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1911 Grip safety issue


ger

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So as the title says, I have a problem gripping the gun to high, and do not disengage the grip safety consistently.

I shoot limited now with pinned safety , so no big deal, but on the 1911 it seems to be a big problem for me now. I have extended grip safeties, but they still do not seem to work for my hand.

Is there a fix or am I destined to have to go against what I learned from gripping the gun high?

Thoughts appreciated

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You could disengage the grip safety on your 1911 or tune it so it just barely has to be touched.

If you shoot your 1911 in both IDPA and USPSA just use a piece of electrical tape to pin the grip safety, that way it is not permanent.

Edited by dover0020
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I bet JB looks sexy as hell. Probably not on a blued gun? I normally just make mine to where the safety just has to barely be touched to let the gun fire. I got a little excited the other night and need to add a little material back to one...

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I bet JB looks sexy as hell. Probably not on a blued gun? I normally just make mine to where the safety just has to barely be touched to let the gun fire. I got a little excited the other night and need to add a little material back to one...

You could do it to a blued gun but a little cold blue would be needed.

There are some shooters that just cannot deactivate the safety no matter how light it is set. When the rules state that it has to work building up the pad is the only fix.

There are two ways to fix your safety without welding. You could put it in a mill vise and squeeze the arm to make it longer. You can also give the arm a good whack with a brass hammer.

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perfect advice

Its already deactivated, I was stressing that I saw/ heard the uspsa single stack was going to require working grip safety...

It did not use to be an issue but after a few years shooting limited, its a big deal for me now! It appears by studying my own grip, I manage to put upward web pressure on tang of grip safety consistently.

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  • 2 weeks later...

perfect advice

Its already deactivated, I was stressing that I saw/ heard the uspsa single stack was going to require working grip safety...It did not use to be an issue but after a few years shooting limited, its a big deal for me now! It appears by studying my own grip, I manage to put upward web pressure on tang of grip safety consistently.

I haven't seen anything about this occurring. Worst case scenario, if this does happen, just follow the above advise and tune the grip safety so it requires virtually no pressure. That allows you to be in compliance with having an active grip safety while still negating the activation issues from a high hold.

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I know people that have this problem. On occasion, if I don't get a good grip it happens or I will feel the safety interfere with the trigger but not stop it. All my 1911s have the memory pad. So the memory pad and practice getting a good grip is sound advise.

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  • 3 years later...
  • 7 months later...

A pretty lively discussion arose at the last local USPSA match over a shooter's 1911 grip safety that was taped down.  The RO said, basically, "don't think that's legal" to which the shooter took great exception, citing many years of shooting matches at the club.  No one at the stage had a rule book with them.  The shooter went to the match director who said his setup was acceptable.  This was a small-time match, no prize table.

Edited by GunBugBit
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Lessening the curve on the right finger of the sear spring is a band-aid (easily reversible). My wife had the same issue with her SSTK 1911 and this fixed it.

Cutting the grip safety finger higher so it clears the trigger bow sooner is better than lopping it off completely.

Pinning is an option that provides little/no measureable advantage but can have negative consequences. I'd say start with the sear spring & see if that helps.

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On Thursday, August 30, 2012 at 8:16 PM, ger said:

So as the title says, I have a problem gripping the gun to high, and do not disengage the grip safety consistently.

I shoot limited now with pinned safety , so no big deal, but on the 1911 it seems to be a big problem for me now. I have extended grip safeties, but they still do not seem to work for my hand.

Is there a fix or am I destined to have to go against what I learned from gripping the gun high?

Thoughts appreciated

I have to ask, what make of 1911 are you using? I'm into vintage firearms, and out of classic 1911's from WWI and WWII I have never seen a problem. The newest 1911 I shoot is a 71 colt. I am wondering if the newer pistols have some inherent issues? 

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You might want to try to use some Velcro with a sticky back.  Cut a piece to fit on the bump and stick it on.  Use the hook side  of the velcro, and use heavy duty 10lb or greater velcro.  You will immediately feel a big difference.  And it stays on very well.   

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18 hours ago, resortboarder said:

Lessening the curve on the right finger of the sear spring is a band-aid (easily reversible). My wife had the same issue with her SSTK 1911 and this fixed it.

Cutting the grip safety finger higher so it clears the trigger bow sooner is better than lopping it off completely.

Pinning is an option that provides little/no measureable advantage but can have negative consequences. I'd say start with the sear spring & see if that helps.

The benefit of pinning the GS is that it is always depressed. Also easy to reverse. No negative consequences I can see.

Some have issues with the modern GS design. High grip sometimes impedes GS operation for them. 

Bear in mind most here use their guns in the various gun games, so the "liability"  issue is not something they're all that worried about.

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18 hours ago, rustybayonet said:

I have to ask, what make of 1911 are you using? I'm into vintage firearms, and out of classic 1911's from WWI and WWII I have never seen a problem. The newest 1911 I shoot is a 71 colt. I am wondering if the newer pistols have some inherent issues? 

Usually if there are GS deactivating issues, it's a beavertail grip safety (BTGS) providing a higher grip which may on some people hinder GS function.

I'd wager your old guns have the original design GS. Great for deactivation, not so great for the web of your hand and control of muzzle flip.

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2 minutes ago, robertg5322 said:

The benefit of pinning the GS is that it is always depressed. Also easy to reverse. No negative consequences I can see.

Some have issues with the modern GS design. High grip sometimes impedes GS operation for them. 

Bear in mind most here use their guns in the various gun games, so the "liability"  issue is not something they're all that worried about.

I agree that pinning is also easily reversible, but drilling the MS housing and aligning its pair in the GS is not as easy as adapting the sear spring. 

The negative consequences I'm referring to don't have to involve liability. I've seen shooters pin a grip safety only to adopt an even worse grip, or to break a shot too quickly out of the holster before they even had a two-handed grip.  I personally have my Limited grip pinned, but I've also already formed most of my habits. 

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I have the same problem with 1911's and 2011's.

It is a hand shape and high grip issue. If you have meaty palms/thumb base it will likely never affect you. "Getting a solid grip" is not good advice because that is precisely what causes it. With a half-azzed crappy grip the GS always works. With a tight, high grip it fails to work. People have different hand shapes and some are just going to have this problem. When I first started and had zero technique, it was't a problem, because I gripped the gun too low.

For match shooting and range stuff I feel the GS is pointless and would pin all mine if rules allowed it. Just my opinion.

 

 

 

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