Thumb Safety Fell Out of 1911

[Geronimo45]

So my 1911 hit the concrete from about five feet or so. Hit the concrete hard enough to knock the thumb safety out. That's a new one.
I believe all my guns should survive the drop test they will invariably receive. Luckily, I never tried to catch it and it hit the ground without firing. Soon after I slashed open my thumb whilst using a sharp knife to depress the plunger so the thumb safety would pop back in. You know that guy who said that dull knives will cut you more often than sharp ones? He was a liar.
I ended up field-stripping the thing to make depressing the plunger easier. It worked, and the safety seems to function properly (hammer doesn't drop if the safety's on, does drop if it's off). The safety didn't seem to be broken, and there was no internal rattle.
Is this a sign of out-of-spec internals of some kind, or an expected result? It's a Springfield Armory GI-45, full sized with a small, one-sided thumb safety.

 

[xr1200]

the thumb safety can easily be pushed out of most 1911 even when it is cocked by hand if you try hard enough, You could try putting it a new plunger tube spring and pins from brownells. I highly suggest you buy wilson or ed brown pins and springs.

 

[EddieNFL]

Was it cocked when dropped? If not, it's hard to believe it did not break something.

 

[Geronimo45]

Yes, cocked and locked. And loaded.

 

[markallen]

Never heard of that one. The safety should only be removable in one position, between off and on.
Man it must have hit just right.
Anyway, I use a credit card to push the plungers back. It's a little easier on the fingers.

 

[Walkalong]

It should not have popped out. The little plunger that makes it go "click" when moved from on to off should hold it in to some degree. It should take a good pop on the pin it rotates on where it sticks out of the frame to get it to pop out. The plunger is rounded, and should be behind the rounded edge of the safety a little bit to resist it popping out.

That was probably not very clear I am afraid.

 

[Jim K]

That is the problem. Some manufacturers, who think "spec" is a four letter word, believe as Walkalong does that the plunger should keep the safety in place. But that is not the way the gun is designed. The safety should interlock with the cutout in the frame so it can be removed at only one position. The plunger should keep the safety in the proper (safe/fire) position, but it does not (or should not) retain it in the gun.

Jim

 

[1911Tuner]

The safety is designed as Jim said...so that it can only be removed in one position, and the window of opportunity is small. While anything is possible when a gun is dropped on a hard surface...in a gun with the correct specs throughout, it's so unlikely that you can bet the farm that it ain't gonna happen.

Just for the record...the safety wasn't put there so that the pistol could be maintained in Condition One 24/7. It was added so that the mounted troopers could manually place the gun on safe and reholster it when a horse became so unruly that it required two hands to regain control of it. Even in those dear dead days, they understood the chances of reholstering a cocked pistol with the finger still on the trigger.

 

[Buck Snort]

Same thing happened to me with my Kimber CDP II about two weeks ago. It was C&L, fell about two feet onto a hardwood floor. I don't know squat about fix'n guns so I paid the local 'smith $25 and its like new. Life is good!

 

[Walkalong]

Same thing happened to me with my Kimber CDP II about two weeks ago

I think I figured it out. Tell me if I have it right.

The thumb safety has a piece that not only blocks the sears movement when in "safe" or "locked" position, but that piece also rides over the frame keeping it from coming out. That part I am good with.

I was going by memory (never a good thing) and forgot that the safety needs to be a bit down from fully locked in the "safe" mode for that piece to clear the frame.

I know better than to post in these threads where true professionals should.

I just checked as well, and on my old Springfield and both my stock Colts the thumb safety will NOT push out in the "cocked and locked" position, but need to be pushed slightly below that to be pushed out.

Unfortunately, my Kimber thumb safety will push out in the "cocked and locked" position.

Am I closer this time guys?

 

[Walkalong]

Oh, the plunger does help the safety stay close to the frame and in the pistol while it passes over the "open window" where it can be pushed out, right? Or is that not right either?

 

[DasFriek]

Id say it was one in a million drop, You must have been even luckier as id bet it would be more possible for the gun to have an AD than the thumb safety to just popping out.
I dont think anything is out of spec, Its just that most production parts aren't hand fit to the gun and have alot more play in them which would make it easier for this to happen. Most parts in production guns are undersized on purpose to just drop in and cut down on man hours hand fitting parts at the factory. Had your gun been a high end gun i dont think it would have happened due to the tighter tolerances. But man would you be upset dropping a $2500 custom on the concrete, I cry a little inside just thinking about that happening.

Ed Brown makes a rebuild kit for all pins and small springs thats like $15 at Brownells.
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=5118/sku/814_ED_BROWN_1911_AUTO_REBUILD_KIT
That will help retain a new thumb safety if you do replace it, Plus give lots of other extra parts. They make one in SS also for a few bucks more.
If your gun has more than 2k rounds threw it i found when i used the whole kit it actually tightened my gun up.

Id also suggest getting some opinions on thumb safetys here before just buying one so you get one that will match your gun the best and what you use it for. There are many designs out there and alot of them can suck for ccw or mess with your grip, So discussing it may help pick a good one.

It sounds like you have a decent handle on how the safety works so i don't think you would have an issue fitting one to the gun. I found it to be one of the hardest parts to fit on a 1911 tied with a grip safety in difficulty.

 

[CDW4ME]

Just for the record...the safety wasn't put there so that the pistol could be maintained in Condition One 24/7. It was added so that the mounted troopers could manually place the gun on safe and reholster it when a horse became so unruly that it required two hands to regain control of it. Even in those dear dead days, they understood the chances of reholstering a cocked pistol with the finger still on the trigger.

Your thoughts on leaving a condition one pistol in a bedside electronic safe 24/7 ?

 

[ForumSurfer]

Lucky you. Could have ended much worse.

I fell on a curb with mine, while I was helping a friend (who isn't a good furniture mover for the record) and fell onto a concrete curb. I realized pretty quick I landed on my 1911 instead of my hip. Luckily the ambi-safety caught the brunt of the force and snapped both legs like a twig. I suppose one could blame MIM parts but [175lb + couch] just may break a non MIM part, as well.

 

[1911Tuner]

Your thoughts on leaving a condition one pistol in a bedside electronic safe 24/7 ?

It's fine if that's what you want to do. The pistol was designed to be safe in Condition One...but not specifically to be maintained or even carried in that condition.

 

[Yo Mama]

Man, you're one unlucky dude.

Tip: use a tiny flathead screwdriver, same one you'd use on the Mag release.

 

[HisSoldier]

Safeties that come out C&L?

Those guns need to be fixed. As has been said here there is a small cutout in the side of the frame for the safety to pass out between safety full on and safety full off, I've never had a gun that would do that in any other position, and can't imagine MIMber or anyone else making their guns that way.