Friday, April 15, 2016

Parts

Parts for the 1911 are a mixed bag.  The best ones are priced like they know it.  You may love EGW for more things, but one part type they make is not up to snuff, let's say.  The extractor spring is one.  For extractor spring, Ed Brown.  STI makes good stuff, too.  Caspian, of course.

Wilson Combat.  Their extractor springs are worse than all of the above.  What a dog's breakfast.  Even a N00b like me can see the issues with it.  Like they take a fine wire wheel to it. 

Most Wilson parts aren't good.  Except... 

Their bullet proof ambidextrous safetyExpensive!  But worth it.  I love them. The most expensive thumb safety out there.  Even better that the ones the gunsmith recommends, which seem pretty rough.  HE likes low mount thumb safeties and HATES all ambis.  (they wear and wiggle and flex and get worse with use)  For left handers he makes a second plunger tube on the other side of the gun.  But even the low mount Gunsite safety can be a bit rough in itself.  Had to straighten all the ones in class. 

Anyway, the Bulletproof Wilson Ambi Thumb Safety.  Finely machined, like a little jewel.  Break my heart with other parts, at least THIS on makes the grade, and all is forgiven.

It's different, the way the two halves mate, compared to all other ambis.  Better support.  No special grips needed, either.  No tab.  I need to call them and get a spare hammer pin that comes with it that mates with that right side section with a dovetail t-slot.  One I have is munged up.

2 comments:

Will said...

You could try brazing/silver brazing to build up the surface, for a better fit.

I wish someone would make the parts that King did, before he died. His 1911 parts were very good. No idea why no one took his shop over.

IIRC, his ambi safeties had a curved dovetail slot in the plates, with a round pin with dovetail tips. Required the frame pin hole locations to be correct, though.

I've forgotten which parts to buy from which maker, and which ones to avoid. Sigh...

Will said...

I'm not positive, but upon re-reading your post, it appears that we may be talking about the same design. I need to dig mine up and look at it. Needs to be assembled. Can't recall which gun has that particular safety, the steel or aluminum version.