Firing pin springs

[bummy268]

Hi, new guy here who can't find a source of combination gun firing pin springs. Is there something better out their than a ball point pen spring?
Thanks, Tom.

[mike ford]

bummy268,
I suggest you measure the outside dia.,inside dia., wire dia., and number of coils( from the remaining one), and contact Wolfe(?) springs. Failing that, you can likely buy spring wire(music wire) of the correct size from Brownell's and wind your own.
Mike

[Diz]

bummy,

I've gotten lucky sometime at the local hardware store that has a good selection of compression springs. Sears also but they are usually cheap and low quality and would be good just to get it going again. Wolff Gunsprings are high quality and will usually last a long time. You can wind your own but you may need a spring winder to do a really good job of it.

Thanks, Diz

Thanks, Diz

[mike ford]

bummy,
Diz is absolutly right about right about a spring winder, if you were going into production, or if you had a need for several different sizes coil springs.If you need only one or two, I think you can "make do" with a drill press, or even a hand drill(if you have a lathe-even better). To do this, you would capture the wire, together with an appropriate size rod/nail/heavy wire in the chuck, and wind the wire around the rod while holding tension on the wire. Turn the chuck by hand(unplug the machine to avoid unexpected excitement), make more turns than needed and cut the spring from the inner,most uniform, part. You might have to try different size rods, or if a longer heavier spring is reqired; you might wrap the wire around the threads of a machine screw or bolt, to insure uniform spacing. For the heavier springs, you might need to hold tension on the wire with a pair of pliers, or pinch it in the tool post if you are using a lathe. For the size coil springs used in guns, cold forming is sufficient.
Diz, thanks for correcting the spelling of "Wolff".
Mike

[Peter K]

If you are winging your own spring, the rod you are winding on must be smaller than the finished size of the spring because of spring back. Your local piano tuner should have the wire diameter needed in stock.
Peter

[sharps4590]

I never cease learning something on this site. Winding my own spring never would have occurred to me. Thanks yet again Mike.

[mike ford]

vic,
Now that you have a lathe, you might consider Home Shop Machinist,and Machinist Workshop magazines, you can pick up a lot of things like that. They have a regular gunsmith machinist section, but he doesn't work with German guns ( unless a customer brings him one).
Mike

[Diz]

Mike,

I only know how to spell it from buying bushel baskets of springs from them. I never bothered to wind my own coil springs with those available. It's good advice though and does work for the occasional job. Peter is right about the rod size as well.

I do make my own flat and V springs. The last was for a Schmidt & Habermann drilling. The lever spring was missing.

Thanks, Diz

[mike ford]

Diz,
Good for you, flat and V springs are harder than coil springs.
Mike