Increasing the trigger pull on a Uberti 1873 Cattleman revolver.

[jeff43]

I bought a 357 Uberti 1873 cattleman revolver this week off of a guy.It's not been shot much,less than 50 rounds. I've put around 100 through it in a couple of days. Anyway the trigger is way to light for me,2 lbs..What do I need to change to get a little heavier trigger?I've worked on a little or everything except revolvers.I guess it came from the factory this way , he said he hadn't changed anything.

[Joe357]

If nothing was changed or modified like the sear for example, you may just need to put a heavier rebound spring in.

[jeff43]

If nothing was changed or modified like the sear for example, you may just need to put a heavier rebound spring in.

Is that the same thing as the main spring?

[Joe357]

The mainspring is the spring that is used to force the hammer down onto the firing pin. The heavier it is the harder the hammer will hit the firing pin. Keep in mind we are talking about a single action revolver so you are cocking the hammer. The mainspring is really not your problem unless you are getting light hits or putting holes in the primer cap. The rebound spring(sear/bolt spring)can either increase the pull weight of the trigger or decrease it. These springs can be ordered from midway, Brownell's to name a few. Wolf makes excellent springs. Edited April 20, 2014 by joe45

[jeff43]

Thanks for the info,that helps me a lot. I looked in my Brownells catalog, but didn't see a rebound spring for a Uberti.I'll check on the Wolff spring website.
Thanks

[Joe357]

I think they are called sear/bolt springs for your revolver.

Also, I was at Nashville armory a few weeks ago and they had a new one that I tried. The trigger pull was a lot more then 2 pounds, closer to 5 or 6 pounds as a guess since I didn't have a trigger pull gauge with me. I would think something was changed to bring it down that much. I would also get a mainspring just in case it was also changed. Edited April 20, 2014 by joe45

[Lowpower]

The trigger pull spring is located under the trigger housing. It's made of flat spring steel and is held in place by a small screw. 

While I've never heard of anyone trying to make the trigger pull heavier (I bought a lighter spring so I could run it faster) you can

check with Wolfe Springs to see if they might have a heavy spring kit.  You can also take a look at this nice website about 

slick in up a Cattleman.... http://www.gunblast.com/JimTaylor_Uberti.htm

 

MInes a .45 and it went from brand new two yeas ago to around 1894 or so :)....

 

[url=http://s587.photobucket.com/user/ren1795/media/u1_zps15d7fdbe.jpg.html][/URL]

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Ain't that a nice ole gun?  Now show us yours!   :)

Edited April 20, 2014 by Lowpower

[jeff43]

The trigger pull spring is located under the trigger housing. It's made of flat spring steel and is held in place by a small screw. 
While I've never heard of anyone trying to make the trigger pull heavier (I bought a lighter spring so I could run it faster) you can
check with Wolfe Springs to see if they might have a heavy spring kit.  You can also take a look at this nice website about 
slick in up a Cattleman.... http://www.gunblast.com/JimTaylor_Uberti.htm
 
MInes a .45 and it went from brand new two yeas ago to around 1894 or so :)....
 


 
Ain't that a nice ole gun?  Now show us yours!   :)

Nice! Mine is just a little to light for me.I got my trigger pull scale out and it's 2 lbs.It feels lighter than that!

[Lowpower]

Oops almost forgot and its kinda important.  When you look at how to take your pistol apart on that slicking up a Cattleman website

make sure when you get to the part about pulling the the cylinder hand spring you take it slow. One second the spring is there the next 

it's in the neighbors back yard and it's an itty bitty spring. It's not that the spring will launch itself next door but it is so small if you don't know

it's there then for all practical purposes it's in the next County. The new Cattle man uses this spring while the older ones had a hand spring like the 

Colt's.

 

I lost my spring and made a new one out of an ink pen. I just took it and wound it tight so it was smaller and would fit nicely. 

I then cut it to my liking which was to ensure positive lockup each time the hand rotates the cylinder. I cut it so it was a little bit lighter and 

it spins like a Colt now.   NOTE: this is a last resort if you lose that dang hand spring. Stick with what you got since you like everything a 

lil bit firmer. 

