"Hammer Free-Play issue" opinions / suggestions

[terabyte]

I had a new / old Auto Ord frame been sitting in my desk awhile, finally found a new Colt 22 conversion, so together it went, i used some junk leftover parts from Sarco and a tad more leftover junk from West Hurley "grins"

heres the problem, the hammer has close to 3/16 of an inch free play between the firing pin retainer face and the start of mainspring tension, im getting quite a few misfires. my Colt AMT & Taurus have about zero free play, in the picture you can see the strut hanging, which to me isnt right.

I am thinking the hammer strut or maybe the mainspring housing itself (retainer pin drilled in wrong spot) i did some modding on the mainspring cap to take up some free play, but i can't get enough and still retain a recess for the stut to sit in.

can i take tad of the arc out of the hammer stut w/o getting it to rub the grip safety or buy one that is a tad longer assuming this one is proper length?

i ordered more parts from W Hurley but im not expecting Colt / Mil Spec quality, they have really gone down over the years in service and quality. imho

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/4880/22cropback8uc.jpg

:fp:
http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/5098/223gx.jpg

[swampertwo]

New mainspring housing time-the 20lpi checkered ones I have are drilled thru the 2nd row of checkering from the top, the Ed Brown 30lpis are on the 3rd row. Yours appears to be too low, thus causing your problem.
Jeff

[John]

Either that or a short hammer strut.

[1911Tuner]

You can't straighten the strut. It's likely the cap's pin hole mislocation, as Swamper noted, (Good call, BTW)...along with a couple more possible tolerances stacks somewhere along the line. I've corrected hammer freeplay like yours by chucking the mainspring cap in a lathe and facing about .015 inch off the top of the cap, and using a stub center drill to deepen the detent slightly...about .010 inch. With some cap designs, you may not need to use the drill.

[terabyte]

Thanks i appreciate the fast replies, the mainspring housing is out of spec as stated, the mainspring cap can not be cut enough to take up the distance, tried one of the plastic mainspring housings and it fixed that problem, however finding a flat mainspring housing that isnt beveled at the base seems like a task, most are beveled allowing the ears of the frame to protrude at base as seen in picture.

hoping maybe someone can steer me toward a housing :confused:

http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/2200/mainspringhousing8kp.jpg

[1911Tuner]

Due to the geometry involved, taking just a wee bit from the top of the cap will reduce the play a lot more than the amount of removal. Smith and Alexander flat housings aren't beveled, if you need to go that route.

[George Smith]

Well since the cover shot for the next American handgunner is taken you won't have to get the gun done in the next couple days :)

We make a longer strut from Ti, this may get you part way there. As Tuner mentioned the distance from the center of the hammer to the strut location is about 1/3 the distance from the head of the hammer so a .03 gain will equil .09 at the stop.
also consider re drilling the main spring housing retainer pin on the other side of the housing.

geo

www.egw-guns.com

[1911Tuner]

We make a longer strut from Ti, this may get you part way there. As Tuner mentioned the distance from the center of the hammer to the strut location is about 1/3 the distance from the head of the hammer so a .03 gain will equil .09 at the stop.
also consider re drilling the main spring housing retainer pin on the other side of the housing.

geo

www.egw-guns.com

Thanks for that info, George! I never have worked the math, but it seemed to be about 3:1 or so. Just for what it's worth, I've seen the same issues in
Colts too. No manufacturer is immune to tolerance stacking.

[terabyte]

Well since the cover shot for the next American handgunner is taken you won't have to get the gun done in the next couple days
Any hope for next months cover

This post along with picture was started after i cut the mainspring cap about flat leaving what looks like a center punch mark for the strut to center in.

This mainspring housing ordeal is a good example why not to buy cheap parts to save money, you think i would practice what i preach :confused:

Again thanks to all for good sound advice, its much appreciated and lead me to do a double take on the housing itself.

the center unit is the culprit, i think Sarco quality parts is where it came from ;)
http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/916/mainspringhousingcompare9tu.jpg

[Hawkmoon]

Well, I know all you high rollers love to bash Sarco's generic parts, but my personal experience is that I have not yet found a single part from Sarco that didn't just drop in and work.

I cannot, however, say the same for some parts from Chip McCormick ...

[swampertwo]

I have gotten a couple of MSH that are just barely beveled on the bottom rear edge. Chip McCormick used to make a "plastic" one that had no bevel-came down to a straight angle( I do have one of them in the parts box).
That said, they're out there.
Jeff