Charlie,
It's hard to tell much about the plunger tube from the photo. If you haven't already, yank the slide & left grip off that damn thing and try to wiggle the plunger tube- hard. It shouldn't move at all. If it does, you need a new one. I wouldn't re-stake the old one. Get a quality part, and get a couple spares of new springs, and both plungers. Have them installed by a pro.
While he's at it, have him yank that thumb safety off and set it aside. You can take a hammer to it later- that thing was a disaster waiting to happen anyway. It almost looks like it was designed to ride over the safety catch plunger.
Replace it with a standard Colt safety catch, and practice with it until disengaging it becomes second nature. A regular safety that works is a whole lot better than a snazzy one, that don't. The problem with a lot of extended parts is that they often are designed to meet 'fad standards' instead of GI standards for it, function material etc. The fact that they stick out further also means that they get bumped and stressed more in everyday use.
Glad you got through that call OK, Amigo. Wish I had been there....of course I'd have had to heckle you a little when we got back to the station
