Author Topic: Safety Malfunction (Read 591 times)

scrounger · « **on:** August 07, 2004, 07:59:00 PM »

Alright experts, give me the answer. I am looking at a Mitchell Arms 1911 type .45 Auto. Very nice but has a safety problem. When the gun is in Condition One, cocked and locked, if you pull the trigger, the safety drops to the off position and the hammer falls. What causes this failure and how do I fix it?

Mikey · « **Reply #1 on:** August 08, 2004, 02:24:35 AM »

scrounger - if the parts are interchangeable with other 1911s, I would simply get a new safety and install that. Also, check the mainspring (the one behind the grip safety to make certain each of the individual hands work freely (there are 3), install the new safety and she should be alright. HTH. Mikey.

Iowegan · « **Reply #2 on:** August 08, 2004, 06:46:34 AM »

If the safety is "falling off", it would make me think there is a plunger tube problem. Either the spring is weak, missing, or the plunger is bound up (or missing) and isn't locking into the little detent pocket in the thumb safety.

The test for a thumb safety is: With an empty gun, hammer cocked, holding the grip safety in, and thumb safety switched up; squeeze the trigger firmly. In your case, you will have to hold the thumb safety up into the safe position. The hammer should not fall. Release the trigger and grip safety. Hold the gun to your ear and pull the hammer back. If you hear a click from the sear, the safety is out of spec and should be replaced. Under no condition should the thumb safety come off when the trigger is pulled.

Remove the thumb safety by cocking the hammer and moving the safety to the sweet spot about half way between "safe" and "fire". Pull the safety straight out. Inspect the plunger tube. It should be "riveted" tight against the frame. The plungers on both ends of the spring should move freely in the tube. When the front plunger is seated, the spring should be long enough to push the rear plunger out of the tube about 3/8" (without the thumb safety in place).

To reinstall the thumb safety, cock the hammer, insert the thumb safety and find the sweet spot. Use a thin blade screwdriver inserted between the frame and thumb safety to push the plunger into the plunger tube. Push in on the safety and remove the screwdriver.

Just for grins, I pulled the plunger spring (and plungers) out of my Colt. As soon as I apply a little trigger tension, the thumb safety falls. The safety works perfect and is "in spec".

scrounger · « **Reply #3 on:** August 08, 2004, 12:50:13 PM »

Iowegan, you may well be right. With difficulty I got the safety out. There is very little room between on and off for a sweet spot, maybe an eighth of an inch. Then the plunger tube only projects the piston about 3/16", so maybe a longer, stronger spring is in order. Naturally it was equally bad to get reassembled. I wonder if Mitchell has changed the specs on these parts. I'm going to call them tomorrow. Thanks.

Iowegan · « **Reply #4 on:** August 08, 2004, 04:48:25 PM »

The Mitchell pistols all use standard 1911 spec thumb safetys. The small sweet spot is normal on many 1911s so the part doesn't fall out. If you can get it apart again, pull the spring out of the plunger tube and stretch it. Then reassemble and give it a try. When a spring compresses, it usually needs to be replaced but it will last long enough to confirm the fix.

Springs are dirt cheap, maybe Mitchell will send you one free.

Questor · « **Reply #5 on:** August 09, 2004, 11:16:40 AM »

I'd expect problems with the slide lock if the plunger (that little tube on the left side of the gun) were the problem. But the problem sounds like it's in that neighborhood.

Somebody probably disassembled it and didn't clean the plunger tube, or the plunger spring is improperly kinked or somehow depressed on the saftety half of the spring (the spring should be kinked in about the middle). If the plunger is there and appears to be working well, then check the safety to see if it's properly engaging the plunger. There isn't much else that can be wrong with it.

Owning a Wilson Combat disassebly/assembly video is worthwhile. It's not difficult to completely disassemble and reassemble a 1911, but it takes a little training.

scrounger · « **Reply #6 on:** August 09, 2004, 05:21:55 PM »

Thanks all for your help. I think you had the problem isolated for me. I called Mitchell and they said to send it in.. so I did. They'll fix that problem and check everything else out. Well worth the $8 it cost to ship it.