rock island 1911

[mastermoparman]

i got a rock island 1911 a few weeks ago. when to shoot it and found the grip safety digs into the web of my hand. i like the ones on kimber do you think they would fit? any other ideas were i could find some more comfortable ones?

 

[Constantine-p89]

Try www.brownells.com

 

[mastermoparman]

thanks for the link

what do they mean by
.250" radius requires alteration to frame.
?

 

[Constantine-p89]

mastermoparman, I am new to the 1911 so I can only be of so much help. Someone will answer it for you.

 

[Flexmoney]

That means it won't be a drop in part.

Take a look at the frame here on the "drop-in" tab.
http://www.blindhogg.com/gunsmith/beavertails.html

Notice that the frame "tangs"...the frame area behind the thumb safety...like your's, is kind pointed.

a 0.250 radius, on the other hand, is rounded by modifying (file or mill) the frame tangs. (check out the other beavertails on that site for an idea)


I just handled one of those Rock Islands. You aren't getting bite by the slide, right? You are getting a pinch between the frame and the grip safety?

 

[mastermoparman]

my 1911 the grip safty curls back and down instead of up like the beaver tales. and the curl down digs into my hand.

 

[rcmodel]

Look for a "drop-in" beaver-tail.

Trouble with that is, that you will also have to replace the hammer with a Commander-style ring hammer. Most of them won't work with a normal hammer spur.

But what is probably hurting you is hammer bite.
I really doubt it is the safety tang hurting you.

Stock 1911's give a lot of folks "hammer bite" on the web of your hand.
Most likely you are getting pinched between the hammer and safety tang which takes little divots out of your skin.

You can just shorten & bevel the underside of the hammer spur slightly on a grinder and cure that easily.
Or just put a band-aid over your hand when you go shooting.


rcmodel

 

[mastermoparman]

ya know i would agree with you on that but it hurts just to hold it.

the grip safty

and in my fluffy hand

im not apposed to a commander style hammer either. is there any tune i have to do with that change as well or are they more of a drop in? i also see allot of notes for a series 70 80 or 90 what do they mean by that?

 

[Quoheleth]

That's why I got the Tactical model: beavertail grip & ambi safety.

Seriously...go over to the m1911 forums (http://forum.m1911.org/forumdisplay.php?f=7) and check out the Rock Island forum. Great stuff there.

Or, from the m1911 forum, contact Armscor/Rock Island directly:
Company Representative for Armscor/RIA:
Ray Witham Jr. - User Name: LVSHOOTER - Email: [email protected]
Ivan J. Walcott - User Name: ArmscorBA - Email: [email protected]

They might be able to help you as well. Ivan is Johnny-on-the-spot over there and always answers emails promptly.

Best of luck,
Q

 

[highorder]

the drop in beavertails work, but look funny. hand fitting a .250" beavertail is easy, but will require refinishing of the gun.

I did a nice fitting job on my RIA and refinished it with gunKote. in hindsight, I should have had it polished and blued.

 

[Rex B]

I put a drop-in beavertail on my Sistema, and I'm OK with the way it looks.
I did not want to do anything that was not reversible.

 

[highorder]

I bought it planning on building from stock, so I didnt mind a little grinding here and there. Milling the sights off was far easier than trying to drift out the rear and unstake the front.

 

[berkbw]

I have these on my 1911s - $16.50 from Sarco. Not pretty nor sexy, but work well for my purpose.



Drop-in.

b-

Hmmm - pix did not quite work right, sorry.

 

[mastermoparman]

thanks for the input guys. so if i change the hammer is there any special smithing i have to do to change the hammer?

 

[rcmodel]

Any time you change out a hammer, or sear, you have to do a through inspection of all the safety's and make sure they still work right.

Same with any drop-in beavertail safety.
They all may need a little fitting to be safe & work right.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=231096


rcmodel

 

[ocharry]

you could bob the hammer until it fits and works with the beaver tail,,,,,,,i have seen pix of guns that got that kind of work,,,,doesn't look to bad and you don't have do any internal work other than fit the grip safety

my .02

ocharry

 

[crankshop1000]

I added a beavertail to my 1911A1 Rock. I made a jig out of washers of the right radius held onto the frame with a small bolt through the safety hole.I used a disc sander to do the rough fit and finished with my Dremel. Cold blued the shiney steel and done. I like the look of the stainless tail.Solved the bite problem. Chuck.