doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com High Wall action type preference

One of my new years resolutions is to clean up the various boxes of parts around here and make them into complete functional actions. One of those boxes contains a complete (from parts) high wall action with a not so good flat spring hammer. Since I am going to need a new hammer anyway, is there any functional or other preference for one type or the other: flat spring or coil? Is it possible or desirable to use both: coil for ignition, flat for the lever/block?
Thanks, and happy new year!

It is possible to use both period. I do on my .22. You need a coil spring block (for the spring holes) and a flatspring hammer and then both will operate simultaneously.

Brent

It is possible but not absolutely necessary and actually could be considered somewhat wasteful under some circumstances. I've often used a coil spring hammer with a flat spring lever and no flat spring, simply by timing the action properly so that the FP retraction action has all its lost motion removed. Simple and effective and relatively foolproof; very important in my case (G). Since this is SOP anyway on all the wall actions I rebuild, practically all my rifles could utilize only the coil mainspring if necessary, without suffering any lever droop.

Many single shot smiths don't seem to be aware of this action-timing procedure or else don't think it important, but I do. A properly-timed action is one of the very best preventives for broken firing pins, often a recurring problem with some walls. In the past I've addressed part of this action-timing procedure in a couple of articles in the ASSRA Journal, but I didn't expand them to specifically cover the use of a coil spring hammer with a leaf spring lever. It's probably worth another article.
Regards, Joe

My buddy FITZ tells me he found that he had unexplained lowering of his scores when he took the "un-necessary" coil spring off of his "double spring" offhand rifle. As BrentD mentions, this does work very well (sometimes.) Also, the coil spring seems to be the more durable type... I've never seen a coil spring break in operation, but a flat spring is a constant opportunity for a break, it seems.

I still like the flat spring action better because it is so much easier to disassemble (and more importantly, REassemble!) but in "bench sessions" with the likes of JD, Glenn Fewless, and others, I am slowly being converted to the idea that I ought to change my way of thinking.

Froggie

I don't think you need to change Froggie, and while I don't have vast experience, I surely prefer flat spring actions and have never seen a broken flat spring.
Near as I can tell, the only reason for a coil spring was the original one, to make a take-down.
Steve

I have seen several broken flat springs partially repaired but didn't know the circumstances. Have actually SEEN only one broken flat spring where I knew the reason and in that particular case it was brute force applied improperly during assembly. I suspect that they break somewhat more frequently than the coil ones but I myself have never seen or heard of either one breaking in normal usage. I use a leather pad under all mine.

I personally do not and normally will not use coil spring receivers although I do use their hammers on occasion. Just me, no other compelling reason.
Regards, Joe