Cutting One Side Of Ambi Thumb Safety

[Gti18T]

I got a trojan 1911 9mm and it has the ambidex. safety on it. the other side gets in my way a bit when i am firing and i was just wondering if anybody ever just cuts the other side off so i just have it on one side. I see there is a pivot point and everything, but if i just cut off the actual part that sticks out it should work. Just wanted to make sure there isn't some big problem with doing this. Thanks

Dan

[hitman]

Ambi-Safetys are 2 piece, just take the ejection port side off.

Remove the grip and it should just come out.

[mike cyrwus]

Ambi-Safetys are 2 piece, just take the ejection port side off.

Remove the grip and it should just come out.

you cant do this, as its pin that runs through the frame and grip safety isnt long enough. You could grind off the paddle, (I did this to my carry gun on the left paddle; as Im a lefty), but really, you should probably just get a non safety ambi. Less stuff to break, too.

Edited March 23, 2007 by mike cyrwus

[Flexmoney]

Many choose to grind/file on them to get the contour that they like.

[Duane Thomas]

If the offside lever really bothers you that much, why not just have a singleside non-ambi thumb safety installed?

[Matt Cheely]

Many choose to grind/file on them to get the contour that they like.

+1

I always grind down the weakhand side to a very small paddle that is just barely enough to get my finger on.

[Gti18T]

Is it legal in IDPA to have the weakside paddle ground down to almost nothing? I figured i would ask as this is my first entry into ESP and i dont know what they regulate on.

[Flexmoney]

I think you are OK to do that in ESP. You might ask in our IDPA section to be sure.

[hitman]

you cant do this, as its pin that runs through the frame and grip safety isnt long enough. You could grind off the paddle, (I did this to my carry gun on the left paddle; as Im a lefty), but really, you should probably just get a non safety ambi. Less stuff to break, too.

Yes it is long enough.

Shot one sided Ambi for almost a year with no problem.

Not by choice weak side broke and it seemed everytime I ordered safeties I had too many jobs in the shop to work on my pistol and by the time I got to it I was out of new safties.

While a single sidded safety would be the perfered change not everyone knows how to fit a new safety.

[mike cyrwus]

ok...if you say so.

edit: If your willing to have a grip safety secured with only half the thumb safety's pin, then thats your choice. Im saying that its not the right way to run a gun. Remember, the side that will be a little looser is the same side with the flange that interacts with the trigger bow. So by doing that, you could make a safety inoperative or make it work erratically, depending on the specs between the frame tangs, grip safety, and half of the thumb safety.

Edited March 24, 2007 by mike cyrwus

[Duane Thomas]

Yeah, I've never known anyone who just pulled off one side of a 1911 ambi and ran half the safety. That's just, like, anti-common sense.

[hitman]

Not a problem if your grip safety is pined like mine was.

Decided to change that as well when I put a in the new safety.

Looking back on it it was bad advice on my part.

From the nature of the question I should have assumed the questioner was not very experianced or knowladgable (no offense Gti18T).

So here is my advice as a working gunsmith.

Take it to a gunsmith and tell him what you want. May cost a little but you wont be messing up a 1K pistol with a slip of the dremel.

Edited March 25, 2007 by hitman

[HSMITH]

I contour the weak side lever or it does nasty things to my strong side trigger finger. Grind it down, there isn't anything in any rule book that says you can't contour the safeties on a single action handgun.