Edited April 20, 2014 by Lowpower

[Joe357]

I asked that same question, why make it heavier? 2 lbs pull would make for a nice range gun, maybe you should not make changes, just shoot it a few times and see if you get use to it. Remember you don't have to worry about double taps since it is single action or over pulling the trigger (pulling off target) as some people do with heavier triggers pulls.

[jeff43]

I asked that same question, why make it heavier? 2 lbs pull would make for a nice range gun, maybe you should not make changes, just shoot it a few times and see if you get use to it. Remember you don't have to worry about double taps since it is single action or over pulling the trigger (pulling off target) as some people do with heavier triggers pulls.

It just feels dangerous to me.2 lbs. is good on a bolt action rifle, but on a handgun I don't know. I have a Ruger Blackhawk that I'm guessing is about 4lbs.I've never measured it , but I'm going to to compare.I did find those springs in Brownells ,thanks.

[Joe357]

It just feels dangerous to me.2 lbs. is good on a bolt action rifle, but on a handgun I don't know. I have a Ruger Blackhawk that I'm guessing is about 4lbs.I've never measured it , but I'm going to to compare.I did find those springs in Brownells ,thanks.

I have two blackhawks. I was at the range yesterday with my 6.5 " 357 /9mm convertible blued one. I was shooting 38's this time. The next time I shoot it I will change the cylinder and shoot 9mm. That would be the end of May sometime based on my current rotation.

[jeff43]

I shoot 38's out of mine and my lever rifles too about 90% of the time.

[Guest kingarmory]

I would have the trigger checked by a gunsmith since its a used gun.  Sometimes Bubba tries his hand at a trigger job and ends up cutting the sear with a negative angle and you end up having a gun that can go off unexpectedly.

[Westwindmike]

With the hammer cocked(empty gun!!!) see if you can push the hammer forward. If so you have a problem.

[jeff43]

With the hammer cocked(empty gun!!!) see if you can push the hammer forward. If so you have a problem.

I checked that , and it won't push forward.I checked my Blackhawk and it's 3.5 lbs.

[Lowpower]

A light trigger should not be an issue on a SA Cowboy gun. They're meant to be light and crisp on the break. Since you have to manually draw back the hammer to cock and 

shoot the gun the only time you have to worry about a light trigger is when you want to shoot it and then you did everything to do just that. 

 

Three other things I forgot to mention if yer new to SA Cowboy guns. 

1)  Cattlemen have no blocker bars. Always load 5 and leave the hammer on the empty cylinder. The load sequence is;

load one, skip one, load the other 4, fully cock and lower the hammer on the empty chamber.

2)  Never dry fire a Cowboy gun with a protruding firing pin. They can break.

3) If you push the cylinder pin in too far it will prevent the gun from firing as it blocks the hammer from falling all the way.

 

Lp.

Edited April 20, 2014 by Lowpower

[Joe357]

I checked that , and it won't push forward.I checked my Blackhawk and it's 3.5 lbs.

Then I would say the trigger and sear weren't screwed up which is a good thing.

IMO the person you bought the gun from changed the springs to lighten the trigger pull. If you order the new springs and you are not comfortable changing them, bring your gun to a gunsmith and have them change them for you. It should only cost you a few bucks to have it done and have him/her check the entire gun out. I would also call uberti cs to get the factory spring weights if you can't find that information.

[Joe357]

Lowpower is correct, unless your gun has a transfer bar. If it does you can load all 6 chambers. What the transfer bar does is prevent/block the hammer from hitting the firing pin if you drop the gun for example. When you pull the trigger the transfer bar is released allowing the hammer to hit the firing pin.

[jeff43]

According to the manual,it has a safety thing built in to the hammer to prevent it from firing if dropped. You can pulled up the manual on Uberti's website. It has 3 hammer positions. 1st click is the safety,2nd click is half cock to rotate the cylinder for loading/ unloading , 3rd is to fire.Somebody let me know if this is wrong.

[Lowpower]

jeff43 you are not wrong but that safety is lawyer speak for, "it's gotta have it or you will be sued" but they break fairly easy. If the hammer slams forward on it it will break. A lot of the cowboy guys remove them. I left mine in and figured I'd just be careful not to drop the hammer on it. 

