Jack Suber Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 I was playing with an old Para P14 of mine yesterday and notice that if I squeezed the trigger a little when the safety was engaged, and then deactivated the safety, the hammer would fall to half-cock. Is this an issue of a bad safety or spring? This only happens if a put a little pressure on the trigger prior to disengaging the safety. I discovered it when checking the safety to see if it worked prior to firing. The pistol has been sitting in my safe for a couple of years. Any feedback would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skywalker Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 Jack, the one you performed is one of the basic functioning tests to run after fitting a new manual safety. If, after squeezing the trigger with safety on, at safety disengagement hammer follows, it means that the safety is not working properly, i.e. the safety notch doesn't prevent sear movement. Could it be a worn-out safety, or was it showing the same habit since its first day? In any case, if you're not familiar with safety fitting, you'd bet have a competent gunsmith fix it for you, it's definitely not working the way it should. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dajarrel Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 Jack, I had the same problem on a STI/Briley .40. Turned out that the person who fitted the safety originally had removed too much material which in turn allowed too much movement of the sear when the safety was engaged. I took it to a 'smith and the repair was to build up the safety (he had a small amount of metal deposited by heli-arc) and re-fit it. If your 'smith is local and that is the problem, he can have it done in a day or so. Hope this helps. dj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmittyFL Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 Jack, it's already been answered for you. But I had the same deal with my para, I think their safety's are soft or something. But I had a guy micro-weld it up a bit and then had it re-cut to fit. Probably easier to just buy a new one. Also look and make sure they cut the safety and not the sear. I've seen some guys cut the sear first, the old "cut on the cheap part" thing. If that's the case you may need a new sear also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Suber Posted June 1, 2004 Author Share Posted June 1, 2004 Thanks, guys. I can't remember the pistol doing this before (its probably been 3 years since I shot it). Think I'll just have a new one installed. Thanks again and take care. Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisMcCracken Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 Ok, this is an old thread to dig up, but I've done my task of searching before asking. My situation is very similar, trying to add an extended thumb safety to my 1911. With the new safety in the on position, the hammer falls part way if the trigger is depressed. The old small nubbin of a safety didn't have this problem. The trigger is sweet, so I don't want to replace the sear. As I understand it, these are my options: have a gunsmith weld material onto the safety and fit it to my gun; get another safety and hope it fits; or stick with the nubbin. I want to be able to keep my right thumb on the safety, so keeping the nubbin is out for long term. Another safety sounds like its just as likely to not work. Therefore, the best candidate seems to be getting the safety fitted without touching the sear. 1st, Do I understand all this right? 2nd, what should it cost to get a safety built up and fitted? 3rd, Is this something to trust to your average gunsmith, or should I send it away for top notch work? Input is much appreciated. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ima45dv8 Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 (edited) Having the current safety welded up and then fitted, or getting a new safety and having it fitted is going to be pretty similar in terms of both needing to be fitted. IF you have a local 'smith you're comfortable with welding and then fitting, fine. If you don't know one who could do that, but who could fit a new safety, that's the other option. If you want to send it off for repair, the forums here at BE are full of good choices. A quick search (and your own experience already) will give you some great options to choose from. I wouldn't try to list all the good options here lest I forget one and piss off someone I might need one day. Edited March 31, 2007 by ima45dv8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brazos Custom Posted March 31, 2007 Share Posted March 31, 2007 If it is off by just a little you can peen it and it will work fine. Info here Safety fitting towards the bottom of the article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCK Posted April 1, 2007 Share Posted April 1, 2007 If it is off by just a little you can peen it and it will work fine. Info here Safety fitting towards the bottom of the article. Thats a good read and may just encourage me to go ahead and fit my backup safety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hitman Posted April 1, 2007 Share Posted April 1, 2007 I would agree with the safety but have the sear checked also. Several years ago I had a pistol come in that had chunk of metal missing from the bottom of the sear. Only seen it that one time but it never hurts to look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisMcCracken Posted April 1, 2007 Share Posted April 1, 2007 Ok, that being said. What is a reasonable price range to have a new safety or sear fitted? I have no clue even what a ballpark figure for this kind of work is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMITH Posted April 1, 2007 Share Posted April 1, 2007 The sear can cost a little or a lot, depending on what sear, what gun, what hammer, are the pin holes in the frame straight, is the hammer cut square, and some other things. If a guy charged you $50 to install a new sear he would do OK sometimes, and sometimes he would lose his shirt on the job. Fitting a safety isn't a big deal IF the hammer and sear are done right. Takes me 15 minutes or so on average if everything else is OK, plus about $55 for a good set of Brown ambi's or $90 for SV's. Browns and SV's are all I will use anymore..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Biondi Posted April 2, 2007 Share Posted April 2, 2007 I was playing with an old Para P14 of mine yesterday and notice that if I squeezed the trigger a little when the safety was engaged, and then deactivated the safety, the hammer would fall to half-cock. Is this an issue of a bad safety or spring? This only happens if a put a little pressure on the trigger prior to disengaging the safety. I discovered it when checking the safety to see if it worked prior to firing. The pistol has been sitting in my safe for a couple of years. Any feedback would be appreciated. This trouble happen when the sear is too short. When you pull the trigger,also with the safety engaged, there is a minimal moviment of the trigger blow that push on the disconnector and on the sear legs. This happen because the thumb safety needs a little "tolerance" to be deactivate without too much force (in contrary case the safety scratch on the back of the sear legs when you disengage it). Now the sear moves itself a little in front so if the sear nose is too short the trigger inertia force win on the resticence of the sear and the hammer go down on the half cock. Hope to be clear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hitman Posted April 2, 2007 Share Posted April 2, 2007 $45 an hour + parts cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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