The spring clip just keeps the nut on the barrel when the rifle is apart. As the PP said, you don't have to put the clip back on if you don't want to anyway.
I have a couple of little hooked tools made for this sort of thing. You could take a couple of those small pocket screw drivers everyone gives away with their names on them and use them,. If you hook the ends a bit then use two of them you can pull open the clip and slide it off. It helps to have the barrel clamped down while doing this. Of course Snap-On tools will sell you the special tools to do this job (and it might be cheaper to buy a spare barrel
).
Again, it can be done with small screw drivers, just much easier with the right tools. It all depends on how "handy" you are. Try it and see....you might have "the touch" for it.