Mark lll Sear Spring Question?

Hakaman · Post by **Hakaman** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 7:51 pm

Hello group,
The pic below show how the "sear spring" rests on the frame of the gun. You will notice a curve in the spring, fashioned by me, to keep it from slipping between the gap of the frame, easily seen by the light shining through. This can't be normal, I have to bend a spring to get the gun to work??? If I didn't bend a curve into the sear spring, the spring would slip through the crack and not function right. Can someone please fill me in on what I am missing?????

Thank you

tenex · Post by **tenex** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 8:08 pm

The sear spring presses against the pin below the sear pivot pin in the frame. It may be on the wrong side of that pin, it should be on the muzzle side.

Steve.

greener · Post by **greener** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 8:24 pm

It doesn't look as though you have the sear spring installed correctly. The picture looks like you do not have the spring on the sear pivot pin. The long leg of the sear spring should drop straight down behind he cross pin. The short leg of the spring will be up and is in the center of the grip frame away from the side. See http://www.guntalk-online.com/detailstrip.htm

Hakaman · Post by **Hakaman** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 8:45 pm

I have the long leg of the sear pin inbetween the frame and the frame pin, just as it is shown in:
"Detailed Internal Frame Parts Removal" picture#5 (enlarged)

I have had it this way for over 1000 rounds of firing. I just took it apart again to clean, and thought I should post this thread to see if anybody else had this issue.
thank you, more advice/comments will be appreciated,
haka

greener · Post by **greener** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 10:14 pm

Sorry, with my bad old eyes your pic looked like the sear wasn't installed. Went to a larger monitor and can see it a bit more clearly.

If the long leg of the sear pin slides into the crack, your sear spring is probably not installed correctly. The long leg of the sear looks like it will go into the crack, but it is loaded against the cross pin whether the hammer is cocked or uncocked. Mine looks like this with the hammer uncocked. Do you have the short leg properly on the sear?

Hakaman · Post by **Hakaman** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 11:55 pm

Great photo Greener,
That is the location of my sear pin as well, the only difference is that when I'm reassembling my gun back together, the sear pin seems to have torque towards the frame, not the pin. Otherwise, same location, between pin and frame. As I mentioned earlier, after the first 200 rds, I tore it down, put back together, and luded it. Since that time, I must have put 1500 rds through it before todays cleaning. I rebuilt it the same as today. As I was putting it back together the first time, I noticed the sear pin had slipped under the frame. I wondered how it got there? I am quite sure it slipped under the gap. So I put a slight curve in the pin to prevent it from happening again. Only thing I can think of, is that I installed the pin incorrectly to begin with, and thought it had slipped through the gap? But I put it back in the correct position and got it to slip through as I watched.After today's cleaning, and it was quite dirty, I have to say it has been remarkably reliable. It "does not fail". Each time I tear it down, I cuss a little, and threaten to sell it and get a Browning. After it's together again, I apologize to it.
thanks again, hakaman

Post by **Bullseye** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 6:37 am

The gap between the side of the frame and the back panel of the mainspring housing appears normal in size. There may be some pistols with slightly smaller gaps but your's appears about the typical width of those I've seen in the past. Sometimes while installing the spring and sear, during the detailed stripping reinstallation process, the spring will have no tension on it and can pass through the gap. But once the sear is rotated forwards and under the thumb safety hook, the tension on the sear spring's long leg will be shifted rearward to the frame cross pin. Once completely assembled, the spring will not have any forward tension, and cannot go underneath the mainspring back panel gap.

In your first picture, I can see the top of the sear, and that means its not rotated forward and under the thumb safety hook. This is why there isn't sufficient rearward tension on the sear spring's long leg to prevent it from slipping through the frame gap.

Your self made curve won't hurt the sear springs effectiveness, as long as the long leg is not bent far enough to allow the spring to move over the top of the frame cross pin.

Hope this helps.

R,
Bullseye

greener · Post by **greener** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 7:17 am

Are you detail stripping each time you clean it?

I just field strip for cleaning and do that somewhere around a 1000 rounds. Actually, if I start having some feed/ejection problems on any of my 4, I clean them all. The one pictured hasn't been detail stripped since Aug 2006. I did use some gun scrubber on it a few weeks ago.

bearandoldman · Post by **bearandoldman** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 7:56 am

I haven't detail stripped mine since I installed the VQ sears in them and that has got to beat least33 years ago. They ain't broke yet so they evidently don't need to be fixed. Wish I could get to use them, 8:00AM and we have no temperature at all. May get up to 40 this weekend, sure hope so.

greener · Post by **greener** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 12:14 pm

My detail strip on the one pictured was the installation of a VQ trigger, sear and hammer. Looked grungy in there in January, so I did the gun scrubber wash and blow dry treatment. No sure it needed it, but I feel better after the degrunging.

bearandoldman · Post by **bearandoldman** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 12:28 pm

That's about all they really ever need, brake cleaner and the air hose, a little CLP and good to go again. Damn the weather guy just said the high today may be 10F and its going down this afternoon but warming tomorrow. Should be around 40 on Saturday and Sunday but probably rain and blow something awful. Damn that groundhog, should have had the Bear chase him back in his hole. Probably wouldn't work as I did see him dispatch a few at the club over the years, nope them was woodchucks. What is the difference, not into rodent identification.

Hakaman · Post by **Hakaman** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 3:56 pm

Sorry, with my bad old eyes your pic looked like the sear wasn't installed. Went to a larger monitor and can see it a bit more clearly.

My eyes aren't that good either, and I had difficulty taking the right exposure pic. Yours is much better. My spring is located in the same space yours is. ty

Your self made curve won't hurt the sear springs effectiveness, as long as the long leg is not bent far enough to allow the spring to move over the top of the frame cross pin.

Bullseye, your knowledge and contributions to this forum are impressive, thank you. Actually, This "self imposed curve" has been like that for over 2 months/1500 rds, so it appears like it is staying in the proper location. tg. The gun has "not" misfired in that span. Another tg. lol. Now I have a reason to get the new trigger assembly avaliable from Brownell's, to replace the curved spring. In your opinion bullseye, is that a good pruchase?
ty, haka

Are you detail stripping each time you clean it?

No I'm not, I couldn't subject myself to that torture to many times. Actually, it's not that bad after a couple time. My intentions are at about every 2-3000 rds, with field strips inbetween as needed. ty

Wish I could get to use them, 8:00AM and we have no temperature at all. May get up to 40 this weekend, sure hope so.

Hey Oldman(respectfully speaking), I live just north of deeetroit, it was about 3 deg this morning here.

Probably wouldn't work as I did see him dispatch a few at the club over the years, nope them was woodchucks. What is the difference, not into rodent identification.

Hey OM, you should bring bear down here to chase out the coons/possum/and,yes, skunk that live underneath my deck. I actually caught a skunk this past summer with a live-trap. Talk about a nervous hakaman during release.

Post by **Bullseye** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 4:24 pm

Truthfully, if you want a new trigger upgrade kit then buy one. However, as your research/testing has revealed the spring works flawlessly just like it is with the bend. I don't see a reason to replace it but if you do - go for it!

R,
Bullseye

Hakaman · Post by **Hakaman** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 4:38 pm

B-eye,
I was just funning pertaining to the reason to buy the upgrade. Actually I have been considering it for a while. I just wonder if it makes a worthwhile difference in performance. In other words, is it worth the money in your opinion?
ty

Georgezilla · Post by **Georgezilla** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 4:42 pm

I'd say its worth every bit of the money.