A connector assembly comprising: a housing comprising a first housing component comprising a bore and an inner surface and a second housing component aligned with said first housing component along a longitudinal axis of said housing; a shaft comprising an outer surface; one of said inner surface of said first housing component and said outer surface of said shaft comprising a first groove and the other one of said inner surface of said first housing component and said outer surface of said shaft comprising a second groove and wherein the first groove and the second groove define a common groove; characterized in that: a canted coil spring located within the first groove; a first shaft insertion force to insert the shaft into the bore of the housing and a first shaft removal force to remove the shaft from the housing in a first groove configuration; a second shaft insertion force to insert the shaft into the bore of the housing and a second shaft removal force to remove the shaft from the housing in a second groove configuration; wherein the first housing component comprises elongated openings intersecting the first groove and defining elongated collapsible portions, said elongated collapsible portions are biased inwardly with respect to the longitudinal axis in the first groove configuration; wherein said second shaft insertion force and said second shaft removal force differ from said first shaft insertion force and said first removal force, respectively; and wherein relative movement of said first and second housing components (108, 110) changes said first groove configuration to said second groove configuration. a housing comprising a first housing component comprising a bore and an inner surface and a second housing component aligned with said first housing component along a longitudinal axis of said housing; a shaft comprising an outer surface; one of said inner surface of said first housing component and said outer surface of said shaft comprising a first groove and the other one of said inner surface of said first housing component and said outer surface of said shaft comprising a second groove and wherein the first groove and the second groove define a common groove; characterized in that: a canted coil spring located within the first groove; a first shaft insertion force to insert the shaft into the bore of the housing and a first shaft removal force to remove the shaft from the housing in a first groove configuration; a second shaft insertion force to insert the shaft into the bore of the housing and a second shaft removal force to remove the shaft from the housing in a second groove configuration; wherein the first housing component comprises elongated openings intersecting the first groove and defining elongated collapsible portions, said elongated collapsible portions are biased inwardly with respect to the longitudinal axis in the first groove configuration; wherein said second shaft insertion force and said second shaft removal force differ from said first shaft insertion force and said first removal force, respectively; and wherein relative movement of said first and second housing components (108, 110) changes said first groove configuration to said second groove configuration. a canted coil spring located within the first groove; a first shaft insertion force to insert the shaft into the bore of the housing and a first shaft removal force to remove the shaft from the housing in a first groove configuration; a second shaft insertion force to insert the shaft into the bore of the housing and a second shaft removal force to remove the shaft from the housing in a second groove configuration; wherein the first housing component comprises elongated openings intersecting the first groove and defining elongated collapsible portions, said elongated collapsible portions are biased inwardly with respect to the longitudinal axis in the first groove configuration; wherein said second shaft insertion force and said second shaft removal force differ from said first shaft insertion force and said first removal force, respectively; and wherein relative movement of said first and second housing components (108, 110) changes said first groove configuration to said second groove configuration.