1911 ambi safety, pro or con

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bamaranger

New member
Thought a discussion on the ambi safety might be interesting. I have 3 1911 pattern pistols, one with oversize ambi's, the other two not. Of the two single safety pistols, one is slightly oversize, the other pure GI.

I can live with the ambi, but I am not a fan. For one issue, the outboard safety seems to lend itself to getting wiped off by accident. Increasing plunger spring tension, and deepening the recess on the safety itself has helped (alot, it was wonky) but never the less, once in a while, I find the safety "off " while holstered. One of these days I will swap to a single safety.

Second issue, it just looks odd and adds bulk where there shouldn't be (in my eyes anyhow).

Where are you with the issue?
 
T

TunnelRat

New member
I carry a Staccato C2 fairly regularly. I have not had the safety swipe off. However, I carry it appendix and there generally isn’t anything that brushes against my front.
 
J

Jim Watson

New member
I have a couple of action shooting guns with helpful "bilateral" (NRA-speak) safeties, but I went single on a 3.5" Ultra Compact.
 
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RickB

New member
I'm a lefty, have ambis on all of my pistols, but don't know that I would if I were a righty?
When I transfer the gun from strong hand to weak hand, the safety is already disengaged, so I wouldn't, as a righty, need the ambi, but if I had to "retrieve" my pistol with my weak hand, it would be nice to just sweep the safety off, rather than have to find an alternate, one-handed mean of disengaging the safety.
I've installed 6-8 ambi safeties, some of them twenty or more years ago, and none has broken or become so loose it was a worry.
I did tighten one a little after twenty years/twenty thousand rounds, but it probably wasn't necessary.
Like a match barrel, I think the fitting is more important than the part.
 
4

44 AMP

Staff
When I was much younger, I thought the ambi safety would be a useful, desirable feature, particularly in those days when it was a complete custom build and only a couple of smiths in the country offered it.

I am right handed, and after having some experience with the ambi safeties now common, I don't find them particularly useful or desirable. Especially the models with extended levers.

A gun with an ambi safety isn't a deal breaker for me, I just no longer feel the need to have one if it doesn't come that way.
 
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BarryLee

New member
Have them on one of my 1911s and have never seen any negatives. I have carried the gun a good bit in the few colder months we have in the south and never had the safety move. Now, as others have mentioned, not sure I really need it or would I miss it.
 
C

Crankylove

New member
Two of my three 1911’s have ambi safety. Had another single safety 1911 in the past as well.

They are both getting replaced with single side safety.

For just a range gun, they are fine. But, even trying several different holsters, and carrying positions, the ambi safeties get swiped off, either during holstering, or while carrying. My single side safety pistols don’t/didn’t do that.
 
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Nathan

New member
I see it as an undesirable feature. I don’t have a left hand. If I wanted to shoot left handed in training or because I were left handed, I think I would value it more.
 
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mulespurs

New member
Just think if you were left handed.

Me personaly, I don't need a right handed safety and it's one more thing I don't need.
 
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bamaranger

New member
outboard

The pistol with the ambi in my assortment is indeed oversize (both left and right). If carry the pistol , it is at 4 o,clock on the right side. What gets it typically is the vehicle seat.

At some point, I will have the thing swapped out.
 
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bamaranger

New member
interestinig

Sounds like that might be a solution, rt. side reduced in size from left (for a right handed shooter). Jim,was that set up made that way, or was it modified
(ground down) after?
 
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rc

New member
I think the lock and key design of the ambis I've tinkered with on 1911s are a pain to take out without risking breaking them. I removed a colt ambi from an XSE commander and replaced it with single sided ed brown when I replaced the mim parts because the single pin is a lot stronger design than the two piece pin. I don't need a lefty safety to shoot lefty in an emergency. I still have some ambi safetys on other 1911s but I prefer a smooth side with no snags.
 
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BillM

New member
Ambi on my competition guns. Useful for weak hand only strings. Current
favorite is the offering from Double Tap.

Single side on my carry guns.
 
H

Hawg

New member
I'm predominantly right handed but I can and do shoot lefthanded. My current 1911 has an ambi safety. I don't like it and I've been saying I'm going to get rid of it but here it is 12 years later and it's still there.
 
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