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Colt 1911 Style Pistol Info: "Standard Safety Checks"

• Cock the hammer (chamber and magazine empty of course).
• Without depressing the Grip Safety, pull the trigger. The hammer should NOT fall.
• Hold the gun normally, so as to depress the Grip Safety and then flick the frame mounted Safety Lever up and try to pull the trigger. The hammer should NOT fall.
• Without pulling the trigger, push on the back of the hammer with your finger. The hammer should NOT fall.
• With the hammer still cocked, flick the frame mounted safety lever down. The hammer should NOT fall.
• Hold the gun normally, with the frame mounted Safety Lever down, pull the trigger. The hammer SHOULD fall.
• If the hammer falls at any time other than at #6, your pistol is unsafe to use and in need of repair. Feel free to contact me and I'll try to help you out.
• For those of you with Series 80 Colt style pistols there is one more thing to check. Lock the slide back and turn the gun over. Depress the firing pin release plunger and make sure it's not sticking. I don't have much use for this particular safety device, but if it's jammed up into the slide it will defeat it's purpose of preventing the firing pin from moving unless the trigger is pulled.

Colt 1911 Info: Series 80 Firing Pin Block Safety Assembly:

These are the parts involved with the Colt Series 80 1911 style handguns and some copies. At the top is the plunger (visible with the slide locked open and viewed from underneath) which blocks the firing pin from moving forward unless the trigger is pulled. It is spring powered to keep the thicker end down and in contact with the firing pin. The part in the middle is the finger which rotates and pushes the plunger upwards. This allows the firing pin to pass through the narrow middle section of the plunger. This finger is moved by the lever at the bottom. The lever itself is moved by the rear of the trigger when it contacts the levers lower extension as the trigger is pulled to fire the gun. A very clever arrangement that helps prevent the gun from going off should it be dropped directly on the end of the hammer, on a hard enough surface, from sufficient height, while fully cocked with a live round in the chamber. Otherwise it does nothing useful.     


In most factory guns these parts go about their business un-noticed by the user, however, almost any modification to the sear or hammer surfaces, such as in a trigger job, will almost always destroy the fragile timing of the parts and cause the gun to misfire. The parts can be removed with no ill effect on the operation of the gun so long as the two lower parts are replaced by a small frame filler plate available from Brownells for about $5.00. Removal of the plunger will only leave an empty hole in the bottom of the slide. Be aware that removing a safety mechanism in this age of political correctness could void warranties or leave you liable for damages under the unique circumstances that the safety was designed for, but at least you'll know your gun will fire should the need arise. It's up to you.