I took my .38 Super Gold Cup to the range today. After a few magazines I started to hear a rattle, it was still functioning fine so at first I thought it was just a bad magazine. But, on further inspection I apparently broke the grip safety, at least I realized it was no longer working when I tested the trigger withought engaging the safety.

This is a first for me, i have broken bushings before but never had a grip safety fail. It is the original so I am guessing it is MIM and I have a Wilson safety in my parts box so I guess I have an excuse to change it now.

The grip safety is investment casted and not metal injection molded.

 

It must have had a void in the casting...it happens occasionally with castings.

 

Mad Dog Earle. In his pictures you can see those little round dots on that Grip safety. So it must be an MIM made. Also the stamp looks MIM not stamped. They can make them fast using MIM .

 

As always, begging for pics.

 

I have a Wilson safety in my parts box so I guess I have an excuse to change it now.

Is it the correct radius?

 

At first I thought maybe the tab that engages the spring broke off, but I would think it wouldn't fire if that was the case so I am not sure what I am going to find.

If it's "rattling" most likely the leg of the sear spring broke not the tab on the safety-in either case unless the broken part manages to jam up something the gun will still run. I ran my Springfield range gun a year with the grip safety leg of the sear spring broken off because I was too lazy to fit a replacement and other than grip safety rattling a bit no problems (grip safety was deactivated anyway so no big deal).

 

Nothing obviously wrong, at least no broken bits anywhere (other than a stuck grip bushing that came out with the screw)

 

I noticed your grip bushing came out with the grip screw.

 

You haven't shown the disconnector, but I don't see any broken parts. First, I'd clean it and then carefully reassemble it, minding where all the sear spring leaves go, and see what happens.

 

I cleaned everything and reassembled with my replacement part, it doesn't match but it is working

 

Had you disassembled or modified it recently prior to it not working.

 

I originally had the replace the thumb safety when the original snapped in half after 200 rounds, everything else in the frame was factory.

 

I'm not a fan of the replacement part

I'd rather work on the original if there's a problem with it.

 

It stopped working, that was the problem

 

You have replaced an original critical part with a replacement part without having a reason to do so. I think you will eventually take a loss and get rid of that 'lemon'.

 

Could I impose upon you for some pics of just the grip safety, closeup from a couple of different angles?

Might help figuring this out.

 

Traditional GI-style Colt grip safeties are cast, but the "modern" beavertail ones are usually MIM. I would put the original one back in again and see if it's working now. The reason why the Wilson unit doesn't match the frame is because it's a drop-in unit meant to work with a non-radiused GI-style frame.

 

Just bend the grip safety leg of the spring a bit outward and then reinstall your original safety to see if that works. It's a simple mechanical issue to fix this. The replacement Wilson's you put in there looks terrible.

 

Do what joebuck said "Just bend the grip safety leg of the spring a bit outward and then reinstall your original safety..."

 

I put 200s round through it this morning, with the new safety installed. Works great. I buy guns to use them, not look at them.

 

OK. Just trying to make things correct. Just paint it rainbow colors and grind Mickey Mouse on the slide. It won't affect function.

 

add

OK. Just trying to make things correct. Just paint it rainbow colors and grind Mickey Mouse on the slide. It won't affect function.

OK. Just trying to make things correct. Just paint it rainbow colors and grind Mickey Mouse on the slide. It won't affect function.

I am sure Cerakote would be happy design one for 1911 and Mouse House lovers.