1991A1 grip safety/mainspring housing question

P

Poodleshooter

New member
I've noticed an odd condition on a 1991A1 that I just traded for. If the Colt stock plastic mainspring housing is squeezed very tightly towards it's top,it can actually activate the grip safety enough to allow the hammer to fall. Movement is almost imperceptible between the two,but the hammer will fall. It doesn't seem like much of an issue since it still basically requires that the gun be gripped,but I was wondering if anyone could comment on whether this is fitting issue,or just to be expected from a plastic mainspring housing?
If it is the mainspring housing,if anyone could recommend a suitable replacement that would match the Colt's dark oxide finish,I would greatly appreciate it.
 
mainspring housing

Sir:
Remove the mainspring housing and take just a small amount off the top of it - it's hitting the grip safety.
Get a steel mainspring housing!
Harry B.
 
Thanks Harry.
This is my first 1911. Any suggestions for where to find a good parkerized,grooved or checkered flat mainspring housing? I seem to see a lot of fancy blued and stainless custom mainspring housings, but not many plain jane GI parkerized ones.
 
Plastic bit

I quickly dispensed with the plastic mainspring housing on mine, although it did not give me any trouble. I first ordered one made by a "custom 45 accessory maker" from Brownells and the machining inside was so rough that it bound the coil spring, you could feel it crunch when depressed. Then I sent it back and they sent me another brand at my request. That worked fine, but I decided I wanted an arched one so found a blued Colt takeoff in mint condx. at a gunshow. Gunsmith there swaps parts for people who want to "Kustimize" and gets plenty of stock parts for Colt, etc. Might check with a smith. I had purchased a parked G.I. "looking" housing from a military parts peddler at a show, but it was no good either, the retaining pin hole for the spring was too low out of spec. Hammer could move around a bit with spring full up. Also got a blue Colt trigger to replace the plastic one at the same guy who had the COlt housing. Now mine is all metal, but the plastic trigger worked just fine and was not a priority for me. My advice then, is be careful buying generic "milsurp" housings, and see if someone has steel ones taken from a Colt. Usually the takeoffs are cheap as the smiths really don't pay anything or very much for them when upgrading guns.
 
Has anyone tried the S&W black anodized aluminum replacement MSH from S&W?
Midway has them for a low price,and it looks like a good match for my Colt's flat black finish. I don't know as I'd recognize a Colt MSH from any other brand at a gunshow or a smith's shop,so I'm a bit leery of that option. At least with Midway,I can return it if the fit is poor.
 
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