Help with a 1870s Iver Johnson revolver?

[whatevah]

A friend of mine gave me two guns to clean last week, one a 1917 manufacture Colt M1903 (nice!) and the other is a Iver Johnson Defender model (.22 short, 7rd cylinder). It had a stuck trigger and very very very stiff hammer spring. No issues with complete teardown of the Colt, but I got in over my head on the Defender. Removed the hammer spring to clean off the rust and a tiny spring fell out... This doesn't open up like a modern revolver so all access to the action is through the opening in the grip.

any advice (other than finding a real gunsmith, I'm working on it) would be appreciated. I'm not having any luck finding diagrams.

 

[Chaunsey]

good luck, i dunno anything about these so im not much help.


i do however know how revolvers innards can be a PITA.


when i first got my enfield revolver, it took it completely down, and i ended up losing a tiny spring in it, stupid thing went flying across the room, i could have spent hours with a magnet and mvoing furniture around and still not find it.

instead i took apart a turkish mauser rear sight slider, and sure enough, the little springs that give the side buttons tension were perfect, so i have a british revolver with 1 turkish spring in it and no one but me would ever be able to tell if i didnt tell you

 

[whatevah]

Thanks

I've successfully taken apart a bit of a S&W Model 10 and my J-frame but the right side cover comes off the frame so you have easy access. For this old thing, the only access is through the grip where the hammer spring is. I gather than the hammer drops in vertically but there's something attached to it preventing it from coming out so I can even completely disassemble to get a better idea of what goes where.

I found a book that *might* have diagrams in it... if I can't figure it out or find a gunsmith that can, I'll buy the book. http://www.amazon.com/Iver-Johnson-Cycle-Firearms-1871-1993/dp/0978708601/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_1_445N I should clarify that the spring that fell out, landed on the cardboard I use to soak up the excess oil. So, all parts are accounted for, I just can't see inside it to know where it goes.

 

[TrevorWills]

It looks similar in design to an old S&W .32 I worked on a few months back (of course with the exception that its a .22 derringer) I am assuming that the hammer spring is in the form of a thin piece of steel. The spring should be part of the hammer release system. If could you send me a picture of inside the grip I may be of some assistance.

 

[august1410]

I hate to send a member to another forum, but there are a tremendous amount of Iver Johnson/H&R experts at "The Firearms Forum" (Yeah, it's called that.) If you can't find any help here, I am sure someone there could help you.