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Fitting a new 1911 thumb safety


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During the initial fitting of the thumb safety I'm taking off the minimum necessary to get the safety fully inserted.

 

At that point there is a fair amount of resistance to rotation. (This is with the thumb safety detent and associated spring removed.)

 

As I remove more material it becomes easier to rotate the safety into the full on position.

 

At what point do you stop removing material? Should there be a slight bit of resistance as it approaches it's full on position? More? None?

 

The above assumes that all the thumb safety tests pass successfully of course... 

 

 

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3 hours ago, ddc said:

During the initial fitting of the thumb safety I'm taking off the minimum necessary to get the safety fully inserted.

 

At that point there is a fair amount of resistance to rotation. (This is with the thumb safety detent and associated spring removed.)

 

As I remove more material it becomes easier to rotate the safety into the full on position.

 

At what point do you stop removing material? Should there be a slight bit of resistance as it approaches it's full on position? More? None?

 

The above assumes that all the thumb safety tests pass successfully of course... 

 

 

Hey @ddc

Excellent article that may help with your install:

 

https://www.harrisoncustom.com/images/uploaded/pdf/Extreme Service Thumb Safety_June 2016.pdf

 

;)

 

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Thanks guys. I actually read both of those but overlooked where Brazos says:

 

"Remove a little material where the safety is marked and try again. You should eventually get to the point where the safety engages with just a little resistance – this is good."

 

I think that answers my question. 

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Yea Bob (at Brazos) is one of the best gunsmiths around.   There were a whole series of those articles that were published in Front Sight (I found the articles about extractor and ejector fitting and tuning super helpful as well. )

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3 hours ago, RangerTrace said:

I've turned a few sets of ambi safeties into trash.  Be careful!!

 

yes, I've discovered it is easy to go one or two file strokes too many

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3 hours ago, RangerTrace said:

I've turned a few sets of ambi safeties into trash.  Be careful!!

ive killed a set myself. id wager a whole lot of people have messed up a set or two.

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Bob has a thing at that link right at the end about saving slightly-over-cut safeties so don't trash them right away (I have a small heap and every now and then also can re-cut one to fit a new sear).

 

Not only is he an excellent gunsmith but he's also deep in the competition world.

 

 

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8 hours ago, shred said:

Bob has a thing at that link right at the end about saving slightly-over-cut safeties so don't trash them right away (I have a small heap and every now and then also can re-cut one to fit a new sear).

 

Not only is he an excellent gunsmith but he's also deep in the competition world.

 

 

@shredoffers some great advice for keeping the slightly over-cut safeties!

 

A bit longer sear replacement and your in business with having to re-fit that previous safety!

 

👍

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