Norinco 1911 A1 grip safety!

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boomer49

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Hi guys,

Another reason not to trust "safety" mechanisms in firearms ...

I totally like the Norinco 1911 A1 that I bought from Marstar about a year ago. It was one of the last ones that they had in-stock before the long drought that ended recently with the arrival of all the spiffed-up .45's

But I like the old-style .45's .... all it needed was a set of pricey retro-style grips and I was good-to-go. It was more accurate than I am, and it always worked.

And then a couple of hours ago I (out-of-curiosity) tried to "defeat" the old-fashioned grip safety. Maybe five pounds of pressure and BANG ... and it happened again and again. Changed magazines ... I don't know why ... and it happened again and again. After the first round fired, the trigger pressure was as-if the situation was normal. Yikes!!

All safeties ... not to mention "extra" safeties ... are not to be trusted ... as we all know.

I could send it back to Marstar, but it's better to just keep it around here ... just to make a point!!

Boomer
 
Have you changed the springs? Sounds like the sear spring leg isn't doing it's thing anymore. How many rounds through the gun?
 
Nope ...

I'm not too handy with mechanical stuff ... I just had a fellow tune and clean it before I started shooting it.

I live (happily) in the middle of nowhere, and am afraid that if I start doing my own maintenance ... well ... it'll be out of commission for a long time. Nobody that I know (around here) to be a mentor ...

Boomer
 
boomer49 said:
I'm not too handy with mechanical stuff ... I just had a fellow tune and clean it before I started shooting it.
Boomer
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Really, and do you think MAYBE this might have something to do with your mysterious grip safety failure that no one else is reporting?

Just a thought.

P.S. You own guns, either only trust an actual licenced and bonded gunsmith, or GET mechanically inclined.
 
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There are alot of very good videos and web sites for the 1911. You could know it inside out in no time if you watch detail strip videos and read a few detail strip sites for the 1911.

I'm with bobby on the "MAYBE", if he was messing around with the sear spring he may have bent the finger on the right that presses against the grip safety.
 
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Shoulda guessed ...

Guys,

I should have known that someone would be scolding me for being a mechanical ****-*p.

It's an inherited gene.

FWIW, I was on You-Tube looong before my (very with-it) teenaged-students had ever heard of it. But now I live retired in the distant woods with cougars and wolves and assorted bears (in season) and only dial-up ... so forget the streaming video.

The only reason for my mentioning this (and bringing-down all this holier-than-thou scorn/s**t) was to give fellow-Norinco-owners a heads-up ... which (I hope) all of them didn't need anyways.

Boomer
 
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No, I'm a norc 1911 owner, and no scorn involved for not being mechanically inclined.

But if you have a problem with your car, and mention that we chrysler owners should be careful because sometimes they unexpectedly pop into reverse, and OH yeah, by the way, instead of going to a service center my buddy Jim-Bob just happened to tune your car just a little while ago, then yes, we're going to point out the obvious.

Marstar sells those guns by the bushel basket on here, but nobody else is having your problem.

Instead of being upset that we all aren't falling over ourselves because of this public service announcement, be logical boomer. The simplest explanation is usually the right one, although I accept there may be another answer too.

I think it's probably Jim-Bob.
 
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I did have the same issue when I first switched out the sear spring ( I'm not exactly a mechanical genius either, I was using the video) then I looked at the new spring beside the old one - it was actually much flatter on the leg that presses back on the grip safety. If someone was trying to 'sensitize' the grip safety, making it easier to engage, they could very easily make it stop working altogether. This can also happen with wear. It's one of those quirks that come with the package on any 1911, and as you say another good reason not to trust 'safety' mechanisms. The only real safety on a handgun is the guy holding it.
 
The sear spring in the 1911.

Bingo.... the key to this is the three leaf "sear spring". It was noted that this spring must be 'bent'.... not flat, to work correctly. Yes, it must be bent into the correct configuration to operate and conduct funtions it is responsible for like ensuring the 'grip safety' is working correctly.

There is an interesting old reference guide on the 1911 called Hallock's .45 Auto Handbook by Ken Hallock that has, on one page, a to scale diagram of the 1911 sear spring, in profile, with the correct bends in it.

I have literally detail stripped and reassembled dozens of 1911's over the years. One thing I always do on reassembly, after making sure the parts are all in proper working condition, is to lay the sear spring against that page in my copy of Hallock's book to ensure it is correctly 'bent'. Never had an issue with a 1911 that has been properly reassembled, including making sure the sear spring is back to it's desired configuration.

