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Thread: Fitting a thumb safety, steps involved

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  1. #1
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    Fitting a thumb safety, steps involved

    This was copied from a thread where a member asked how to fit a thumb safety. Although not a step by step descriptions, it gives you some insight on what needs to be done. I hope you find it useful.

    OK, let's try and give a description of the steps involved, or actually, let's point out what needs to be done. I am sure that other members will jump in to add their ideas, if I forget something (too early in the morning).



    - First of all, I check to make sure that the safety can go on the frame with no interference. In other words, on a stripped frame, I put the safety on and make sure that it moves up and down without a problem. I have run on one incident where the frame clearence notch in the safety was too narrow to allow full movement.

    - After that, I reassemble the pistol and install the sear, disconnector and hammer, but I leave out the grip safety. In that way I can look inside the back of the pistol to see what's happening inside.

    - You should now familiarize yourself with the thumb safety's operation. If you look in the shaft of the thumb safety, there are some areas of interest, shown in the picture above.

    - If the safety refuses to go in its place, then the sear clearence area needs to be made deeper. File the sear clearence area towards the rear of the safety, not towards the sear engagement area, but at 90 degrees to it.

    - Now move the safety to its full downwards position. Check that the hammer is free to move through its travel. If not, then the hammer clearing area needs to be filed down a little.

    - With the safety in the frame, try to move the safety up. It probably won't go all the way. Now it's the time to start filing the sear engagement area. Go easy, one stroke too many and your safety is permanently damaged. So when you are sure that the safety can move all the way up in its slide notch, while at the same time fully blocking the sear from moving when you pull the trigger, it's time to stop. Make sure that the trigger doesn't release the hammer with the safety in the up position and you should be good to go.

    Did I forget anything?

    Put your gun back together and check it.
    John Caradimas SV1CEC
    The M1911 Pistols Organization
    http://www.m1911.org
    Last edited by John; 5th September 2008 at 01:29.


  2. #2
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    Would you modify or add anything to these instructions if the safety seems to work ok, passes all function checks, and moves through its whole range of movement, but is just very "stiff" and hard to operate? I have a new hammer, sear and disconnector, and I'm wondering if now I need to file the safety a bit to fit it.

  3. #3
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    Socrates, John has posted above a detailed explanation of what I was getting at in the other thread.

    If my memory is correct, your safety worked fine before. It was only after the installation of the new hammer and sear that you started having problems.

    I think the last paragraph, fitting the sear engagement area is the source of your problem.
    "The 1911 was the design, given by God to us through John M. Browning, that represents the epitome of what a killing tool needs to be. It was true in 1911 and it's true now." - Col. Robert Coates commanding, U.S. Marine Corp Special Operations Command Detachment 1 (DET 1)

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by socrates
    Would you modify or add anything to these instructions if the safety seems to work ok, passes all function checks, and moves through its whole range of movement, but is just very "stiff" and hard to operate? I have a new hammer, sear and disconnector, and I'm wondering if now I need to file the safety a bit to fit it.
    You have to figure out what causes the difficulty of moving the safety. If this is the same safety that worked OK in the pistol before, then most probably the safety is rubbing somewhere internally. Disassemble the pistol and reassemble it without the grip safety, in that way you can see inside the pistol and figure out where the safety is rubbing. I bet you (as Garrettwc said) that the new hammer is touching it somewhere.
    John Caradimas SV1CEC
    The M1911 Pistols Organization
    http://www.m1911.org

  5. #5
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    "Note that ordnance specifications allows .005 inch of sear movement during this test. This holds true for guns with unaltered, ordnance-spec hammer hooks.(.027-.030 inch and slightly under square, or captive.)"
    -1911Tuner

    So, would this .005" movement allow a click to occur, or not? I'm thinking no since the tip of the sear shouldn't be clearing the hooks.
    Last edited by jeep45238; 27th November 2007 at 22:56.


  6. #6
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    I'd rather have the safety completely block the sear. I do not like movement there.
    John Caradimas SV1CEC
    The M1911 Pistols Organization
    http://www.m1911.org

  7. #7
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    Same here, just a curiosity question. On my original safety, it was not fitted properly from the factory. The new one, not touched, didn't work either, until I threw in a new sear pin (which was a LOT tighter in the frame). That just popped into my head and had me thinking late at night (which is never a good thing).

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    Thumb safety not fully engaging into the slide cut

    Thanks John for the instructions and the photo. I'm new at this sear/safety stuff and your post cleared up about 99% of my problems.

    I have a Charles Daly 1911 and installed the Cylinder & Slide Tactical II hammer/sear/disconnector/sear spring in the pistol and found the thumb safety would not engage the sear.

    I found where the safety lug stopped before rotating up and blocking the sear leg. I began stoning the engagement area (several times) and the safety now engages the sear, but the safety still does not rotate up into the slide cut.

    After reading your post and some on another site, I see where I must do a bit more stoning.

    Again, thanks for your post.

    Roy

  9. #9
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    Thumb safety/sear inspection

    Quote Originally Posted by John
    Disassemble the pistol and reassemble it without the grip safety, in that way you can see inside the pistol and figure out where the safety is rubbing. I bet you (as Garrettwc said) that the new hammer is touching it somewhere.
    In doing this to my CD, I used a "Dental" mirror I bought a Walgreen's. Works great, especially with a bright directed light. You can really get behind the safety and see very well.

    Roy

  10. #10
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    Awright- I am trying to fit a new thumb safety to my RIA. I have already replaced the hammer and sear. The safety fits and moves freely in the stripped frame, but will not install with the hammer in place. When I color the end of the thumb safety shaft and the side of the sear with Dykem I can see where they are hitting and why the saftey won't seat. Looking at the end of the shaft, it forms kind of a backward comma; the point of the comma seems to be the engagement area, and this is where the safety is contacting the side of the sear. If I file off the point of the "comma," the safety ought to slide right into place, but I'm not at all sure that's the thing to do. It looks like that point is supposed to be there. Trying to resolve this same issue with my old safety is why I'm installing a new safety now.

    John's post above says to file the clearance area back toward the rear of the safety, but that's not where I'm showing contact. The safety currently stands out from the frame about 1/16 of an inch when the hammer is installed.
    "Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid."- Ronald Wilson Reagan

    "Mmmmm.....tasty burglar......"- Tonka the Large Dog

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