This is a note from a fellow who had long ago disabled the series 80 safeties. His
slide had peened underneath where the disconnector slot is cut. He also disabled
the grip safety. I put this note here so you can read some of the things people 
do to 1911's who shoot next to you at the range... so you in turn can leave before
their unsafe practices get a bullet where it should not.


Rick wrote:

> I don't see how its presence or absence would have any effect 
> on this situation.  



As you said, if it had HAD the 80 parts it would have been 
inoperable long before now, perhaps in time to keep the slide
from being destroyed completely ???



> I removed the S80 bits after buying the gun because 
> a) they made the gun unnecessarily difficult to reassemble, 



Normal maintenance should NOT need the takedown of either the 
slide or frame enough in the guns service lifetime to make 
this a substantial argument. I only removed mine to put
spring gauges before and after to them to see if the 1911 purist
arguments were valid, and IMO, the benefit of the FP safety outweighs 
any perceived benefit of the 80 without them.



> b) caused a LOT of creep in the trigger action, 



Sorry, this I disagree with. I've never felt this with either
of my two Series 80 pistols, and I'm glad to say that the 
folks who shoot pins against me wish it DID hamper performance.



> c) didn't make the gun any "safer" than my other five
> 1911s without the FP safety (don't tell anyone, but I pin 
> all of my grip safeties, too).  



So when you "Decock" and immediately release the trigger you
have an unsafe gun that I don't have, thin, thin, thin. 

As far as "pinning" a 1911, your first A/D will likely
not be your last, as you seem convinced that the design
is better your way. Makes me wonder WHY no other 1911
designer did away with it (other than the S&W PC gun)



> As I alluded in my original inquiry, the FP safety would
> probably be inoperative now anyway, 



Agreed, see above.



> Of course, since this is my only S80, my conclusion is that 
> Colt did not leave sufficient material in this crucial part 
> of the gun! 



The Disconnector slot is not a weak point, too many thousands
are still in service for many years, although yours
seems to have failed. Perhaps since you read the follow-up
note with the hammer "flat" bug, and yours seems to have the 
flat, so that seems to discount the possibility that his 
failure mode was the same as yours.

I suspect perhaps metallurgy or the firing pin stop are 
more at fault. At this point Since Colt IS the only maker to 
include the FP safety they would be best at diagnosing the 
bug. I'm interested in what they have to say if you send it
in I'd appreciate a follow up. 



   Regards,
      Gary

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