Praise for the Range Officer

First topic message reminder :

Got outside Thursday and rebuilt the turning target system so we can start having 2700's again after about a 7 year lapse. After working all day I had had enough and shot a few rounds outdoors for the first time since last October or maybe early November. Now I know that the target isn't exceptional but it does show the Range Officer is a very competent gun even with the factory Winchester ammo from Wal-Mart. The two eights out the left were both called there. The others were called good, and although not all tens I was pleased with the results. I did a report on all what was done to this gun here on the list. Basically a bushing and trigger job along with the parts to make it EIC legal. I see a lot of guys here wanting an entry level .45 and I think they would be very pleased with the Range Officer.
Scott

That's a shame.  Mine is about a year old. Used it Sunday because my custom gun is getting work done on it. It will shoot 90+ Slow fire scores with zero 185's. Even shot a 96 with it Sunday.

sixftunda wrote:That's a shame.  Mine is about a year old. Used it Sunday because my custom gun is getting work done on it. It will shoot 90+ Slow fire scores with zero 185's. Even shot a 96 with it Sunday.

I agree, that is a shame. Although its not a RO, but a loaded 9mm, after adding the Kart bushing mine shoots respectable.

Fire Escape wrote:Not having 'tinkered' with anything on the RO in over a week, today it got it's 23 pound mainspring replaced with a 19 as per recommendations. All went pretty well except for forgetting to catch the slide stop spring and plunger. I did find them and I needed to clean up that part of my 'gun room' anyway! So, I think that I am getting more consistent with the Lyman guage as I do these 'improvements', the RO now tested a (very, in my humble opinion) consistent 4 pound 5 ounce pull weight.
I really appreciate all the advice here, thank you.

Bruce

Another couple hundred rounds through my RO and it is smoothing up nicely. I did notice a new 'issue' yesterday, the hammer pin is backing out. I have not let it go to see if it will come all the way out on it's own but it is coming far enough out (3/32"?) that I am re seating it after each magazine. Being now used to the world of things like ARs where all the pins are 'captured' by something, I am wondering what is 'supposed' to hold this pin in place? If it is just the pressure from the mainspring, perhaps the new lighter spring is permitting the movement. I could certainly take a center punch to the end of the pin and 'flare' it a bit but that would reduce the fun in taking this RO apart to change something almost every week.

Bruce

The hammer pin is held in place by the safety. Or are you referring to the mainspring housing pin at the bottom of the frame?

If you replaced the mainspring, check to see that you included the mainspring housing pin retainer on the bottom of the mainspring when you re-assembled. The pin is under pressure from the mainspring and prevents movement of the mainspring housing pin.

Walt Jackson
Bull Shooters

The hammer pin is to be inserted in the frame from the left side along with the sear pin, these in turn are held in place by the slide lock thumb safety, sounds like you inserted it from the right side by mistake.

Bruce,
 
Don't flare anything or change the design of your parts.  Think about it--if it stayed together before you started tinkering, then it's something you did differently that changed that.  You just have to figure out what was different.

Walt is correct- if the pin that you are talking about is the one that holds the mainspring housing into the frame, you didn't assemble the inside parts of your mainspring housing correctly.  There should be plungers on both ends of the spring--a pointed one and a cupped one.  The pointy one goes in first with the point down, then the spring, then the cupped plunger held in with the tiny retaining pin that is flared.
It's the point on the pointy plunger that makes positive contact with the groove that is in the middle of the mainspring retaining pin.

David R. is also correct.  The pin that is the pivot point of the hammer will stay put if you insert it from the correct side.  (left side)

DavidR wrote:The hammer pin is to be inserted in the frame from the left side along with the sear pin, these in turn are held in place by the slide lock thumb safety, sounds like you inserted it from the right side by mistake.

Thank you for figuring out this week's mistake! I will have to reverse that pin (and check to see if the sear pin is installed correctly). I was starting to think that I was learning my way around this gun but have found ample opportunity to display my ignorance.
As long as my lack of knowledge is already on display I should ask if there is a preferred direction for the mainspring housing pin to be installed. It is 'locked' in place by the spring pressure on the groove (by way of that little coned piece whose name I can't recall at the moment) and won't fall out but Springfield made some effort to have the ends of the pin different so it seems that there should be a 'right way' for it although it 'feels' the same regardless of which way I try it 

Bruce

Rob Kovach wrote:Bruce,
 
Don't flare anything or change the design of your parts.  Think about it--if it stayed together before you started tinkering, then it's something you did differently that changed that.  You just have to figure out what was different.

