Quick question for those in the know on 1911's:
When doing a Novak cut for a series 80 Colt (M1991)... how close does the cut come to the safety plunger hole? I am concerned that cutting to Novak specs might intersect the hole.
Quick question for those in the know on 1911's:
When doing a Novak cut for a series 80 Colt (M1991)... how close does the cut come to the safety plunger hole? I am concerned that cutting to Novak specs might intersect the hole.
do you want to know exactly how close it is? or do you just want to know that it's OK? I've had several s.80 pistols with novak cuts, and one done at Novak. They all have no issues.
I've got a solid gunsmith in town who has milled a lot of bullseye guns, and done many novak cuts for series 70 1911's, but is nervous about the series 80 because he is concerned the cut will hit the plunger hole.
I've got a couple of 1911s (series 80), one a M1991 like yours, that got Novak's put on and it's been no problem. However, if your guy has a concern about something that has been done with ease for at least 20 years (my 1991 was worked on by the Gunsite smithy in the late 90s), he may not be the right guy for the job. I don't mean to impugn your guy, I don't know him and I'm perfectly willing to believe that all his past work has been just fine, but his concern about that simple job seems to imply some degree of ignorance regarding Novak sights and series 80 guns that a guy who specializes in 1911s for self defense/fighting guns would not have. Maybe you should try a different smith?
Make sure you have the correct 1911 Novak sight and find another gunsmith who has done it before. It's a bad idea to use a gunsmith outside his comfort zone. Back in the day when it was common to take a 1911 to a smith the rule of thumb was if you wanted a bullseye gun go to a bullseye guy; if you wanted a carry piece find a guy who did that. Not every smith did both. It like taking a diesel to a regular mechanic. It might work out, it might not. Some gunsmiths can do anything. When Le's Baer lived in PA he did great s&w action work and built awesome xp-100s. The colt factory cuts the slides for Novak sights so it should not be a concern
Last edited by Poconnor; 07-09-2016 at 09:00 AM.
Novak does a fine job of installing their sights.
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Good advice. There is no issue mounting Novaks on Series 80 - we do it all the time.Originally Posted by Wondering Beard
I have machined a few and the plunger hole does not intersect the Novak cuts.
I have machined and installed a Novak's on more than 200 1911's, the majority of the series 80. Never have had a problem. Don't worry, it is a non issue.
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