[JohnLouderback]

I'm considering picking up a Sig 1911 as my next 1911. I like a lot of the features they come standard with and, truth be told, I'm partial to the looks no less. As I understand it, these are patterned after Series 80s 1911s. This, I'm not so much a fan of. If I were to buy one of these, I'd certainly be adding a shim to replace the firing spring safety functionality (with something like one of these). I understand that there are four additional parts in the Series 80 versus the Series 70. I wonder if, with this shim, everything is the same. What I'd really like to do is replace some of the FCG components for a much nicer trigger pull (something like this), but I'm worried as to whether all the included parts would fit and function properly after adding the shim. Does anybody have experience with this?

Thanks,
John

 

[AndyCDFW]

I do. I bought a Talo Colt 1911 CCG a few years back, removed the Series 80 parts and put in a shim. Not hard to do at all, although it might be a little fiddly at first if you've never put one in before.

I didn't do this to get a better trigger-pull (although I did work on the hammer-hooks and sear once I had it apart) but because I've seen a good number of series 80s at the range that have stopped working when the Series 80 "firing-pin safety plunger" leg (the long pointy part at the right) snapped off. I expect my guns to be reliable so I got rid of the source of that potential issue:

With that said, you'll know that almost nothing on a 1911 is a drop-in part; I'd have no issue buying that Speed Demon Action kit myself, but I'd also be prepared to do some fitting as necessary, particularly on the thumb-safety (where it meets the rear of the sear) but there may be others.

I colorized this image from Kuhnhausen's book to clarify - if you install a new sear, you'll likely have to fit a new thumb-safety because anything other than a tiny amount of space between A and B in the pic below could allow the hammer to fall when the thumb-safety is engaged; it doesn't take much rearward-movement of the bottom of the sear to allow the sear-nose to escape the hammer-hooks:

 

[High Hat]

I do. I bought a Talo Colt 1911 CCG a few years back, removed the Series 80 parts and put in a shim. Not hard to do at all, although it might be a little fiddly at first if you've never put one in before.

I didn't do this to get a better trigger-pull (although I did work on the hammer-hooks and sear once I had it apart) but because I've seen a good number of series 80s at the range that have stopped working when the Series 80 "firing-pin safety plunger" leg (the long pointy part at the right) snapped off. I expect my guns to be reliable so I got rid of the source of that potential issue:

I've owned a Series 80 1911 since Colt put them on the market. I've never had a problem with one, never saw a photo with a bad part or read of one. I'd really like to talk with someone that has had a problem with the Series 80 parts. My carry gun is a series 80 with Harrison ignition parts that has a 4.4 lb trigger pull.

 

[32639]

I sure hope marine armorers are fitting these kits to all the M45CQB pistols the Corps bought. They are series 80. How did this flaw get past the experts.

 

[JEFFJP_N_JJ]

I have a Colt series '80' stainless 'government model' and it has a terrible trigger compared to my nephews Rock Island .45 ACP!

 

[Dekker]

I have both 70 and 80 series Colts and a 80 series frame converted to 70 series (easy to do) which was needed for a Pachmayr Dominator I have.
There is nothing wrong with the 80 series guns and the trigger can be made as slick as any 70 series. I have a 80 series gun built by Paul Liebenberg that has the best trigger of any gun I own.

 

[1100 tac]

My Colt Night Defender series 90 breaks at 4-3/4 lb, crisp. I don't want any lighter for an EDC. According to my information, the FCG group is the same as series 80.

Not too sure that I would want to remove any safety features concerning the FCG from a carry pistol.

This is the first that I have heard about chronic failures of the series 80 FCG.

 

[Pantexan]

What do you do with the firing pin plunger and spring assembly?

 

[AndyCDFW]

I've worked at a number of ranges (as both staff and volunteer), and shot competitively for a few decades; I've seen the same section of that specific part break time and again, the most recent being about a year back at Elm Fork in Dallas, which rendered the gun useless.

If yours hasn't (yet), good for you - I won't have that part in mine, and I accomplish the same result (rendering it drop-safe) by using a heavy-duty FP-spring.

 

[M14E2]

Gonna do a ''Fitz'' conversion , cut the trigger guard off and pin the grip safety down too?

 

[1100 tac]

I've worked at a number of ranges (as both staff and volunteer), and shot competitively for a few decades; I've seen the same section of that specific part break time and again, the most recent being about a year back at Elm Fork in Dallas, which rendered the gun useless.

If yours hasn't (yet), good for you - I won't have that part in mine, and I accomplish the same result (rendering it drop-safe) by using a heavy-duty FP-spring.

Whatever makes you happy and cheerful.
Point of info, I have more Govt. Model types than Series 80 types, and I sometimes consider the Series 80 an ingenious solution to a non-existent problem, but I would hate to have an A.D. after modifying a safety feature. If someone got hurt that I didn't mean to hurt, I think I could be in serious trouble. Not to mention how I would feel about it. ***t happens.

