1911 Govt. Grip Safety Problem

[echo3mike]

An on-the-way Colt govt. grip safety ist kaput. Hammer falls without the gs being depressed. Thumb safety works as it's supposed to, hammer functions normally through all other tests. Modifications include a new trigger (Videcki) and MSH. Seller knows squat about who did the mods.

On my list of things to check:
- sear spring: maybe the leaf that engages the gs needs to be moved out some;

- the spur on the gs may need to be peened to lengthen it a little if it hasn't been ground off.



My question: is there anything else I need to consider? I'll won't have the pistol in hand for a few days (thanks, Maryland State Police), so I've got a little time to map out a plan of attack.


TIA,
S.

 

[rblack]

Sounds to me like the back of the new trigger bow is a little shorter than the stock trigger bow and is not catching on the GS spur. Peening and refiling may help, but I've never had much luck doing that. You will probably need a new trigger or gs, and then file to match.

 

[Jim K]

I suspect that you might need a new grip safety. It seems possible that a previous owner did the mods, realized he messed up, and traded off the gun. Just hope that he didn't mess up something that can't be fixed.

Jim

 

[popeye]

Top of new MSH may bind or restrict grip saftey from fully returning home. Does grip saftey protrude to proper postition or does it feel like it's not falling to step which keeps trigger from being depressed.

 

[John Forsyth]

What Jim said. I think you are going to need a new grip safety.

 

[Old Fuff]

U.S. Government 1911/1911-A1 pistols as well as commercial guns of that time had grip safeties that could be peened to slightly lengthen them. The parts they make now are cast, and will likely break rather then stretch. Before you reach for a hammer be sure you know what kind of metal you're hitting. I also suspect a shorter trigger bow or a grip safety that was mis-fitted by a previous owner.

 

[dsk]

It's also possible the fitting tabe was completely removed to deactivate the GS. No matter what, once the culprit has been pinned down the fix will likely involve a simple parts swap.

 

[Morgan]

I'm with DSK - I know a few who have pinned or otherwise deactivated the grip safety on a 1911.

 

[1911Tuner]

Parts Swapping

If it requires a new grip safety, be aware that here is a difference between
the Series 80 and the pre-Series 80 parts.

A Series 80 grip safety will work in a pre-Series 80 pistol, but not vice
versa.

The distance between the blocking finger and the trigger bow is likely the bug. Whether it's a tolerance issue, or the end of the finger has been filed or ground off will have to be determined when you get the pistol broken down. There's a possibility that the right leg of the sear spring isn't
rotating the safety into engagement, but since the trigger has been changed out, I would tend to think that the trigger bow was too long, and the safety wouldn't allow enough trigger travel. The installer figured it out, and removed too much material in an attempt to correct it. I've run into
that more than a few times.

Luck to ya neighbor!

Tuner

 

[WonderNine]

Hammer falls without the gs being depressed.

I wish all 1911's worked this way....

 

[1911Tuner]

Wish They'd all...

Wondernine said:

I wish all 1911's worked this way.

They can! All it takes is a short length of .012 guitar string between the
bottom of the grip safety and the top of the mainspring housing. That
would be the high "E" string, available at your local pawnshop or music store for about a buck. There's enough there to deactivate dozens of
grip safeties. Some pistols may require the slightly larger "B" string.
Quick and easy to do...No permanent modification. Sweet.

DISCLAIMER: The above information is intended for entertainment purposes only, and not for the willful deactivation of a safety device
on any firearm.

Cheers!

Tuner

 

[WonderNine]

Yea, but that sounds kinda hokey to me. A piece of guitar string making your gun run reliably??

Blah, count me out. Isn't there a way to take the grip safety out of the equation altogether?

 

[1911Tuner]

Guitar String

T'was asked:

Yea, but that sounds kinda hokey to me. A piece of guitar string making your gun run reliably??

Not hokey. All it does is keep the safety depressed and disengaged.
It's captive between the top of the housing and the feet on the bottom of
the safety. The other alternative is to drill a hole through the frame and safety in the depressed position, and press a pin through it. Permanent
modification of a frame or receiver can be a bad thing...

Really hokey is grinding the finger off...

Cheers!

 

[BigG]

Guitar string - a new way to tune your pistol.

 

[1911Tuner]

Tune it!

BigG said:

Guitar string - a new way to tune your pistol.

Yessir...In the key of "A"... or "E" if you're a bluesman.

 

[dsk]

If you're having problems disengaging the grip safety, it can be "tuned" to allow trigger movement without being depressed all the way. That way it still works in the "at rest" position, and is less likely to be noticed by an unscrupulous attorney.

Personally, I have never had a problem with the grip safety not being depressed adequately. I think most of the complaints come from IPSC shooters who try to hold the gun so high it almost looks like they're holding it by the slide.