Colt Gold Cup Issue

[H1500308]

Just received a 70 series Gold Cup. I fired a few rounds this weekend and took it home to field strip and clean it.

After reassembly, I noticed that the hammer will fall if I pull the trigger WITHOUT depressing the grip safety. Thumb safety works fine.

I did not check this function before the cleaning so I don't know if it was doing this before or after the field strip/clean.

Any suggestions? Is this an easy fix??

 

[rcmodel]

See if the grip safety works if you hold it up / out by the tang.

If it works, you have a problem with the flat three-lief sear spring.

The right lief powers the grip safety into the UP position.
It is possible it has been bent, or has lost some of it's strength.

If the safety works while holding it up, bend the right curved lief of the spring further back and try that.

rcmodel

 

[H1500308]

See if the grip safety works if you hold it up / out by the tang.

If it works, you have a problem with the flat three-lief sear spring.

The right lief powers the grip safety into the UP position.
It is possible it has been bent, or has lost some of it's strength.

If the safety works while holding it up, bend the right curved lief of the spring further back and try that.

rcmodel

rcmodel-it works properly when I do as you mentioned. My thinking is that I'll take it to a smith and have them do the repair. I'm not familiar enough to start bending springs back. I'm assuming this is a rather easy repair??

Also, Is this something that could have happened during a routine field strip and clean?

 

[rcmodel]

If you were able to take the gun completely apart and clean it, you are capable of fixing it.

Just take the flat spring out, tweak the right lief back with your fingers so it puts more pressure on the grip safety, and put it back together.

DO NOT mess with the center (disconnecter) or left side (trigger bow) lief.

Is this something that could have happened during a routine field strip and clean?

No.
I'd guess some previous owner got in there and bent it thinking it would somehow improve the trigger pull.

They normally last a very very long time, unless someone messes with them.

You have to remember that GI 1911's were taken apart & put back together hundreds, if not thousands of times by un-trained (not gunsmiths or armorers) GI's.

They had to be able to be detail stripped & cleaned by un-trained personnel without bending the sear spring every time and rendering the grip safety inoperable, or worse.

rcmodel

 

[H1500308]

Took the gun to a smith today and found that someone had taken a grinding wheel and cut some portion of the grip safety disabling the safety.

The gunsmith installed a new grip safety and now everything works fine.

Why would someone do this?

 

[Jim Watson]

Because he takes a high thumb hold that does not reliably depress the grip safety. Or because somebody told him that was what High Speed Low Drag Operators do.
More common with high hand hole beavertails than the standard grip safety, though.

 

[Bob Rodgers]

Took the gun to a smith today and found that someone had taken a grinding wheel and cut some portion of the grip safety disabling the safety.

This is a prime example of the frustrations associated with long distance trouble shooting.

 

[rcmodel]

I'm a little mistified.

You said it worked when you held it up manually. (in post #3)

If it worked when you held it up, it should still work when the spring holds it up.

rcmodel

 

[wrevis]

I think what they are saying is that someone ground on the grip safety enough that the spring cannot engage it to hold it up.

Rev

 

[Spartacus451]

his is a prime example of the frustrations associated with long distance trouble shooting.

Why does it seem to me like your post count should be greater then 6?

 

[1911Tuner]

Why does it seem to me like your post count should be greater then 6?

Because he just signed on a day or two ago.

Bob is one of the "Pros from Dover."
A top gun custom smith who may...like the rest of us...have trouble with diagnosis out of sight...but he can likely nail it 95% of the time.

In this case...the right leaf of the sear spring is at the root of the problem 9 times in 10, but there's always that one fool in the bunch who will grind the lug away and disable it. Those are the ones that we don't count on.

 

[NVMM]

1911 Tuner and now Bob Rodgers. (welcome)
Holy Crap! THR just keeps getting better.

Forgot to ask, How about a little of the famous Bob Rodgers photography on THR?