Any tips for reshaping a 1911 GI grip safety

[hnm201]

the honorable 1911Tuner said, in an ancient thread:

I prefer the classic lines and looks of the GI pistols, and the NRM Colt
Governement Model. The standard (not XSE) Commander is also appealing.
The issue sights are fine...The 5-6 pound trigger is fine...ad infinitum.
About the only thing that I will do is to reshape the underside of the grip
safety on heavy-use range pistols...

I too prefer the classic lines and I don't like upswept "duck butt" safeties. Another GI 1911 fell into my clutches this week and this time, I swear, the only mod I am interested is fixing the gripsafety so it no longer bloodies my mitt!

Tuner et al, do you have any suggestions on the best way to go about reshaping and dehorning the GI grip safety? Is there a way that I can build a jig that will make the process easier or provide greater symmetry than just putting it in a vise and whittling on it with a file?

Thanks in advance.

 

[hnm201]

bitten by the GI

I know that some people get hammer bite, but this is really "safety bite", as shown in the photo. This is what firing 400rds of 230gr ball through my GI did to the web of my hand.

 

[1911Tuner]

Once Bit

Dominic, I FEEL yer pain!

You can do a little blending around the corners and even cut a little "upsweep" onto your current grip safety with a mill file. Helps to learn to follow a radius with a file. Drop by a local machine shop and have one of the guys demonstrate the technique. You can understand in 10 seconds what would require an hour's worth of typing, editing, clarifying, etc. A good polishing and occasional cold blue tough up is all you need to take some of the bite outta the mean ol' safety...but not all of it. It'll still abrade and blister your hand a little until you get a good callus built up.

Personally, I solved that problem on my beaters by just usin' the King's drop-in grip safety, and swap'em around on the occasions that I want to take my carry guns to the range to stretch their legs a little. Easy to re-swap the safeties in about 3 minutes, and they really do stop the pain. Butt-ugly, but they give me the same feel and geometry in handling the gun as the standard safeties, so there's no re-learning curve when goin' from beater to sidearm.

 

[Old Fuff]

At the last SHOT Show the good people at the Cylinder & Slide booth were talking about making a wide grip safety that would have the same side profile of the USGI 1911-A1 pistol. Among other things, it would work with standard and wide-spur hammers so loved by old-school folks.

Maybe some mail in that direction might help...

 

[SACOLT]

Didn't Pachmayr make some grip safeties for the spur hammer?

 

[hnm201]

SACOLT,

Yes, Pachmayr did make a rubber covered grip safety. I have one on order from midwayusa. I also have a drop in on order from King's and a spare colt GI that I picked up on eBay. I am going to reshape the spare colt GI (leaving the oem unmodified) and experiment with the other two. I'll post some pics when I get them in. I couldn't find good pics that showed the drop-in safeties installed, so I guess I'll give it a try.

I found a wide ss Colt grip safety on ebay that looks like the one shown on page 8 of the King's catalog. I suppose this requires a commander hammer or a radically bobbed spur hammer. I'm tempted to get it. I vaguely remember shooting a friend's colt with this safety years ago and remember it as being very comfortable. For some reason I find this type of beavertail far less offensive than the duck butts.

Tuner, as always, thank you for sharing your invaluable expertise. Old Fuff, I'll email those good folks today. I've already registered for the Shot Show in 06 and if I can make I plan on bringing up this topic at the booth.

 

[grendelbane]

I know quite a few people who complain about 1911 hammer bite, and or safety bite. It appears that I am immune. It simply has never been a problem for me. Even when I injured my hand a couple of years ago, Gov't model pistols were no problem. S&W revolvers were, especially J-frames, but old slabsides never bothered me at all.

I have examined every picture I could find of John M. Browning, and it appears that our hands are exactly identical!

Perhaps this explains my immunity.