Wilson grip safety installation

Maleman · October 18, 2010, 04:34 PM

I've been working on a 1911 for the first time. Put in a new trigger and all is well with that. I decided to install the Wilson simi drop in beavertail safety. I have it in and it works. Everything is funtioning as it should except I don't notice any movement on the safety. That is to say the trigger won't pull unless the grip and safety is squeezed. That is as it should be. Squeeze and it allows the trigger to be pulled and all works well. The thing is, that there is no perceptible movement to the grip safety. When I squeeze I don't notice it going in at all. So do I need to take a little more material off the fitting area?I don't want to go too far and mess up a good thing, but this isn't quite right yet. Will that solve the situation?

drail · October 18, 2010, 05:40 PM

It sounds like the MSH is holding the GS in all the way all the time. Sometimes the top of the MSH or the bottom of the GS will need to be relieved slightly to allow enough clearance for the GS to pivot. You should be able to put light pressure on the trigger and slowly press the GS in and "feel" exactly when it clears and releases the trigger bow to come back. Something else could be binding the GS. Check the sides of the GS and see if there are any marks from it rubbing against the side of the frame opening. Also make sure you have sufficient tensioning on the sear spring leg that pushes the GS back. Keep looking at it and thinking about it and you'll figure it out. Keep us posted, we'll help if we can. You can assemeble the gun without the thumb safety (use a punch or a pin) and look in through the hole and see what's happening with the engagement of the GS and trigger bow. Look at the top tang on the MSH and the bottom tang on the GS. These two surfaces are what dictates how far out the GS can pivot. Sometimes a little relief is needed here. You should be able to manually pivot the GS in and out about 3/16ths of an in. or more.

Maleman · October 18, 2010, 06:59 PM

Thanks Drail. We are making progress. It works with a punch holding it in place. Put in the thumb safety and that is when It won't move. Any suggestions?

**Unclenick** · October 18, 2010, 07:38 PM

You need to take a look at the safety's operation. Take out as many trigger group parts as you need to clearly see where the extension sits behind the back of the trigger bow to prevent you pulling the trigger. Try this with no leaf spring and with the mainspring housing off, using your fingers to pull the trigger forward and to push up on the beavertail to get the extension to drop in behind the bow. I'm wondering if the extension is a little long and just catching the trigger bow with the bottom edge on the corner of the step that lets the bow slip under it when the safety is depressed. If so, that would keep the safety from springing out normally. I suggest this because it's common for those extensions to be long on a custom safety so you can file it to a perfect fit.

Maleman · October 19, 2010, 06:56 AM

Unclenick, you were spot on. The extention was too long and the original was more rounded. After looking at the old grip safety I filed the new one to the same configuration. Give or take a little

. It works fine now. Thanks you two. This is what these forums are supposed to be about. Appreciate it.

drail · October 19, 2010, 08:06 AM

Glad to be of help and glad you got it to work.

Valkman · October 19, 2010, 09:41 PM

Good job - I just installed a Wilson "Drop-In" BTGS also and had to do the same filing that you did. But with mine the trigger pull went to 8# so I had to file until the GS no longer interfered with the trigger bow.

**Unclenick** · October 20, 2010, 04:29 PM

Sounds like it was rubbing along the underside of the step. Sometimes that part of the step needs to be filed from the bottom up to thin the extension. Painting it with Magic Marker and reassembling will reveal where scraping occurs.

The grip safety, AFAIK, is just intended to prevent the trigger from striking the disconnector hard enough to move the sear off the hammer should you drop the gun muzzle-up with the thumb safety off. If you stay in the habit of pushing the thumb safety up every time you are not on a target, the lack of a grip safety will be of no consequence. Just don't sell it in that condition, as the liability could come back to bite you.

