85lc, good to hear that it was a straightforward fix and your 1881 is back in action!
I hope that my description of the lever actuation and how it feels was helpful.

Please start another thread about your rifle and how you are getting on with it.

Now, back to the OP and the rebarrel job.
I know, these projects can run into years (mine have...) so if you are making any decisions or have anything new to post about your project, please share it all with us!