Well, found some springs in the garage/spare parts containers. Several springs were close. Closest in wire thickness and length (if you think the old/broken spring might be a little shorter than it was when brand new) was a magazine release spring for a P07.
I could get it in place but it would pop out, just like the broken spring did. Had to get it in place, hold it with a small flatblade screwdriver and then put the sear cage in to hold the safety detent spring in (right side). Okay, got it. Then the new (original style) safety would not go in all the way. Fought it till I got tired. It was so close, but not quite. Wasn't the sear spring leg in the sear cage, wasn't the left side safety detent, figured it was just an alignment issue - started cussing that style of safety (it's not like my CZ 85).
Finally took the new left side safety out, pulled the sear cage out and the old safety would go right in. Darn, why can't I get the new safety in?
?
Took the right side safety out and the new safety would not insert into it. That was it. The end of the shaft on the new safety was too darn big. I got the knife sharpening stones out and started working on the flat side of the safety shaft. Took a few strokes, finally got it to pop in (nice and tight, but it went all the way in).
Put the right side safety back in, got that darn little spring in place, put the sear cage in and got the left side safety in just like normal (push the left side safety detent to the rear, push the safety in all the way and then pop the sear spring into the groove in the safety shaft.) Everything works.
Good news is I didn't have to do any stoning on the safety shaft "hump" that has to turn under the front arm on the sear. It fit PERFECT!!! I tried it several times. Snaps into the SAFE position and no amount of pulling the trigger will get the hammer to fall. And the hammer didn't fall when the safety was moved to the FIRE position (I've seen that happen on old tired 1911's).
Got hammer spring, spring cup, mag brake, grips (grip screws are stripped out - head, not the threads - and naturally I've already ordered my other parts from CGW - that's how it works, right) and mag well back on it.
Just waiting on that barrel now.
And some adhesive stripper to get that gooey stuff off the extended floorplates on those competition magazines. What was it they called that sticky stuff they put on the receiver's hands in that movie The Replacements? Elephant snot...I think he called it. Must be something they use to help keep a grip on the magazines.
Anyway, I'm feeling much better now than I was right after that broken spring went airborne on me.
The adventures of do-it-yourself gunsmithing.