Making Thumb Safety a little harder to put on?

[Mark K]

I have several 1911/2011 type guns. I have a Para Ord LDA with a very conventional 1911 style thumb safety. I have an SVI with a Swenson Ambi wide safety, and now I have a STI based Open Gun with a Swenson Ambi, that has been trimmed down a little narrower.

No problem when I shoot the Para. No problems with the SVI. But frequently when I shoot the Open Gun, if I don't get my thumb back on top of the safety, it will very easily be bumped on.

I do shoot with my thumb on the safety, but you know in the heat of battle............

Is there a modification that can be made to make it a little harder to put pack on?

Mark K.

[ong45]

Look where the plunger sits when the safety is engaged, you can slightly deepen that spot to get more tension .

[Alan550]

+1

Brownells sells a bit/mill that you can insert into the plunger tube and deepen the indentation in the safety by hand. That should make it a bit more difficult do re-activate the safety.

Alan~^~

[Mark K]

Thanks all,

That is kinda what I thought, but wanted others to blame if it did not work.

Worked on it at lunchtime, and it is much better.

Mark K.

[TISCHLJ]

Yep, Brownells- The Krieger detent spotting drill. Drills on oth ends thru the plunger tube. You can detent the slide stop with one end and the safety with the other. Works great- glad I bought one. . .

[Action Pistolero]

Sharpen the part of the plunger that hits the safety. Do this by chucking it in a drill, spin it and take a file and run it across the end. The sharper you make it the harder it will be to engage. Just take it easy, you can make it too sharp. You may also want to look at the right side of the ambi safety. I had to trim mine down as I was having the same problem that you are and found out that my knuckle was trying to engage the safety. Had to do both of these mods on one of my pistols and never had the problem again.

[kgunz11]

Mark, I can put a little more of a positive detent in the Swenson on your Open gun like what is on "Goldfinger". Should fix you right up. BTW, your trigger job is done, check out the "Goldfinger" thread.

[Mark K]

Mark, I can put a little more of a positive detent in the Swenson on your Open gun like what is on "Goldfinger". Should fix you right up. BTW, your trigger job is done, check out the "Goldfinger" thread.

Thanks Bobby, I think I have the Open Gun safety fixed.

Mark

[shred]

A good smith can tune a thumb safety all kinds of ways both for engaging and disengaging by tuning the detent and the shape of the curved surfaces.

Effort to get a consistent grip with good leverage on the safety as you come up on a target may pay off moreso however.

[G-ManBart]

Funny timing....just had this same discussion here:

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?...t&p=1008495

My solution:

[Rocket35]

I had the same problem crop up earlier this year. I also have a swenson and trimmed down the right lever. As I took my finger out of the trigger guard during movement and reloads my whole grip tends to relax and the knuckle of my right index finger was popping the safety on. So I did as several have mention here. Had a buddy Pat Mileshosky stretch the detent plunger spring, deepened the notch and I reduced the right side lever's width. Still was having problems once in awhile. So I added some JB Weld to the grip just below the "pad" portion of the safety. Bingo! Never had the problem again.