Greetings!
Some have stated in print that for safety reasons, the hammer should be cocked first, and then the action cycled. Well, that may be overkill: in neither Satterlee's "Ten Old Gun Catalogs", Marcot's book, or Pitman's "Breech-Loading Carbines", do I see a return spring or a mechanical retractor {although there may be one... I don't have an original to confirm} for the 'percussion slide'. My Romano DOES have a return spring, and perhaps the Taylor's do, too... I don't know. There are a lot of designs out there that don't; are they "unsafe"? Is your rifle going to be pointed in a safe direction when you operate it? Will you keep it clean and in good repair? I believe you will, if you love your Spencer like I do!
If you LOSE your Magazine Follower Assembly, you can point your muzzle down and feed cartridges... But, you'll need a cork to keep them from spilling out of the Butt! I've never seen an take - down illustration without a Magazine Follower Spring. But, who knows!
Play Safe!
Be Well!
M.T.Marfield
11-13-05