thumb safety/sear engagement.

[gan1hck]

Anyone notice that their Ruger 1911's thumb safety does not fully engage the sear?

With my thumb safety engaged, pulling the trigger will move my sear a tiny amount.

Not enough to drop the hammer, but enough that when I thumb the hammer back, I can hear the sear click.

Detail strip of my gun does show that my thumb safety does not engage the sear to my satisfaction.

I've ordered a wilson combat safety, and plan on refitting it.

Anyone else have this same issue with their SR1911's?

I posted the above in a 1911 forum without much response, so I figure I would ask here.

 

[dlidster]

Mine dos not appear to do this. With more than 7k rounds now, all seems well and good.

I'm going to make a confession here. Carrying any gun cocked and locked gives me the creeps. I'm 69 years old and have been playing with guns since I was a boy. I've never had a safety-related accident, but I've still never been able to bring myself to trust them.

My SR1911 is for fun. I shoot it in USPSA matches and at the range each week. In matches I have to begin each stage with it holstered C&L, but it's not actually carried. My personal preference for a carry gun is my Beretta 92 FS, my CZ 75B, or one of several S&W revolvers. I'm perfectly comfortable with a cartridge in a chamber under a hammer requiring a double-action pull.

I know there are many, many others who will differ with me, but this is my personal comfort level.

 

[Skalkaho Slim]

Don't feel bad. I shoot IDPA and USPSA with a retired military gentleman who's pushing his 80's. He's been shooting for quite some time.

A cocked and locked 1911 scares the willies out of him as well as a Glock with one in the chamber. We've had a lot of fun bantering about it over the years and I still can't help but think he's yankin' my chain.

Anyhow he's good at the shooting games and even places first every so often. I certainly ain't gonna tell him he's wrong. :lol:

 

[gan1hck]

Well, I got my wilson combat thumb safety today. Filed and fitted it properly....seriously, with a properly fitted thumb safety, there is no way for the sear to release the hammer.

I suppose the sear/hammer engagement surfaces can break and lead to a hammer falling, but that seems extremely unlikely, and with a series 80, even that should not cause the gun to discharge.

But anyways, back on topic....anyone else have this issue with their ruger 1911?

 

[mattsbox99]

I just calculated the odds of that happening, and they are astronomical. Good that you were able to make it to your satisfaction but hardly worthy of a gripe.

 

[tranders]

The safety not fully engaging the sear on a new gun is not worthy of a gripe?
I beg to differ.

 

[Tellico]

The safety not fully engaging the sear on a new gun is not worthy of a gripe?
I beg to differ.

Me too. That is an unsafe condition and needed to be taken care of!

 

[Snake45]

With my thumb safety engaged, pulling the trigger will move my sear a tiny amount.

Not enough to drop the hammer, but enough that when I thumb the hammer back, I can hear the sear click.

That is a function check FAIL in ANY 1911.

 

[gan1hck]

I just calculated the odds of that happening, and they are astronomical. Good that you were able to make it to your satisfaction but hardly worthy of a gripe.

not griping...just wondering if anyone else with a ruger 1911 found the same issue.

 

[Phoenix too]

OK, attempting to remain a positive contributor :wink:

I took my tired body down cellar and dragged mine out of the bottom of my safe where I'd just salted it away as we're going away on vacation. I went to all that effort just so that I could be accurate in my comment. Nothing I could do would elicite any sort of concerning 'click' when I squeezed the trigger with the safety engaged.

 

[gan1hck]

OK, attempting to remain a positive contributor :wink:

I took my tired body down cellar and dragged mine out of the bottom of my safe where I'd just salted it away as we're going away on vacation. I went to all that effort just so that I could be accurate in my comment. Nothing I could do would elicite any sort of concerning 'click' when I squeezed the trigger with the safety engaged.

The "click", if there were problems with the thumb safety is heard at the last part of the safety check when you thumb the hammer.

So the sequence goes like this.

- unload gun.
- engage thumb safety.
- pull trigger.
- disengage thumb safety.
- touch or lightly pull back the hammer...

