The Frontier Sixshooter Community Message Board - I understand the need

I understand the need (reply)

Charles — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 02:44:06 +0000

for a good hammer strike in 22 rimfires. All I can say is the Kit-Gun in the pic has had the spring replaced and has a very good, SA and DA trigger pull, about like a K frmae with stock springs, and it delivers first rate accuracy. I have had it for 30 plus years and have fired it off the bench and in competition and accuracy has not been impared.

I love my Kit Guns. (nm) (reply)

Warhawk — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 01:47:02 +0000

The Wolff spring kits are only $8 at Midway. There is a rimfire kit and a centerfire kit, but the rimfire kit only lists the 22 WMR models. I think I'm going to go with this Wolff rimfire kit, even though the 63 is 22LR maybe I'll avoid some weak strikes from the other kit.

I love my Kit Guns. (nm) (reply)

Jhenry — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 00:19:01 +0000

I have had universally good luck with Wolf springs. I have only done one J Frame though, and if a remember correctly we only swapped out the return spring in that .38 Chief's Special. I would approach the guy and probably get the lighter main spring that came in the package for nothing and send it to you but I won't speak to him. He turned out to be a rat, and the wife (it was her gun this time) turned out to be an enormous bitch. And crazy.

But enough of this stroll down memory lane. I like Wolf.

I love my Kit Guns. (nm) (reply)

Warhawk — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 23:55:05 +0000

Ya'll have convinced me to try some lighter springs in dad's 63.

Any suggestions on which springs and where to get them?

Ignition. (reply)

JLF — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 23:22:22 +0000

Word has always been that S&W builds in some liability insurance to their rimfire revolvers with some extra spring power. I never had one that didn't benefit from some lighter spring work, but it's a balance. Too far, and you can get into what uncowboy experienced. My last one was the scandium .22mag that I was all prepared to adopt for life, but the combination of the extreme light weight, and atrocious mainspring made it all but unuseable in DA mode.

JLF

I love my Kit Guns. (nm) (reply)

uncowboy — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 22:51:19 +0000

CAUTION I was given a beautiful kit gun from my mentor. I hunted with it and shot it a lot but it was not accurate . When I got it I worked at Behlerts so I let Austin do an action job where he trimed the spring It was slick But again not accurate enough for me. I would have shot 20000 more rounds from it if it was more accurate . ANYHOW My mentor is up in the years and recoil is bothering him. He asked if he could have it back and he comented on what a nice gun it was. I gave it to him and told him I could never hit anything with it . He took it to the range and when he saw the groop he knew something was wrong. He replaced the mainspring and the groops shrunk. I remember reading an article years ago about Rimfires being inaccurate when not busted hard and I long forgot it till He let me shoot it with the new spring and I tore a jagged hole at 15 yds. Did I mention I would have shot 20000 more rounds from it when I had it. Still have not replaced it but some day I will stumble on one till then the K 22 gets the rangetime. Friends don't let friends cut springs . J.Michael

I love my Kit Guns. (nm) (reply)

Boge Quinn — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 21:30:39 +0000

Living off the land (reply)

Charles — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 21:09:24 +0000

These J frames come with a coil mainspring that is very, very heavy. I replaced the one in my 1981 Kit-gun with a lighter aftermarket spring. That cured the problem of a heavy action. I think it was proably a Trapper spring, but I do not remember for certain. I may have bobed off a coil or two for that matter. At any rate, I did lighten the spring one way or another.

Living off the land (reply)

Warhawk — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 20:38:55 +0000

Very nice, I love those grips!

This one was my dad's only handgun, I drug out the other day and took this pic. I bought it for him in about 1980 and inherited it when he passed away a few years ago. I've never been able to hit anything with it, but I have thought about having the action tuned up and see if that helps.

Living off the land

Charles — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 19:54:14 +0000

I lived in Ecuador for some years and spent time in the jungle with the tribes. While there I hunted with the men for food and used a Colt Huntsman 22 autopistol. I had a long time to think about the perfect handgun for living off the land in places where no help was available except what you had on your hip. When I returned stateside I bought my perfect pistol and this is it. A stainless Smith and Wesson Kit-Gun (Model 63) and the grips are by Herrett. A real shame these things are no longer available.

If you can hold it steady enough, this pistol will produce groups as small as the larger and heaviers K-22. Not a bear gun, but I have killed 20 pound monkeys with the Huntsman, plus all kinds of birds. I once killed a tapir with a head shot. They guys had speared it and it was making quite a rukus with them.