Suppressors I need to replace an ambi safety on a 1911

[Patton63]

I have a Springfield Loaded that I bought in 1999. In late '99 I had EGW install an Ed Brown ambi safety (since I am a lefty and the one I bought didn't have an ambi safety). The pistol shot great for the next decade. This year, I had a smith work on the pistol (fit the slide to the frame, fit a match barrel, install a 10-8 flat trigger, etc.). I did not, however, replace the safety because it had never given me any problems. Now, it is giving me problems. Specifically, the safety hangs up when I try to move it from safe to fire with my left hand - either it hits a snag and requires additional force to disengage the safety, or it hits a snag and no matter how much force you apply, it won't disengage. It works perfectly when I work it with my right hand. The problem occurs only using the off-side lever.

I took the pistol back to the smith ( a former armorer for the Army' AMU), who refit it, but said the problem was likely to come back and that it was just the nature of the beast with ambi safeties. If it is the nature of the beast, this is the first time I have ever experienced it and have never had a problem with that pistol or with the ambi safety on my Les Baer. So, I now plan to have someone replace the safety. Any recommendations on the type of safety and where to send it. I've looked at the Wilson Combat "bullet proof" model, another Ed Brown, etc. I'm also considering sending it to Springfield and having their custom shop do an install.

Any thoughts/recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Happy Holidays!

 

[bowhunter_0311]

Re: Help - I need to replace an ambi safety on a 1911

as to what safety to choose i cannot really help you with that most of the safties are good. i will say that i just delt with springfields custom shop about a month ago to have my trp refinished. looks like it did the day i bought it and the customer service was great. i have ambi safties with with all 3 of my 1911's and have had them for many years and have never had a problem with them. it is not the nature of the beast.

 

[Switchblade]

Re: Help - I need to replace an ambi safety on a 1911

When using 'ambi' parts, bulletproof high tolerances are what makes them work right. Nature of the beast = BS, go somewhere else. Go with the Wilson part, and get the 1911 manual so you can install it yourself. Check the surface for machine marks and polish accordingly with a dremel polisher to smooth out any marks that may bind. If it's a Wilson part it should be voif of tool marks anyway

 

[Downzero]

Re: Help - I need to replace an ambi safety on a 1911

DO NOT USE A DREMEL TOOL ON ANY SAFETY!

You will screw it up and it will be trash. It shouldn't take anything except a fine file to fit a safety. No power tools are part of the process.

Your problem is, as your smith said, part of owning a gun with ambies. It's hard to make them fit tight in the center, because the right side lever really doesn't have anything holding it except the tension where it fits together in the center.

I had one that was a little loose. I squeezed it with a set of pliers and re assembled it and it appears to be fine, for now.

You can replace your safety for about $50, but you will need to pay your smith to fit it. Fitting a safety isn't easy.

It's obvious by the fact that you're asking this question that you don't even know how to remove and reinstall the safety, and so it's also obvious that fitting one to your pistol yourself is completely out of the question.

If you want to remove the safety, cock the hammer, safety check the pistol, flick it halfway between safe and fire, pull it outward (might have to wiggle it a bit), and it will come out. Remove the right side grip and pull the right side safety out of the frame.

You can fit the two pieces together outside of the gun so that you can see how tight/loose they fit. There's no guarantee that a new safety will be super tight, either, because there's somewhat of a happy medium between the capability to install it at all and how tight it fits while it's in the gun.

And let me reiterate what I told the last guy this week who wanted to mess with his 1911 and didn't know what he was doing: If you don't know what you're doing, stay away from a 1911!!

 

[Patton63]

Re: Help - I need to replace an ambi safety on a 1911

Downzero - there was no indication in my original post that I planned to do any of the work myself. In fact, I asked for recommendations on where to send the pistol to make sure the work was done correctly. While I consider myself to be fairly handy, I know my limitations and gunsmithing is one of those limitations - particularly, when it comes to a safety on a 1911. I'm sure there are a number of people on this site who "don't even know how to remove and reinstall the safety."

I'm not quite sure what is wrong with presenting a problem and asking for help/recommendations. Thanks for the advice, though.

