I built a 1911 pistol from a bare frame, fitted everything and test fired last weekend.
It seemed to work well, had some minor issues, but towards the end of the range session I started to get hammer follow (eventually every round).

When I looked it over, everything looked ok, but the trigger stop screw had backed out (I never loctited it, it was just a test shoot before stripping it for finishing).
My internet reading indicates that with the overtravel screw out, the trigger can travel far enough to bind up the sear/disconnector and cause hammer follow.
Since you can't put anything on the internet that isn't true, I've assumed this to be the problem.

More reading suggested that on some pistols, the grip safety will stop the trigger and prevent overtravel.
Is this a normal setup?

Any reason I shouldn't weld up my grip safety and reshape it to work as the trigger stop?  
It won't be adjustable, but it'll be pretty much permanent and it seems more ideal for a "hard use" pistol (not that mine will see that).



It's a little rough looking (I just finished it and haven't cleaned it up yet).
It seems to check out, grip safety works and it stops the trigger.  I'm thinking live fire later today to check it out.

I'm far from an expert on the 1911, is there anything I should know before I try shooting this thing?

The trigger stop screw contacts the front of the mag release as the trigger travels back. I think this happens before the trigger bow contacts the grip safety.
For a "Hard Use " set up , Harrison design and 10-8 performance make triggers with the stop screw behind the trigger.
The screw is filed to the point where the trigger is stopped and then the screw can't move or come out. A bit tougher to fit.
I have always had good luck with taking the screw out of the trigger. Give the trigger shoe a very small squeese in a vice.
Degrease the trigger hole and screw. put red Loctite on the screw. Assemble and set the trigger stop and then go a half turn more.

Hang on, back up..Hammer follow is typicaly a sear engagement issue.
The screw backing out of the trigger would not affect it that way. You would have more play in the trigger as the screw backed out. It is pushing the trigger forward. It is just over travel. Did you file or polish the sear/hammer your self or factory sear/hammer set ?
Does it have push off ? What main, Hammer, sear spring ? Did you alter either one ? Or other company's spring set ?
When a 1911 goes FA it is hard to control. An AMT kicked my ass trying figure it out. Finally found out of spec hammer and sear pins caused just enough play to cause issues. Not saying that is what you have but hammer follow is normaly a sear, hammer thing.

I also suspect hammer/sear engagement is the issue.  
I bought a Colt Combat Elite that someone had "polished"  FA 1911 is not as cool as it sounds.  New sear fixed it right up

I'm going to say your hammer follow is do to incorrect sear angles and or hammer hooks. They are not engaging correctly. Also can be further caused by incorrect sear spring tension. But more then likely it is the sear and hammer engagement.

with an unloaded pistol, pull the trigger hard to the rear and hold it as you work the slide... does the hammer stay cocked or does it follow ... an early SA I had (without over travel stop) would allow the trigger bow to trap the disconnector

I'm not getting hammer follow or any aberrant behavior when hand cycling.
I just tried with the grip safety removed, same deal; no hammer follow.
(with and without trigger pulled)

I'm using a cylinder & slide hammer/sear/disconnector/spring kit.  I have not touched the engagement surfaces on either hammer or sear.

Update:
Shot about 75-100 rounds through it yesterday, worked fine.

I had a gradual onset of hammer follow on the first trip with a visibly backed out overtravel screw, and it worked fine yesterday after making the grip safety mod.
I'm really thinking that the problem was caused by the trigger traveling too far and binding up the sear/disconnector.

The grip safety seems to be working well as a trigger stop.  I haven't taken it apart yet to to check the insides, but I'm not anticipating any issues.
What's the reason this isn't normally done?  It seems like we're always going to need to fit grip safeties, so why not make a large trigger stop surface and leave that for fitting as well?

So the reason the overtravel screw is there is because it provides a good universal adjustment mechanism for a wide variety of 1911s built on different dimensions.

The big problem with overtravel is that the trigger bow can come back far enough to push the sear spring off the sear... which can lead to hammer follow or worse.

Instead of messing with the grip safety, just put in an overtravel screw and adjust it properly.  Run the screw in until the hammer won't drop, then back it out until it does.  Then turn it out again another 1/4 to 1/2 turn and Loctite it.

In well-built guns, the grip safety usually does act as an overtravel stop of last resort. But it too many guns it's not really thought of.  Some aftermarket grip safeties do come with an oversized surface that needs to be filed back to allow the trigger to come back enough.

For 50 yard Bullseye an over-travel might be useful.

For self defense range it is useless.


If you are shooting someone that far away exit the scene.