You know those red mainspring holder that new springs come in when new. Do you remove them from the ring ,or can I press them into the barrel. I usually don't get them in the ring, so I'm not sure
Thanks

In my opinion, if you are lucky enough that the spring can be pressed into the barrel directly from the ring, that is the best possible situation. Of course, you have to be sure the T end engages with the hole in the barrel.

Any time you have to pull a spring out of a barrel, or a ring in this case, and wind it in a mainspring winder, there is a possibility of damage to the spring.