1911 thumb safety modification

nwgunman · March 12, 2001, 10:56 PM

The thumb safety on my new Springfield is a little too easy to disengage. Perhaps you fellow dremel tool hackers can offer some tips on increasing the pressure required to get it to go "off safe"? Maybe grind a little bit more off so that the plunger extends further under the angle before it bumps up and over into the detent? Thanks.

George Stringer · March 13, 2001, 08:05 AM

Nwgunman, I'd first try a new plunger spring and perhaps ream the plunger tube to make sure the safety plunger is extending out completely. If that didn't work I'd have a new safety installed. I really believe that's the way you'll wind up having to go. It sounds to me like the safety isn't fit correctly. Attacking the problem with a dremel would make it very easy to go too far too quickly. You might end up with a safety that you can't disengage. George

Seppeku · March 14, 2001, 06:38 PM

I just had this same problem on a new Colt XS that I purchased. The thumb safety wouldn't go up as far as it should and it was really easy to disengage.

I took it in to a local gunsmith and he said that it had not been installed right from the factory. He had to remove some metal on the saftey itself to get it to work right. After I got it back, it's perfect.

Just FYI

nwgunman · March 14, 2001, 09:54 PM

Well, adjusting the engagement/dis-engagement IS part of "fitting" a thumb safety. Ed Brown offers a little advise in his "Bench Reference", concerning how to tune one that's "too tight". I'm thinking about increasing the "ledge" the plunger has to bump over as the safety goes "down" to "off safe". Thus increasing the pressure slightly to get it to go "off safe". And yup, plunger tube is smooth (which was a nice surprize) and the plunger itself slides in and out nicely, spring has lots of pressure. The safety fully engages in the "on safe" position...snugly up against the slide in the notch.

March 14, 2001, 06:38 PM	#3
Seppeku Member Join Date: January 2, 2001 Location: Phoenix Posts: 28	Yep I just had this same problem on a new Colt XS that I purchased. The thumb safety wouldn't go up as far as it should and it was really easy to disengage. I took it in to a local gunsmith and he said that it had not been installed right from the factory. He had to remove some metal on the saftey itself to get it to work right. After I got it back, it's perfect. Just FYI

March 12, 2001, 10:56 PM	#1
nwgunman Senior Member Join Date: July 16, 1999 Location: Olympia, WA Posts: 312	The thumb safety on my new Springfield is a little too easy to disengage. Perhaps you fellow dremel tool hackers can offer some tips on increasing the pressure required to get it to go "off safe"? Maybe grind a little bit more off so that the plunger extends further under the angle before it bumps up and over into the detent? Thanks.

March 13, 2001, 08:05 AM	#2
George Stringer Staff Alumnus Join Date: October 12, 1998 Location: Earlington KY Posts: 2,299	Nwgunman, I'd first try a new plunger spring and perhaps ream the plunger tube to make sure the safety plunger is extending out completely. If that didn't work I'd have a new safety installed. I really believe that's the way you'll wind up having to go. It sounds to me like the safety isn't fit correctly. Attacking the problem with a dremel would make it very easy to go too far too quickly. You might end up with a safety that you can't disengage. George

March 14, 2001, 09:54 PM	#4
nwgunman Senior Member Join Date: July 16, 1999 Location: Olympia, WA Posts: 312	Well, adjusting the engagement/dis-engagement IS part of "fitting" a thumb safety. Ed Brown offers a little advise in his "Bench Reference", concerning how to tune one that's "too tight". I'm thinking about increasing the "ledge" the plunger has to bump over as the safety goes "down" to "off safe". Thus increasing the pressure slightly to get it to go "off safe". And yup, plunger tube is smooth (which was a nice surprize) and the plunger itself slides in and out nicely, spring has lots of pressure. The safety fully engages in the "on safe" position...snugly up against the slide in the notch.