I have my Springfield Milspec with the original thumb single safety, and my brother gave me his ambidextrous extended thumb safety from his SPringfield Loaded model. Is this a drop in or it needs some fitting? I notice my wood grips are for the single and doesnt have the groove for the ambi safety . Is it easy to modify this to take the ambidextrous safety on the right side?
1911 Single thumb safety to ambidextrous
- Thread starter nathan
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rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Yes, it needs to be fitted.
Maybe not enough metal in all the right places to fit it, if it was already fitted to a different gun?
The retainer slot on the right grip is easily done with a router bit chucked in a drill press, or with a Dremel tool and a dental bur if you are handy with power tools.
I'd put the left side safety in your gun and do all the safety checks and see if it works.
http://www.cylinder-slide.com/1911safetyck.shtml
If it passes the tests, then inlet the right grip for the other lever.
rc
Maybe not enough metal in all the right places to fit it, if it was already fitted to a different gun?
The retainer slot on the right grip is easily done with a router bit chucked in a drill press, or with a Dremel tool and a dental bur if you are handy with power tools.
I'd put the left side safety in your gun and do all the safety checks and see if it works.
http://www.cylinder-slide.com/1911safetyck.shtml
If it passes the tests, then inlet the right grip for the other lever.
rc
Zerodefect
member
Since it worked in another Springy, it'll probally drop in fine.
Test it out and be careful.
You have an excuse to buy some VZ tac diamond grips with ambi safety cut now! I suppose you could dremel your own grips if you wanted.
Test it out and be careful.
You have an excuse to buy some VZ tac diamond grips with ambi safety cut now! I suppose you could dremel your own grips if you wanted.
If you intend to carry the pistol cocked and locked for defensive use, especially CCW...you'll find that the ambi-safety routinely disengages in your holster.
It's a minor daily annoyance.
I stick to standard (non extended) single safeties these days.
It's a minor daily annoyance.
I stick to standard (non extended) single safeties these days.
hAkron
Member
Maybe he's a lefty. The safety on a 1911 isn't easy to disengage with your index finger, so it's not ideal for a south paw.
Fitting a safety isn't too hard. You can get a small set of hobby files at Home Depot. Go slow, you can't put material back on once you've filed it off.
Something to be aware of, a gun built to have a standard single sided safety will have rounded somewhat protruding hammer and sear pins. You file down your pins so they are flush with the frame, or you can buy new pins.
Zerodefect
member
True. But a 1911 with it's safety off is still a perfectly safe sidearm so it's not a big deal. I prefer single sided 1911 safeies, but I'm right handed.
I make Kydex holsters. I use a long sweat shield thats shaped to hold the saftey lever on. It took a while to get to work, yet still be smooth to holster and draw. Kydex rules for custom fit.
I use this holster for comp and training. I use a Crossbreed for CCW.
At great risk I assume you mean you manage to trip the safety rather than the gun somehow reverts to condition zero on its own.
Carry one everyday (sometimes without a holster). In my case routinely is defined as never. Could happen tomorrow and destroy a 35 year record.
I'm happy that some of you like your ambidextrous 1911 safeties. I don't.
I've been carrying 1911s of various configurations for CCW. LEO, and Military use since 1975. Extensively. I'm pretty much a life-long 1911 user. In recent memory, I carried one on average for about 16-17 hours a day during three tours to Iraq (2007-2011). I still carry one today for civilian CCW. Years ago, I typically had my 1911s after-market configured with ambis, during a time when factory guns didn't come with that option. I gradually grew to dislike the feature.
I've found that 1911 ambidextrous safeties (especially those with extended lever paddles) habitually disengage due to external pressures against 1) the safety itself or 2) the holster body (which then transmits that pressure, flipping the safety off).
This has tended to be a reality in my world whether I was carrying IWB, OWB, Belt Slide, Flap, Shoulder, Belt Clip, Mexican Carry, Vest Mounted, Belt Duty Holster, or Drop Tactical Hard-shell. It has happened whether I was using Kydex, cowhide, horsehide, ballistic nylon, hard polymer, body armor shingles, or competition holsters.
