Beavertail cuts

[Tunaboat]

Does anyone have close up pre and post pictures of the cuts needed to install a beavertail grip safety?

thanks
tuna

[Ric4509]

Does anyone have close up pre and post pictures of the cuts needed to install a beavertail grip safety?

thanks
tuna

Depending on the beavertail grip safety you want to install in your 1911, manufacturers of BGS have jigs that either goes with the BGS or bought separately. Ed Brown, Smith & Alexander, as an example uses .250 radius while Wilson's does not.

[Canuck-IL]

Try here for some tips and pics http://www.blindhogg.com/gunsmithing.html
and http://www.oz.net/~jammer/Milspec/
and here for John Harrison's write-up that differentiates frame types and the BTs they best suit
http://www.harrisoncustom.com/TextDesc/Beavertail.htm

/Bryan

[gbw]

For the .250 radius cuts (Brown, S&A), you can make your own guides IF you can bore a hole (same dia. as the safety pin) in the CENTER of a 1/2" section of round bar about 1/8" thick. Make 3, and make a shaft same dia as safety pin long enough to extend beyond the frame and both outer guides. Drill small holes through each end. Put one guide on each side and one in the middle. Put cotter pins through the holes on each end of the shaft to hold the guides in place. As your file gets close to the guides, start checking fit.

It took me about an hour to make, may or may not be worth the time and trouble for you.

[Deacon Aegis]

Tunaboat, a real trick to recontouring the frame, should you be working with an extremely difficult grip safety such as the STI model - which is loaded with compound curves - is to use a wooden dowl to act as your sandpaper block when reshaping the frame tangs and back upper-grip area. Most grip safeties won't require a frame recontour of such extreme, but just in case you were playing with the STI grip safety, the dowel trick can be a real life saver.

[Spindly61]

Here is a picture of my milspec with a Smith and Alexander .220 radius hi grip safety.

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j242/Spindly61/rear.jpg

[Deacon Aegis]

Here's an STI grip safety I have at 90% fit right now... in case you're interested ;)

http://webpages.charter.net/papaserph/images/bt1.gif

http://webpages.charter.net/papaserph/images/bt2.gif

http://webpages.charter.net/papaserph/images/bt3.gif

Beastly grip safety to fit, but yields perhaps the highest hold near centerline on the pistol that can be achieved.

[Spindly61]

P.V.C. tubing works well to help with the radius also. Nice work Deacon.

[garrettwc]

Nice work Deacon. Looks like the bobtail project is coming along nicely.

[Deacon Aegis]

Garrettwc, thanks and indeed it is progressing though slowly. I've got several builds taking place right now that are at a stage where I am having to wait on vendors, plating companies, etc to deliver their bits or services and so I find myself picking up on another project here and there while I wait and so it seems I'll be completing two or three builds almost at the same time at the rate things are going. It's really kinda a bummer on some of these projects.

Spindly, great idea as well on the PVC tubing. That would also work well in accomplishing a good contour. Nice suggestion.

[muscle]

Here is my Ed Brown Beavertail on my HS. Im getting the nerve to start shaping it in. Ive been reading the blindhogg page and I will use a combination of dremel, needle file and sand paper roll to accomplish this.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i232/rddown/1911/beaver004.jpghttp://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i232/rddown/1911/beaver003.jpg

[Lazarus]

Deacon pointed out something important about beavertails. Some styles are trickier than others. In general the Brown is contoured on a single radius, and is "easier" to fit into a frame. In general, the Wilson style(s) are cut on at least 2 radii and will take some real experience and effort to fit correctly. In my opinion, fitting the beavertail correctly (artistically) is one of the most demanding requirements in 1911 artwork.

An important point: not all frames can be fit with either style of beavertail. Let me be more specific. The tangs on frame "A" are not the same as the tangs on frame "B". If you are a perfectionist and want to produce metal artwork, be aware that some frames do not have enough extra material in the tangs to complete the job, unless you "add metal" via welding. The safties WILL fit and function, but you will wind up with 2 ugly triangular spaces unless certain frames are welded up. Distressing? You bet!

