I'm asking in case anything happens to the spring that's on it, I can just swap out springs.
Sounds like a plan.
I grind or file my springs. You can thin or narrow the top section. Stay away from grinding the sharp bend on the front end. Never get the spring hotter than your fingers will stand. Always grind length wise. Make sure all scratches are removed. Left in place scratches/gouges 90 deg. to the length of the spring will cause failure. Always error on the skimpy side when doing removal. You can always take more off, but you can't put it back.
I believe he indicated it was a backup.
Because it's so thick that neither of my mainspring vices can even compress it. It's also so thick that it doesn't properly line up with the hole for the screw to fit the spring to the lock. It actually contacts the bottom of the pan too much.
Tell Pedersoli that. It's a Kentucky rifle and that's the frizzen spring they sell for it. I know what the spring on it looks like, but this gun was made in 1984 and sometime between then and now, they changed the way their springs look. I've checked with them and three retailers and even seen pictures of Pedersoli Kentucky rifles out there for sale right now, guess what, THAT's the frizzen spring that they have and the only one Pedersoli offers. If you can find me a spring from 1984, let me know and I'll get that one.
sounds to me like its the wrong spring for that lock.
This is a photo of a Pedersoli Kentucky rifle, a newer one and you can find photo after photo showing the locks on these and the Pennsylvania rifle, which is the same lock. Take a look at the frizzen spring. It's the same spring.
