Thumb safety question.

[Rabbi]

Maybe this should be in the Springfield Armory room, but it probably applies (both question and answers) to any 1911 pistol.

I have an early Springfield Loaded Lightweight that was assembled in their custom shop. From day one the thumb safety has been easier to disengage than any of the dozen or so 1911s I've owned. It does have a slight detent when the safety is fully "on" or fully "off" but if I even touch this safety it goes to the "off" position. Often just the act of drawing or holstering it will wipe off the safety. I have replaced the two piece tube spring and it didn't help. One day I was in the shop of a local FFL dealer who has a reputation for knowing all things about all subjects and woe unto him who should question or G-d forbid, disagree with him. I asked him to check the thumb safety and he said, "It's fine, you're imagining things. All my Kimbers in the showcase are exactly like that. You are wiping off the safety yourself by not being careful. If you are going to carry a gun ....... yadda yadda yadda, etc."

Can anyone tell me if this a problem that the Springfield factory should address? The pistol only has about three thousand rounds thru it and has more holster wear than wear and tear on parts.

Thank you in advance for any tips/ideas/advice.

Rabbi

[John]

I do not like safeties that come of by just touching them, especially in a single action pistol, it is a disaster-waiting-to-happen.

I would address that issue, asap, if I were you.

It's too early in the morning to write a suggestion on what could be done about it, but I am sure others will jump in to help you out, if you decide to handle it yourself.

Rgds

[kotonk]

Often just the act of drawing or holstering it will wipe off the safety.

sounds dangerous to me. give the custom shop a call. they'll pay for shipping both ways if it's a valid warranty problem.

-kotonk

[Rabbi]

John,

I don't like it either, especially as you said "in a single action pistol". I only used it as my concealed carry gun a few times and now only ever use it at the range for slow, deliberate fire. I think it is way too unsafe for a self-defense pistol.

Does anyone have an idea if Springfield would treat this as an inherent problem from manufacture and cover it in warranty or charge me for fixing it ???

Rabbi

[John]

I wish I knew, my Springfield came to me after receiving the care of my friend Alan Tillman, so I do not know how stubborn its safety was as it came from the factory. Those who own factory-spec pistols should answer, but I think they shouldn't charge you. I cannot believe that they make their safeties so touchy, not in this lawyer-enriching times.

Rgds

[kotonk]

customshop@springfield-armory.com

[had]

i have a sa loaded made in 2000. the safety is very solid on and solid off. so maybe yours needs to be looked at.

had

[Rabbi]

Kotonk and Had,

Thanks for your input guys, I'll get on the horn or e-mail the custom shop later today. I wondered if anyone else had this problem with SA Loaded models and nobody has chimed in so it kinda looks like my pistol's weak safety is a fluke. They might be willing to fix it even though it's four and a half years old, being as the problem was there since it was new. I have heard a lot of good things about SA's warranty and service department.

I appreciate everyone's responses.

Rabbi

[kotonk]

i have a loaded px9608L circa 2001. when i first got it it had a positive "click" and i never felt the thumb safety was unsafe. i've since sent it in to clark custom for some work, one of the things was to install a new ambi-safety. when it came back, the safety felt lighter to toggle on/off, but still it didn't feel unsafe to me.

i think the important thing is that YOU feel that it's unsafe. regardless of whether someone else(even an expert) tells you it's safe all that matters is what you think....if you're always going to feel unsettled about taking the pistol out for shooting or carry it doesn't make sense to keep a gun you don't have 100% confidence in.

i hope SA will fix it under warranty, but even if they don't do it for free, you should dish out your own money to get it fixed or else you'll never feel comfortable whenever it's in your hands.

hope things turn out well....

-kotonk

[wakal]

You can try a fairly easy fix yourself :eek:

Pull the safety out and look at the area under the lever where the spring-loaded plunger rides. There should be a bit of a dimple or depression at the top and bottom, with a slight shelf or step to keep what you are describing from happening.

Clamp the safety in your vice and use a small ball-end cutting head to make that depression a bit deeper. Go slow and try the fit often until it is a more positive "on" and more to your liking.

I like a more positive on and off "click", myself, but that is just me.




Alex

[Rabbi]

Wakal,

I already tried that with 1/16th and 3/32nds ball-nose carbide end mills and just deepening the "dimple" didn't help.

I e-mailed Springfield today and if they won't fix it under warranty, I'll just pony up the money to have them fix it. I'm not going to quibble with them over some money if it means the difference between a safe and unsafe pistol. It won't be the first 1911 I've had to put money into.

Rabbi

[stumbler]

Have you tried another plunger tube spring? Or, for the fun of it, remove the current spring and swap ends (if the "pinch" is not in the middle). The idea is to have more spring tension on the safety than the slide stop.

[Rabbi]

Stumbler,

Plunger tube spring swap was the first thing I tried. No change.

Tks,

Rabbi