The Firearms Forum banner

<sigh> oh crap, that's bad

6K views 39 replies 17 participants last post by  Broot 
#1 ·
I finally got some time to get to working with the ambidextrous thumb safety on my Rock Island 1911. As some may recall if I go through 2 mags the left side starts coming out and the plunger goes flying.

I had it at old job where I would file down the large flats so that the two halves will fit tightly together. During the job change it got buried in a box of other stuff and I drug it out this afternoon. I had tapped the two parts into the bare frame to check fit just before job change. It fits great, no gap on the mating parts.

Today I decided to put the gun together. First step is to remove the safety so I can put other parts in frame. The normal process of using a business card or small screwdriver didn't work. Then I tried using my pliers with rubber coated jaws. It was really stuck together so I had to use a bit more force. Pliers kept slipping. Then I clamped the left lever in my bench vise with soft lead jaw covers.

As much as I tried I could not get it to budge. That's when I made the stupid mistake. I used my small plastic hammer to tap the frame away from vice. Well, I got the left side safety out. But it broke in the process. The pivot pin snapped off the lever.

If anyone has a black ambidextrous safety I can buy cheap I promise to be careful, install it, get the gun back together and not do anything stupid with it ever again
 
See less See more
#3 ·
Is this the one you cleaned in the dishwasher?
 
#6 ·
I finally got some time to get to working with the ambidextrous thumb safety on my Rock Island 1911. As some may recall if I go through 2 mags the left side starts coming out and the plunger goes flying.

I had it at old job where I would file down the large flats so that the two halves will fit tightly together. During the job change it got buried in a box of other stuff and I drug it out this afternoon. I had tapped the two parts into the bare frame to check fit just before job change. It fits great, no gap on the mating parts.

Today I decided to put the gun together. First step is to remove the safety so I can put other parts in frame. The normal process of using a business card or small screwdriver didn't work. Then I tried using my pliers with rubber coated jaws. It was really stuck together so I had to use a bit more force. Pliers kept slipping. Then I clamped the left lever in my bench vise with soft lead jaw covers.

As much as I tried I could not get it to budge. That's when I made the stupid mistake. I used my small plastic hammer to tap the frame away from vice. Well, I got the left side safety out. But it broke in the process. The pivot pin snapped off the lever.

If anyone has a black ambidextrous safety I can buy cheap I promise to be careful, install it, get the gun back together and not do anything stupid with it ever again
You know that you could have saved your self all of these headaches if you had taken the pistol to a gun smith, and had it done right the first time, right? Well, the good news is it ain't to late to let an expert fix it right, the first time!:D
 
#10 ·
He is scared to. He's a mechanic and knows what happens when someone brings in a car they tried to fix themselves first ;)

$$$$
 
#24 ·
I went ahead and saved you some time by getting the pin out. I center punched it then drilled it out. The bit wasn't exactly center or straight so the hole in frame is a little bigger on the left side. Not a big deal for someone with your skill. I have faith you can make a new safety with bigger pivot, more strength that way. Right?
 
#25 · (Edited)
Something tells me this is going to be a bigger job then I was thinking.
Lets see Hmmmmm
One hole bigger then the other and 1/4 inch of Paint, a amp. safety that will not fit.
Yea this is going to be a fun job,:rolleyes:
I can't wait till I see the 10s and what is wrong with them.
A Job like when a customer neglects saying "Oh yea it fires when you close the bolt without pulling the trigger."
Mike
 
#30 ·
A Job like when a customer neglects saying "Oh yea it fires when you close the bolt without pulling the trigger."
Once had a customer drop off a previously owned 870 he'd just purchased with the complaint "it doesn't click". And that's exactly what our part-timer wrote on the repair tag - doesn't click. The shotgun had been fitted with a release trigger: pull the trigger - nothing (no click), release the trigger - click (bang, if there's a round in the chamber). :)
 
#27 ·
And pictures or it didn't happen ;););)
 
#31 ·
68c15:
I replaced all the internal of my RIA 1911 frame with well known match grade 1911 aftermarket parts. All aftermarket parts dropped in except the safety. I ruined the RIA safety trying to fit it. Bought an aftermarket one and finally got that one fitted.

The point: RIA parts and pieces are not made to the same precision as other 1911 parts. I suppose if I had left all the parts RIA then there would have been no problem. But now you will have to replace the safety and don't be surprised if you have to fit it. It is tough because it is inside the gun and it is hard to determine exactly where to remove metal to make it fit.

LDBennett
 
#32 ·
68c15:
I replaced all the internal of my RIA 1911 frame with well known match grade 1911 aftermarket parts. All aftermarket parts dropped in except the safety. I ruined the RIA safety trying to fit it. Bought an aftermarket one and finally got that one fitted.

The point: RIA parts and pieces are not made to the same precision as other 1911 parts. I suppose if I had left all the parts RIA then there would have been no problem. But now you will have to replace the safety and don't be surprised if you have to fit it. It is tough because it is inside the gun and it is hard to determine exactly where to remove metal to make it fit.

LDBennett
Not my problem. It's Goofy's problem soon. It'd be in his shop by now if my son wasn't such a lazy #|<~£<*#>|€|. He owes me a lot of money and in another 2 weeks it goes up further
 
#34 ·
OK
I'm late getting to this thread

I didn't read the whole thing but I figured out that Todd was sending Goofy his 1911 to fix
Is he finally getting that idiot scratch he put on it polished out ?
No this is a new problem.
He fixed the scratch him self with 1/4 inch of paint.
This problem is the safety is not long enough to fit anymore (Because of the paint) It keeps falling out because it can not lock up.
I have not gotten it yet so I am not sure what I will do.
But I have a call in to my friend Mickey Mouse to see how to do it.;)
Mike
 
#36 ·
Kimber has a clever solution for the right side of an ambi safety using a longer hammer pin with a slot in the right side fitting over the hammer pin extension beyond the frame. I chuckled when I first saw it but it actually does work and only changes the sequence of disassembly.
 
#38 ·
I've been laughing at this for about 20 minutes now... I've yet to hear the full dishwasher story...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Broot
#40 ·
Oh it's good....
Isn't it, MAYTAG ;):p
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top