Walt is correct- if the pin that you are talking about is the one that holds the mainspring housing into the frame, you didn't assemble the inside parts of your mainspring housing correctly.  There should be plungers on both ends of the spring--a pointed one and a cupped one.  The pointy one goes in first with the point down, then the spring, then the cupped plunger held in with the tiny retaining pin that is flared.
It's the point on the pointy plunger that makes positive contact with the groove that is in the middle of the mainspring retaining pin.

David R. is also correct.  The pin that is the pivot point of the hammer will stay put if you insert it from the correct side.  (left side)

I knew that it was my fault not the design of the gun but had that "I wonder if reducing the spring pressure (new lighter mainspring) is what is allowing the hammer pivot to walk" question running around in my head. Since 'no good deed goes unpunished' I figured there was a 'cost' to pay for the improved trigger. I would not start re-engineering (staking the pin in this case) anything before checking here for the correct solution.
As always, I really do appreciate being able to get quality advice and this is among the few places on the 'net' that I find it.
Thanks guys!

Bruce

Edit: 29 Sept 2013 - I was one for two, didn't need to change the Sear Pin (not sure if that can be installed wrong) but the Hammer Pin was back wards. It seemed strange that I shot the gun twice after 'tinkering' before the incorrectly installed pin began to walk. Oh, well. Now to see what is next to 'want attention'.
I have noticed that the grips loosen up very regularly. We should be past our big 'humid/dry' swings so a very small drop of blue went on each screw this time to see if it is the screws backing or the panels changing dimension. I found a 3/32" Allen wrench a very loose fit but then I got a 7/64" and that would NOT fit so rather than create a 'custom wrench (that I would never be able to find again) .... perhaps it will be back to the big "B" catalog to find something more confidence inspiring.

FireEscape wrote: have noticed that the grips loosen up very regularly. We should be past our big 'humid/dry' swings so a very small drop of blue went on each screw this time to see if it is the screws backing or the panels changing dimension. I found a 3/32" Allen wrench a very loose fit but then I got a 7/64" and that would NOT fit so rather than create a 'custom wrench (that I would never be able to find again) .... perhaps it will be back to the big "B" catalog to find something more confidence inspiring.

The grips screws on the RO are not hex head screws, they are "torx head" screws, requiring a torx driver bit.  Using an allen  wrench on them will ruin them.  The right tools for the right job.

LongSlide wrote:The grips screws on the RO are not hex head screws, they are "torx head" screws, requiring a torx driver bit.  Using an allen  wrench on them will ruin them.  The right tools for the right job.

(slap forehead moment!!)

LongSlide wrote:

FireEscape wrote: have noticed that the grips loosen up very regularly. We should be past our big 'humid/dry' swings so a very small drop of blue went on each screw this time to see if it is the screws backing or the panels changing dimension. I found a 3/32" Allen wrench a very loose fit but then I got a 7/64" and that would NOT fit so rather than create a 'custom wrench (that I would never be able to find again) .... perhaps it will be back to the big "B" catalog to find something more confidence inspiring.

The grips screws on the RO are not hex head screws, they are "torx head" screws, requiring a torx driver bit.  Using an allen  wrench on them will ruin them.  The right tools for the right job.

Using a magnifying glass does show some 'semblance' of the screws being torx head but they are crude attempts at best. Since I have not so much as scratched the black finish on the screws they are not 'rounded out' from tha allen wrench. I have every size torx driver that I am aware of, a number 15 fits no better than the 3/32" allen wrench and a 20 is far too big. Where do I get a 16 or 17 size? (I know that there are some 'in between' sizes, my H-D uses a number of size 27 torx heads) I think a new set of screws will be on my next parts order. If that is the biggest complaint I can come up with .... it is a pretty nice gun!

Bruce

Could also be Torx Plus.

A Torx variant, Torx Plus, introduced about 1990 when the original Torx patent was expiring, is designed to allow greater torque, and to minimize wear. The specifications for these licenses are held by Textron. Standard Torx drivers can be used to drive Torx Plus screws, but not to full torque because of the loose fit. Torx Plus drivers will not fit into standard Torx screws. The name is shortened to Torx TX.

Get new screws that suit your tastes better.

I'm also very happy with mine.  Test target from Springfield shot from a rest (not a ransom) at 25 yards

Springfield Range Officer
1.748" Group
5 Rounds
25 Yards
Federal 230 gr FMJ

I got my RO in in early 2012, nice and tight lock up.  The slide has loosened a bit from wear but still acceptable.  Was surprised I did not need a bushing wrench but there is very little play in the bushing to frame/barrel fit.  See them at the local ACE hardware for about $835.  Have to agree it is the best bang for he buck.

I'm in the process of changing out the fire control system to Cylinder and slide stuff along with doing away with the ILS. We don't do EIC around here.