Pietta 1861 Colt wedge problem

[Bluehawk]

I decided to clean the 1861 Colt I mentioned in an earlier post I picked up recently. Driving the wedge out was a little difficult...the Wheeler Delrin punch broke after the third light strike of the small brass hammer. Switching to the brass punch, it came out....all the way out...past the retaining screw!
I can't get the damn thing back in...this has never happened to me before... and I have tried everything I know to reinsert it. :banghead:
At this point I have managed to upset some of the metal around the entrance to the wedge.
(I've used my needle files to clean up the hole)
Any suggestions?? Any help would be appreciated!!!!!

 

[Hellgate]

First I take the retaining screw all the way off the gun to clear the slot then tip the wedge spring into the slot and push up onto the wedge (compressing the spring) to ram it in. Then I try to get the retaining screw back in its hole. Another thing is to punch the wedge spring out of its hole in the thick end of the wedge and then straighten it a bit so it has less of an upward curve to it then put it back into the wedge and put the wedge into the slot as before. Another thing I have done maybe once was to remove the retaining screw, grind one edge of the retaining screw flatter, put it back in with the flat side toward the wedge slot so I could get the wedge under it and into the slot then turn the screw a bit to hold the wedge in place.

 

[Bluehawk]

Hellgate
Thanks for the ideas...I will try hooking the tip of the spring into the hole first and if that doesn't work then will remove the spring and flatten it a little bit.
I'm also considering beveling/chamfering the upper outside edge of the spring to possibly help it slip into the wedge slot easier.
I did take the screw out before ever trying to get the wedge back in. I can't imagine what kind of a job that would have been with the retaining screw still attached!

As I mentioned in the first posting, I have never encountered this problem before in all the years I have been shooting BP revolvers...just goes to show you never really know everything...even though you might think you do!