1991A1 Compact Model Problem Beaver Tail

[45otto]

Hi, I have a Colt 1991A1 Compact I found out it is the same as the 1911 Officer's model. I decided to remove the Duck Bill safety and put on a Wilson Combat High Rise Beaver Tail safety. This part is suppose to be a drop in for the "Commander" size 1991A1 but requires fitting for the Compact model. I did the fitting to the trigger bow but when I slide the Main Spring Housing into place, it pushes the beaver tail down and defeats the safety. There are 2 little tabs on the bottom of the beaver tail which slide under the main spring housing just like the original Duck Bill. The only fix I can see is to trim those tabs off so the new safety will move correctly. Has anyone had any experience with fitting a Wilson Combat 429BC Beavertail to a 1991A1 Compact Model? This beavertail does not require you to radius the frame.

Thanks,

45otto

[dfariswheel]

Without seeing the gun it's hard to diagnose these things.

You don't shorten the tabs. The tab length is not critical as long as they stick under the mainspring housing enough to prevent it from overriding the top of the MSH.
The back side of the mainspring housing is flat, so the length of the tabs is not a factor, or shouldn't be if everything is properly made.

It sounds like something else is wrong. The tabs aren't that thick and there should be plenty of motion in the safety.

Time to do the gunsmith's troubleshooting process:
Remove everything from the frame but the sear spring, and the grip safety. Use a punch or even a nail that's the same size as the thumb safety shaft to hold the grip safety in place. This is eliminates any problems from the thumb safety.
Then push the grip safety into place and see what's what.
If it is pushed in, then start looking for WHY.
If not, install the other parts one or two at a time.

Possible reasons for the grip safety to be pushed in are a mainspring housing that's too long, or the top of the housing or the bottom of the grip safety to be improperly shaped.
I'd look close for a too-long MSH.

However, be VERY sure about things before you alter ANYTHING. Altering parts blind in the hope of hitting on the real problem is how gun parts get ruined.

[45otto]

Thank you, That is why I got into this forum, to try and get some knowledge. The way I fitted the grip safety was, I put the main spring in and saw how the original duck bill safety hit the trigger bow and how it cleared when the grip safety was depressed. I had the main spring housing almost all the way in to hold the main spring in place. Now, I can swap the high ride beaver tail out and reinstall the original duck bill and it works fine. When I push the MSH all the way in place, the duck bill works as it should. With the new beaver tail installed, it works until the MSH gets pushed into place then, as the tabs go under the MSH, you can watch the beaver tail being depressed by that action. So, when the MSH is in place the safety is already depressed. It is almost like the beaver tail needs more clearance where the little tabs go under the main spring housing. As soon as I move the beaver tail tabs out from under the MSH, it works fine. The main spring housing is the original synthetic one but I have a metal one ordered. Does that give some insight to the problem?

[dfariswheel]

Check the thickness of the tabs on the bottom of the grip safety, NOT the height or length of the tabs.
Since the back of the MSH is flat, that shouldn't change things.

If the tabs are too thick, that could push the safety in.
What to do in that case is a problem because the tabs are not all that thick, unless this one is way out of spec.

My best guess, sight unseen is something is out of spec on the new grip safety, which being a Wilson I find hard to believe, or you possibly mis-fitted the safety.
The idea on the safety is that with the safety fully depressed, the safety leg will JUST clear the trigger bow enough to insure full clearance with the trigger.
If the leg is over-cut, with the MSH in place the safety is pushed in far enough that the mis-fit leg already clears the trigger bow and you get no safety function.

Question: With the safety in place and the MSH installed, is there any in and out movement of the grip safety, or is it fully depressed?

[45otto]

To answer your question, there is no in and out motion of the grip safety when the MSH is in the correct position. When the MSH is pushed into place you can watch the grip safety depress and when the MSH is fully in place, the the grip safety is fully depressed. Again, when the Wilson Beaver Tail tabs are NOT under the MSH the safety functions as it is suppose to, correct in and out motion. As for the tabs, the ones on the Wilson Beaver Tail are about twice as thick or more as the tabs on the stock Duck Bill.

I don't think I screwed up the fitting but this is my first time so that is a possibility. My thought was to make it just like the stock safety. I kept installing the stock safety and rechecking the new one until the new one fit exactly like the stock safety. But to me it sounds like the problem is with the thick tabs. I thought about filing them down to the same thickness as the stock safety but decided to try and get some expert help/opinions first. Thanks for jumping in and trying to bale me out.

[dfariswheel]

Since you don't have anything to lose, try filing the tabs thinner.
Make sure to keep them square with the safety bottom and not sloped.

I'm not sure how much this will help, since the tabs would have to be hugely thick to prevent allow filing to restore operation.

[X-Mark]

The main spring housing is the original synthetic one but I have a metal one ordered. Does that give some insight to the problem?

I would wait on any fitting, until you get the metal MSH on order.
I put the same grip safety in, and an aluminum "Hogue" MSH.
The Hogue was a little shorter than the stock synthetic.
It left more of a gap (between GS and MSH) than I would like, but is functional...

[45otto]

Ok, I received the new MSH and it fits real good. I found the problem, I think. The Wilson Beaver Tail does not set down in the frame like the stock Duck Bill. I got my calipers out and made the following measurements. Wilson width: next to tabs, 0.615, middle: 0.618 and by the trigger pin: 0.619 and the stock Duck Bill measured 0.609, 0.609, and 0.611 in the same place. Does that sound right, to be off that much for a "drop in" part? I can try and take some metal off each side but the side opposite the trigger pin is only 0.030 thick. Then I'll have to re-blue the Beaver Tail because I'll be into the metal. What is your thought? Am I on the right track? Thanks, again

[45otto]

Hi, I have another question concerning the Beaver Tail safety. What are the tab that go under the MSH for? If the tabs were trimmed off would that cause an unsafe condition? Thanks

[dfariswheel]

The purpose of the two tabs is to prevent the grip safety from moving out too far. The tabs are a positive stop to keep the safety properly positioned in the frame.