So I have been playing around with a Colt 1911 from late 1917/early 1918. The gun came to me rusted up and largely locked up. After much work, we finally managed to free all of the parts, tear it down, steel wooled with oil the rusty components, put it back together and got it to fire. The gun had some rust on the internals that locked it up at the thumb safety and grip safety. Upon playing with it some more, I discovered that if you cock the hammer and engage the safety, pull the trigger a few times followed by disengaging the safety, it will bring the hammer to a half cock. If you pull the trigger enough times with the safety engaged, it will drop the hammer completely and discharge if loaded. Obviously its jostling the sear enough to disengage the safety. The gun fails the "click test." If you cock the hammer and push the slide and barrel back 1/4" and pull the trigger, the hammer falls.
I figured if I wanted to correct that, I would replace the sear, disconnector and perhaps the thumb safety itself (with original WW1 era parts, of course). In my research, I have read a lot of about "thumb safety fitting." Does one need to fit a safety only if you are replacing it with an aftermarket part? Would an original factory part drop in? If I replaced all of the aforementioned pieces, would any "fitting" be required or should that solve the issue by simple drop in?
I figured if I wanted to correct that, I would replace the sear, disconnector and perhaps the thumb safety itself (with original WW1 era parts, of course). In my research, I have read a lot of about "thumb safety fitting." Does one need to fit a safety only if you are replacing it with an aftermarket part? Would an original factory part drop in? If I replaced all of the aforementioned pieces, would any "fitting" be required or should that solve the issue by simple drop in?
