Colt 1908 Vest Pocket issue...

Tamara

Moderator Emeritus
My Colt Vest Pocket has an issue with the thumb safety. To wit, it allows the striker to fall.

Now, looking at the guts, the thumb safety is dang near superfluous, bearing as it does on that little monkeytail on the rear of the sear. The grip safety, with its positive spring and much larger bearing surface, still locks the sear completely immobile.

It appears that the thumb safety is actually being forced out enough to prevent it from blocking the sear by some manner of cack in the frame, because when pushed firmly towards the right, it functions. Left to its own though, it slides back out of the frame and *click!*

Is the safety engagement surface really that small? (I haven't yanked it and measured with calipers, but we're talking less than thirty thousandths here.) If so, would getting a spare thumb safety be warranted?
 
I don't know what might be going on inside the gun that would cam the safety out as the trigger is squeezed. The '08 is not striker fired; the hammer is just hidden within the tail of the frame and the slide.
 
RickB said:
The '08 is not striker fired;

Not the 1908 Model M .380, the 1908 Vest Pocket .25ACP. It is quite striker-fired.

It appears that the detent plunger is pushing out on the safety, which is worn enough to be pushed away from the frame of the gun. (Bearing in mind that the weapon in question is 92 years old, I guess a little wear is to be expected... :o )
 
That safety would have to be pretty badly worn to allow that to happen. I suspect some "gunsmithing" somewhere along the line.

Jim
 
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