It has happened to me while rappelling down buildings or off of helicopters; while mounting and dismounting armored vehicles; while driving up-armored executive protection vehicles; while patrolling across forests, deserts, jungles, and mountains; while conducting live assaults and raids; while conducting foot chases; while climbing over fences, windowsills, and rooftops; while wrestling with perps, fighting people in bars, and chasing folks through alleys; and while simply passing through doorways, tight passages, or bumping a hip into furniture. It has happened frequently during the simple act of fastening and wearing seat belts in all manner of vehicles and aircraft. I've had 1911 ambi-safeties flipped off just in the normal course of sitting in various chairs in offices. I've had that safety become disengaged while hitting prone under fire or low crawling. It has happened to me in training, both on flat ranges and in shoot houses. And I've had that safety get disengaged by some lovely's hip on a crowded elevator or a too-close bar stool.
No big deal, and I just flip it back on. I understand how a 1911's redundant safety features work...I simply prefer that my manual 1911 safety stay put. Standard single side safeties do.
So, thanks for regaling me with your experiences, but I prefer to believe my own lyin' eyes.
I really like the holster that Zerodefect created and posted a photo of. Kudos for that design. PM sent.
My point to the OP was to consider whether he actually needed to bolt on a spare part...or was simply trying to find a use for it because it was free. If he's a lefty, maybe it's the answer to his prayers. If he's a righty, there is a potential downside...which I pointed out.
I've been carrying 1911s of various configurations for CCW. LEO, and Military use since 1975. Extensively. I'm pretty much a life-long 1911 user. In recent memory, I carried one on average for about 16-17 hours a day during three tours to Iraq (2007-2011). I still carry one today for civilian CCW. Years ago, I typically had my 1911s after-market configured with ambis, during a time when factory guns didn't come with that option. I gradually grew to dislike the feature.
I've found that 1911 ambidextrous safeties (especially those with extended lever paddles) habitually disengage due to external pressures against 1) the safety itself or 2) the holster body (which then transmits that pressure, flipping the safety off).
This has tended to be a reality in my world whether I was carrying IWB, OWB, Belt Slide, Flap, Shoulder, Belt Clip, Mexican Carry, Vest Mounted, Belt Duty Holster, or Drop Tactical Hard-shell. It has happened whether I was using Kydex, cowhide, horsehide, ballistic nylon, hard polymer, body armor shingles, or competition holsters.
It has happened to me while rappelling down buildings or off of helicopters; while mounting and dismounting armored vehicles; while driving up-armored executive protection vehicles; while patrolling across forests, deserts, jungles, and mountains; while conducting live assaults and raids; while conducting foot chases; while climbing over fences, windowsills, and rooftops; while wrestling with perps, fighting people in bars, and chasing folks through alleys; and while simply passing through doorways, tight passages, or bumping a hip into furniture. It has happened frequently during the simple act of fastening and wearing seat belts in all manner of vehicles and aircraft. I've had 1911 ambi-safeties flipped off just in the normal course of sitting in various chairs in offices. I've had that safety become disengaged while hitting prone under fire or low crawling. It has happened to me in training, both on flat ranges and in shoot houses. And I've had that safety get disengaged by some lovely's hip on a crowded elevator or a too-close bar stool.
No big deal, and I just flip it back on. I understand how a 1911's redundant safety features work...I simply prefer that my manual 1911 safety stay put. Standard single side safeties do.
So, thanks for regaling me with your experiences, but I prefer to believe my own lyin' eyes.
I really like the holster that Zerodefect created and posted a photo of. Kudos for that design. PM sent.
My point to the OP was to consider whether he actually needed to bolt on a spare part...or was simply trying to find a use for it because it was free. If he's a lefty, maybe it's the answer to his prayers. If he's a righty, there is a potential downside...which I pointed out.
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If you have to ask... its above your pay grade. The Thumb Safety is, well, a Safety Issue and should not be taken lightly. Have someone who is familiar with the procedure fit the safety to the sear. Having been previously installed on another gun it may work as-is, but chances are it will not. Its also very easy to ruin a (relatively) expensive part. Follow RC's direction but if it doesn't work find someone who knows how to make it fit.
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