How to pin a 1911 grip safety

Slappy McTrigger

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Planning on doing this real soon possibly today. Just wondering if any of you have done this and have any advice or tips.

My plan is to gut the MSH, insert it with the rest of the components installed, depress the grip safety, and tap the bottom of the MSH with a plastic hammer upwards into the tangs on the grip safety. It’s a Dawson ICE aluminum part against a stainless steel grip safety so I’m hoping I can get decent witness marks. Then, with the assistance of a neighbor’s drill press, place a hole for a roll pin. This is a photo of what he set up and apparently he’s already drilled an old MSH he had laying around.

62A0FC16-F84D-4746-85BF-E7348A38CE91.jpeg

I still haven’t figured out what sized roll pin, its length, and the depth of the hole would be best so I’d be curious if anyone else out there has done something similar. I need to take the pistol down and get some measurements.

I’ve read on brazos’ site that they drill both the grip safety and the MSH but think that’s overkill. Also, not interested in filing off the lug to get around the grip safety. I’d rather have the grip safety not pivot on grip acquisition, the sear spring be fully supported, and reversible if desired.

What say you? Is this the wrong approach? Is there a better way of doing this?

This is strictly a competition gun and I have a signed permission slip from my mom for those who would never dream of doing this.
 
I certainly won't say our way is "better" BUT, I have several of these and have always drilled both the MSH and the GS. I am ashamed to tell you what I used for the "pin" but I am sometimes overly tight. A piece of coat hanger.
 
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I certainly won't say our way is "better" BUT, I have several of these and have always drilled both the MSH and the GS. I am ashamed to tell you what I used for the "pin" but I am sometimes overly tight. A piece of coat hanger.
I’ve heard coat hangers will shrink groups down at 25 yards kinda like duct tape and zip ties add horsepower to cars and motorcycles.

:D :D:D
 
I don't understand how it works if you don't drill both the safety and the housing.

110103.jpg


http://www.brazoscustom.com/magart/1101.htm
I’m coming around to just drilling both. My thought was the pin right in front of the tang would be enough. That site was what I referenced in the op.
 
Drilled both. Used the drill bit itself cut down as a pin. Little bit of wiggle left but basically no real movement/pivot and I cannot activate the grip safety even while trying to. May tinker with it and see if I can get it a little more snug but really it’s minute and the real goal was eliminating the safety itself. The pivot never bothered me the issue is the upward force from the high, thumbs forward grip can render the pistol inoperable. It’s worse for @NKD but I’ve had it happen as well usually in awkward positions or leaning around walls/objects.

I’ll try and remember to get some pictures next time I strip it but it looks an awful lot like this which can be found on brazos’ site and is referenced above in the op and in @Me. ‘s post.


30A18554-D3A5-47A0-9FD4-3A6F7B4B6C8A.jpeg


Big shout out to @OldSchool who basically cowboyed the whole operation. He pinned both of our pistols within an hour. Now just need to test.
 
I took a different route and made a shim that fits on top of the mainspring housing. Got the idea from this.
shock-buff-grip-safety_zps8f579361.jpg

I did not use the Wilson shok buffer material, i just filed a piece of hard acrylic plastic into a similar shape. Mine fit better on the housing. Turns out the thickness was the critical dimension. My first try was with .070" thick material and the grip safety still had a tiny bit of movement. I increased the thickness on the second part to .085" and fit was tight. The shim forces the grip safety down and the mainspring housing pin holds everything in place. There is NO movement of the grip safety and the gun functions properly. No drilling or other permanent changes to the pistol. Totally reversible simply by removing the shim. The shim is captured by the two pins on the grip safety and cannot get loose and wander around the gun. I put some grease on the bottom of the shim where it contacts the housing so it would stick on and make it easier to install. The piece I made looks like this:buffer.jpg

I made this modification to Remington R1 Enhanced .45acp
 
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Mom only ever carried a Colt .45 peacemaker. As I recall it didn't have any safety at all! She's been gone a few years so I can't ask her but I'm pretty sure she'd be OK with what I did.
 
Actually, I did "carry on!". I also pulled out the series 80 firing pin block assembly. Got the trigger pull down to 3 1/2 lbs. I think I'll probably keep the thumb safety though. Lol
 
I certainly won't say our way is "better" BUT, I have several of these and have always drilled both the MSH and the GS. I am ashamed to tell you what I used for the "pin" but I am sometimes overly tight. A piece of coat hanger.

My dad used pieces of finish nails . They come in different thicknesses
 
My dad used pieces of finish nails . They come in different thicknesses
Cool! The only reason I didn't pin mine like this is because I didn't want to permanently alter this particular gun.
I'm not ashamed to admit that I have occasionally replaced certain pins using nails as the starting material. Whatever works.
 
I also pulled out the series 80 firing pin block assembly.


A suggestion if I may. Just a heads up.

Tear it down every 1500-2,000 rounds for inspection of the frame blank. Those things were never meant to be permanent. They're soft and the holes become flanged from the pistol's operation...especially so in .45 caliber. Flanging of the sear pin hole can interfere with clean sear reset and lead to all sorts of interesting things like hammer follow, doubling, and burst fire.

Dress any flanging with a smooth mill file and replace the blank when it needs a third dressing.
 
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A suggestion if I may. Just a heads up.

Tear it down every 1500-2,000 rounds for inspection of the frame blank. Those things were never meant to be permanent. They're soft and the holes become flanged from the pistol's operation...especially so in .45 caliber. Flanging of the sear pin hole can interfere with clean sear reset and lead to all sorts of interesting things like hammer follow, doubling, and burst fire.

Dress any flanging with a smooth mill file and replace the blank when it needs a third dressing.
Thank you for the heads up. I'll keep an eye on the spacer for wear. If it starts to show any, I'll just use the existing one as a template and make another one out of high carbon steel which I can harden and temper. Sometimes its good to be a metallurgist.
 
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