The weak link ,,,,No Pun Intended ,,,,, in the 1876 Winchester is the finger lever spring . In originals this spring is what I have found to be the weakest part in the 1876 Winchester mechanics . Looking back it's the spring that has failed most . Just yesterday cleaning 40-60 rifles the 26 " rifle was levered open and what do you know , the finger lever spring let go the little tip . Well its an easy fix , took all of five minutes to replace it . I will add a couple comments here . #One , the replacement springs made by Winchester Bob have never failed in my guns . #Two , the finger lever spring made by Chaparral will fit in the original including the screw threads (same ) . In the pic. on the left is a Chaparral spring for the lifter arm ( the Chaparral finger lever spring is in the 26 " now ) and the two on its right are two original Winchester finger lever springs that have lost the tips . When it cools down a bit , here in the invasion zone I'll tig weld new tips on these springs then re-harden and temper them . Kind of boring , but its all I got !!! ,,,,,DT