disabling 1911 grip safety (non-pinned style)

[tercel89]

I want to try and buy a cheap grip safety to try something out. I want to disable my grip safety in my 1911 but I dont want to pin it by drilling the MSH and Grip safety.

 I want to try it by cutting off the little arm or tab on the grip safety that sticks in towards the inner workings of the trigger .

 Is that how it's done ? Have any of you guys did it ?

[Moped]

Why would you want too?  JMB placed this here for a reason. 

[tercel89]

Why would you want too?  JMB placed this here for a reason. 

 

 just to try it out . Would the grip safety still be spring loaded or would it "slide" around loosely ?

Edited June 21, 2015 by tercel89

[seax]

According to my years of reading about the 1911 the grip safety was a requirement of the Military board, not JMB. The  pistol was originally designed for the horse cavalry. As to why, some people have problems deactivating the safety due to hand size or shape. That is why you see most "beavertail" safeties have a bump at the bottom. It was very common for the grip safety to be disabled by gunfighters in the past. I have seen several different ways this has been done, including rawhide wrapped around the frame by one Texas Ranger.

 

Someone can feel free to correct me if they can find another valid statement on this. My memory is not the best.

 

Cheers,

 

ts

[Garufa]

The grip safety was a military requirement for the 1911, JMB did not originally design it that way.

 

Regardless, I've never understood the issue, but then again I've never had a problem holding the pistol.

Edited June 22, 2015 by Garufa

[timcalhoun]

I want to try and buy a cheap grip safety to try something out. I want to disable my grip safety in my 1911 but I dont want to pin it by drilling the MSH and Grip safety.

 I want to try it by cutting off the little arm or tab on the grip safety that sticks in towards the inner workings of the trigger .

 Is that how it's done ? Have any of you guys did it ?

 

Cutting it off will disable the grip safety.

Edited June 21, 2015 by timcalhoun

[zybysco]

The grip safety was a military requirement for the 1911, JMB did originally design it that way.



Regardless, I've never understood the issue, but then again I've never had a problem holding the pistol.

Originally? I've read he designed it without it then was told to add it. I bet if he could have used a firing pin safety that it wouldn't have a grip safety.

[Fourtyfive]

Why why why ?

[tercel89]

Yeah, that is how you disable the grip safety.

 

The grip safety does not prevent the gun from firing, just from the trigger from being pulled. It is possible for the gun to fire without the grip safety being depressed.

 

 Cool . Do you know if the grip safety will still sit where it normally does under tension or will it lose it's tension and rattle forwards and rearwards ?

[Monkeyman2500]

Curious as to why anyone would want to do this? Is it to have the ability to shoot with a half grip or an emergency situation?

[jgradyc]

Unless you're planning to keep this gun forever, it will devalue it. I understand the rationale, but I'd just start with another gun without a grip safety. 

 

Or...

 

I could see why someone might not want to have to completely depress the grip safety to engage the trigger. That could cause a problem in an extreme situation.

 

It seems to me that any concern with the grip safety could be eliminated by modifying the grip safety to release it's lock with less physical depression of the grip piece. 

[timcalhoun]

Unless you're planning to keep this gun forever, it will devalue it. I understand the rationale, but I'd just start with another gun without a grip safety. 

 

Or...

 

I could see why someone might not want to have to completely depress the grip safety to engage the trigger. That could cause a problem in an extreme situation.

 

It seems to me that any concern with the grip safety could be eliminated by modifying the grip safety to release it's lock with less physical depression of the grip piece. 

 

This is why pinning is often an option for some. To reverse it, all you do is remove the pin and it is back to the way it was originally. 

 

Yes, it is not hard to adjust the grip safety to disengage with very little movement.

 

Lots of people have trouble with grip safeties even when not in a rush etc. Most issues can be addressed by adjusting the GS to deactivate with less movement or changing to a different kind of GS with a bump.

