Do people just NOT make short tang 1911 grip safeties?

[HDCamel]

I've never seen one that wasn't grinded down from an A1 style or an original part (i.e. antique pistols or that Colt WWI repro).

Having handled a friend's interwar commercial 1911 as well as temporarily swapping grip safeties with my A1, I can honestly say I vastly prefer the short tang. It doesn't dig into my hand and I wasn't bitten ONCE by the hammer with either pistol.

Do I really need to grind down an A1 safety or buy a used one (which I have never seen for sale on its own) to get a short tang on my 1911?

 

[HDCamel]

I mean, I've found a few places that theoretically sell them online, but they're ALWAYS sold out.

 

[1911Tuner]

If you can find a gunsmith who has a few takeoff grip safeties from pre-Series 80 Commanders...those are about as close to the original as you're likely to find. Otherwise, unless you happen to get lucky in a gun show vendor's small parts boxes...you're outta luck.

Here's a pre-80 Commander showing the grip safety.

 

[jon_in_wv]

King's Gun works used to make some short beavertails that were pretty cool. The added a lot less bulk to the rear of the weapon and I liked them.

 

[Lucky Derby]

I would ask around at your local gunsmith shops. They most likely have a box of them taken off of people's guns who were getting larger ones installed.

Yes I think used or grinding are your only options in today's gun marketplace.

 

[JTQ]

Maybe not a 1911 grip safety, but the Rock Island (RIA) GI grip safeties sure seem shorter than grip safety Colt uses on their 1991 and Series 70 Repro.

 

[HDCamel]

I would ask around at your local gunsmith shops. They most likely have a box of them taken off of people's guns who were getting larger ones installed.

Yes I think used or grinding are your only options in today's gun marketplace.

I wonder if I could get one for free/on the cheap since the demand is so low.

Seriously though, my 1911 has a matte black finish, which I don't know how to replicate. So basically, I'll probably have to go to a smith, get one in the white, have them grind it, fit it to my gun, and match the finish (since they have both the tools and the know-how... of which I have neither).

What do you suppose that'd cost?

 

[Oro]

I also like the short tang, and a pre-a1 hammer with it. Besides what 1911tuner said, you can try to find some take-offs or parts from Colt's recent WWI replicas. I actually found one on gunbroker a year or so ago. Some Colt WWI parts had been for sale at parts places like Midway; I recall the MSH's were available a while back. Perhaps call Colt and ask, or look. The recent WWI production runs have some nice Colt parts now floating around.

Another different option is to see if you can find a "rat-tail" safety. I give it a slight nod in comfort over the early style short tang. Colt should have these available. They came on the Elite guns in the 80s, and are on the base model Commanders as standard, now. I consider my 1st generation Combat Elite a very, very comfortable gun to shoot and the rat-tail safety and narrow spur hammer is a very functional combination. The rat-tail (I don't know another name for it; that's what I've heard it called before) is slim, isn't honking-huge like a beaver-tail, and it has a gentle up-turn at the tip that let's it recoil comfortably into the hand. Here's a pic of it so you can see the safety I am trying to describe. Ignore the aftermarket hammer and grips on it, please. :