Here are the 10 most used single-action parts, accessories, and gunsmithing tools as determined by Brownells, the biggest gunsmith supplier in the country.

I recently made the comment to another shooter that I believe most competitors in the cowboy action sport had their handguns altered in one way or the other before, or shortly after, putting them to use in the game. I backed up my statement with the logic that this sport is based on speed shooting and is inherently hard on the guns. Most of today’s single-action revolvers as sent from the factories have rather stiff actions that do not lend themselves to speed shooting right from the box. In fact, some of them come from the manufacturers so rough that trying to use them in competitive cowboy action shooting is apt to cause internal damage.

I also believe that handguns in general are more personal pieces of equipment than rifles or shotguns and most single-action revolvers being used in the cowboy sport have visited a gunsmith at one time or the other for some “personal touches.�?Historically, shooters have tended to dress up their handguns with custom grips, engraving, or other embellishments.

This train of thought inspired me to contact Brownells, the foremost gunsmith’s equipment and parts supplier in the country. There are a number of gunsmiths around the United States whose primary customer base consists of cowboy action shooters. If they are fixing, repairing, or altering cowboy action shooters�?revolvers, it’s a safe bet they obtain a great many of their parts, accessories, or tools from Brownells, Dept. ST, 200 S. Front St., Montezuma, IA 50171; www.brownells.com. I asked my contacts at Brownells if they could assemble a list for me of the top 10 items that they sell more or less specifically for the cowboy action shooter. This required some effort on their part and some arbitrary decisions as to what items were most popular. For instance, all springs had to be lumped together as one item. Otherwise, I was told, the entire top 10 list would have consisted only of different types of revolver springs. Also, some of the items were parts and accessories for the revolvers themselves while a couple were tools needed to work on the guns.
Brownells not only compiled this top 10 list, but the folks there generously assembled a package containing samples and sent it to me.

I was fortunate to have the help of my good friend Tom Sargis of Bozeman Trail Arms (Dept. ST, 28 Lake Dr., Livingston, MT 59047; e-mail: [email protected]) in this project. In only a few short years Sargis has made quite a reputation for himself working primarily on cowboy shooters�?single-action revolvers. Since he is very familiar with the internal workings of all types of single-action sixguns, Sargis was able to fill me in on the finer points of why certain items made Brownells�?top 10 list.

At this point I should caution the reader that with the exception of item No. 3 (Colt Hammer Spring Spacer) all of these springs and parts require the services of an experienced gunsmith for installation. With things like replacement grips and ejector rod housings, making a mistake during fitting results only in a cosmetic blemish. However, parts that affect the functioning of the revolver require an experienced single-action gunsmith’s services. For instance, just putting a lighter spring into a single-action revolver does not constitute an “action job.�?The lighter spring could throw the revolver’s timing completely out of kilter until other parts are likewise altered to match the new springs. That’s why a good gunsmith rechecks a revolver’s functioning after installing new parts in it.

Furthermore, it should be noted that some revolver manufacturing companies may consider their warranties voided if independent gunsmiths alter their revolvers from factory issue. If in doubt, check with your revolver’s manufacturer before having your firearm worked on.

Now let’s look at the list item by item.

1. Springs
Brownells rates springs as the most popular item for altering cowboy shooters�?sixguns. Aside from the obvious need to replace broken and worn parts, when properly installed by a gunsmith, lightweight replacement springs help lighten and smooth the functioning of single-action revolvers, which, of course, is an aid to more accurate speed shooting. The springs and spring kits Brownells offers come from a variety of manufacturers such as Heinie, Smith Enterprises, Twin Pine Armory, and Wolff Co. These springs are made for Old and New Model Ruger single actions, Colt Single Action Armys, and the many types of Colt SAA clones. Individual springs, such as the Colt SAA leaf-type trigger and bolt spring (the single most broken spring in a traditional-type single action), can be purchased. And several companies, including Heinie and Wolff, are making music wire replacements for those old-fashioned leaf springs. They are lighter and more durable than leaf springs. Sargis tells me he puts a music wire trigger and bolt spring in almost every action job he does on traditional-type SAs. Another very common replacement spring is the leaf-type mainspring of Colt and clone SAs. Standard factory springs are usually very heavy. A lighter replacement makes cocking the hammer much easier.

