My strain screw lock

[Tampa-XD45]

For various reasons, I wanted the ability to adjust the strain screw on the fly if I have to, but also have it locked. Here's a cheap solution which does not require drilling & tapping the frame and only requires a sacrificial Allen wrench and a 8-32 Allen head set screw.

Set your 8-32 Allen head strain screw and cut down the Allen wrench as shown in the pics. I also hammered the Allen wrench bend to be a bit flatter.
The attached Allen wrench prevents the strain screw from moving.  I've shot over 1,000 rounds on this quick & dirty proof of concept version and it works as designed.
I tapered the long end of the Allen wrench in case it snagged on on my Hogue grips during installation. It didn't snag.
I taped over the wrench to check for any rubbing during grip installation. Nothing moved.  
I installed & removed the Hogue grip 10 times with no problems.  If I need to adjust it during a match I'll just peel off the tape, turn the screw and re-tape the Allen wrench.

 

[DS-10-SPEED]

Great idea, I can already see some copy cat company looking to market the idea.

[AzShooter]

What an innovative idea.  Good luck with it.  

[10mmdave]

Welp, there goes my stock in Locktite

[Carmoney]

Jesus Christ.  

 

I had to look at the calendar to make sure it's not April 1 already.  

 

 

[Jim Watson]

Teddy Jacobson used a headless set screw with the tip ground into a pyramid shape.  Used with a Wolff "Power Rib" spring, it gave a click-stop action with the flats on the end of the screw in the groove in the spring.  Adjustments by the quarter turn and retained where set.

[Carmoney]

Hey, I know!  How about a special strain screw that extends out through the grips and between the shooter's fingers, with a big knurled knob on the end?  Then when the shooter experiences a misfire, he can simply give the knob a quarter turn while running to the next array.  A really skilled multi-tasker might be able to develop the ability to instantly dial the screw in and out with the fingers of the support hand while actually shooting, without even so much as lowering the revolver! 

 

We could call it the "Clicks-B-Gone" rotary tension adjustment device.

 

Warren!  Get on this right away.  

 

 

(Note to O.P. Tampa-XD45:  Please understand I am just having a little fun with your thread.  You actually came up with a pretty clever solution to the problem you were trying to solve.  Personally, I'm a proponent of setting the tension correctly and then locking the screw down tightly.  But I understand with the current primer supply situation a guy might feel the need to adjust tension without modifying the springs and/or strain screw length.) 

Edited September 6, 2022 by Carmoney

[pskys2]

12 hours ago, Carmoney said:

Hey, I know!  How about a special strain screw that extends out through the grips and between the shooter's fingers, with a big knurled knob on the end?  Then when the shooter experiences a misfire, he can simply give the knob a quarter turn while running to the next array.  A really skilled multi-tasker might be able to develop the ability to instantly dial the screw in and out with the fingers of the support hand while actually shooting, without even so much as lowering the revolver! 

 

We could call it the "Clicks-B-Gone" rotary tension adjustment device.

 

Warren!  Get on this right away.  

 

 

(Note to O.P. Tampa-XD45:  Please understand I am just having a little fun with your thread.  You actually came up with a pretty clever solution to the problem you were trying to solve.  Personally, I'm a proponent of setting the tension correctly and then locking the screw down tightly.  But I understand with the current primer supply situation a guy might feel the need to adjust tension without modifying the springs and/or strain screw length.) 

Come on Mike quit being such a stodgy old guy.  Get with the plan it's the new millenium!  It MUST be computerized so the hammer senses the resistance of the primer and instantly increases the applied force until ignition, then immediately spirals up the tension so the rebound is very strong and then at the beginning of the next stroke the tension is backed off so it is as light as a shy one's first kiss!

Being modern electronics are so infallible it would be completely reliable, to even question it would amount to heresy.  An end to short strokes, ftf's, jerking, twitching and by adding a sensor we could make them all A's.

I've seen Warren's wonderland and he definitely knows computerization!

[Tampa-XD45]

14 hours ago, Carmoney said:

  But I understand with the current primer supply situation a guy might feel the need to adjust tension without modifying the springs and/or strain screw length.) 

This ^^^.  I currently have 3 different brands of SPP on my reloading bench.

I hope I'm wrong ... but the days of "buy only Federal SPP, grind strain screw, LocTite it and forget it" may be over.

I even had to run a bit of factory ammo in my revo during a SC match last year.