Posted: Apr 30th 2010, 11:31 PM
On models with a right hand lever (ambidextrous), the right lever really does nothing. It's just connected to the left lever, which is what does all the work. So when you move the right lever, it moves the left lever, which engages/disengages the safety. They are connected in the frame by a tab on the end of the right lever shaft, which fits in a slot on the end of the left lever shaft. If your right hand lever moves loosely, then the two aren't engaging inside the frame. Make sure both levers are fully seated, and the shafts on both aren't broken or damaged. If they are seated properly and they aren't damaged, then the shaft of one or the other is too short. Possibly made for a gun with a thinner frame. Hard to say without seeing the gun. By the way, the left safety lever is locked into the frame and can't come out by accident. But the only thing holding the right one in is the friction fit where the two levers connect inside the frame. With time and use they wear and get loose and the right lever will just fall out on its own. Common problem with ambi safeties on 1911's. Many models have an extended tab on the front of the right safety lever which fits under a cutout in the right hand grip, preventing it from coming off.
And Doc is right. The safety does require fitting, or it may function incorrectly or not at all. One of the things the safety does is block the sear. When you engage the safety, a cam engages a shelf on the bottom of the sear, locking it forward. This locks the top of the sear firmly in the full cock notch, effectively locking the hammer. But this all depends on the correct fit between the safety and the sear. If there isn't enough clearance between the sear and the cam on the safety, the safety will be tight, or won't engage at all. But if there is too much clearance, you can push the safety up and it will appear to engage. But it will NOT block the sear. When I put a new sear in my Springfield the shelf on the new sear was much too long. I had to trim it quite a bit to get a good fit. I'm guessing they make them this way intentionally to allow for variation from gun to gun. Intentionally making them oversize makes them require fitting, so they never risk them being too loose. Note that its usually the sear which actually requires the fitting and not the safety itself. And if you replace the safety, make absolutely sure that there is proper engagement between it and the sear. If the sear has been trimmed to fit a safety with a slightly larger cam than the new one, the fit will be loose and the safety won't function. If you aren't sure, probably a good idea to install a new sear and refit it.
