How exactly does the grip safety work?

[seldon14]

I've never fired a pistol that had one. How exactly do they work? Thanks.

[LW McVay]

I moved this one here...You will probably get better responses here.

[Kamau]

Originally Posted by seldon14

I've never fired a pistol that had one. How exactly do they work? Thanks.

When you squeeze the grip the safety deactivates.

[Bob D.]

I couldn't describe it in detail but it contacts the rear of the trigger to prevent movement. Here is picture to start.

[XavierBreath]

The grip safety has an inner lever that blocks the trigger from going back when at rest. When the grip safety is depressed, the bottom of it pivots in, the inner lever pivots up, and the trigger stirrup can slide underneath it.

[mpinto]

Not sure about that picture, but.. The grip safety applies pressure to the sear which allows the movement of the trigger to activate the disconnector via the sear spring. The picture above makes it look like there is a piece of metal that manually locks the trigger forward until depressed!?? Pretty creative..

[ozzy1038]

Originally Posted by mpinto

The picture above makes it look like there is a piece of metal that manually locks the trigger forward until depressed!?? Pretty creative..

No offense, but the grip safetey DOES prevent the trigger from rearward movement until it is depressed. When it is squeezed the upper prong (step) is rotated upwards allowing the trigger to move rearward and making the gun go bang.


Photo 1 shows the grip safety disengaged with the upper step blocking the trigger bow (silver piece)


Photo 2 shows the grip safety engaged, pivoting the step up, allowing the trigger to be moved to the rear.

[XavierBreath]

Not sure about that picture, but.. The grip safety applies pressure to the sear which allows the movement of the trigger to activate the disconnector via the sear spring. The picture above makes it look like there is a piece of metal that manually locks the trigger forward until depressed!?? Pretty creative..

Huh? What pistol are you talking about here?

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. The thumb safety blocks the sear. The grip safety blocks the trigger's rearward movement until depressed.

Best.

[shane45-1911]

Originally Posted by mpinto

Not sure about that picture, but.. The grip safety applies pressure to the sear .

No, the grip safety does not touch the sear at all. It simply blocks the trigger's rearward travel, until it is pivoted up and out of the way when you grasp the pistol.

[mpinto]

yep.. you're right.. Never really looked at it from that angle.. All I know is grip safety goes in, trigger goes back, gun goes bang (hopefully)... I'll climb back under my rock!! hahaha

[seldon14]

Thanks for the replies guys. Did it take you guys much getting used to, or did you guys tart off on pistols that had these?

[AKinMT]

Practice with it and you'll get to where your grip is correct and it deactivates every time. A GI style grip safety is harder to deactivate than, say, an aftermarket safety like the Ed Brown w/ the memory bump. Most aftermarket grip safeties have a bump at the bottom of the safety that ensures, no matter how your grip is, that you'll deactivate it. Do some dry fire practice and you'll get used to it. Once you get proficient with a 1911, you'll be hooked for life.

[Jim Keenan]

Wow! A whole bunch of guys on the 1911 site and most don't know how the grip safety works!

The upper half of that "finger" blocks the trigger bow (not the trigger or the sear) until the grip safety is squeezed in, then it pivots up out of the way to let the trigger bow come back.

The bottom half of the "finger" acts as the trigger stop.

Jim

[shane45-1911]

Originally Posted by Jim Keenan

Wow! A whole bunch of guys on the 1911 site and most don't know how the grip safety works!

Jim, what are you talking about? It was one person. Everyone else who posted corrected him about how the grip safety works.

[DevilDave1911]

Originally Posted by mpinto

yep.. you're right.. Never really looked at it from that angle.. All I know is grip safety goes in, trigger goes back, gun goes bang (hopefully)... I'll climb back under my rock!! hahaha

Just don't look at it from the angle where you are staring down the big hole in the front of the gun...thats where bullets tend to leave at high velocities.