drop in ambi or single thumb safety for springfield

[romeo oscar bravo]

Hello,

I'm not happy with my stock Springfield Armory Thumb Safety (dont' like the sharp tip up front and the overall feel) and am going to change it. Question is, most safety's I've found will need to be "blended and fitted by a gunsmith". Having just taken my gun apart last night, I feel fairly confident that I could do a replacement on my own providing the part is a "drop in" and won't need any work done, I'd rather save my money for more specialty work when it's at a gunsmith and try to change out the parts I can on my own to save on funds. Anyone change out your Springer thumb safety with a good "drop in" model? Either single side or ambi? I'm probably leaning towards SS instead of ambi. Thanks for any assistance I may receive.

Rob

[anachronism]

Almost any "drop in" part will carry the disclaimer that "some fitting may be required". I have found this to be quite true. Usually, drop in parts seem to be a bit loose for my tastes. On a safety, this could be disastrous. JMHO.

[Longslide]

Thumb safety replacement is relatively easy to do but "drop in is one in 20 of getting it to drop in. The lug on the saftey has to FIT properly to the sear or you will have a very unstable and dangerous pistol.

All you need is a small flat file to do the job. Do a search for thumb safety- I know there are some good tips on it.

Aslo google it - Very Very important to get the lug to sear fit correct.

[carsten1911]

Hi Rob,

good and bad news for you:
First, the good news is you at least got a FUNCTIONING safety.
(Just stumbled across your post after doing the thumb safety "click test" on my own springer. It failed, the gun would be unsafe to carry.
So Springfield doenst even manage to bring up guns with reliably working safeties...how should they (or an aftermarket parts dealer) be able to make a "drop-in" safety? :mad: ) )

Enough of bashing them (it was only the 4th major issue with the same Springfield):


Here´s the bad news:
I dont think ANY manufacturer could deliver a true drop-in safety, not even for his own guns.

Carsten

[romeo oscar bravo]

Hey that wasn't what I wanted to hear but it's better to be safe than sorry. So I will opt to have the safety fitted by EGW when they get my gun hopefully next month. I'm just getting ansy and want new parts on my 1911. I just may get another one, I'm assuming this is how it starts.

Thanks for the time and advice fellas!

Rob

[Longslide]

Yep! Parts replacement is one of the early signs for the 1911 (very contagious) non recoverable - uncureable VIRUS!!

Sounds like you have it. Just give in and allocate a percentage of the monthly income to 1911-itis!!! :lm:

go on and get an inexpensive thumb safety and try it. It is really not difficult!!

[John]

There is no such a thing as a drop-in safety. When a safety issue is involved, even if you were to find a manufacturer who would market his thumb safeties as drop-in, I would not bother with them. There are at least 4 areas on a thumb safety that need to be checked/fitted if you want to have a properly working thumb safety. Variations in frames, sears, hammers etc do not allow a safety to be made, which will be a drop in part. And you do not want one actually. The tolerances in that area are so small that some tenths of a millimeter are all it takes to go from a safe gun to an unsafe one.

[wichaka]

I've had a few drop in over the years........but I would never take the odds in a bet that any will.

A properly fitted safety is very important for.....well.......safety! :)