1911 Ambi safety

[Elmoh01]

It would seem to me that the weak part is where the left and right side join.
http://www.brownells.com/Images/Products/621145002.jpg

I always wondered why no one made an 1911 Ambi safety like the Browning Hi-power. the bar runs through the frame and is secured by a roll pin. That system seem much stronger.
http://www.brownells.com/Images/Products/206035010.jpg

Does anyone know if one is made that way?

[RickB]

SVI used to make one that was retained by a screw, and appeared to be stronger, but people kept damaging them in trying to remove them like a typical Swenson-style ambi, so SVI decided to switch rather than fight. Really, the forces applied to the joint shouldn't be great; how much pressure does it take to flip the safety off? Three pounds? Five pounds? I think the problem is the safeties being improperly fitted, so that when the shooter rides the safety when shooting, all the torque is being applied to that joint.

[Elmoh01]

Thanks for the reply Rick. I tried to google SVI ambi-safety hoping to see a pic of one but no luck.

[RickB]

It's been a number of years since they dropped it, so I'd expect any pics you could find today would show their current part.

[dakota1911]

I am right handed, but when I shoot with the other hand it almost seems more easy to flip off the safety on a 1911 than with my right hand, and I am not double jointed or anything like that. I wonder why and when the "ambi safety" was important. To me the (hot) spent brass being ejected is the more important issue when shooting with my left hand, which can be solved with ejector extractor tuning.