 

Kimber folks beware - because of the swartz firing pin block (it operates on the GS), it is not hard to mess up the timing between the GS and the block. The hammer can fall but the firing pin block prevents the gun from going bang. By either changing out the GS or adjusting it to disengage earlier will mess with the timing. Of course pinning it will keep the pin block disengaged too…...

[tercel89]

Curious as to why anyone would want to do this? Is it to have the ability to shoot with a half grip or an emergency situation?

 

 Yes

[tercel89]

It will look and act just like it does now except it will not prevent the trigger from being pulled.

 

For those that think this is a bad idea there are plenty of guns without grip safeties, Browning Hi Powers, M&P's as well as Glocks. Nothing wrong with disabling the grip safety on a 1911 as long as you still follow the fundamental gun safety rules. Safeties are there to prevent accidents when the handler is being less than safe in their handling.

 

I have personally ran 1911's with and without grips safeties, never had a problem either way. I will say that a grip safety can prevent you from firing if the grip is less than ideal, say when you are drawing in an extreme hurry during a defensive situation.

 

 Awesome and thanks for the information :up:  . Just to play with it I may buy a seperate Grip Safety to modify and leave my stock safety alone so I can put it back in anytime I want .

[Dolomite_supafly]

 Awesome and thanks for the information :up:  . Just to play with it I may buy a seperate Grip Safety to modify and leave my stock safety alone so I can put it back in anytime I want .

I would suggest finding one WITHOUT the memory groove/pad normally found on most grip safeties.

[gregintenn]

Why why why ?

Cause it ain't necessary, and he don't want one! :D

[tercel89]

Cause it ain't necessary, and he don't want one! :D

 Exactly :up: . And thanks for the help guys . I have all the information I need and I'll start on it as soon as I get my aftermarket safety in. I'm ordering an old style one without the memory hump or bump in it .

Edited June 22, 2015 by tercel89

[chuckstur]

You will need it if you want to shoot IDPA but it can be sensitized so it only takes a slight movement to activate it.

[DT INC.]

I'm very interested to see how this turns out. I may end up doing this myself if it works well.

[tnhawk]

I see no reason to disable the grip safety on a 1911.

[graycrait]

A long time retired Special Forces Chief Warrant friend of mine, who in the late 60's shot competitively for the Army, told me that they used to wrap tape around the 1911 grip safety in Viet Nam.  Fast forward about 40 years or so.  This same retired SF guy was telling me about a GI style 1911 his son in law gave him, but due to his "fleshy" weak hands from diabetes he couldn't reliably depress the grip safety. He laughed when I told him he could borrow my 100 MPH tape. I installed a beavertail with pronounced speed bump on it for him. I personally don't like grip safeties, even having to had to carry a 1911 for the Army for some years prior to transitioning to the M9.  I like the idea but not the execution.  That is why I was intrigued by the Remington R51 with the full length backstrap grip safety.  When I played with one in a shop when they first came out I thought, "Now that it is a grip safety that no matter how you grabbed the pistol you could lay enough flesh on it to disengage it.  Then it turns out the R51 is a piece o' .....

[QuietDan]

Rubber Band or Gaffer's Tape.

 

Jeez.

[tercel89]

I just got my grip safety today . My first day off I'll do the cutting and let you guys know how it turns out. As far as cutting goes , what do you 1911 guys use for the raw exposed metal areas after filing and grinding when you fit parts ? I have never blued or cold blued anything. So far I think I'll just put a gob of RIG grease on it since it will be deep inside the gun just to keep it from rusting or corroding on that raw metal area.

[Dolomite_supafly]

I would not worry about rust, at least not more than normal.

[tercel89]

I just got done with it. I tested it and it works great . I am very pleased. In the picture below is my two grip safetys. The one on the left is where I cut the little arm off that normally blocks the trigger. So If I ever want it back to normal all I have to do it put the other safety in it.

 

Edited July 4, 2015 by tercel89