Here's my Springfield Armory M1911A1 Frankenstein build. I'm getting ready to install a beavertail grip safety on it and replace the GI style hammer with a Colt Commander style burr hammer. The beavertail grip safety has two features which most folks consider it superior to the stock GI style grip safety. First it completely eliminates the problem of hammer bite on a 1911 and second it allows the shooter to grip the pistol higher than on the GI style grip safety for better control. I've bought an EGW beavertail grip safety which has the "speed bump" on the bottom. The speed bump sticks out to the rear of the safety so that disengagement of the grip safety is positive. Some folks' hands are shaped so that it's difficult for them to disengage their grip safeties on the GI style grip safeties. I found out the tang on the Springfield Armory guns is smaller than on the Colts and GI frames. On the Colt and GI guns you can use a .250" radius on the tang but you can't do this on the Springer guns because there's not enough metal and it won't clean up. Fortunately, gunsmiths came up with a solution for this problem and invented the grip safety with a .220" tang radius which will clean up on the Springers.
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Installing a Beavertail Grip Safety on an M1911A1
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Here's my Springfield Armory M1911A1 Frankenstein build. I'm getting ready to install a beavertail grip safety on it and replace the GI style hammer with a Colt Commander style burr hammer. The beavertail grip safety has two features which most folks consider it superior to the stock GI style grip safety. First it completely eliminates the problem of hammer bite on a 1911 and second it allows the shooter to grip the pistol higher than on the GI style grip safety for better control. I've bought an EGW beavertail grip safety which has the "speed bump" on the bottom. The speed bump sticks out to the rear of the safety so that disengagement of the grip safety is positive. Some folks' hands are shaped so that it's difficult for them to disengage their grip safeties on the GI style grip safeties. I found out the tang on the Springfield Armory guns is smaller than on the Colts and GI frames. On the Colt and GI guns you can use a .250" radius on the tang but you can't do this on the Springer guns because there's not enough metal and it won't clean up. Fortunately, gunsmiths came up with a solution for this problem and invented the grip safety with a .220" tang radius which will clean up on the Springers.
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Here's my EGW beavertail grip safety [with .220" tang radius] and my Smith & Alexander "EZ Fit Hi-Grip" Safety Gunsmith Installation Jig.
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That will be just fine. Stop just shy of the jig and test fit if you want nice tight gap and sneak down on it.
EGWis oversize so once it's in the frame you will probably have to fit the arm to the trigger, possibly the bottom and 2 tabs to your msh to get full out and if looks matter the sides to the frame. Of course fitting the top and bottom to the frame are on the initial fitting.
EGWis oversize so once it's in the frame you will probably have to fit the arm to the trigger, possibly the bottom and 2 tabs to your msh to get full out and if looks matter the sides to the frame. Of course fitting the top and bottom to the frame are on the initial fitting.
Here are the original M1911A1 style of hammer [with hammer strut] and a Smith & Wesson burr [Commander style] hammer which will be going in the Springer.
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Here I've installed the Smith & Alexander installation jig onto the frame. I now have to file in the .220" radius onto the frame.
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I found a most excellent You Tube video on the installation of beavertail grip safeties onto Springer 1911's. This fellow gives a really good demo on how to do it. You can skip the last portion where he etches his stainless Smith & Alexander grip safety in acid to give it a sandblasted look if you want. (3402) SA 1911 Mil Spec Mods: Beavertail Install - YouTube
Who makes that round Commander Hammer? I have a S&A grip safety on a Colt with GI profile (no pad/bump), works very well.
Intercessor asked: "Who makes that round Commander Hammer?"
The round Commander or burr style hammer is made by several manufacturers. It's now so popular that very few of the aftermarketers are even making the GI style spur hammer nowadays. Wilson Combat was making one a skeletonized spur hammer a few years ago but they dropped it. 1911 hammer - MidwayUSA
The round Commander or burr style hammer is made by several manufacturers. It's now so popular that very few of the aftermarketers are even making the GI style spur hammer nowadays. Wilson Combat was making one a skeletonized spur hammer a few years ago but they dropped it. 1911 hammer - MidwayUSA
I've more or less got the .220" radius worked into the frame tang. However, I seem to have discovered a new problem with the EGW grip safety. On the trigger blocking stud of the original M1911 grip safety the upper surface goes straight back to the rear of the safety. On the new safety there's about a .040" step which is interfering with the seating of the safety. I've aligned the two safeties with the installation jig in the pic so you can see the step on newer safety. That step is what keeps the safety from aligning with the thumb safety pivot hole. I reckon I'll have to put the new safety on my Index milling machine and bob it! Also I thought I was going to have to machine off the bottom of the EGW safety because it was hitting the frame. After installing the installation jig thru both safeties I saw that the bottom dimensions on both safeties were exactly the same, so I don't have to relief the bottom of the new safety.
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You aren't showing the trigger block, that's the stepped arm in the front of the safety. What you're showing is extra material that needs to be fit to prevent an unsightly gap in that area that happens. Slowly relieve it until it fits. The bottom where it meets the ms housing is also oversized and may need a little contouring. Once it fits the frame then you go for the trigger bar to positively block and release the trigger. I'm pretty much computer stupid but someone throw some pics up of what's going on.
Rexm posted: " What you're showing is extra material that needs to be fit to prevent an unsightly gap in that area that happens." After studying the matter I decided that Rexm was correct. If I machined down the extra material in the stepped area at the top of the safety it would indeed leave an unsightly gap at the back of the frame under the tang. And after more study I decided that what was blocking the travel on the grip safety was those steps so I need to file down the two mating surfaces under the tang until I get full travel on the safety. This pic shows the flats needed to be relieved.
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My theory was correct and after I relieved the two flats with my safe edged file the beavertail grip safety finally had full travel. I still had to tweak the arm on the safety to get everything working right but I finally got 'er done! The new beavertail grip safety passed all the function tests. My thanks to EGW and Smith and Alexander for the parts and tool they supplied. I still have to blend in the frame and grip safety but after I give it a test fire.
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One more post. I should have put these pix in before Post #17. The first one shows what it looked like when I got the tangs filed down. I had to file into the jigs slightly before I could get the thumb safety pivot pin to go thru all 3 holes. However, I don't plan on ever using the jig again so it's no big deal. The second pic shows the beavertail grip safety fitted to the frame with the jig shaft. The frame to safety gap is good.
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In conclusion, the M1911 beavertail grip safety was invented by gunsmiths so it would completely eliminate the problem of hammer bite with Colt Commander style [burr style] hammer. Quite often they come with the speed bump at the bottom of the grip safety. This was designed for folks who don't have the right shaped hands that don't reliably actuate the M1911 or Government Model style grip safety. It's optional and you can purchase beavertail grip safeties without them if that's what you prefer. I had to purchase the Smith & Alexander "EZ Fit Hi-Grip" Safety Gunsmith Installation Jig to install the .220" radii on the Springer's tangs because it's tang is smaller in size than the Colt or other M1911 clones and so they won't clean up if you use the .250" installation jigs used on the Colts. This job is labor intensive and one needs time and some patience. If you've got any questions watch the video in Post #9. He gives a pretty good demo on what needs to be done. And if you can't get your grip safety to fit on, it's no big deal. Either take it to a reputable gunsmith or else just put some spot bluing on your file marks and put your old M1911 grip safety and GI hammer back on and go back to the range with it.
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