 

[JohnLouderback]

I do. I bought a Talo Colt 1911 CCG a few years back, removed the Series 80 parts and put in a shim. Not hard to do at all, although it might be a little fiddly at first if you've never put one in before.

I didn't do this to get a better trigger-pull (although I did work on the hammer-hooks and sear once I had it apart) but because I've seen a good number of series 80s at the range that have stopped working when the Series 80 "firing-pin safety plunger" leg (the long pointy part at the right) snapped off. I expect my guns to be reliable so I got rid of the source of that potential issue:

With that said, you'll know that almost nothing on a 1911 is a drop-in part; I'd have no issue buying that Speed Demon Action kit myself, but I'd also be prepared to do some fitting as necessary, particularly on the thumb-safety (where it meets the rear of the sear) but there may be others.

I colorized this image from Kuhnhausen's book to clarify - if you install a new sear, you'll likely have to fit a new thumb-safety because anything other than a tiny amount of space between A and B in the pic below could allow the hammer to fall when the thumb-safety is engaged; it doesn't take much rearward-movement of the bottom of the sear to allow the sear-nose to escape the hammer-hooks:

This is fantastic info. Thank you! So, just so I'm clear, "normal" 1911 parts should fit in the series 80 with the shim with the typical necessary fitting?

 

[AndyCDFW]

Yes; other than the FP-safety parts, it's still a 1911.

Gonna do a ''Fitz'' conversion , cut the trigger guard off and pin the grip safety down too?

Reliability is my aim, so how would those mods make things more reliable?

 

[Phil “Murphy” McGrath]

Any smiff that can't/won't do a trigger job on a series 80 isn't worth a grain of salt. Anyone that says they can feel the extra parts moving around is full of beans...

 

[AndyCDFW]

True - I've seen some horrors from "smiths" who aren't familiar with the timing-issues involved in the series 80 and botch it completely.

As for the extra parts - I've never been able to feel any difference and I have a ton of 1911 trigger-time.

 

[M14E2]

Reliability is my aim, so how would those mods make things more reliable?

If yer gonna remove safety features , why stop at just 1?

BTW; JMB did not put the thumb safety there either. It was added by Colt.

 

[AndyCDFW]

Because I don't care about your opinion and I do what I want to enhance reliability; I don't see any of your oddball suggestions adding to that, not do I see you calling for all models up to the Series 80 be converted to this so-called "safer" design. You *do* own a series 70, right?

I'm aware of the history behind the thumb-safety - I don't remember claiming otherwise, but yeah; thanks, I think... :ARM22:

 

[Herr Trigger]

Because I don't care about your opinion and I do what I want to enhance reliability; I don't see any of your oddball suggestions adding to that, not do I see you calling for all models up to the Series 80 be converted to this so-called "safer" design. You *do* own a series 70, right?

I'm aware of the history behind the thumb-safety - I don't remember claiming otherwise, but yeah; thanks, I think... :ARM22:

If you don't want to hear other people's Opinions, Why did you Join a Forum???

 

[trbon8r]

I’ve got two Series 80 Colts that had the Series 80 parts scrapped when getting a trigger job. None of the Series 80 parts were causing me any problems, but I also couldn’t see what they were doing for me either, so they went in the garbage can. One less potential source of problems.

 

[M1A's r BEST]

I've got one Series 80 Colt 1911. Never thought it had a "bad" trigger. I have a Colt Combat Commander and had a Colt Series 70 that had "better" triggers but both of those had been worked on to smooth things out.

Did I replace the Series 80 parts? Yeah, sort of, and not for the trigger or other reliability issues. That darn Series 70 like to eat brass. Always dinging the side of the case mouth. One day I decided to swap out extractors to see what it did (Series 80 into Series 70 and vice/versa). Found out I had to swap the firing pin, too, so I removed the series 80 parts from the series 80. No issues. Still goes bang just fine.

People do the same thing to CZ 75's.

1. They debate about the effects of the firing pin block on trigger pull
2. They remove the firing pin block and add a shim to the sear cage or they replace the sear with the older style.

I have two CZ75B's with all the safety parts in place/intact that you would swear the trigger pull is not only awesome/crisp but lower than usual. Both are dead on 3 lbs. but so crisp they convince you they are lighter. Just replaced the hammers in both and the sear in one, but the firing pin block parts are still in there and working.

I had a CZ75 I converted to SAO that was around 2&3/4 lbs. before I tweaked some springs and it ended up at 3 lbs. It also has the firing pin block parts intact and functioning.

Don't blame the trigger pull on the firing pin block parts. You can "overcome" those with a little work (money?)