I have never attempted that type of procedure myself. I would call the owner of Steve’s Gunz at (512) 564-1015…he is an expert regarding R92’s.

 

I thinned the edges of mine. When the loading gate is laying flat the gate at the front then the spring with the hole to attach to the rifle, make the spring look hourglass like. Helps a bunch.

 

Thanks for your help

 

What Ford said above...

If you bend the spring on the loading gate, it may end up out of position and not be ablle to hold the next round in the magazine.

Instead thin the spring. Use a stone and thin the spring from top to bottom and from bottom to top. Make the "hourglass" as gradual and as long as you can. No sharp corners, no notches, or it may snap. Just a smooth long curve.

I've done this for several of my Marlins.

 

I did not know whether that might go through some type of hardening that Rossi might use.
Anyway to make sure I do this correctly just thin it with a small amount keeping in mind a slight hourglass shape FROM TOP TO BOTTOM and BOTTOM TO TOP

NOT FROM SIDE TO SIDE

RIGHT?

 

The springs are tempered, but don't have a hardened layer. (Unlike trigger sears, which often do have a thin hardened layer) They are essentially the same hardness all the way through. Just don't heat it past what you can touch while grinding.

There are potentially two ways to lighten a flat spring, such as this one.
It can be ground thinner and otherwise keeping the same shape. This isn't as easy as the other way.

Make the flat more narrow, by grinding it into a wasp waist shape. I used a Dremel on mine with a sanding drum. Grind it until the width is about 1/3 the original width and be sure to make it as long and as gentle a curve as possible.
Like this.... )(

This is way easier than trying to thin the flat. Slightly round the sharp edges when you're done.

 

The springs are tempered, but don't have a hardened layer. (Unlike trigger sears, which often do have a thin hardened layer) They are essentially the same hardness all the way through. Just don't heat it past what you can touch while grinding.

There are potentially two ways to lighten a flat spring, such as this one.
It can be ground thinner and otherwise keeping the same shape. This isn't as easy as the other way.

Make the flat more narrow, by grinding it into a wasp waist shape. I used a Dremel on mine with a sanding drum. Grind it until the width is about 1/3 the original width and be sure to make it as long and as gentle a curve as possible.
Like this.... )(

This is way easier than trying to thin the flat. Slightly round the sharp edges when you're done.

Well I still have some Questions and some Pics for you and fordwannabe
The first Pic is the inside the reciever pic

The second pic is the outside of the reciever pic

So the flat part of the spring is what I put the Hourglass shape into?

If so how far toward the actual loading do I take the Hourglass shape,I do not actually want to go up into the loading gate itself do I ?
And how far do I want to go down toward the screw hole,I do not want to get into the actuall raised thickness around the screwhole do I ? ,

Thank you much Guy's,I appreciate it

 

Not sure how much if any of the flat shows through the loading gate on your Henry. But start the curve beyond where it will show. Say no more than 1/4" back from the round part. And on the screw end, the same distance--about 1/4". Make it a sweep. You want the curve to be as long as will fit; not just the width of the stone of the sanding drum.

I'd thin it symmetrically, from both sides (top and bottom as it would be in the installed position). You don't want sharp corners or notches, since cracks tend to start at sharp corners--that's why you make it wasp waist.

The spring will bend the most during use, at the narrowest spot (the middle), but will have a some bend along the entire length. I'd grind it with a Dremel using either a stone or a sanding disc and take off about 1/16" from both sides then test it. If it's still too stiff, take off a little more. I'd stop when the center (narrowest part was 1/2 to 1/3 the original width. (I'm just guessing here, but I think that taking it down by 1/2 will be enough for you.) Touch up the edges so they're not sharp. If it gets too hot to hold, take a break and let it cool.

Then use cold blue on the bare metal faces and re-install. I'd use a drop of blue locktite or at least nail polish to help hold the screw in place. Don't use red locktite (permanent).

