rexican Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 Hi, I was wondering what the normal procedure is for disengaging the grip safety. the previous owner altered mine, and the grip safety no longer works. After disassembly, it looks like the far right bar of the sear spring was shortened a bit. I'm hoping replacing the sear spring will bring it back to operation: I don't like having a safety that doesn't work. I'll post some pics of the internals after class if it will help. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExtremeShot Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 It was probably bent in towards the gun (not shortened). Just bend it back out (towards the back of the grip). D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFlowers Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 Removing the function of the grip safety is a pretty normal change to a competition 2011. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentlemanJim Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 (edited) I cut them back...no fixing that. Replacing the spring has nothing to do with disableing it...and wont fix it Replace the safety. Jim Edited December 8, 2008 by GentlemanJim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshF Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 (edited) I'd recommend just shooting it. An active grip safety is undesirable for the vast majority of people. Edited December 8, 2008 by JoshF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 On a competition gun, the only thing a grip safety will do for you is remain engaged in the middle of a big match I wouldn't even bother with re-activating it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scirocco38s Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 I have many 2011 framed guns and everyone of them has the grip either pinned or the safety modified where it will never engage. If you are competent at all with your gun handling this is a non-issue. The only safety that matters on a 1911/2011 style gun is the thumb safety. If it bothers you though buy a new safety and install it, they dont take long to fit, 15minutes with a small file. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38superman Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 (edited) Removing the function of the grip safety is a pretty normal change to a competition 2011. +1 You might want to reconsider before you enable the grip safety. Sooner or later you will pull the trigger in competition and the gun will refuse to fire because your hold on the grip didn't depress the safety enough. The problem may not be apparent, so you end up burning time and trashing the stage while trying to troubleshoot. The grip safety on my open gun is disengaged and I've had reason to regret not doing it to other guns. Edited December 9, 2008 by 38superman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Cheely Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 I cannot engage the grip safety on a 1911/2011. If it's not pinned, it's not going bang. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Di Vita Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 I cannot engage the grip safety on a 1911/2011. If it's not pinned, it's not going bang. Maybe you should consider holding onto the gun Nancy. Love ya Knuckles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Cheely Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 I cannot engage the grip safety on a 1911/2011. If it's not pinned, it's not going bang. Maybe you should consider holding onto the gun Nancy. Love ya Knuckles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PINMAN44 Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 Wow! Sounds like some hostility there. Matt maybe you should ask him where he got all that practice squeezing grips. hha j/k bro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el pres Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 (edited) I cannot engage the grip safety on a 1911/2011. If it's not pinned, it's not going bang. Wow, and I thought I was in the minority . I just grind all of mine and thats it, their done. Grip safety just does'nt work with a really high grip !! I dont want to hold it like I'm choaking a chicken either, to some guys that comes naturaly ?? Edited December 9, 2008 by DIRTY CHAMBER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PINMAN44 Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 I believe it is also dependent on one's physiology. Some people have more meat in their hands and are able to shoot a working grip safety fine. My grip safety isn't disabled. I like it that way. I get an occasional problem if I try to break draws under a second. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Di Vita Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 Wow! Sounds like some hostility there. Matt maybe you should ask him where he got all that practice squeezing grips. .....in practice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PINMAN44 Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 Wow Jake over your head... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boz1911 Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 When it comes to grip safeties on 1911/2011's just say NO !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el pres Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I must admit, the other day I went to a gunshop and asked to see a stock 1911. I asked if I could dryfire it, sure, and so I aimed at a back wall and nothing, locked solid, what, is the thumb safety on ? No, is it cocked, yes, again, rock solid trigger. This thing either has the nastiest trigger in the world or I dont know what I'm doing ?? I'm starting to get red now, oh ya the grip safety is working on this one !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM262 Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Unless you just want to spend the money, shoot it for a few matches then decide if you need to change it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishlad Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 I'm starting to get red now, oh yathe grip safety is working on this one !!! Ha, I've done that a couple of times at the gunshop. The guy behind the counter just rolls his eyes and suggested another "style" of gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aristotle Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 + 11ty My IDPA guns have to keep them, but I like the safety pinned as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Gundry Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Rexican, does the grip safety: 1. Flop around in the frame 2. Move normally (i.e. has spring pressure) 3. Or is it held tight against the frame? If so, then: 1. Spring has been cut/bent - try bending the spring back away from the frame to contact the safety. If it was cut, then replace the spring. 2. The leg that hits the trigger bar was probably cut down. Replace grip safety. 3. There is probably a pin holding it in. Some folks will drill a hole in the top of the mainspring housing, insert a pin that catches in the underside of the grip safety, holding it in. Remove pin or replace mainspring housing. I shoot with an active grip safety. Never had a problem with it, but I do have very large/long hands. But, I do 'tune' them a bit to only need a tiny bit of movement of the grip safety to disengage. I do not use a firing pin safety, so to me, the grip safety is the only thing that is going to possibly prevent a dropped loaded gun from going bang due to trigger bounce when the thumb safety is off (i.e. going too fast for a draw and disengaging the safety too early and tossing the gun). It's all a very very small possibility, but again, I've never had an issue with my active grip safety after tuning it. That said, I am not as fast as some of the others that have posted their comments, so take mine with a grain of salt... And, my Limited has ONLY a thumb safety Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 I get an occasional problem if I try to break draws under a second. That's exactly why all of mine are pinned. If it can happen, it will happen...at least to me. On one of my more recent guns I only sensitized the grip safety...you barely had to touch it. I put hundreds of rounds through it in practice. Sure enough, first match with it I had one draw on a fast, close target and couldn't get the gun to go off until I regripped....just kills you on a short, fast, hoser stage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhunter Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 (edited) My grip is so high, that I can't get it to fire with a grip safety. Leave it pinned and never look back Edited December 10, 2008 by zhunter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Thomas Posted December 10, 2008 Share Posted December 10, 2008 For years I pinned the grip safety on my carry/match gun. When IDPA outlawed pinned grip safeties I had to learn to sensitize them so they were still functional but would disengage every time. Actually, I already knew how, I had just, previously, taken the lazy way out. These days I can - and have - sensitized the grip safeties on all my 1911s. I literally can't hold the guns light enough, or in any other fashion, the grip safeties don't disengage. Though I'll be the first to admit this might not be true for someone with differently shaped hands than mine, I do think some people give up on the whole "functional grip safety" idea when they really don't need to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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