Colt Lightning .22 rifle, who has mainsprings?

Fushigi Ojisan · May 22, 2021

Picked up a small-frame Colt Lightning at the MD Arms Collector Show that needed some work, and just when I thought I had it all buttoned up....

Range trip revealed I was getting light hammer strikes and iffy ignition. Since everything else is clean, it looks like I need a new mainspring.

The problem is "the ususal suspects" are sold out, and it looks like eBay and Gunbroker don't really have anything.

So I was hoping the collective wisdom of this board could help me out.

Thanks

Doco Overboard · May 22, 2021

A real gunsmith who knows how to anneal re- harden and temper springs would make short work of it.
How man cycles you get out of it is another story.
You may get enough to be able to find or have another spring made.

Fushigi Ojisan · May 22, 2021

I did see a couple of sites selling reproductions, but they were sold out.

I've used Wisnersinc.com for other stuff, they don't have Colt Lightning parts.

I am curious, one site stated the mainspring was the same regardless of frame size. If this can be verified, that might help me out a bit

TheOriginalMexicanBob · May 22, 2021

Join the Colt Forum...someone there might be of help.

Fushigi Ojisan · May 24, 2021

Just a personal preference on my part: I really don't like joining message boards to ask a question and then just lurk.

Anyone on the Colt Forums want to help out?

MADad · May 24, 2021

Try Curtis Brothers. I believe they are in Warrenton, VA. I’d be surprised if they couldn’t help you.

Fushigi Ojisan · May 24, 2021

MADad said:
Try Curtis Brothers. I believe they are in Warrenton, VA. I’d be surprised if they couldn’t help you.

Thanks, have contact info?

Sent from my SM-T820 using Tapatalk

Fushigi Ojisan · May 27, 2021

Finding lots of parts online EXCEPT the mainspring, and every place with reproductions has sold out.

TheOriginalMexicanBob · May 27, 2021

Try Jack First...they have a good name among Colt people for new parts. https://jackfirstinc.com/colt-1877-double-action-lightning-mainspring-1-39?search=colt%20lightning

MADad · May 27, 2021

I had told you Curtis Brothers. I was wrong, it is Clark Brothers. They are in Warrenton. I needed a mainspring for a first model dragoon years ago and they actually had one in stock! They have been in business for many years. http://clarkbrosguns.com/

Fushigi Ojisan · May 30, 2021

TheOriginalMexicanBob said:
Try Jack First...they have a good name among Colt people for new parts. https://jackfirstinc.com/colt-1877-double-action-lightning-mainspring-1-39?search=colt%20lightning

Not quite. That is for a Colt revolver also called "Lightning" this is the 1887 rifle.

I must be the only one in the universe with a bad experience from Jack First Gun Parts. I ordered screws for a Stevens Favorite and none of them fit; in all fairness they did offer to try and match my old ones (which they couldn't) then refunded my purchase. So I can't complain too much.

Have an email into Clark Brothers

Fushigi Ojisan · May 31, 2021

Someone else asked me on another board I thought I would post this here:

The rightmost is a spent casing, the rest did not ignite, note the one of the left went through twice.

They were questioning the firing pin protrusion, given the wear it might have been possible the bronze firing pin got flattened a bit. The indentation tells me that it it hit, and the one that went off was rather deep, so I'm still sticking with this bring a mainspring issue.

I guess during the pandemic a lot of Lightning owners decided to restore theirs, no wonder I can't find any parts.

Pinecone · Jun 1, 2021

A good gunsmith should be able to either re-temper the one you have, or make a new one.

Somebody made it in the first place.

Fushigi Ojisan · Jun 3, 2021

What I found in my wanderings around the Internet are that reproduction parts were made (if not a whole Lightning clone) but those parts, like everyone else, is sold out.

I am tempted to find another hammer, and then see if there is some way to adapt it to use the coil spring and strut from a Stevens Favorite.

Fushigi Ojisan · Jun 7, 2021

Clark Brothers was a dead-end, they had a spring but it wasn't correct, and no firing pin at all.

Here is how it works function-wise

Fushigi Ojisan · Jun 8, 2021

Have another update/lead on the problem: Headspace.

On the recommendation of someone who is an absolute guru with pump-action .22s, I loaded up a shell casing, held the forearm firmly forward, and fired. It left a nice deep dent.

I also put a spent casing to the micrometer: The unfired one was consistently .224-225" all the way to the mouth; the fired one started at .225 and went to .233 at the mouth.

So now its possible the suspect is a very worn barrel.

The other recommendation was to put a washer or shim under the mainspring to give it a bit more lift.

Doco Overboard · Jun 8, 2021

It would be very likely that the mainspring conversion would be more work than just finding some one to re temper the spring. Or even doing it your self for that matter. Even then if a repair isn't done correctly the modifications needed more than likely create a condition that's harder to remedy if not carefully thought out and executed properly in the first place.
Firing pin can be sectioned, then lengthened to spec, Or even annealed peened to lengthen a very short amount, and then carefully ground to strike the rim in the appropriate manner.
Based on your pictures, and it's hard to tell, but it looks like the pin where it strikes the rim could be improved.
Fixing that first would more than likely alleviate the low order of ignition your experiencing.
Once you are sure firing pin strike is correct, worry about the spring afterwards as long as it's not broken.

Fushigi Ojisan · Jun 10, 2021

So your take is that the firing pin is a bit off? Makes sense since the bolt is a reproduction, so either the original firing pin doesn't like its new home, or its new/reproduction as well and a hair out-of-spec.

Its a shame reproduction firing pins are made of unobtanium.

Colt Lightning .22 rifle, who has mainsprings?

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

Ultimate Member

Attachments

Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member

Member

Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member

Member

Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member

Attachments

Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member

Attachments

Users who are viewing this thread

Log in

Forum statistics