 

[Switchblade]

Re: Help - I need to replace an ambi safety on a 1911

DZ, dremels have really cool polishing pads for tool marks...just sayin...

 

[nw911guy]

Re: Help - I need to replace an ambi safety on a 1911

I think I'd just have SA do the work as long as you were happy with the factory safety.

Issues with ambi safeties are NOT uncommon. I've seen King, Kimber, and even a Brown fail. Its sort of the nature of the best with them sadly.

Downzero, have your ever used a polishing wheel(the cloth one) on anything? It would take some effort to screw something up with it. That said, I tend to agree that working on the safety on a 1911 is better left to someone who truly understands its function.

 

[Downzero]

Re: Help - I need to replace an ambi safety on a 1911

I don't think you guys realize how little material has to be removed to fit a safety. Not only that, but it needs to be at a precise angle to assure that the safety blocks ALL sear movement. ANY movement is unacceptable.

Matt Cheely is an excellent gunsmith and would be my suggestion.

http://www.ccgunworks.com/

Shoot him an email.

If I had a gunsmith FFL or if you were local, I'd do it for you. I don't, and I recommend Matt. He does excellent work.

 

[gpo1956]

Re: Help - I need to replace an ambi safety on a 1911

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Downzero</div><div class="ubbcode-body">DO NOT USE A DREMEL TOOL ON ANY SAFETY!

You will screw it up and it will be trash. It shouldn't take anything except a fine file to fit a safety. No power tools are part of the process.

Your problem is, as your smith said, part of owning a gun with ambies. It's hard to make them fit tight in the center, because the right side lever really doesn't have anything holding it except the tension where it fits together in the center.

I had one that was a little loose. I squeezed it with a set of pliers and re assembled it and it appears to be fine, for now.

You can replace your safety for about $50, but you will need to pay your smith to fit it. Fitting a safety isn't easy.

It's obvious by the fact that you're asking this question that you don't even know how to remove and reinstall the safety, and so it's also obvious that fitting one to your pistol yourself is completely out of the question.

If you want to remove the safety, cock the hammer, safety check the pistol, flick it halfway between safe and fire, pull it outward (might have to wiggle it a bit), and it will come out. Remove the right side grip and pull the right side safety out of the frame.

You can fit the two pieces together outside of the gun so that you can see how tight/loose they fit. There's no guarantee that a new safety will be super tight, either, because there's somewhat of a happy medium between the capability to install it at all and how tight it fits while it's in the gun.

And let me reiterate what I told the last guy this week who wanted to mess with his 1911 and didn't know what he was doing: If you don't know what you're doing, stay away from a 1911!! </div></div>

Easy there, big fella. Just take a couple of deep breaths, and slowly back away from the keyboard. Kind of jumping to conclusions, aren't you?

 

[rkgsmith]

Re: Help - I need to replace an ambi safety on a 1911

I would look at a King ambi or one of the others out there that use the hammer pin as a second pivot point. I used to build race pistols and found a problem that really presented itself with "lefty" shooters. The reason yours wore out is because your doing something with it that it was not intended or designed to do, that being disengaged all the time with the left hand. The support for the Brown's or Wilson's, (both good quality) comes from the pin portion that holds in the grip safety.

The safety is held together in the center by a groove and slot type arrangement, once it gets weak it gets sloppy and doesn't work properly. Squeezing it together will help for a while, but it will wear again. The King's model uses a second pin (the hammer pin) that fits in a groove behind the safety creating a second pivot point. For anybody that's a lefty I always recommended that style. Looks no different, just as easy to install, and no modification on the underside of the grip. Check it out at Brownells.

 

[RADcustom]

Re: Help - I need to replace an ambi safety on a 1911

The problem with the King ambi is there is no stopping point. Because the right side comes up from the bottom to hook the pin, unless you modify it to bottom out on the grip, it will still stress the cross pin if he rides the safety with his left thumb. The King brand has better geometry and is easier to fit.

 

[shoepop]

Re: I need to replace an ambi safety on a 1911

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Patton63</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

Any thoughts/recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Happy Holidays! </div></div>

My thoughts, get a different smith.

