Pinning grip safety on 1911.

[Rooskibar03]

So I finally joined the 1911 club and after only owning Glocks and Sigs I'm working to change my grip in order to accommodate the thumb safety of the 1911.

Last week first time shooting it I struggled to keep thumb on top and ended up engaging the thumb safety several times. Spent some time drying firing and working on a new hold and was able to keep the safety down but also had a few times where I wasn't low enough on the grip safety to keep it engaged.

I I don't plan on ever carrying this. It's for pins, and maybe I'll shoot single stack USPSA. What are possible ramifications of disabling the grip safety?

Any thought would be welcome, oh and Happy 4th of July everyone.

[blacklabel]

I'd recommend against it. It won't help you train to disengage the grip safety and I'm not a fan of disabling factory safeties. You may look into fitting a grip safety with a speed bump to help yourself disengage it more easily.

[ray1970]

Maybe you just need a different grip safety? Does yours have the bump on the bottom of it? I found they make a huge difference for people who can't seem to keep the grip safety depressed.

[BPTactical]

I cannot agree more with the two above posts.
Pinning the grip safety was something done on competition pistols in the 60's & 70's. Come the 80's pistolsmiths came up with the "memory" bump.
It is foolish to disable the grip safety and you invite a horrendous liability if you choose to do so.

I would not perform the work for an inch high stack of $100.00 bills.

[Rooskibar03]

Well I guess that settles that. No bump on the safety itself so I'll just have to work on my grip.

[jmg8550]

Or you could replace the safety with one that does have the bump.

[Rooskibar03]

It had a flair at the bottom but not real bump per say. Any recommendations on a replacement?

http://i1382.photobucket.com/albums/ah253/Rooskibar03/A5A4F321-E421-401B-90DE-E2AB5FE8DF76_zpscpzr7mfd.jpg (http://s1382.photobucket.com/user/Rooskibar03/media/A5A4F321-E421-401B-90DE-E2AB5FE8DF76_zpscpzr7mfd.jpg.html)

[KS63]

Wilson Combat or EGW are my favorites. Be sure that it has the correct radius for your pistol. Also, if you want a nice, tight, seamless fit, it'll cost you some $$$ and a possible refinsh. Although your Sig looks to be stainless so you'll save $$ there.

[Doc45]

Yours already has what appears to be the "bump" everyone else is talking about. It doesn't look any less pronounced from what's on my custom built or Les Baer 1911s. Might just be how you're gripping it. I've been shooting the 1911 since oh let's just call it 46 years (36 of those for "social work") lol, the improved grip safeties were second only to better sights on my short list of improvements made to the basic gun. Wilson does offer a drop in part that depending on your frame may match up nicely.

Wayne Novak was offering a one piece backstrap that you might want to take a look at, not sure if it's still offered though.

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i290/doc4545/IMG_4339_zpsqz7tvc8b.jpg

[earplug]

Think about a Browning High power without a grip safety. Various Walthers, CZ, EAA's etc Many cut down custom 1911 based pistols such as the Detonic's have no grip safety.
If your hand does not activate the 1911 grip safety, take a metal cutting tool and remove the engaging surface and relax.
Use a holster that covers the trigger.

[BPTactical]

If your hand does not activate the 1911 grip safety, take a metal cutting tool and remove the engaging surface and relax.
Use a holster that covers the trigger.

Willfully and knowingly disabling a factory safety device on ANY firearm is a very unwise venture..

[earplug]

Liability and paranoia will get you every time.
Does a AR have a grip safety?

[Joe_K]

Here's a thought, assume your standard 2 handed grip on your 1911 and have some one take a picture of your right hand and then your left hand and lastly a picture of your shooting grip from the rear of the gun. Then post it up. If it's not something to do with your technique, or your hand size you could try electrical tape around the grip safety to temporarily disable the grip safety.

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk

[BPTactical]

Liability and paranoia will get you every time.
Does a AR have a grip safety?

Liability concerns and common sense will keep me from ending up a defendant.
This industry outs the foolish in short order.

Your second point creates a pain between my ears I do not understand.

[ray1970]

Liability and paranoia will get you every time.
Does a AR have a grip safety?
A Glock doesn't have a manual safety lever. Maybe you should just yank that part out of your AR?

[Irving]

I like where this thread is going. A Glock doesn't have a shoulder stock either, so you're also A-okay to remove that from the AR.

[Hoser]

I dont pin my grip safeties any more. I used to on all my pistols.

Now I just cut the foot off the beavertail and the safety looks like it still works. It is however a one way street.

[Rooskibar03]

Well after pins tonight and another 50-60 rounds of practice I think I'm getting the feel of it. Still have to concentrate and focus riding safety and squeezing grip. I figure muscle memory will come with time so I'll just keep practicing.

[hobowh]

try moving the grip slightly in the palm of your hand to the ball of your thumb. You will get more pressure on the grip safety, and not need to modify your 1911. Otherwise you could go to Ironmind.com and get a hand grip trainer the T model to strengthen your grip, I know several people this has worked for.

[CHA-LEE]

Without a picture of your hands on the gun gripping it while shooting we can't really offer much advice of fixing your grip. One thing I can tell you though is that the vast majority of USPSA competition shooter using 1911 or 2011 pistols DO disable the grip safety to eliminate that as an issue when you get a funky grip during an aggressive draw. Most people are against disabling any safeties and I can agree with that for carry or self defense guns that stored or holstered in a loaded condition 99% of the time. Competition guns are usually unloaded 99% of the time and when they are loaded they are either in your holster or in your hand shooting.

I pin my grip safety down so my strong hand does not get too high and hit my the slide when it cycles.