Fitting USED thumb safety on another 1911!

[seagiant]

Hi,
Being left handed I have to use an ambi thumb safety on my 1911's. I sometimes buy a take off safety to use on another pistol. Sometimes they fit ok and or I can fill the groove with a feeler guage and then peen down on the end of the fitting surface to expand the part on the safety that blocks the sear and all is well.

On other used safetys even that trick is not enough and I have to weld up the surface with a oxy torch to lay a bead of steel on the fitting surface! This is tricky as it has to get hot enough to weld but not so hot as to turn the fitting block to a blob! Do not ask how I know this!

Here is a pic of the little bead of weld I put on the old safety to be fitted!

[seagiant]

Hi,
I next position the frame in the vise with the disconnector, sear,hammer,sear leaf spring and install MSH to hold spring. I leave out the grip safety so I can see the relationship between the thumb safety block and the sear.

It is very hard to take pics to show this but I tried! For those that know the insides of a 1911 maybe you will be able to see whats going on.

Here is a pic of the safety trying to go in but is to wide to slide past sear. This is good at this stage as it means our blob of weld is a success!

If you look to the left of the frame you will see the external thumb safety not going in all the way. Look to the right and you can see the fitting surface butted up against the bottom legs of the sear!

Added a red circle to show area better for people wanting to learn about this. This is of course the view from the back of the frame where the grip safety would normally be!

[seagiant]

Hi,
Now we can actually see what is going on inside and how much material has to come off. Now it is just fitting,a couple of swipes with the needle file and then back in. Once the safety will actually start to push INTO the sear it will still be to tight and will leave a small divot on the face of the fitting surface of the safety.

This tells you that you are close, as you want ZERO movement from the sear when the trigger is pressed but you also want it smooth! Here is a pic of the little divot that the sear leaves on the safety fitting surface,telling you you have furthur to go but you are getting VERY close!

[seagiant]

Hi,
Now the safety is starting to make it's way in slipping just past the sear legs that it is designed to block.

Finally it goes all the way in and you can see the external part of the safety is flush against the frame of the pistol!

[seagiant]

Hi,
Now you put the pistol back together and do you safety checks to make sure you still own a safe pistol!

http://www.cylinder-slide.com/1911safetyck.shtml

[M-Tecs]

Will be doing the same thing in the morning with a tig welder. Nice write up.

[seagiant]

Hi,
I have a TIG but I'm out of gas for it! The oxy is ok but requires more attention!

This is a good save as the ambi safetys that I need are $50-150 each. This was a RIA take off that I bought for $20 shipped! It has the sear pin that holds the right side on and after smoothing out the sharp edges and fitting,works good for me.

I also deepen the recess on the out side where the plunger rest to get more of a secure purchase on the safety and a good "snap" when you take it off!

http://www.brazoscustom.com/magart/0601.htm

[MBTcustom]

Excellent tutorial.
I have done the same thing many times, but I use a wire welder to build the surface. Doesn't matter how you do it, as long as what you did is STEEL and you "listen for the clicks" (which you would be surprised how many people do not know how to do).
This is absolutely indispensable information for anybody who works on their own guns, and also likes to carry "cocked and locked". Both so that they know how to check their 1911 for safety, and so that they know how to make it safe if it fails.

[seagiant]

Hi,
Thanks Tim,just hoping this helps some people that are sitting on the fence to do this job! Difficulty usually dissappears with understanding! Hopefully I presented it so people can benefit from the thread!:mrgreen: