleg tool in the Wheeler set.

 
If you do more than a few removals of the revolvers innards you will appreciate a special tool. I find the Smithmaster works better than any other method, including the dogleg tool in the Wheeler set.


Ok.....this tool was sold by Midway USA?
Think there was a link to it........and on the video it looks like it works very well.
 
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