Kimber/Schwartz Grip Safety Modification

[ca_fireman19]

A while back I started a thread about Kimber 1911's...after lots of posts, I finally accepted that everyone dislikes the series II because of the Schwartz grip safety and its unreliability...now today an acquaintance I talk gun stuff with told me about a "fix" or a bypass of the Schwartz safety...he tells me if I simply install a standard Colt 1911 (series 70) firing pin instead of the notched Kimber pin it will allow the pistol to fire with or without the Schwartz engaged. Does anybody in the know have any information or insight to this? Please advise.

[AngeredKabar]

You would remove the firing pin block in the slide and replace the firing pin with a "normal" one and that would do it.

You can also take the several parts in the frame out and there is a very simple spacer that fills in the void there.

I don't really know if these safeties are the cause of all the ills they are accused of, and for me personally I wouldn't care one way or the other what my 1911 had in it.

[ca_fireman19]

Thanks for your insight/opinion, Kabar. Is there anyone else that might be able to chime in on the subject?

[Captain_America]

The pin would bypass the actual FPS, but there is still the linkage in the frame. I had the arm of the Swartz safety cause my slide to bind mid recoil.

[ca_fireman19]

The pin would bypass the actual FPS, but there is still the linkage in the frame. I had the arm of the Swartz safety cause my slide to bind mid recoil.

Would that mean that if I install the new firing pin will fix the reliability and to finish the job I can/should remove the "linkage" in the frame? What about the safety in the slide? Can/should I remove that? Will the contact and/or friction on the new pin cause any problems?

[Captain_America]

I'm not an expert on the Swartz system, I'm much more familiar with the series 80. I'm not sure what, if anything can be removed and still be able to function. A series 80 needs a shim in the frame to take up the space where the safety arm was.

My point was, that's the reason some people aren't so hot on the Swartz system. It's a bit too complicated and too many things need to work just right. Series 80 is much more forgiving, the main argument with that one is it increases trigger pull weight, but they tend to be very reliable.

[Sgt_Gold]

The Kimber system uses an arm on the grip safety to push a lever up through the frame that then pushes a plunger up in the slide. To disable the whole system you have to punch out a pin in the frame and remove the arm, and remove the plunger and spring assembly in the slide. You do not need to replace the firing pin or the grip safety because without the other two parts the gun will function just like a series 70 1911.

[romanowe]

My point was, that's the reason some people aren't so hot on the Swartz system. It's a bit too complicated and too many things need to work just right. Series 80 is much more forgiving, the main argument with that one is it increases trigger pull weight, but they tend to be very reliable.

Yeah. It may be better to correct the timing of the Schwartz safety than remove it completely. If you feel up to it, here is a good thread on that:

http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=301653

[gunfighter48]

Yes the series 70 firing pin disables the FPS. I put one in my Kimber Pro Carry II and fired 2300 more rds through it with NO problems. There was no excessive wear on any of the other parts, period. You can remove the other parts if you want, I didn't bother to do that. Had to sell the pistol to help pay some of the wife's medical bills. The guy that bought it has put several 1000 more rds through it with no problems.