Brownells also sells kits of springs to completely replace every spring in a single-action revolver. This even includes the ejector rod spring, which can become mushy with age and use.

Cowboy shooters not only want to swap out springs in traditional-type single actions. Brownells says that replacement spring sets for Ruger single actions are popular. For instance, the No. RSA-107 Pro-Spring Kit comes with 17-, 18-, and 19-pound hammer springs. (Ruger factory springs are 23 pounds.) These lighter hammer springs enable the gunsmith to select the best feel for an individual revolver and can reduce the weight of the revolver’s hammer pull by up to 25 percent. Brownells�?revolver springs and spring kits range in price from $6.75 to $23.99 depending on the model.

2. Grips
Item No. 1 dealt strictly with revolver function. Item No. 2 concerns cosmetics more than function. I’ve never known a cowboy action shooter who did not want his revolver to look good, and Sargis tells me that a significant portion of his business is in making single-action grips. It was not a surprise when Brownells told me that replacement grips were very popular, with ivory polymer being at the top of the list.

The package of sample grips sent by Brownells included Ajax’s ivory polymer and Pearlite types for Ruger Vaqueros and Vintage Industries’s hard rubber replacements for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Generation Colt SAAs. However, one type of grips that surprised me were the Vintage Industries hard rubber grips for Ruger Vaqueros and Bisley-Vaqueros ($22.20 and $25.45 respectively). Put a set of those on a Vaquero and from a few feet away it is hard to tell it from a Colt SAA

One word of warning here. Replacement grips for single-action revolvers almost never just fall into place with a perfect fit. This is due to the vast amount of variables in manufacture. So when purchasing a set of replacement grips, be prepared to have them fitted to your individual single action. Grips for single actions offered by Brownells range in price from $22.20 to $40.

3. Colt Hammer Spring Spacer
I must admit to being very surprised by the third item on the Brownells list. Back in the 1960s Shooting Times Handgun Editor Skeeter Skelton often mentioned putting a pad of leather between a Colt SAA’s mainspring and the grip frame. It cushioned the spring and changed its angle slightly resulting in a lightened hammer pull and often a lighter trigger pull. This was sort of a poor man’s action job. I know for I had leather pads under all my Colt SAA mainsprings back in those days. However, as the instruction sheet accompanying Brownells�?Colt Hammer Spring Spacer points out, leather attracts moisture and will cause rust on both the spring and grip frame. Brownells�?neoprene spacer prevents that and still serves the same purpose as the leather pad that Skeeter told so many of us about. A package of two Colt Hammer Spring Spacers sells for $4.07.

4. Hand Slot Stoning Kit
Item No. 4 should be done by the professional gunsmith only. It is a kit containing three stones for smoothing up the hand slot of the Colt SAA and its clones. These slots are often rough with machining marks. The stones are used to make them glass smooth, which also translates to that slick feel a professionally tuned revolver has. Interestingly, when reading the instructions accompanying Brownells�?Hand Slot Stoning Kit, I saw that credit was given to my friend Eddie Janis of Peacemaker Specialists for helping design the kit and write the instructions for it. The kit sells for $42.61.

5. Ruger Gate Spring Clamp
Item No. 5 is again for the gunsmith, and I admit to being mystified when first looking at it. I had to ask Sargis just exactly what the Ruger Gate Spring Clamp is.

He laughed and said, “Even Ruger says a third hand is helpful in dismantling one of the New Model single actions. This clamp is it.�?

According to the instructions, the Brownells Ruger Gate Spring Clamp “gives the gunsmith a convenient means to depress the loading gate spring to allow the easy removal and insertion of the trigger pivot pin.�?

Please note that the Ruger Gate Spring Clamp is not needed for regular maintenance and cleaning. It is only required by a gunsmith who desires to totally dismantle the revolver.

Brownells�?Ruger Gate Spring Clamp retails for $19.45.

