Rant: Mushy 1911 thumb safeties!

[vanfunk]

Seems like every time I go to a gunstore I am compelled to handle at least one 1911-pattern pistol while I'm there. One thing that I've noticed is that virtually all the NIB 1911 pistols I handle, from any manufacturer, have terribly mushy thumb safeties . Does anyone else seem to share in my experience? All my older 1911's (1918 Colt, 1943 Rem-Rand, '73 Colt Government Model) do not exhibit this tendency, and the thumb safety snik-snaks in and out of position with gusto. It's become a huge pet peeve of mine to pick up say, a new S&W, and get nothing but one long, mushy crawl from fire to safe and safe to fire. Even a Les Baer Commanche I handled last week felt like it didn't have any detents on it at all! Ugh!

Is this a trend, or am I just picking some poor examples of the breed?

Thanks!
vanfunk

 

[BigG]

All of the Colts I have, and I have one built as late as 2000, have excellent feel on both ends of the safety. Click on, click off. YMMV

 

[jacobtowne]

My US M1911 Colt (1917) is mushy, whilst my Ithaca is not. Could this be a function of the plunger spring, as in weak spring?
JT

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

I can't stand a mushy thumb safety either. I prefer the snicky safeties. The same manufacturer can make the same model, but some will be snicky and some mushy. My carry gun, a Springfield, is very snicky, and that's one of the reasons I choose it over some others I have.

 

[McNutt]

I have two new 1911s that have incredibly crisp thumb safeties. They aren't going to accidentally disengage and there is an audible snap when disengaged. The only problem I have is that one of my safeties is the GI stubby kind and it hits right in my thumb joint. I'm going to replace it with a longer safety, but it had better be just as crisp.

My CZ-75's thumb safety is good, but it isn't nearly as crisp as my 1911s. I think you're just handling the wrong examples.

 

[Old Fuff]

Some makers (especially those that advertise 4-pound and under trigger pulls) set the safety lock (manual safety) so that when engaged it wedges against the sear. To test: Remove the plunder & spring, and replace the safety. Then see if it remains sluggish. It shouldn't, but if you feel any noticable free space between the safety's lug and the sear, that isn't good either.



Edited to correct grammer.

 

[Radjxf]

I fit all of my own using Ed Brown's narrow extended thumb safety, that way I can get it exactly how I want it. Most of the old guns you mentioned had much more hand fitting than the new ones, hence more properly fitted parts. An excellent source of all things 1911 is of course the 1911 forum and a member here who goes by 1911Tuner.

 

[Lennyjoe]

The Springfield Mil-Spec that my son just purchased has a pretty stiff thumb safety on it. Almost have to 2 hand it to remove the safety.

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

The Springfield Mil-Spec that my son just purchased has a pretty stiff thumb safety on it. Almost have to 2 hand it to remove the safety.

I have one too, and mine has a very stiff thumb safety also, just like you described. It gets better the more you use it though. I'd rather that than have it non-snicky.