I'm of the persuasion to take it apart for any surface work. If you can't get past the safety rod without help, respectfully, I suggest to you that you probably don't want to tackle this job since there are tougher things ahead in the disassembly and reassembly. I suggest having someone like a qualified gunsmith, familiar with boxlock doubles, take it apart and reassemble for you. I really believe that you will likely be disappointed in the damage you do to the gun, more so than the enhancement you make if you tackle this.
Thanks for the advice and warning. If I run into trouble I know a good gunsmith who can put the pieces back together. As for damage, the knowledge I've already gained from pulling this apart is worth more to me than the gun. If I damage it, so be it.
