Actually, the laminated double ribbon spring was an improvement over the single piece flat spring in that it allowed progressive "loading" of the spring tension and could be fine tuned to the action. However, I once had a 1900 AE, that had come up out of Mexico. It was in pretty good shape, but evidently the mainspring had broken and someone had rather crudely forged a one piece S-spring. You could still see the hammer and file marks! I never shot it with that spring (which I still have) but in working the toggle, it felt like my other 1900s. Some of those old guys could work wonders with limited tools.
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If it's made after 1918...it's a reproduction
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