At first glance you may not know that a V spring was in fact a spring at all. Most people have this notion in their heads that a spring is that coil of wire with loops on both ends. While this is not incorrect it is also not the only type of spring on the market. A V spring is called that because it is usually shaped this way because of a fold in the metal. A lot of older firearms were made with V springs in the action, but even newer firearms manufacture like Glock Use V springs on the takedown pin to keep upward pressure on the part.
So how are V springs made? First you will need to decide whether you will be using flat stock or high carbon drill rod. Just remember that if you use drill rod you will need to square off the rounded sides. If I am making the V spring to replace a broken one for a specific firearm, then I will need to take measurements of width and length from tip to fold and try to match them with my new V spring. Once I know the distance from tip to fold, I will take a hack saw and cut my fold line about half the depth of the metal bar. Remember to give yourself a little more material than the length of the part you are making. You can always remove it later if need be. Most recommend doing the fold while the metal is hot.
It is important that you check your measurements often during this process. Continuously check things like your width and thickness. To be sure that you have not already removed too much material and are wasting your time. If grinding is needed it should be slow going. If the metal begins to change color, then stop immediately and allow it to cool. Again, if you are re-making a V spring to replace a broken one, everything from the arm to the bend needs to be exactly like the last one so continue to check your measurements.
You may find yourself using flat files to match the taper of the metal arms on the V spring. Do your best to match the exact taper of the old V spring to the new one. And now that we have the required shape and dimensions its off to polish the part. Tooling marks should be polished away to avoid stress points in the new V spring. Plus, when I go to heat the metal, it may need to be polished for me to see the color of the metal during the tempering process. When heating these parts I will use my high fire Paragon kiln because it is capable of reaching and sustaining the temperatures I need. Once I have fired it to a temp of about 1,400-1,500 degrees and it is glowing cherry red, it is time for my first quench.
After a quench it becomes very hard but also very brittle so be careful not to break it during this phase.
Off to polish once more and its back into the kiln but this time I will only be heating the metal to about 600-650 degrees. This temperature will vary depending on the type of metal used but most people will get it to about this temperature and its color should range between a dark blue and a gray to know its ready. Do a few final checks on all of your measurements. You should be able to fully compress your new V spring in a vice and once released it should return to the desired measurement. If you are new to this then it is okay if you do not get it on the first try, most do not.
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