Inexpensive 1911 Safety Upgrades

During the past decade or so we have been spoiled with ultra reliable, very modern 1911 handguns. While they are good examples of the gun maker’s art they are not perfect and the classic 1911 problems sometimes show up in these handguns. Ever more often we see hard used foreign produced pistols in the shop. Everyone cannot afford a thousand dollar pistol. Handguns priced in the four hundred dollar range are very popular and probably constitute the majority of 1911 sales.

They are of cast construction rather than forged, which is fine if properly done, but the internals often leave something to be desired. As such they area fertile ground for improvement or generally simply bringing them up to reliable function. Recently I had the opportunity to extensively test and fire a number of Philippine manufactured 1911 handguns. While the experience was generally satisfactory, there were drawbacks in some of the pistols.

The metallurgy is fine and barrel and safety fitting is usually OK but occasionally a small part wasn’t fitted correctly. Less often there is a major problem in fitting. Most of these problems take a gunsmith back to the 1970s when there was a constant flood of GI guns to keep us busy. The Philippine pistols are comparable in many ways to the GI .45 but there are differences. While working with the extractor and feed ramp is required for function, insuring the pistols are safe to use is also important.

On several occasions I have encountered an ATI pistol that was equipped with a slide lock safety that simply did not require enough effort to move to the off position. The indent was not positive and this was a cause for concern. The trigger action was fine, albeit heavy, at six pounds. The grip safety seemed to work properly, releasing the trigger about half way through the grip safety’s travel. However, the slide lock safety was another issue.

My first thought was poor fitting of the safety but a bit of thought revealed the true cause of the light thumb safety action. The plunger was putting insufficient friction on the thumb safety. The plunger tube itself was fine and properly lined up. I replaced the plungers and springs with parts from Brownells and the ATI now seemed on a par with other GI .45s. However, even after this expedient the slide lock safety engagement, while improved, did not have the rigidity I wished to see in a defensive sidearm.

Several avenues of improvement were explored. The safety seemed to be properly engaging the cut out in the slide. After all, if the thumb safety was not in the proper locking position the plunger could not engage the slide lock safety. The safety seemed to properly engage in the

slide cut out, however, the plunger did not seem to be bearing against the ATI pistol’s thumb safety in the same manner as a Rock Island Armory pistol used for comparison. The decision was made to slightly relieve the safety. This is comparable to putting a dimple in the slide lock where the plunger contacts the slide lock in order to be certain the slide lock engages the slide properly and locks the slide back.

We were looking to be certain the thumb safety—or slide lock safety as it is sometimes called—was offering a positive indent. Only slightly relieving the thumb safety seemed to give a tighter fit. The slide lock safety now was higher and allowed The old style found on GI guns is more likely to end up in the shop. Many modern GI pistols offer comparable performance to the old Colt. the plunger to take the proper bite. Another fix would be to fit a properly designed thumb safety such as from Wilson Combat.

Just the same, some prefer a GI thumb safety. Next, we decided to take a look at the firing pin. The weak plunger spring gave cause to believe that perhaps other springs were substandard. An extra power firing pin spring is an important safety feature. Not only does the firing pin spring retract the pin in an inertia type system after firing, it also prevents the firing pin from taking a run forward if the pistol is dropped on its muzzle.

Most modern 1911 pistols have either some form of firing pin block or utilize an extra strong firing pin safety. The ATI appeared to have neither. The pistol was fitted with a Wolff Gunsprings heavy duty firing pin spring and a Wilson Combat Series 70 firing pin. This neatly enhanced the pistol’s safety and gave the owner peace of mind as well. A problem observed in a RIA pistol was a clocking extractor, meaning the extractor moved in the extractor tunnel. Anew extractor might be one cure.

In this case, the extractor looked fine but the firing pin stop was loose. The pistol functioned but brass was thrown back into the shooter’s face. It could have

been peened for improved fit but a Wilson Combat over sized firing pin stop was fitted. Filing was minimal and in the end a good tight fit was achieved, giving more expense but cheap life insurance in a carry gun. The RIA guns are pretty decent with the ATI guns trailing behind in my experience. The RIA guns occasionally have a problem extractor while the ATI guns have bad magazines.

Poor ammunition coupled with a cheap gun is often asking for trouble and in these days of shortages there are plenty of ammo makers that are on the wrong side of the road in quality. A good crimp and proper sizing of handloads is essential but many novices don’t seem to get it. Recently, I had a rather simple problem come into the shop. The magazine didn’t eject when the magazine button was hit. The problem was that the trigger bow was contacting the magazine.

