USSC Magnolia 2015 broken door latch

I installed the Magnolia a few years back and it has worked well for us so it's been a while since I was on here . About 10 days ago the "door latch" [USSC calls it the latch but I would call it the "catch"] broke at the area where the attachment bolt passes through . The part # is 25080 [or 25080B if you want it painted] , used on several of their models . It appears to be common flat bar steel formed to a shape with the bolt hole punched through and the same width top to bottom . The problem I see is that it is only 7/16" wide with a 3/8" hole through it leaving little structure on either side of the hole . I ordered and received a replacement through a local fireplace/stove business . It looks the same and after getting home I have seen the beginning of a crack already on one side . I hope I can return the new part and have sent a message to USSC . Is there a supplier of this made of wider steel ? I have measured and even 3/4" wide would fit easily on mine . Can anyone think of a reason I shouldn't make , or have made , a copy of this in wider steel ? Thanks .

It is even thinner than the picture appears especially if the part is punched even slightly off center , as both were . The "latch" is barely as wide as the head of the bolt that passes through it so a washer wouldn't help much unless wrapped over and welded on as reinforcement . I'm on my way soon to the dealer [not their fault of course] to see what can be done .

mellow said:

Dealer? Thought those were sold through farm stores, didn't know USSC had dealers.

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begreen said:

I've seen them show up at our local hardware store too. All though they are very service oriented, that is not what I would call a dealer.

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Perhaps I shouldn't have called them a "dealer" . I bought the stove from a "farm" store but the place I'm dealing with has been in the fireplace and stove business since 1950 [about as long as I've been around] and has products from multiple brands .
I'll know more this afternoon as I'm almost out the door to go by there plus some other places .

The fellow at the fireplace store saw what I saw - a crack already starting - so there is another one on the way . I am still looking into ideas to produce a copy with a wider area at least at the bolt hole . One idea is to cut off the damaged top section and weld on a wider portion there ; I might even have the bolt head locked in place also .
bobdog2o02 ; I must be lucky - the original "latch" lasted about 6 years . How did you repair the hinge cracks or was that death knell for it ? Of course yours was probably in use more in Pennsylvania than mine is in Tennessee so maybe mine will last a while .