My .02...............

ian_in_vic said:
The only real safety on a handgun is the guy holding it.
Click to expand...

Now that is a candidate for my next CGN sig line...... :cool:
 
The only reason for my mentioning this (and bringing-down all this holier-than-thou scorn/s**t) was to give fellow-Norinco-owners a heads-up ... which (I hope) all of them didn't need anyways.

Boomer[/QUOTE]


Ah, but Boomer, even though you (and I!) have had baaaad Norc experiences, and have tried to save our brethren from woe at the hands of the North China Industries' products, WE are the heretics, and WE must be deluded, for the Norc is ALL good, and all wonderful, and thou shalt not question the melamine content in the metal...

:bangHead:

Neal
 
Merci

Hey guys,

Thank you for the technical suggestions. Maybe I'll track down a book and have a go at it myself, but (because I might put it totally out-of-commission for weeks) I'm strongly tempted just to leave it alone ... and continue with my always-by-the-book safe-handling protocols.

BTW, my "Having my systems?" comment/question in an earlier post on this thread was in response to the preceding post where the fellow had the puzzling phrase "having your systems" (now edited out) inserted into his comment ...

Boomer
 
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Bobby Ironsights said:
No, I'm a norc 1911 owner, and no scorn involved for not being mechanically inclined.

But if you have a problem with your car, and mention that we chrysler owners should be careful because sometimes they unexpectedly pop into reverse, and OH yeah, by the way, instead of going to a service center my buddy Jim-Bob just happened to tune your car just a little while ago, then yes, we're going to point out the obvious.

Marstar sells those guns by the bushel basket on here, but nobody else is having your problem.

Instead of being upset that we all aren't falling over ourselves because of this public service announcement, be logical boomer. The simplest explanation is usually the right one, although I accept there may be another answer too.

I think it's probably Jim-Bob.
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A little sensitive aren't we?
 
I swear, the Norc lovers are like a cult. THEY have every right to love their guns, but WE (who have had one, or two, or THREE consecutive failed Norinco products) must be crazy: it simply CAN'T happen - We are lying, racist, elitist bastards.

Almost as bad as Scientologists!
 
nelly said:
I swear, the Norc lovers are like a cult. THEY have every right to love their guns, but WE (who have had one, or two, or THREE consecutive failed Norinco products) must be crazy: it simply CAN'T happen - We are lying, racist, elitist bastards.

Almost as bad as Scientologists!
Click to expand...

This post has been approved by Tom Cruise.
 
What we don't know is whether the grip safety was working improperly when it arrived or this started after the other person stripped and cleaned it.

The make of the gun aside I'd like to thank boomer49 for another good reminder about gun safety. He sounds like a gunnut worthy of the name and don't believe he deserves some of the insulting remarks directed his way by the defenders and promoters of all things Norinco.

If he'd posted a similar observation about a Springfield or other brand I doubt this would have happened.
 
boomer49 said:
Hey guys,

Thank you for the technical suggestions. Maybe I'll track down a book and have a go at it myself, but (because I might put it totally out-of-commission for weeks) I'm strongly tempted just to leave it alone ... and continue with my always-by-the-book safe-handling protocols.

BTW, my "Having my systems?" comment/question in an earlier post on this thread was in response to the preceding post where the fellow had the puzzling phrase "having your systems" (now edited out) inserted into his comment ...

Boomer
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No need to track down. Ask and you shall receive. Send me a PM if you want the Kuhnhausen manual on everything there is to know about the 1911 platform.

This was passed on to me by another gunnut so I'm just doing the same.
 
nelly said:
Ah, but Boomer, even though you (and I!) have had baaaad Norc experiences, and have tried to save our brethren from woe at the hands of the North China Industries' products, WE are the heretics, and WE must be deluded, for the Norc is ALL good, and all wonderful, and thou shalt not question the melamine content in the metal...

:bangHead:

Neal
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Actually in this case it's a 1911 issue - any 1911 by any company can develop this exact issue, regardless of it's cost or origin. Of course with the safety device thing, it's also a Glock issue, a Smith issue ........:D
 
nelly said:
I swear, the Norc lovers are like a cult. THEY have every right to love their guns, but WE (who have had one, or two, or THREE consecutive failed Norinco products) must be crazy: it simply CAN'T happen - We are lying, racist, elitist bastards.
Click to expand...

I must be an anomoly then.... I've had 5 Norc 1911's [still have 4 of the 5] and still haven't had a lemon, yet............. :eek:
 
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