F#$%'n Hopup!

So I was working on my m14 and I get down to the hopup system that is connected to the barrel. Last time I worked on it I dropped the barrel and it broke some how so this time when I took the thing off from my bone yard gun I was cautious. I went to Mechbox.com and it showed how to take the retarded clip off that clips to each side of the barrel and they show them yanking the damn thing off with a pair of pliers! The thing in the video comes off in one piece and its no big deal. I go back to the gun and do the same thing; low and behold the clip breaks! no kidding it breaks down the center. I was god dam I did it the exact way they did in the video! I am strongly considering making a metal bracket that goes into that slot where the plastic one goes so its more solidly built this time. The question is.... how do i fabricate it out of metal? Should I just cut it out of sheet metal or what? I had to order an ENTIRELY NEW HOPUP FOR MY GUN TO REPLACE JUST THAT SIMPLE LITTLE BRACKET THAT BROKE!@!@!@!@! I mean its twenty bucks but all the part people are out in CA! I mean the one in Atlanta carries parts for the Classic Army M14 which I should have gotten in the first place. So now when i get it on tuesday.... I am going to go very very slowly or do something to prevent putting stress on it.