I have taken this gun apart three times and can't seem to figure how to make the safety work. All the parts are there, nothing is bent or broken, but apparently I'm not putting it back together correctly.

So this gun is a 00 from 1903. The tang is made of two parts, one of which is the upper part of the safety mechanism. on which the safety switch is mounted. Can this be removed without disassembling the gun? That is, can I get at the safety mechanism from above without removing the trigger assembly? I am aware that there is a bolt under the trigger guard that would need to be removed, and a second screw that attaches the safety plate to the rest of the tang.

I don't like taking the gun apart. I've become somewhat adept at wrassling with the lever mainspring, but if I can fix the safety w/o dismantling again, that would be great.