In this case, the bow was filed but replacement may be needed. A slide lock failing to lock open is often handled much in the same manner as our earlier project by adding anew plunger tube spring and ends. Break in with proper lubrication is always important. I use only high quality ball ammunition for the first one hundred rounds so as not to be confused to the source of any malfunction. As an example, Hornady’s 230 grain ball and Wilson Combat magazines will feed in any pistol that isn’t completely sick.

Another issue sometimes seen with the foreign guns is an improperly fitted grip safety. Some shooters are used to the beavertail design and don’t like original design. A two thumbs forward grip technique can raise the palm off the grip safety, resulting in a failure to engage. Don’t deactivate the grip safety. Instead, make it easier to activate by tuning it. First, understand how the leaf spring works.

If you look from the back of the 1911 you will note that the leaf on the right pushes to the rear and exerts pressure on the grip safety. You may bend the leaf forward to reduce the pressure needed to depress the grip safety. Care must be taken in this modification as you may increase the likelihood that the inertia of the grip safety would overcome the spring in the case of a dropped pistol.

Perhaps this modification should be limited to a competition pistol such as a Wild Bunch-class handgun for Cowboy Action competition. The grip safety doesn’t really need much pressure to be activated but it does need movement. Remember the contact area is where the bump on the grip safety contacts the trigger stirrup. Replacing the grip safety is another, more expensive option. I have had any number of 1911 pistols come into the shop that simply needed to be lubricated.

Many anew 1911 owner has mistakenly blamed his 1911 for function problems when the true culprit was a lack of lubrication. If the pistol malfunctions from the start, the pistol is at fault. If it fires a magazine or two, then begins to malfunction, you have neglected proper lubrication. When preparing the pistol for carry, a light amount of lubrication is fine but use adequate lubrication when engaging in along range session and firing substantial amounts of ammunition.

The long bearing surfaces, the barrel hood and barrel bushing as well as the cocking block on the bottom of the slide should be lubricated. I normally lubricate the slide rails, the area on the barrel around the barrel bushing, the barrel hood, the disconnect and let oil soak into the area in front of the cocked hammer. Safety Check And Overview It is a shame but sometimes the safety operation of 1911 handguns leaves something to be desired.

The home gun butcher is responsible for a lot of this type of action but, occasionally, so is the haphazard factory worker. To check the safety we rely upon a method first used probably around 1912. Check to see that gun is not loaded. The hammer should be cocked and the thumb safety on for the first check. While pressing the grip safety, pull the trigger. The hammer should not fall. Next, try to move the cocked hammer to the rear. It should show no movement.

If a faint click is heard, the sear moved slightly when the trig-

ger was pressed with the safety on. One particular brand of 1911 has this problem a lot, even though the trigger action is sometimes good. The safety is quite soft and spongy on these pistols. Replace with quality aftermarket parts. Magazines are the heart of the pistol. GI magazines were, and are, fine for hardball ammunition.

Modern magazines from Wilson Combat present the cartridge nose at a higher angle in relation to the feed ramp and chamber, providing greater feed reliability as the bullet nose is fed directly into the chamber. The factory supplied magazines with the ATI pistol are sometimes problematical. RIA pistols usually feature serviceable magazines having been supplied by outside vendors. Brownells offers a special magazine latch for those troublesome clone guns that are not quite up to specifications.

This part raises the height of the magazine in the magazine well, moving the magazines feed angle more in line with the chamber, a small thing that may cure feed related problems. I recently fielded a once common 1911 question. Why won’t the slide stop drop on an empty magazine? According to Wilson Combat’s FAQ: Typically this is caused because the magazine is new. The forward portion of the polymer follower has not rounded enough to disengage the sharp edge of the magazine.

To correct this simply depress the follower with one finger and with another finger push the rear of the follower forward slightly, between 5 and 10 times. The slide should now drop on the empty magazine. While the new style follower in our premium magazines cures most feed problems, often we find a rough feed ramp. Polishing or throating the feed ramp may be done carefully, patiently, by a skilled hand. The important thing is not to cut too deep, causing an unsafe condition with insufficient case head support.

The chamber mouth must be carefully radiused, preserving but smoothing the step between the ramp and the barrel. Apart of the polish often overlooked is that the chamber should be polished. The bullet or cartridge case mouth bumps into the top of the chamber. This area should be smooth to allow the bullet nose to transition from the feed ramp to the chamber. Extractors can be a reoccurring problem with older M1911s and some new production pistols.

Being a fairly inexpensive replacement, there is no reason to go cheap on this one. Just the same, the extractor is often made of inferior steel instead of good quality spring steel. Abuse is probably the culprit more often than wear when a M1911 extractor malfunctions. If the extractor is abused by dropping the slide on a chambered cartridge, forcing the extractor to jump over the rim, excess wear can ruin the extractor. It is not designed to jump over the case rim in this manner.

