Malfunction junction!

[critter]

I recently bought a (used) Colt 1911, series 80 version. The trigger piece was sloppy loose: up/down, side-to-side and had mega overtravel. I had my 'smith install a Wilson trigger with overtravel stop. I set it to minimal overtravel, checked everything (I thought) and set out to the range.

Only one problem. She WOULD NOT FIRE. Sear tripps, hammer falls, no BOOM. Took 'er to the 'smith and we found out that the firing pin safety was not releasing. It would IF you backed the overtravel screw way out.

The FP safety would not disengage BEFORE the sear was tripped, but depended on trigger overtravel to do it. It WOULD fire that way, but that is NOT the way it s'posed to work! Too close to not working for me. Apparantly, all the little lever parts, plunger, etc are at minimal specs and the added up minimums are too minimum.

After a small adjustment, it now works as intended. (The adjustment: the FP release plunger now resides in a lil plastic bag in my parts box!) No, it is NOT a carry piece.

Anybody else ever meet up with this particular problem? Any way to solve the problem other than to replace all the series 80 parts with new, in spec ones? Thanks.

 

[DAVE RICHARDS]

Had the same thing happen on a S&W 1911 Sc. Firing pin block got out of time. Press trigger and the gun went "click". One of the loudest noises I've ever heard. They fixed it but it doesn't leave me feeling warm and fuzzy about 1911 firing pin safeties. One gun guru said it's really not a matter of if the firing pin safety will fail. It is when it will fail. The parts will wear out with time. Some go for thousands of rounds without a problem. But it does not inspire confidence.