This subject comes up often enough that I have to wonder how many L.C. Smith shotguns are sitting in a cigar box in a state of partial disassrmbly, because someone who shouldn't have attempted it did so anyway. I remember a sign posted at a local gunsmiths shop that listed the labor cost per hour, and a price double that for people who attempted to fix their gun, and botched the job.
I also can't believe that any sane person would even consider a method of re-installing an L.C. Smith top lever against the considerable pressure of the return spring, which involved drilling a hole in the stock. If such an extreme method is actually posted on the L.C. Smith collectors, website, it would be irresponsible to not delete it. I prefer the method that doesn't require the use of any tools, fixtures, slave pins, etc., that was probably used by the assemblers who were employed by Hunter Arms. Co. People who do something hundreds of times a month tend to find the most efficient ways.