October 18, 2010, 04:34 PM	#1
Maleman Member Join Date: September 3, 2000 Location: Stamford Ct. Posts: 52	Wilson grip safety installation I've been working on a 1911 for the first time. Put in a new trigger and all is well with that. I decided to install the Wilson simi drop in beavertail safety. I have it in and it works. Everything is funtioning as it should except I don't notice any movement on the safety. That is to say the trigger won't pull unless the grip and safety is squeezed. That is as it should be. Squeeze and it allows the trigger to be pulled and all works well. The thing is, that there is no perceptible movement to the grip safety. When I squeeze I don't notice it going in at all. So do I need to take a little more material off the fitting area?I don't want to go too far and mess up a good thing, but this isn't quite right yet. Will that solve the situation?

October 18, 2010, 05:40 PM	#2
drail Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2008 Posts: 3,150	It sounds like the MSH is holding the GS in all the way all the time. Sometimes the top of the MSH or the bottom of the GS will need to be relieved slightly to allow enough clearance for the GS to pivot. You should be able to put light pressure on the trigger and slowly press the GS in and "feel" exactly when it clears and releases the trigger bow to come back. Something else could be binding the GS. Check the sides of the GS and see if there are any marks from it rubbing against the side of the frame opening. Also make sure you have sufficient tensioning on the sear spring leg that pushes the GS back. Keep looking at it and thinking about it and you'll figure it out. Keep us posted, we'll help if we can. You can assemeble the gun without the thumb safety (use a punch or a pin) and look in through the hole and see what's happening with the engagement of the GS and trigger bow. Look at the top tang on the MSH and the bottom tang on the GS. These two surfaces are what dictates how far out the GS can pivot. Sometimes a little relief is needed here. You should be able to manually pivot the GS in and out about 3/16ths of an in. or more. Last edited by drail; October 18, 2010 at 05:45 PM.

October 18, 2010, 07:38 PM	#4
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,060	You need to take a look at the safety's operation. Take out as many trigger group parts as you need to clearly see where the extension sits behind the back of the trigger bow to prevent you pulling the trigger. Try this with no leaf spring and with the mainspring housing off, using your fingers to pull the trigger forward and to push up on the beavertail to get the extension to drop in behind the bow. I'm wondering if the extension is a little long and just catching the trigger bow with the bottom edge on the corner of the step that lets the bow slip under it when the safety is depressed. If so, that would keep the safety from springing out normally. I suggest this because it's common for those extensions to be long on a custom safety so you can file it to a perfect fit. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle Last edited by Unclenick; October 20, 2010 at 04:21 PM. Reason: typo fixes

October 19, 2010, 09:41 PM	#7
Valkman Member Join Date: May 21, 2004 Location: Pahrump, NV Posts: 48	Good job - I just installed a Wilson "Drop-In" BTGS also and had to do the same filing that you did. But with mine the trigger pull went to 8# so I had to file until the GS no longer interfered with the trigger bow. __________________ NRA Patron Life Member

October 20, 2010, 04:29 PM	#8
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,060	Sounds like it was rubbing along the underside of the step. Sometimes that part of the step needs to be filed from the bottom up to thin the extension. Painting it with Magic Marker and reassembling will reveal where scraping occurs. The grip safety, AFAIK, is just intended to prevent the trigger from striking the disconnector hard enough to move the sear off the hammer should you drop the gun muzzle-up with the thumb safety off. If you stay in the habit of pushing the thumb safety up every time you are not on a target, the lack of a grip safety will be of no consequence. Just don't sell it in that condition, as the liability could come back to bite you. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

October 18, 2010, 06:59 PM	#3
Maleman Member Join Date: September 3, 2000 Location: Stamford Ct. Posts: 52	Thanks Drail. We are making progress. It works with a punch holding it in place. Put in the thumb safety and that is when It won't move. Any suggestions?

October 19, 2010, 06:56 AM	#5
Maleman Member Join Date: September 3, 2000 Location: Stamford Ct. Posts: 52	Unclenick, you were spot on. The extention was too long and the original was more rounded. After looking at the old grip safety I filed the new one to the same configuration. Give or take a little . It works fine now. Thanks you two. This is what these forums are supposed to be about. Appreciate it.

October 19, 2010, 08:06 AM	#6
drail Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2008 Posts: 3,150	Glad to be of help and glad you got it to work.