6. Ejector Rod Housings
With item No. 6, we again return to cosmetics. One factor concerning Ruger single actions of both New Model and Old Model styles that many revolver shooters have never warmed up to is the company’s use of aluminum alloy for the ejector rod housings. As such, Brownells sells a considerable number of replacement steel ejector rod housings for Ruger single actions. The ones forwarded to me were manufactured by Story’s Machine Co. of Silver City, New Mexico, and Q.P.R. Co. of Denver, Colorado. These steel ejector rod housings come blued but may require the services of a gunsmith’s files and stones to make them fit individual revolvers properly. They sell for from $25 to $39.95 depending on model.

7. Ejector Rods
Item No. 7 works in conjunction with item No. 6, and it is a steel ejector rod with crescent-shaped finger button for Ruger single actions. Ruger’s ejector rods have small nubbins that do not appeal to many cowboy action shooters who must reload under the clock. The larger heads on these replacement rods are much more positive to grasp. The ones sent to me by Brownells were produced by the Q.P.R. Co. and come in both blued and stainless steel. The price is $34.95 for either blued or stainless.

8. Oversize Base Pins
Sargis and I both got a chuckle when we got to item No. 8. It is an oversize replacement base pin for all varieties of single-action revolvers. The cause for our mirth is that these pins are made here in Montana by Belt Mountain Enterprises. In fact, Sargis is doing the blueing for Belt Mountain Enterprises.

A very common problem with all sorts of single-action revolvers is that they tend to shed their base pins. This means that they work forward during recoil. The problem arises from loose tolerances. The special Belt Mountain pins fit tighter and eliminate the problem. Belt Mountain oversize base pins are made for Old and New Model Rugers and Colt SAAs and its clones. They come in both stainless and blued steel. These pins may require some minor fitting, but I know from personal experience that they are a worthwhile addition. Several of my Colt SAAs with the shed base pin syndrome now have been cured by means of the Belt Mountain replacements. Brownells lists these base pins for from $21.95 to $26.61 depending on the version.

9. Powers Custom Trigger Kit
Item No. 9 got my immediate attention. My traditionally trained hands always search for a halfcock notch on Ruger New Model single actions, but due to the design of the action there is none there. In other words, I usually fumble with them for a moment before remembering how they work. The Ruger Trigger Kit from Powers Custom Inc. contains a new hammer, trigger, and all necessary plungers, springs, and pivot pins to give a New Model Ruger single action a halfcock notch. The accompanying instructions even say that the altered action will give three clicks as the hammer is cocked just as traditional single actions always have had. (Standard Ruger single actions have two clicks.) This literature also says the new hammer and trigger are of RC56-58 steel, deeply casehardened, and are precision cut on EDM and CNC machinery. Adding the Powers kit does not negate the Ruger transfer bar safety system.

Several years ago friend Hank Williams Jr. presented me with a custom Ruger New Model .41 Magnum as a birthday gift. It is my only New Model Ruger, and I am forever fumbling with it during shooting sessions. As this is being written, Sargis is installing the Powers Ruger Trigger Kit in it for me.

Brownells sells the Powers Custom Ruger Trigger Kit for $159.95.

10. Powers Custom Free Spin Pawl
Item No. 10 also comes from Powers Custom, and I have seen Ruger New Model shooters at cowboy matches using revolvers altered with it without even realizing it. The Powers Custom Free Spin Pawl is a replacement hand that allows the cylinders of New Model Rugers to be rotated both clockwise and counter-clockwise when the loading gate is open. Of course, when the revolver is being fired, the cylinder rotates in the usual clockwise manner. The addition of this free spin pawl allows the cylinder to rotate in either direction during the loading process. Cowboy shooters like this because during loading instead of rotating the mandatory empty chamber a full 360 degrees to bring it under the hammer, they can rotate the cylinder back one chamber and then close the loading gate. The empty chamber is then directly under the hammer as dictated by safety rules. The Powers Custom Free Spin Pawl for Ruger revolvers goes for $34.95.

Well, there you have them—today’s 10 most used single action parts, accessories, and gunsmithing tools as determined by the biggest gunsmith supplier. Cowboy shooters feel that some of these items are necessary for improved performance with their competition sixguns while others just make them into nicer looking revolvers. And a few of the items make life easier for the gunsmiths doing single action work. Collectively, all 10 items help turn factory-produced guns into special personalized ones.