[Deke45]

I bought a Gunsite low mount thumb saftey for my Kimber Ultra CDP Elite to replace the ambi that comes on the gun. While comparing the two visually, I noticed that the sear block lug on the Gunsite safety appeared smaller than the ambi. Also the pin was several thousandths smaller than the ambi pin when checked with caliper.

When fitting it in I expected the lug to contact the sear and need filing. Nope! It slid all the way in and moves freely up and down...never touching the sear. Does anyone have any experience with this particular saftey? Is there a problem putting this safety on a small Kimber that I am unaware of? I thought the dimensions and tolerances for a thumb saftey were universal across the 1911 platforms. Any suggestions are much appreciated.

[brickeyee]

Thumb safeties require fitting. There should be zero clearance to the sear, and this can only be obtained by fitting to each gun. It may work if it drops in, but I would not use it. This is one place a zero clearance fit is really needed to prevent the sear from moving enough to drop off the hammer hooks.
I have never had a Gun Site low mount drop into any gun without fitting.

[Dean Taylor]

I have seen and shot a few 1911s with the Gunsite thumb safeties. I like the ones that Chuck Rogers makes better however. These safeties make the high thumb position over the thumb safety easier and also make the activation of the grip safety easier with the "high thumb over" grip that is in vogue now at the Shooting Academies..

Both the thumb safety and the grip safety require fitting. They are not drop in.

I suggest you contact Chuck Rogers who sometimes posts here. Besides being an elite pistolsmith - "best of the best" - he takes excellent photos of his parts and work. He will be your best source of information on this and also makes superior parts. He has posted examples of these parts elsewhere and they may be on his website also.

http://www.rogersprecision.com/

Dean
deanrtaylor@att.net
410-952-7848

[Deke45]

Thanks for the replies guys. I understand that the saftey has to be zero clearanced to the sear and was prepared to do that.

To be perfectly clear, when the safety is "dropped in", it does not contact the sear through its' entire range of motion, thus it does nothing to prevent the sear from moving. It's as if the sear block lug is dimensioned wrong because it is too small....there is nothing to fit! Maybe the best thing to do is just return it.

I did however check out Chuck Rogers site and he surely is a quality craftsman...makes some beautiful pistols. I think I will give him a call and discuss his version of the low mount safety I saw pictured.