1911 grip safety issue

[Hstanton1]

One of the problems with solving a problem with technique is that under stress technique may degrade.

Are you comfortable taking the grip safety in and out? Generally a few stokes with a file - checking after each stroke - will adjust the grip safety to you.



IMO, all the grip safety is intended to do (Series 70) is block the trigger bow from rearward travel with the hand off the pistol. I don't think Browning intended it as a 'good shooting grip safety' rather as a safety to prevent discharge when dropped or otherwise mishandled.

JMO.

I’m not quite there yet, and honestly the thought of doing much to a nighthawk other than swapping recoil/mainsprings is daunting. But, I do need to learn at least some level of 1911 gunsmithing.

[Caballoflaco]

@Hstanton1 can you post a pic of the gun with the grip safety unpressed? I don’t think I could use one that required that much activation/movement either.

[theJanitor]

So I managed to get a picture of what my grip looks like on a draw that doesn’t activate the GS. My strong hand thumb is about in the position that it was in when I tried to press the trigger, maybe a bit higher.

So you don't get your thumb on the safety while shooting?

[Hstanton1]

@Hstanton1 can you post a pic of the gun with the grip safety unpressed? I don’t think I could use one that required that much activation/movement either.

Sure, here’s one. The beaver tail wasn’t depressed at all in the previous picture I posted. I think about all of my grip pressure was going straight up into the beaver tail as opposed to into the backstrap and grip safety, if that makes sense.

[Hstanton1]

So you don't get your thumb on the safety while shooting?

Usually when I’m drawing from the holster, my thumb sweeps the safety off and then comes up off it to make room for my support hand. In this instance, the position of my thumb didn’t make a difference in whether the grip safety was depressed or not.

[Caballoflaco]

I’m not a 1911 genius or anything like some of the folks around here, but it looks like that grip safety and your hand may not be ergonomically compatible. I think you need a bigger memory bump on the bottom of the grip safety to counter act the hollow space (red arrow) caused by how your hand is cupped while you grip the gun.

IDK if Nighthawk or @theJanitor or anyone else might have any recommendations about somebody who could weld a bigger bump or wedge onto that safety or what company might offer something that would fit better.

[DDTSGM]

I’m not quite there yet, and honestly the thought of doing much to a nighthawk other than swapping recoil/mainsprings is daunting. But, I do need to learn at least some level of 1911 gunsmithing.

I mentioned that because I have no way of knowing if Nighthawk would desensitize the grip safety enough so you would disengage it consistently - they would have no way to know if they'd hit the mark.

ETA: has anyone suggested gluing a smallish square piece of rubber or leather onto the speed bump to gauge how much more material you would need before buying another or having yours welded?

[Jim Watson]

I have a grip safety with a hard rubber pad cemented on for loan to a Lady shooter.
A nearby gunsmith welded up a double height bump for a customer.
So you can be accommodated.

[Elwin]

Usually when I’m drawing from the holster, my thumb sweeps the safety off and then comes up off it to make room for my support hand. In this instance, the position of my thumb didn’t make a difference in whether the grip safety was depressed or not.

I used to do this, and there was a thread where I described in detail why. I’ve since modified my grip to have my right thumb riding on top of the safety, and the modifications have actually improved my grip with all autos (it works just fine for striker guns, etc.).

Obviously moving one thumb down required the other accommodating. What I do now is have my support thumb riding along the frame, and that for me naturally resulted in my left forefinger slipping past my strong hand fingers and making direct contact with the grip panel on the right side. End result is the weak hand thumb and forefinger are creating a vice effect. I’ve had good luck with that helping with recoil. It also if anything helps with grip safety deactivation.

This is hard to describe in text and I’m not near a gun right now. Al to day some experimentation may not be bad.

[Hstanton1]

I’m not a 1911 genius or anything like some of the folks around here, but it looks like that grip safety and your hand may not be ergonomically compatible. I think you need a bigger memory bump on the bottom of the grip safety to counter act the hollow space (red arrow) caused by how your hand is cupped while you grip the gun.

IDK if Nighthawk or @theJanitor or anyone else might have any recommendations about somebody who could weld a bigger bump or wedge onto that safety or what company might offer something that would fit better.

This was the other half of my question on beaver tails. If there is one (and I’m sure there is) with a larger than average memory bump, I’d like to know about it. I don’t think this is a particularly common issue with 1911s but I can’t be the only one to have run into it.