 

I probably still have my original hammer springs laying around here somewhere. I'm also pretty sure they are comparable between the .357 and .45 as the trigger assembly is the same. Just the barrel and cylinder are different sizes, I have a matched pair of open 1860's in .45 Scholfield. I had called Wolfe and asked them if they sold spring kits for the open tops. They said they only sold Cattleman spring kits.  I took my Cattleman and 1860 apart and compared the hammer springs. They were exactly the same springs. I have no idea why they say they don't carry them except maybe the other springs don't work. I plan to slick up the pair of 1860's this summer since they're definitely a lil slower than the Cattleman.

 

The open tops looks like this old gun I sold. This was the same but in .38/357. I wanted the larger caliber.

 

***NOTE: Edited to clarify what I said above....I would suggest you DO NOT rely on that 1st click safety. As I originally said I rest my hammer on an empty chamber and

IMHO anytime I see a pin that can stick into the chamber and onto a primer then I treat that gun like it has no safety.***

 

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Edited April 20, 2014 by Lowpower

[jeff43]

jeff43 you are not wrong but that safety is lawyer speak for, "it's gotta have it or you will be sued" but they break fairly easy. If the hammer slams forward on it it will break. A lot of the cowboy guys remove them. I left mine in and figured I'd just be careful not to drop the hammer on it.

I probably still have my original hammer springs laying around here somewhere. I'm also pretty sure they are comparable between the .357 and .45 as the trigger assembly is the same. Just the barrel and cylinder are different sizes, I have a matched pair of open 1860's in .45 Scholfield. I had called Wolfe and asked them if they sold spring kits for the open tops. They said they only sold Cattleman spring kits. I took my Cattleman and 1860 apart and compared the hammer springs. They were exactly the same springs. I have no idea why they say they don't carry them except maybe the other springs don't work. I plan to slick up the pair of 1860's this summer since they're definitely a lil slower than the Cattleman.

The open tops looks like this old gun I sold. This was the same but in .38/357. I wanted the larger caliber.

***NOTE: Edited to clarify what I said above....I would suggest you DO NOT rely on that 1st click safety. As I originally said I rest my hammer on an empty chamber and
IMHO anytime I see a pin that can stick into the chamber and onto a primer then I treat that gun like it has no safety.***


r

I guess it will a lot safer to carry it on a empty chamber when I carry it.
Thanks Edited April 21, 2014 by jeff43

[Lowpower]

I shoot 38's out of mine and my lever rifles too about 90% of the time.

Speaking of lever guns...whacha got? I went crazy the other day and traded my 1957 Anshutz Hunter .22 with double set triggers for this....

 

[url=http://s587.photobucket.com/user/ren1795/media/l9_zpsd0a99716.jpg.html][/URL]

 

It's an 1892 in .45 Colt. After getting it the guy god me he bought it new and had never fired it. I had planned on using it for 200 yds shoots since this model had the 

strong action but after thinking it over I'm going to sell it since it is a collector rifle. I figured I can get another 1892 that's a shooter and let some collector buy it before someone calls sacrilige to shoot it. If I don't sell it then i can shoot it feeling free of all the folks calling FOUL!  :D

It will go up on here and arms list tonight after i get some more pics. I take lousy pics...

 

It's one of those America Remembers Rifle.   http://www.americaremembers.com/product/lawmen-outlaws-of-the-wild-west-tribute-rifle/

lp

Edited April 21, 2014 by Lowpower

[jeff43]

I have a Rossi M92 357,a Rossi Ranch Hand in 357, and a Uberti 1873 rifle. The Rossi rifle has a 16" barrel, and the Uberti has a 20"

[Lowpower]

the 1873...what cal? .45? If so, it holds 8 rounds since it's a carbine?

 

I need 10 rounds and I wish they had a little bit more strength. If you look at your action on the 1873 it has a small bolt which is much weaker than the 1892.

They're fine out to 100 yds but fall off a bit when you start stretching it out. They sure are fine, short stroked when yer trying to knock out 10 rounds in 

5 seconds or less.

Edited April 21, 2014 by Lowpower