Wilson Combat 1911 Ss Mat Tact Ext Thumb Safety

Many thumb safeties have come and gone in the search for the perfect one for me. And by me, I mean my hand. I have tried many brands and many styles, from ambidextrous to single; from extended to GI. None have satisfied me like this Wilson Combat thumb safety. Wilson Combat has a reputation for putting out quality products, and this thumb safety is no different. Excellence through and through. Starting with the machining, I did not see any imperfections on my product. All the machining was precise and very well done. Even the matte finish was just right. I ordered one stainless steel and one black. They come already rounded at the edges for a very comfortable feel when engaging or disengaging. Now, I am not sure if these are MIM parts, but with current CNC production standards, this should not worry anyone. Many high end companies use MIM for their parts in producing quality products. And these Wilson safeties have that “heft” of a quality part. If you have the knowledge it will be very easy to fit. No 1911 thumb safety will come as a drop in part, so you will have to fit it to your gun’s sear and hammer combination, or have it fit for you by a qualified installer. I start mine by inserting it into the detailed stripped frame first to see if it hangs up on the frame when I move it up and down, as it should move freely. With these safeties, the fit was perfect on both my guns. Dimensions were appropriately designed for excellent function with the plunger pin, hence your pin will not pop out to the side because of a thin engagement wall. There is also a slight dimple in the off position for retainment. The pin is completely captured by the safety when on or off. There is that satisfying positive click that we all want to hear and feel. Wilson Combat thumb safety...function and looks...can’t go wrong. Finally found one! Thanks Wilson!

As others who know what they are doing have said, depending on what variant of 1911 you have this will require more or less adjustment. 1911s were designed before careful machining, some big company should do the world a favor and force standardization with fine tolerances. But that hasn't happened, so you need to follow some youtube videos if you don't already know how to do this.First check that the flat surface that will ride on the outside of the frame is actually flat. I felt like there was a slight lip that could scratch the frame, so I used a fine diamond file to make sure there wasn't. Maybe it was just a sharp edge, but by taking a tiny amount off the edge I made sure it won't cause damage.I had to take around 0.0015" off the pin, I checked the old ambi safety with a vernier caliper before I started. I polished it down with a piece of rubber backed 320 grit glass paper, checking it against the frame and grip safety as I went. Just make sure you apply even pressure and keep rotating, don't work it back and forth or you can make it oval. Next I used a fine diamond file to take about 50 thou off the engagement surface. Don't force it when checking fit, when you have take enough off it will slide right in. Don't take too much off in one go or you will need another one. No, I am not talking from experience, I am careful.

It's a thumb safety on a 1911 - YOU WILL NEED TO DO SOME FITTING TO MAKE THIS WORK. If you just poke this thing on your 1911 and it fits right out of the box, either you got EXTREMELY lucky, or you'd better be wary of that thing because it might not actually be fitting correctly at all (in other words, don't trust it to prevent the hammer from dropping). Lots of how-to videos online to learn how to fit a safety lever to a 1911, though. If a dummy like me can do it, lots of other folks can. If you're just absolutely NOT mechanically inclined (and if you're not, why did you buy a 1911 in the first place?), then you're probably better off taking it to a gunsmith to have them install this.That said, this safety has excellent fit and finish, no rough edges, and it matches everything else on my all-stainless Regent R200S quite nicely. Has a nice, secure CLICK to engage and disengage, no mushy feeling or excess play up or down. Pretty much the complete opposite of the ambidextrous safety that came on the gun originally, and being that this is NOT an ambi safety, it fits my hands even better (I really dislike how most ambi safeties dig into the inside of my index finger's first knuckle).

This is about the fifth Wilson combat addition to my Springfield 1911A1. I've always been impressed with their products. Overall I liked this item, but I had to take quite a bit off the pin that goes through the frame and grip safety before it would even come close to fitting. The hardest part was fitting the portion that fits between the hammer and sear. I swear it took me 45 min and about 10 try's to get it to properly seat. It was difficult to take enough off of it to allow it to pass the sear. Once installed, it's a little harder to flip on/off safe, but I plan on touching that up next disassembly.

This was my first run in with a file and fitting. Got an $8 needle file set an went to work testing every two strokes until it got close when I went down to one. Ended up with perfect fit and function. Check out some you tube videos. It seemed very daunting at first, but I just went very slow and used the original safety as a guide. The previous safety was WAYYY to big, but this one is perfect. I can easily move it with my thumb, but it doesn't get in the way of the grips or anything else for that matter. I am a fan of Wilson parts and plan on adding a few more stainless to even out the look.

This is my second order. It does take a lot of filing to fit. But I took a bit to much off the surface that engages the sear.So it works, but I screwed it up a bit. I will be re-ordering and a bit more careful filing that edge next time.I laugh at anyone who complains about fitting. None of these are really drop in.Take your time and file it carefully. It is a cheap part and the cost of gunsmithing is high.