The spring steel is overstretched and the extractor claw will be forced too far outward to work properly. Far The GI pistol isn’t complicated by a tight barrel bushing or a full length guide rod. A temporary field expedient is to remove the extractor, place one end in the extractor slot, and bend the extractor to its original position. This may restore the extractor long enough to finish a match. The replacement extractor has to be fitted to the particular pistol.

While the 1911 is supposed to headspace on the cartridge rim, in reality the extractor controls headspace in most inexpensive handguns. The breech face doesn’t get much attention unless it is rough and in need of polish. Check the firing pin tunnel and breech face occasionally for debris and shavings. Polish as necessary but be careful not to relive the firing pin hole. Springs should be replaced periodically, just as you replace shocks on a car.

When the recoil spring has lost an inch or so of its free length, it is time for replacement. I have used Wolff springs for so long with such good results I seldom use anything else. A 16 pounder is good for most uses but heavy duty .45s that digest a regular diet of +Por "pin" loads are fitted with a 18 pound spring and still function fine with hardball. The recoil spring should be replaced every 3-4000 rounds as a rule of thumb, an inexpensive investment in reliability.

Magazine springs should be replaced from time to time, although they are longer lived than recoil springs. Recoil springs are flexed every time the slide is racked whether the piece is loaded or not. The plunger tube and slide stop occasionally break in high round count pistols but seldom cause a pistol to stop working. It is not unknown for the slide stop to protrude

Potato Head of pistols. Give a gunsmith a frame and parts and he will give you a shooter. into the magazine well and catch the tip of some bullet styles. Filing the end of the stop will cure this problem. A slide stop may wallow in the link due to a poor fit. An oversize slide stop will cure this problem. I do not mean oversize as in an enlarged speed-type slide stop but one with a greater shaft diameter. I have used the Chip McCormick brand with good results.

Keep an eye on the plunger tube as it may need to be restaked or replaced as the round count reaches 10,000 rounds of fullpower ammunition. It is a good idea to maintain grips near the original specification to support the plunger tube. Smith and Alexander is a good choice, stronger and more attractive than the factory product. Avoid plastic grips that do not support the plunger tube.

If it doesn’t have a tight fit, the firing pin stop may drop out of place during recoil, releasing the firing pin and tying the piece up. In some extreme cases the firing pin and spring may even take flight! This was much more common with GI 1911s than nowadays. You can peen the firing pin stop for a tight fit. Check the fit by removing the stop, firing pin, and spring, and then reinsert the stop only in its channel. If it falls out when there is no pressure from the firing pin it should be more tightly fitted.

A common problem is too-long grip screws or a worn out grip screw bushing that allows the grip screw to protrude into the magazine well, making insertion and removal of the magazine difficult. Wilson Combat grip screws and bushings area safe bet to avoid this problem. When you are using the special slim-line grips from Wilson Combat that have proven so popular, be certain to use the proper size short grip screws and bushings.

Gunsmiths use aftermarket trigger and action parts to achieve a clean, crisp break and quick trigger reset. If you desire a clean break of four pounds or less, use top quality internal parts. Wilson Combat and Ed Brown are among the leaders in this field. The standard parts may be of good material, as in late model Colts, but sometimes they are of materials not well suited to refinement, especially in the cheaper or foreign made 1911s.

A little cleaner action by polishing is one thing, reducing engagement surface another. The smoothest, lightest trigger demands a trigger, sear, disconnector and perhaps a custom grade hammer as well. Full length guide rods were designed to improve cycling and keep the recoil spring from binding up. Increasing accuracy is not the intention, but one could slightly improve accuracy by helping slide lockup.

According to Jim Clark Jr., the fulllength guide rod is probably at its best when using loads that would "kink up a regular spring like a chainsaw" The guide rod enhances reliability as long as the user does not let the additional complications of the device and pistol take-down deter regular maintenance. Improving Accuracy While some may not wish to spend the money on an inexpensive pistol, I have had excellent luck with Bar-Sto barrels in the Philippine-produced RIA pistols.

To obtain maximum accuracy a match grade barrel and bushing can be installed and combined with a tightened slide to frame fit. An improved trigger pull and sights will make it easier to produce maximum accuracy with your pistol. A Group Gripper Kit from Wilson Combat can easily and inexpensively improve accuracy. This utilizes a special barrel link that engages a leaf spring located in the head of the guide rod which forces the barrel into the locking lugs under heavy spring tension.

This results in a more consistent lock up from shot to shot thus producing improved accuracy. While it isn’t possible to bring these inexpensive pistols up to Kimber or Springfield performance they are certainly capable of improvement. Hobby shooters on a budget will purchase these pistols, use them hard and sometimes break them. They will find their way into our shop and basic 1911 procedures will get them running again and running better. AG