Posted: 7/12/2005 5:22:12 PM EDT
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Which Beavertail grip safety requires the least ammount of fitting to be installed? I am looking to swap out the hammer and grip safety on my Springfield USGI. Also, does the USGI take the Series 70 or 80? Thanks! |
I bought a King's drop-in grip safety, for 1911's with USGI hammers and all that. No cutting to the frame, etc. Got it from Brownell's. Works just fine with the standard hammer; my initial use for it was on a 1944 Colt USGI 1911A1. (Now that I have an actual shooter 1911, I've restored the USGI  )Dropped right in. No fitting whatsoever. Ran like a champ, no more bite. Here...#203. |
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First, your USGI SA is a “series 70” style 1911. A “drop in” beavertail will, for obvious reasons, require the least amount of work to install. But, like most things, they generally give back in appearance as much work as one has put into them.  To a greater or lesser extent, any beavertail grip safety that requires the frame tangs be cut will require about the same amount of work to install. I’m personally fond of S&A beavertails, as I like the way they look when installed correctly. That being said, once one has the technique down and a firm understanding of cosmetics, most any beavertail that has been installed correctly can look magnificent. |
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Again, drop in requires little work. The fitted ones, or ones that require cutting of the frame tang, can require substantially different levels of fitting and subsequent blending. Also, top of the grip tangs on both Springfield Armory guns and Para Ordnance are lower than all the other 1911s out there. When you install most fitted beavertails on a Springer, the top of the frame tangs will sit lower than the top of the beavertail, leaving an unsightly appearance. Smith and Alexander makes a specific beavertail for Springers, with a lower top profile and a smaller .220" radius. Wilson Combat's high ride beavertail will also fit Springers well, but they have a compound radius that is muchmore difficult to get a consistent fit with. With the above in mind, the easiest beavertail to fit (of the fitted type) is the Smith and Alexander. It requires a simple .250 radius cut (except for the Springer .220" model), and there are numerous jigs out there that serve as guides and are inexpensive. Les Baer also makes a very ssimilar beavertail, though they are a bit more oversized, and a little harder to fit. They require that you pay particular attention to the bottom of your frame tang cut. When you fit these types, you will be left with a step at the top of the frame tangs that will be a little higher than the top of the beavertail. You can leave it, or blend it. If you blend it, it will require refinishing if you want it to look professional. Cold blue will look bad in a short time. The other extreme high ride beavertails, like the Ed Brown, Kings high ride (they make at least 5 models of beavertails that I'm aware of, and one is like the Ed Brown), McCormick, STI, Arredondo, etc. require blending of the bottom of the tangs also. These are all more or less copies of the Ed Brown, and require a lot of work to look professional. For the most part, they require cutting a .250" radius, then blending the bottom of the tangs, as well as the top, and then refinishing of the frame. |