Support hand - thumb safety interference

[JimInFL]

I recently purchased a second open gun that is configured almost the same as my current one. I'm having trouble shooting the new one. My hands are not particularly large (nor small) but I do have some 'meat' at the base of my thumb. With my normal grip, that part of my support hand seems to find it's way up under the safety, raising it it just enough to wreak havoc while I'm shooting. I end up pushing the safety back down with my strong hand thumb and an up/down battle quickly ensues. It's not drastic - it's right on the edge between on/off and I can't say that it happens all the time - but when it does - well you can imagine what it does to your concentration.

Some random thoughts - this gun has a double undercut trigger guard - the other one has no undercuts. I wonder if that small amount is the difference. It's really hard to tell.

My shooting buds suggested I get rid of the big swensons and go back to something more stock. But I like the bigger safety, because like I said, my hands aren't all that big, and I need the space for my strong thumb to rest on it wrapping around. Besides - I'm all the way under it - even a thinner safety would still probably catch it.

Anyone else ever experience this ? Suggestions ? Can you even see what I'm describing ? I might be able to post some pics if would help.

JimInFL

[JorDanO]

Yep. I had the same problem. Interestingly the gun also has Swenson safeties and a double under cut trigger job.

It was extremely annoying to be pressing the trigger and have nothing happen until I readjusted my grip a little lower. I tried grinding the safety down and using a shorter trigger but still had trouble.

I don't know what the solution would be, but I bet going with a more conventional safety would probably fix it. For me, I ended up getting a Tanfoglio Gold Team since I'm more familiar with that platform.

[JThompson]

That is why you ride the safety with the strong hand thumb... This prevents inadvertent safety engagement. You also might want to look and see if your weak hand is canted far enough forward... if it is this, should not happen.

Edited June 29, 2009 by JThompson

[G-ManBart]

Jim,

I have the exact same issue. In fact, I figured out that the "meat" on my hand you're talking about was sort of squeezing the safety upward and partially engaging it. The first time it happened it was in a match (of course) so I racked the slide figuring it was an ammo issue that hadn't let the slide close 100%....obviously not the problem.

What I did was to increase the size of the dimple on the safety that the plunger fit into....it's way bigger and deeper now. That has increased the effort to raise the safety a significant amount and enough that the problem doesn't happen any longer. I've had to do this to all of my guns...Open, Lim and SS. A Dremel with the round ball/burr works nicely for this and it really isn't hard to do (not exactly pretty, but it's not normally visible. I'll try to take a pic of one of my safties and post it here. R,

[G-ManBart]

That is why you ride the safety with the strong hand thumb... This prevents inadvertent safety engagement. You also might want to look and see if your weak hand is canted far enough forward... if it is this, should not happen.

JT,

The same thing happens to me with an unaltered safety. My right hand thumb isn't long enough to really ride down hard on the safety, and my support hand (there is no weak!) is definitely canted far enough forward. Averagish length fingers with a little more meat on my hands...sounds a lot like the OP. I can recreate it at will now that I know what causes is...that meat at the base of my thumb is just enough that when I clamp my hands with side to side pressure it pushes up on the bottom of the safety. Once modified my safeties won't do this any longer. R,

[shootingchef]

I had metal taken off the weak side safety for this reason, solved it.

[Pat Miles]

That is why you ride the safety with the strong hand thumb... This prevents inadvertent safety engagement. You also might want to look and see if your weak hand is canted far enough forward... if it is this, should not happen.

JT,

The same thing happens to me with an unaltered safety. My right hand thumb isn't long enough to really ride down hard on the safety, and my support hand (there is no weak!) is definitely canted far enough forward. Averagish length fingers with a little more meat on my hands...sounds a lot like the OP. I can recreate it at will now that I know what causes is...that meat at the base of my thumb is just enough that when I clamp my hands with side to side pressure it pushes up on the bottom of the safety. Once modified my safeties won't do this any longer. R,

Okay Bart, did you take a Dremel to your thumb (ouch!) or to the safety?

CYa,

Pat

[JThompson]

G-Man,

I had forgot, but I did the same thing. Over time my older safety got warn and I just took the Dremel and increased the angles. I also but more tension on the spring. There's a real SNAP when I engage it

Edited June 30, 2009 by JThompson

[G-ManBart]

Here's a quick pic of the mod I did on my safety. This was the first one I did on an Ed Brown before I switched to all SV safeties. More recent versions are nicer and more of a consistent oval shape....works the same though.

[G-ManBart]

Okay Bart, did you take a Dremel to your thumb (ouch!) or to the safety?

CYa,

Pat

Pat,

I've done both! My rule is "when I start bleeding, I stop working on the gun for the day"

[shootingchef]

Okay Bart, did you take a Dremel to your thumb (ouch!) or to the safety?

CYa,

Pat

Pat,

I've done both! My rule is "when I start bleeding, I stop working on the gun for the day"

if this were the case, I would have to quit shooting. My SV requires a blood sacrifice each time it's shot.

[JThompson]

Here's a quick pic of the mod I did on my safety. This was the first one I did on an Ed Brown before I switched to all SV safeties. More recent versions are nicer and more of a consistent oval shape....works the same though.

With mine I cut and angle across it.... Sec I'll pull it down and shoot it.

[G-ManBart]

With mine I cut and angle across it.... Sec I'll pull it down and shoot it.

I'm sure that would work too. I work on them until it's just barely possible to get the safety to work up and down and then stop....they ease up a touch after a little use and seem to stay that way after that....stiff, but workable. I've also noted that when you assemble them and they're seemingly too tight, a couple of shots and the plunger spring seats a little and they work easier after that. R,

[JimInFL]

Man am I glad for these responses guys - thanks. I was beginning to think my grip was just all screwed up all this time and I didn't know it. Sounds like I've got some good ideas to work with, without having to chop up my Swensons (outside dimensions at least) to fix it. I like the idea of a good strong 'click' on a safety anyway.

JimInFL

[JThompson]

It might not be pretty, but it works and is out of sight anyway

Edited June 30, 2009 by JThompson

[Albert]

I was having the same challenge with a different gun (CZ Tactical Sport) and especially after I had the grip frame under cut behind the trigger guard and under the beavertail. I relieved the area underneath the left hand safety as I quit waiting for a larger safety that was going to come out of the CZ custom shop. In the mean time I show up with finger sleeves that act as spacers to raise the gun back up so that I don't hit the left hand safety with the meat of my support hand.

[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.

Edited June 30, 2009 by Rocket35

[STI2011]

I sometimes hit the thumb safety on after pivoting my shooting hand thumb back around after doing a reload. Most times I bring it back on top of the safty and it's fine but, sometimes the thumb rides under the safety and I hit it up. Very annoying.