Question on a S&W 1911-update

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T

tunnug

Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2018
Messages
234
Location
Tucson
My neighbor just got his first 1911, comes over and shows me that if you pull the trigger without having the grip safety pressed the hammer will drop.
None of mine will do that but then they are not S&W, can anyone tell me if this is normal on the smiths?
He said he was going to put a primed case in to see if it will fire, he got the gun used but it looks new, said the gun was made in '08.
 
That's not good. Safety doesn't work. I believe S&W has a lifetime warranty. I would have him send it to them. They will fix it and may not charge him. But that gun is unsafe.
 
I have two S&#\W 1911s, and the grips safeties work the same as with any other 1911.
That there gun is defective, ah say, defective, son.

S&W will fall all over themselves sending you a prepaid shipping label as fast as possible. They do NOT want an unsafe gun out there exposing them to liability.
 
rbt50 said:
safety spring needs to be adjusted or replaced.
Click to expand...

I was going to mention. If memory serves it's not a difficult fix even for a tabletop hack like myself. Been a while but there is plenty of info out there and I have done it in the past.

Having said that ... I have had great experiences with S&W customer service and if they are willing to pay for shipping how awesome would it be to have qualified smith mechanics give the gun a once over.

Someone was probably trying to apply a home trigger job and got in over their head
 
Send it to S&W... even if it is a simle fix any neandrathal can do, if something happens does anyone want to think... well billybob and I fixed it myself... better call Saul.
 
My neighbor called S&W and talked to a tech there, turns out that the model that he has will do that and there's nothing that needs to be done, he was told that depressing the grip safety engages the firing pin allowing it to fire so he's good to go.

Thanks everyone.

Sorry autocorrect changed pin to spring - fixed
 
tunnug said:
My neighbor called S&W and talked to a tech there, turns out that the model that he has will do that and there's nothing that needs to be done, he was told that depressing the grip safety engages the firing spring allowing it to fire so he's good to go.

Thanks everyone.
Click to expand...
Myeah, I'm calling BS on that. No 1911 should fire without depressing the grip safety. What is a firing spring?
 
Can you tell us which model it is? A grip safety on a 1911 should stop the trigger from moving rearward. I had for a brief moment a S&W 1911 PD and it operated the same way as the other 8 1911's that have lived here.

Having said that ... The 1911 was originally designed without a grip safety but was added long ago.

Sounds like someone told him the grip safety is pushing up on the firing pin block but if that is the case that wouldn't fit 1911 so I am interested in what model it is
 
smithers599 said:
tunnug said:
My neighbor called S&W and talked to a tech there, turns out that the model that he has will do that and there's nothing that needs to be done, he was told that depressing the grip safety engages the firing spring allowing it to fire so he's good to go.

Thanks everyone.
Click to expand...
Myeah, I'm calling BS on that. No 1911 should fire without depressing the grip safety. What is a firing spring?
Click to expand...

+1......
 
As we were texting he said the gun is a "JRD" series, he also said he put a primed case in and it didn't go off when the hammer dropped without applying the grip safety.

Also fixed the autocorrect changing of pin to spring.
 
tunnug said:
As we were texting he said the gun is a "JRD" series, he also said he put a primed case in and it didn't go off when the hammer dropped without applying the grip safety.

Also fixed the autocorrect changing of pin to spring.
Click to expand...

That is very interesting! I had to look it up and it sounds like one of a group of the first foray into 1911's for Smith. Sounds like something to have since they were somewhat hand tuned but

It sounds right though .. I didnt get to far into it but it sounds like on that series the grip safety acts on the firing pin block. Interesting. Not a terrible idea since in the end it will serve its function as a second mechanical safety ... I just wonder why smith decided to deviate from what has been a tried and true system. I had an E series and it was a traditional setup.

LEARNED SOMETHING NEW TODAY!!

and its always a good day when i learn something new!

here is a breif thread on the guns safety
https://www.1911forum.com/threads/s-w-firing-pin-safety-armorers.167017/

and here is a thread about the gun in general
https://www.1911forum.com/threads/jrd-prefix-sw1911-thoughts.461212/

Tunnug ... do you know if the gun has a pivoting trigger or a traditional bow. Im betting they went with pivot and hence the reason for the grip safety acting on the firing pin block. Or .. Im wrong!! :mrgreen:
 
Look up Swartz safety. Was designed for Colt. IIRC Kimber uses this. It also is incorporated somewhat into the Series 80 safety system.
 
action magic said:
Look up Swartz safety. Was designed for Colt. IIRC Kimber uses this. It also is incorporated somewhat into the Series 80 safety system.
Click to expand...

I am going to look a diagram but I can kind of picture whats going on. Very interesting .. doesnt seem highly regarded though

https://www.1911forum.com/threads/schwartz-safety-please-explain.143208/
 
Boriqua said:
action magic said:
Look up Swartz safety. Was designed for Colt. IIRC Kimber uses this. It also is incorporated somewhat into the Series 80 safety system.
Click to expand...

I am going to look a diagram but I can kind of picture whats going on. Very interesting .. doesnt seem highly regarded though

https://www.1911forum.com/threads/schwartz-safety-please-explain.143208/
Click to expand...

IIRC Llama used it as well.
 
When I looked at the gun I didn't pay attention to the trigger, I'll look for it next time, he did mention that they changed their safety on the E series.
 
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