 

[Downzero]

Re: Help - I need to replace an ambi safety on a 1911

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: gpo1956</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Easy there, big fella. Just take a couple of deep breaths, and slowly back away from the keyboard. Kind of jumping to conclusions, aren't you? </div></div>

What "conclusions" are you talking about?

Does anyone know where to get a King's ambi? Supposedly the company is out of business.

 

[sinister]

Re: Help - I need to replace an ambi safety on a 1911

I believe Caspian bought King's thumb safety tooling and design. Brownell's carries them:

 

[RADcustom]

Re: Help - I need to replace an ambi safety on a 1911

If that is a Caspian, it has been redesigned from the original King offering. The right side attaches differently and would address the issues I mentioned earlier.

Interesting.

 

[RADcustom]

Re: Help - I need to replace an ambi safety on a 1911

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Downzero</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

Does anyone know where to get a King's ambi? Supposedly the company is out of business. </div></div>

Their website and phone number are still active.

http://www.kingsgunworks.com/

This was a former employee that bought some leftover inventory.

Jeff Bregman (818-956-6010)

 

[Downzero]

Re: Help - I need to replace an ambi safety on a 1911

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RADcustom</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If that is a Caspian, it has been redesigned from the original King offering. The right side attaches differently and would address the issues I mentioned earlier.

Interesting. </div></div>

The King's safety is wider on the left side, which is what is really cool about it.

 

[RADcustom]

Re: Help - I need to replace an ambi safety on a 1911

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Downzero</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RADcustom</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If that is a Caspian, it has been redesigned from the original King offering. The right side attaches differently and would address the issues I mentioned earlier.

Interesting. </div></div>

The King's safety is wider on the left side, which is what is really cool about it. </div></div>

Wider than what? It is wider than the Brown tactical, but narrower than the wide model.

 

[Downzero]

Re: Help - I need to replace an ambi safety on a 1911

Maybe I need to install a Brown Wide in my gun, then. My friend has a non-ambi Brown wide in his Para, and it's nice and wide (for a gun that you're not going to carry).

 

[fasteddie565]

Re: Help - I need to replace an ambi safety on a 1911

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Patton63</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Downzero - there was no indication in my original post that I planned to do any of the work myself. In fact, I asked for recommendations on where to send the pistol to make sure the work was done correctly. While I consider myself to be fairly handy, I know my limitations and gunsmithing is one of those limitations - particularly, when it comes to a safety on a 1911. I'm sure there are a number of people on this site who "don't even know how to remove and reinstall the safety."

I'm not quite sure what is wrong with presenting a problem and asking for help/recommendations. Thanks for the advice, though. </div></div>

Personally, I think your question is well founded and despite his zeal, Downzero has some good guidance in his often times over reactionary posts.

I could not remove an Ambi safety, but consult those who can (as you have done). I had to make a few passes with a "light file" on the slide stop on my Ultra Super Carry as per my gunsmith and it worked fine, despite my misgivings. I did use some of the guidance given here to see where the mag was hitting the slide stop and it proved crucial in placing my passes with the file.

This place has more drama than "17 Magazine"

 

[fasteddie565]

Re: Help - I need to replace an ambi safety on a 1911

Can I throw a quick hijack in here?

What about adding an ambi safety to a Kimber Pro Aegis II?

DZ, Do you think your guy would know about this? (I would assume so)

 

[Downzero]

Re: Help - I need to replace an ambi safety on a 1911

Fitting a safety is fitting a safety. it doesn't matter if it's an ambi or not, the process is the same.

The left side safety is what prevents sear movement. An ambi safety merely adds another lever that can cycle that safety on and off.

In other words, of course Cheely can fit either one to your gun. The process is the same either way.

 

[Shrike]

Re: I need to replace an ambi safety on a 1911

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mark S</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Patton63</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

Any thoughts/recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Happy Holidays! </div></div>

My thoughts, get a different smith. </div></div>

+1

I am not a gunsmith, but I think just about any brand of safety is "fittable" in the right hands.

 

[nw911guy]

Re: I need to replace an ambi safety on a 1911

Hey Patton,
I just came across something interesting. Wilson's Bullet Proof Ambi appears to be a pretty good design, but I haven't gotten my hands on one yet.