Well, kinda, Gnomon.
The steel facility that supplies the gun makers in the Eibar region is a cooperative. The bits of one manufacturer gun's come from the same place as the gun that was made down the street. And, the bits are castings, not forgings.
Castings are less dense, and less expensive, than forgings, and while they CAN be made up into useful bits for double guns, it requires very talented steel workers to get it right. I suspect, but can not prove, that the gun makers with fewer problems on record for soft parts have brought the hardening in-house to address the problem.
The problems do continue to this day, but are not common place anymore, and the gunmakers have better dealer repair facilities than they once did. Lost in the furor is the fact that other gunmakers, not in Spain, have dealt with the same exact issues.
I also suspect that LCS won't be very interested in helping the original poster out, once they hear he has the gun apart. As suggested, he can get the raw materials for a spring from Brownell's, and take it from there.
I wish Hoof good luck in this repair.
Best,
Ted
