The thumb safety issue was a big pet peeve of ours at Colts Custom Shop. Brent would constantly go over to the assembly line and tell them to fit the thumb safety lug more.

Yet here we are in 2018 and nothing has changed and Brent was the guy they let go....

 

Do you think its because it takes them time and effort and its slowing production?

I know it takes a few minutes to fit a TS but dang!

 

I get the frustration, but I'd never let that keep me from buying a Colt, nor any other 1911.

My preferred TS is the Ed Brown extended tactical safety. I keep a couple blue and a couple stainless ones on han DC at at times. It's pretty much the first I'll swap out on a 1911. Thumb safeties and grips are about all I ever swap on a factory gun.

 

This will prolly piss off most of the population here, but anyways. Colt is the legendary name in 1911’s, always has been and always will be, but they do not make good guns anymore. That’s probably why they will likely be no more within the next decade. I’ve switched to Springfield’s for off the shelf guns a few years back. No gun I pick up Im happy with, including the springers but they are the easiest to work with for me.

 

I completely understand what you are saying but I strongly disagree!

I have a few of Colt's fine products. They are very well made.

I have a Springfield and it had issues.

With anything, some pistols escape QC with flaws.

My favorite 1911 is my Colt Wiley Clapp! It's an amazing pistol!

My second is my Colt Competition in 9mm. It's my most accurate pistol.

The first picture was with Winchester White Box and the other was Tulammo.

 

To be honest I'd rather encounter a thumb safety that was under-fitted than over-fitted. The CZ 1911 I bought a few years ago had a safety that was over-fitted, and I literally went through hell trying to get it replaced with one that wasn't screwed up. At least with one of Colt's famously under-fitted safeties I can finish doing the assembly person's job myself.

 

This is especially true for Gunsmith’s. It sucks when you do trigger work and change the sear and hammer geometry just to find out your thumb safety is scant now.

You don’t have that problem with a Colt safety

 

I have had to fit a few safeties over the years. A few Colts, a Para (I will never again own anything by Para Ordnance) and a Norinco that I can think of. It's not that hard of a job but yes it's annoying to have to do it on a factory fresh gun. A few of the one's I've done were on my own custom jobs.

 

I've had to finish fitting the thumb safety on a few Colts that were otherwise very nicely made pistols. It's not difficult to do once you learn just where to file/stone the part, but still Colt should send them out the door without needing adjustment.

 

It's an improvement that can easily be done yourself, and it allows you to gain just the kind of feel that's right, to you.
I decided, hey, I've got good tools, capable hands, and an alcohol soaked brain, why not?
Downside is, when you realize how easy it is to accomplish, you find yourself saying, "Jeez, Colt, was it really that hard to ship a gun out with a GOOD safety?!?"

 

I had a broken thumb safety on an SW1911. I had it replaced with the
Ed Brown Extended Tactical LH Thumb Safety. When I got a 1991 Colt
Commander the thumb safety had wide sharp serrations on the
upper and lower sides, pushing up on the underside was abraiding my
LH thumb I had it replaced with the Ed Brown Extended Tactical one
and also fitted by a Gunsmith Works for me. I have a LW Cmdr in 9x19
and its thumb safety is fine, different than the 1991 series.

R-

 

Colt is very schizophrenic. Three guns will come off their line that are absolutely perfect, the next one will have a few minor issues, and then one will be a basket case that shouldn't have passed inspection. Then the next three are perfect again, and so on. Colt's problem isn't that they don't know how to make good guns. Their problem is that they don't care about anything other than minimizing labor and materials costs by rushing employees and continuing to use parts that came out of the machine wrong.

 

If you take your time, that is one of the easiest fixes there is. There is always a spot where they have filed the safety down. A light stroke or two of a extra fine file will fix it, and if it is really close to what you want, a medium stone will do just fine. I bought three Colt 9mm a couple of months ago, all needed the safety touched up. A easy fix.

 

My mom always told me to never listen to Stranger Danger. Now I know why.

 

I have been working on 1911s since the mid 1960s, if you have an ounce of common sense and minimal ability it is easy, if you aren't comfortable doing it, take it to a smith. It isn't rocket science.

 

Several of us, myself included, have said as much in this thread. But the point is since it's so easy then Colt should do it before the gun leaves the factory.

 

It may be simple, but you still have to take your time because one file stroke too many and you've got a ruined part. That's why Colt's assembly workers aren't doing a good job. Doing it right involves spending too many minutes on each safety and to Colt that's $$$ wasted.

 

I just bought a new Mark IV Series 70 that is perfect in every way. You can come over and flick the safety on and off for a while if you want to.

 

Yes..I also have several Colt pistols work properly. Thanks

But the post isn't saying they ALL don't work and aren't adjusted, its questioning why SO many leave the factory ill adjusted in the first place?

 

Don't you guys know that you're supposed to shoot the gun for 500 rounds with 7 round magazines and flick the lever twice between each mag change before it will fit its self?

 

Granted every 1911 owner should have some basic gunsmithing skills. Yet, it is outrageous to expect someone, in this day and age, to need to take a file to a new $800-$1200 Colt just to get a thumb safety operable. Yes, 1911 owners like to tinker and customize, but a new owner should not be expected to fix factory defects.

This is a foolish, unforced error that is hurting Colt’s reputation and marketability.

 

It is also pretty much how Colt has always done it. Even back in the 80s and 90s most new Colt or SA 1911s you picked up had crudely fitted safeties. Go fast - fill crates.

 

It is true, if you shoot 500 rounds and put the safe on each mag change, safety will work its way in.

 

I disagree..
I try not to disagree w people on the internet but I can promise you I have had Colts thumb safeties that NO amount of "working the action" would have EVER
"work its way in"

Have sat in the living room and watch tv and flip safety on/off all night until thumb is bloody with NO real improvements..

 

I own Colt Government Models dating from 1946-1969. 45ACPs, most variants of the 38 and a 9mm. Have never had a problem with function or finish of my Colt's with the exception of stocks shrinking. I started paying attention to Colt's in the late 70s, early 80s and recall the stories of poor craftsmanship/workmanship. Thus my decision to stay with C prefix, C suffix pistols. Never a regret.

 

My Colt Competition pistol had the same problem. the safety clicked off but not on. i sent the gun back to Colt and it works fine now.

 

My 4 year old XSE came from the factory with a perfectly functioning TS that clicked in both directions just fine, but suffered from the dreaded over-travel when disengaged. Thinking it was the safety itself I replaced it first with an EB unit and it did the same thing. Then tried an EGW unit with the low lever. Same out come. Turns out the frame slot is slightly over cut. Geez. Its ok now I guess as the low lever required the top of the grip panel be relieved for it so it now stops the lever in just the right spot. Its not the right fix, that would probably require a new frame, but I'm sure Colt would just say its "In-Spec" after having it for who knows how long. It is otherwise a great pistol. My most accurate 1911.