Another consideration. The Wilson style safety allows a marginally higher grip on the gun. On the other hand, the owner of the gun must be educated and know exactly how to operate this type of beavertail, because it does not feel and operate the same as the single radius style.

Not so simple, after all, huh?

-Lazarus

[muscle]

Quick question:

I see on the Blindhogg site that he uses a rubber band to keep the beavertail tight against the frame or fully depressed. Isnt that the opposite of what you want to do? I would think you would want to shape the frame to the beavertail with it out or not depressed. that way when looking at the gun it appears as the beavertail is part of the frame.

??

[Lazarus]

Good for you for asking this question. If you think about it terms of artwork, the lines of the beavertail must be considered when the safety is at rest, and also when the safety is engaged. Certain lines that flow "seamlessly" when the saftey is at rest will become slightly interrupted when it is engaged, and v.v. These considerations are at the heart of the matter, after you have achieved a satisfactory basic fit, with no extra space showing. Have a close look at the beavertails in one-of-a-kind customs and you will get more ideas. In other words there is no one way it MUST be done to look good. On the other hand you may be the only person in the end who fully appreciates a finely detailed g.s.

-Lazarus

[garrettwc]

Quick question:
I see on the Blindhogg site that he uses a rubber band to keep the beavertail tight against the frame or fully depressed. Isnt that the opposite of what you want to do? I would think you would want to shape the frame to the beavertail with it out or not depressed. that way when looking at the gun it appears as the beavertail is part of the frame.
??
Not really. After all what is the purpose of the beavertail? It is to eliminate the web of the hand getting bit during recoil. Wouldn't it make sense to fit the beavertail to be smoothest when it is depressed since that's how you will be holding it?

[Spindly61]

If you fit it when it is in the safe positiong ,it will cut you when depressed. My earlier post was a "quick fit". I'm in the process of redoing it right now and was faced with this dilemma. There is alot of material to be removed to get a fit like Deacon has achieved.
I spent 5 hrs. today and probably have at least another 5 to go.

[muscle]

OK well It was scary at first but by spending most of the morning and afternoon it really wasnt that bad. Taking time to see the lines of the frame and blend them to the grip safety.

The pics below show fitting with the grip safety not engaged. However the final pics with everything re-blued show the fit as it looks with it being done with the grip safety engaged. On my gun and with the Brown safety, the differance was very little. So it looks just as good even when the beavertail is not engaged.

Unfortunately, I did not do the initial radius cuts to the frame. This was done by the gunsmith who is now famous for the weld boogers on my trigger and sear. :mad: I did not really notice until I decided to do this today that he took a little too much off where I would have rather stopped and fitted the radius to the beavertail by stoning for a closer fit.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i232/rddown/1911/beaver005.jpg
Getting up the nerve...

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i232/rddown/1911/beaver007.jpg
Ok, not so bad, the top is roughed in..

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i232/rddown/1911/beaver008.jpg
Now for the lower tangs..

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i232/rddown/1911/beaver012.jpg
Ok so far so good. Used a rod with 250 grit to continue blending and smoothing.
Swithched to 300, 400 then 600. found a drill bit that measured .154 to make it easier...

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i232/rddown/1911/beaver013.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i232/rddown/1911/beaver016.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i232/rddown/1911/beaver017.jpg

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i232/rddown/1911/beaver018.jpg

But it isnt bad for my first go at it and I learned alot for next time on a custom build.

What do you guys think? any pointers?

[Spindly61]

Looks good muscle.The lines look nice and even on the pic. from below. All in all I'd be pleased if I was you. How are the fingers feeling?

[muscle]

Looks good muscle.The lines look nice and even on the pic. from below. All in all I'd be pleased if I was you. How are the fingers feeling?

fingers? what fingers...... OH those bloody nubs!

hopefully they will grow back :D