My Cimarron (Uberti) 1873 SAA made in 1983 had the hand break. Usually it's the flat spring that breaks or falls out of the slot but this one was new to me. For some reason, Uberti drilled a hole in the hand, looped the spring, and set the loop into the hole in the hand. They removed most of the hand cross section and severely weakened the hand. I purchased this revolver in 1989 thereabouts and it managed to last this long before it broke.
I have several flat spring hands in my spares cabinet for the C&B revolvers. Those flat springs are probably the primary failure of the 1851-1873 design. I did not have any spare 1873 hands with flat springs and have noticed all the newer guns use a coil spring arrangement bored through the frame.
So the point of this post is to let you know that the flat spring hands for the 1873 Uberti guns are becoming hard to source. It may be in your best interest if you got yourself a spare before the existing supplies are gone. Uberti is no longer making them having gone to the new coil spring system.
If you do order one, be sure it is the assembly (hand + spring) and be mindful there are TWO pivot pin sizes. I sourced mine through Tailor's in Winchester VA.
Take a gander at this picture. Who in their right mind would drill a spring hole which removes most of the metal of the hand itself? Eesh!
With rifle in hand, I confidently go forth into the darkness.
