Jim, Glad to se you got your L.C. reassembled. I will still relate the method I saw in Brownells Gunsmith Kinks(vol 3, pg. 331). This is a 4 volume set that is a compilation of thousands of tips and techniques submitted by gunsmiths over many years. It sells at a nice discount if you buy the set and they usually have a coupon for same in their catalog. Very worthwhile and I am waiting for vol.5. Hopefully this plug will protect me from copyright infringement problems. Anyway, the contributor suggests assembling the gun and just snugging first the front screw, and then the one behind the screwhole for the top lever screw to have some tension on the lever shaft. Then he suggests pushing the lever to the left, opposite of the way you open the gun, while pressing down from the top at the pivot point. He cautions to push from the midpoint of the lever rather than the end and says some are harder than others, so there may be a risk of pushing too hard and breaking the lever. He says it will snap right in and then the screws can be tightened and lever screw installed. Bob Brownell refers us to Brophys' Plans and Specifications of the L.C. Smith Shotgun pg.208 for the original factory procedure. I read my copy and it is a 2 page process that involves the punch and V notched screwdriver mentioned by others here. Much of it involves proper seating of the safety notch and pushrod and he advises covering the area with tape to prevent scratching wood or metal. I must've got lucky on the ones I did years ago because I think I levered them over with a punch and had no problem or buggered threads.
