Quote Originally Posted by Wildcat View Post
I think this is the source of your disappointment.

If you don't remove the sideplate and Mainspring disengages from the Stirrup, you couldn't visually confirm that the two parts were correctly connected before tensioning the spring again. You were just fishing in there, blind and didn't get the hooks completely onto the stirrup pivot.

I have no interest in a 7-shot but, since its busted, I'll give you a dollar for it.
The spring never should have popped loose the first time.

I, too, was surprised I got the mainspring set again after removing the strain screw but without removing the side plate. Got lucky I guess. It seemed fine.

Later I decided to do a thorough inspection and removed the side plate, strain screw, and mainspring. Put it back together and again, it seems just fine.

But I don't trust it enough to carry it now and never will.