Springfield Ambi Safety working its way out

[Skydiver]

A friend recently picked up a Springfield Loaded with an extended ambi safety. At the range yesterday, the she and her boyfriend were having trouble with the safety being stuck between fire and safe when moving the safety from safe to fire. On closer look at the range, the left side and right sides of the safety were working their way out their respective sides. I managed to do a quick fix by doing a field strip and then tapping the two sides together using the plastic basepad of a magazine. Later, I took the gun home to do a better job. Before putting everything together, I took everything apart to make sure that parts were flat on their flat surfaces, and the posts/pins were square. The tongue and groove that holds the two side together fit tightly, but the casting on the tongue looked a little sloppy. I also did a trial fit without the plunger spring to ensure the movement was smooth and true. Satisfied with that, I put everything together, and did the standard set of safety and function checks.

Done with the checks, I figured I may as well exercise the safety some to ensure my work. After doing about a hundred or so clicks on and off alternating randomly between left and right sides, I could see the two sides working themselves apart again. I got everything together again, and tried to be more scientific about the testing. Using the left side, about 50 clicks I could see things working their way out again.

On closer look, I could see that the frame tapers a little bit in the area towards the grip safety. Since there is some slop on the post, pressure on the extended safety would act as one end of a lever where the fulcrum is the slight curve of the taper, and the other end is the part of the safety that has the post. Overcoming the pressure of the plunger to switch on or off seemed to highlight the levering which I didn't see when I did a trial fit without the plunger. Each little levering action is enough to just shift the friction fit between the two halves by the tiniest bit until it becomes more pronounced when the sides are obviously working their ways out.

My short term solution was to bend the sides of the groove in a fraction, and file a little angle on the faces of the tongue that mate with the groove. Basically a makeshift dovetail but with very shallow angles so that the safety's sides can still come out. Testing this out let me get to about 200 clicks before I could see the first signs of the sides working apart.

I've put in an order for an Ed Brown ambi safety to replace the current one. I've heard and read about the legendary quality of Ed Brown parts, so I'm hoping for a better fit between the two halves. I know that I'll have to fit the safety to the sear and it won't just be a drop in.

Until the new parts arrive, is there a different fix that I should do (or have done)? Would finding a really thin pair of washers to account for the taper have been a better solution?

Edited November 18, 2011 by Skydiver

[40S&W]

Call Springfield and they will give you a RMA# & return it to them to repair. They don't charge you for the fix or shipping.

[speculatorking]

The ambi on my Springfield's would give me problems too. Especially when I would try to engage the right side with my week hand. I now use the Caspian internal locking ambi safety. They work great.

http://www.caspianarms.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CAL&Product_Code=R161AB&Category_Code=R16

[twodownzero]

The ambi on my Springfield's would give me problems too. Especially when I would try to engage the right side with my week hand. I now use the Caspian internal locking ambi safety. They work great.

http://www.caspianarms.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CAL&Product_Code=R161AB&Category_Code=R16

That looks like a great upgrade.

[cheers623]

The final way you fixed it is the way many of us do. Maybe even try a little more angle on the parts. It makes them tough to take out but they stay together better. Usually they work out just a little and then stay there with your fix method. As far as Ed Browns which are great, youll still have the same problem. I've had this issue with Wilson, Ed Brown, STI, Springfield etc etc. Only other fix is the captured types like Caspian, Kimber, King's, and the new Wilson version.

Good luck.

Cheers623

DVC

[prreed10]

Had the same thing happen with my TRP Operator. After a trip back to Springfield, it is no longer an issue.

[GunBugBit]

With the Caspian, it looks like the internal locking is done via a pin that replaces the hammer pin. Is that correct? Seems like a strong solution as long as the fitting is done right.

[Skydiver]

Yup, the captured right side King's design is Plan B if the Ed Brown parts that arrived yesterday also start having the same walking out problem. If I have to implement Plan B, I'll probably go with Caspian rather then the twice the price Wilson Bullet Proof. I think that the Kimber is also at the same price range as the Caspian.

[GunBugBit]

Thanks Skydiver, I look forward to reading how it goes for you.

[Skydiver]

Ed Brown ambi safety arrived yesterday, but only opened the box today. Definitely better quality part in terms of shaping and cuts. Unfortunately, the tongue and groove fit so perfectly that less than a pound of pressure is needed to press them together or take them apart. It maybe different when it goes into the gun, but I'll only find that out next week.

I may need to squeeze the grooves together again and cut a dovetail. I'll post what I find.

[Skydiver]

I picked up the pistol this evening and didn't see any evidence of the safety working itself out with my previous fix. On the other hand, the only user had been the lefty owner who never had a problem in the first place. (It was only the righty usage that was causing the walking out.)

Installation of the Ed Brown parts went pretty smoothly. Fitting the new safety to the sear was what took the most time because I was going slowly so as not to remove too much material. (I was bouncing back and forth between "J.M.Browning was a genius" and "This way of implementing a safety is such a kludge" as I worked the material down.) Once I got that fitted in, and put in the opposite side loosely, I did the safety checks to make sure the safety was functioning properly.

With that done, I bent the top half of the groove of the tongue and groove to make a tighter fit, and then filed the top face of the tongue to from half of a dovetail.

The only material on the safety is relatively soft. This made the fitting very easy. The downside though is that the safety plunger starter to wear off the bluing on the left side safety, and started to cut into the metal. After about 100 clicks or so, the movement was feeling a bit rough because of this wear. Easily fixed by applying some slide glide on the safety plunger tip, as well as the area on the safety where plunger tip travels.

I'm pretty happy with my work. I didn't see any evidence of the Ed Brown safety walking out after about 200 clicks as a righty, and 100 clicks as a lefty.

[carlosa]

Just send it to springfield they pay for the shipping and have it back to you in a week or so.

Life time warranty and they stand by it.

I love the angle and ergonomics of the springfield ambi and beaver tail.

I would not it trade them for another brand

Edited November 29, 2011 by carlosa