You can probably test the springiness just holding it in your hands without re-installing it. You want it to flex--so it goes back to the original shape--not bend it. You want it to stay flat, not put a set into it.

I'm away from my rifles now for a few weeks. So I can't show you a photo.

Don't be greedy. Don't try to make it too easy. Don't take off too much. It's a lot easier to take metal off than to put it back on.

Good luck.

 

Not sure how much if any of the flat shows through the loading gate on your Henry. But start the curve beyond where it will show. Say no more than 1/4" back from the round part. And on the screw end, the same distance--about 1/4". Make it a sweep. You want the curve to be as long as will fit; not just the width of the stone of the sanding drum.

I'd thin it symmetrically, from both sides (top and bottom as it would be in the installed position). You don't want sharp corners or notches, since cracks tend to start at sharp corners--that's why you make it wasp waist.

The spring will bend the most during use, at the narrowest spot (the middle), but will have a some bend along the entire length. I'd grind it with a Dremel using either a stone or a sanding disc and take off about 1/16" from both sides then test it. If it's still too stiff, take off a little more. I'd stop when the center (narrowest part was 1/2 to 1/3 the original width. (I'm just guessing here, but I think that taking it down by 1/2 will be enough for you.) Touch up the edges so they're not sharp. If it gets too hot to hold, take a break and let it cool.

Then use cold blue on the bare metal faces and re-install. I'd use a drop of blue locktite or at least nail polish to help hold the screw in place. Don't use red locktite (permanent).

You can probably test the springiness just holding it in your hands without re-installing it. You want it to flex--so it goes back to the original shape--not bend it. You want it to stay flat, not put a set into it.

I'm away from my rifles now for a few weeks. So I can't show you a photo.

Don't be greedy. Don't try to make it too easy. Don't take off too much. It's a lot easier to take metal off than to put it back on.

Good luck.

OK
I will probably just wait till you get back in a couple of weeks so I can look at the Rossi 92 Loading gate though,that will help a lot.

Thank you much

 

make sure after taking the material off also that you smooth it and have no grinding marks to allow any stress fractures or breaking points.

 

Yes I will
I am just waiting for HIkayaker to get back to his guns so he can show me some picks of his Rossi Loading gate,I will feel better about working on my loading Gate once I see a pic of someone's rossi 92 loading gate that has been modified this way.
Thank's

 

I bought another R92 in 357/38 this last weekend. The gate was so stiff I ended up taking it out and hour glassed one side of the gate spring. Took the resistance down about 50 percent. Much better. Sorry, no pictures. Much better and easier to load.

 

Thanks
If you decide to take it out for whatever reason I sure would appreciate a Pic of it.

 

Guys, new owner of an r92 16" .38/.357, and want to do the hour glass thinning on the load gate spring, but have never seen a post on how to remove the spring. I am sure it must be easy, but would like to know how to do it. Thanks for the help.

 

I think it’s held by a single screw going through the receiver. But I believe you have to remove the bolt first which requires some dismantling.

 

 

Well, I'm back now.... Actually I was back a while ago and forgot to re-post.

Anyway, here are the photos. I thinned the spring by about 1/3. The tension is still firm, but it is decreased from its original weight. It could be thinned more.

I used a rotary stone on a Dremel, then smoothed the cut by hand with another stone, and finally polished it with some emery paste on a felt wheel. Then I degreased it with 91% ethanol and cold blued it with 44/40. (That one gives a really dark blue, more like a black.)

I included my measurements of the strap before thinning and also at the narrowest point.

Personally, I wouldn't thin one by more than half its original width.

I think it is easier to do it this way than to try to reduce its thickness. YMMV

 

Well, I'm back now.... Actually I was back a while ago and forgot to re-post.

Anyway, here are the photos. I thinned the spring by about 1/3. The tension is still firm, but it is decreased from its original weight. It could be thinned more.

I used a rotary stone on a Dremel, then smoothed the cut by hand with another stone, and finally polished it with some emery paste on a felt wheel. Then I degreased it with 91% ethanol and cold blued it with 44/40. (That one gives a really dark blue, more like a black.)

I included my measurements of the strap before thinning and also at the narrowest point.

Personally, I wouldn't thin one by more than half its original width.

I think it is easier to do it this way than to try to reduce its thickness. YMMV




View attachment 953923 View attachment 953926



View attachment 953927


View attachment 953928

I did mine the same way you did yours. After re-assembling it was still too stiff so I tore it down again and took a little more metal off

 

You did both sides of the spring. I only did one side, it works great but does not look as good as yours. Great job.

 

Well I ended up thinning the loading on the both of the Rossi 92 Carbines the 357 and the 44 both Stainless with the Laser engraved 1776 ,I ended up just removing the metal on one side using a a cheap Hyper tough rotary tool I bought from Wal mart because I could not find my Dremel tool and both turned out good.
Smoothed out with a piece of fine emery paper .

Much easier to load now ,I also have now taken 3 inches off the recoil springs of both the carbines which makes them load even easier and they hold 9 rounds in the Magazine and the one in the barrel makes for 10 rounds total when using 38 special 158 Grain HSM RNFP and the 44 special using 240 grain Semi wadcutter both the 38 Special and the 44 special are rated at 850 fps from 6 inch revolvers so probably only 25 - 50 fps gain when shot from the 16 inch barrels of the Carbines as the ammo is loaded
With titegroup powder according to a HSM employee I spoke with over the phone.

Recoil is minimal with either cartridge.

I am going to try cutting another inch off the recoil springs as I shoul be able to add another round in each by doing so for 11 rounds total !

I will let yall know how it works out.

By the way I found my Dremel tool a couple of weeks AFTER I bought the cheap rotary tool at Walmart !!

 

That's how it works.

Buy a replacement and the lost one shows up.

Buy two replacements and the first one will never break or get lost.

 

That's how it works.

Buy a replacement and the lost one shows up.

Buy two replacements and the first one will never break or get lost.

Yep and when I am looking for something inevitably I don’t find what I am looking for but do find something else that was lost before

 

Bend or lighten the tension? Bending will only change the starting point of the tension. The best way to lighten the spring is by making the flat spring thinner. Remove a small amount of the flat spring with a fine flat file. Reinstall, check, and repeat as needed.

 

When you do your loading gate check out the loading port also. The inside edges on the port is sharp as a razor on some of these rifles…mine was. You get a cartridge halfway in the port and the spring on the gate forces the case against the sharp inside corner and grab the brass like a vice. Take a small file and smooth the inside edge of the loading pirt

 

Matter of fact if you aren’t careful the loading port/gate can catch the end of thumb or finger just as the cartridge rim goes all the way in and take a chunk out of the end of that finger

 

How much do you have to dissasemble before you can remove loading gate?

 

I shaped mine like yours (hour glass ). Tried straightening first but would not line up with loading port. Put everything back together and now you can only load 1 shell. The second one will bind up just before rim gets to edge of port. I am a auto mechanic (over 45 years ) I have never seen anything I could not put together even if someone else took it apart. as long as they haven't lost some parts. I also have been working on firearms for a very long time. Not bragging just letting you know I am not A novice working on things mechanical . I have taken this thing apart & put back together 3 times. does not make any sense to me. any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

I cut a crescent out of the receiver
and I shaped the loading gate stem like and hourglass also I sanded and buffet the loading gate so it looks SS
buffet all the sharp edges around the loading gate and inside the port for the gate
I had to work the inside of my receiver because it had a huge burr
I cut the Tube spring 2'' longer then it sticks out of the tube
I installed Lee gunsmith Cowboy spring kit (like $35)
buffet all moving parts inside and it like smooth as glass

I put on Hi Viz sights

 

I guess I got lucky with my 92. The gate is stiff but not unbearable.