If the sear does not properly engage the hammer (mine did not), touching or lightly pull back the hammer at this point would allow the sear to fall back into the fully cocked position, leading to the "click".

 

[Phoenix too]

The "click", if there were problems with the thumb safety is heard at the last part of the safety check when you thumb the hammer.

So the sequence goes like this.

- unload gun.
- engage thumb safety.
- pull trigger.
- disengage thumb safety.
- touch or lightly pull back the hammer...

So, maybe I'm missing something (no comments from the peanut gallery)

First, one can't engage the thumb safety unless the pistol is cocked (ie hammer back)

If one first disengages the safety, and then hears a 'click', why should one be surprised? Help me out here - I'll check mine out later when I've rebuilt my energy to the point that I can drag myself back down to the cellar. :wink:

 

[gan1hck]

the "click" is not from when you disengage the thumb safety....after pulling the trigger.

it comes when you touch or thumb/move the hammer.

 

[dfletcher]

If the hammer moves just a touch when the trigger is pressed with thumb safety engaged it means (so long as the gun is as it was from the factory) that the thumb safety was not properly fitted with that sear. A bit too much metal was removed from the stud during the fitting process. It may not be a safety hazard, but it's not quite right.

The "click" referred to (after the trigger is pressed with safety on) is the sear resetting when the hammer is thumbed back. Mainspring pressure exerted on the sear via the hammer is stronger than that of the sear return spring, when that pressure is eliminated by thumbing back the hammer and disengaging it from the sear, the sear spring pressure takes over and resets it.

I've fitted about 50 or so 1911 thumb safeties over the years, it's not brain surgery. I would correct the condition or have it corrected, just my preference.

 

[Phoenix too]

Puff, Puff, Puff, Whew, OK, I'm back. I can report 'No Click'. Not a peep. Now I didn't use a stethoscope, but I did hold the thing up to my ear for the final check.

 

[Skalkaho Slim]

Please pardon my incredibly stupid question, but the trigger is not still to be held to the rear when disengaging the manual safety, correct?

I only ask because I do not get the click when releasing the trigger and performing the tasks as laid out. If I keep the trigger pulled to the rear, the hammer falls when the safety is disengaged. Just want to make sure I'm doing this right.

 

[Skalkaho Slim]

Please pardon my incredibly stupid question, but the trigger is not still to be held to the rear when disengaging the manual safety, correct?

I only ask because I do not get the click when releasing the trigger and performing the tasks as laid out. If I keep the trigger pulled to the rear, the hammer falls when the safety is disengaged. Just want to make sure I'm doing this right.

 

[Skalkaho Slim]

Please pardon my incredibly stupid question, but the trigger is not still to be held to the rear when disengaging the manual safety, correct?

I only ask because I do not get the click when releasing the trigger and performing the tasks as laid out. If I keep the trigger pulled to the rear, the hammer falls when the safety is disengaged. Just want to make sure I'm doing this right.

 

[sglide05]

Don't feel bad. I shoot IDPA and USPSA with a retired military gentleman who's pushing his 80's. He's been shooting for quite some time.

A cocked and locked 1911 scares the willies out of him as well as a Glock with one in the chamber. We've had a lot of fun bantering about it over the years and I still can't help but think he's yankin' my chain.

Anyhow he's good at the shooting games and even places first every so often. I certainly ain't gonna tell him he's wrong. :lol:

A Glock is perfectly safe with one in the chamber as long as your finger is off the trigger. I have a Glock and it's a fine weapon.

 

[gan1hck]

Please pardon my incredibly stupid question, but the trigger is not still to be held to the rear when disengaging the manual safety, correct?

I only ask because I do not get the click when releasing the trigger and performing the tasks as laid out. If I keep the trigger pulled to the rear, the hammer falls when the safety is disengaged. Just want to make sure I'm doing this right.

correct....the trigger pull is to test whether the sear moved while the safety is engaged.

You then release the trigger, then release the safety, and then you LIGHTLY thumb the hammer to check to see if the sear moved.

If the sear was moved, then you will hear a slight click, and mine did...meaning that the thumb safety was not fitted properly.