Posted: 4/16/2013 8:37:36 AM EDT
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I bought a 10mm Colt Delta Elite (stainless) recently. I checked the manufacture date with Colt when I bought it and I think it was '89. The previous owner never fired the pistol and thought it had never been fired. The condition supports that. I fired it for the first time this weekend (only 6 rounds). It shoots / functions very well.....with one exception. The thumb safety is very stiff (difficult to move up or down) compared to my other 1911s (Ed Brown and Wilson Combat). After cleaning it, I used a needle bottle to put some gun oil under the thumb safety. I then worked the safety 20-30 times and it seemed to have loosened up a little, but it's still stiffer than my other 1911s. Will this loosen up over time / usage, or is this something I need to actively address. I love 1911s but I've never disassembled one further than field stripping for cleaning purposes. Thanks in advance for your input.
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| Thank you all for the comments. I was wondering if the stiffness was caused by the backside of the safety riding on whatever is underneath it......or if it was the stiffness of the plunger spring.....or if it was a rough mating surface between the plunger pin and where that pin sits in the safety. Sounds like it could be a little of all. Anyway, according to your inputs, I just need to shoot the heck out of it and let it break in. Again........Thanks. |
| Beautiful gun! Yours is in much better shape than mine. As for your safety, mine is around the same vintage and has been used, my safety was still difficult to engage. I polished it up a bit where the safety meets the plunger, much better. Definitely not as good as my Nighthawk though. |
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Quoted:
Beautiful gun! Yours is in much better shape than mine. As for your safety, mine is around the same vintage and has been used, my safety was still difficult to engage. I polished it up a bit where the safety meets the plunger, much better. Definitely not as good as my Nighthawk though. Did you remove the safety from the frame to polish it? If so, was that difficult? What did you use to polish it? Did you just polish the little dimple that the plunger / pin fits into? Thanks. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Beautiful gun! Yours is in much better shape than mine. As for your safety, mine is around the same vintage and has been used, my safety was still difficult to engage. I polished it up a bit where the safety meets the plunger, much better. Definitely not as good as my Nighthawk though. Did you remove the safety from the frame to polish it? If so, was that difficult? What did you use to polish it? Did you just polish the little dimple that the plunger / pin fits into? Thanks. Before you get to polishing, remove the slide and with it the slide lock lever. With the slide lock lever gone, you wont have the same tension on the plunger tube spring and pin, now try the safety if its easier then relieving the dimple just a hair will help. Reinstallation of the safety can only be done with the hammer at full cock. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Beautiful gun! Yours is in much better shape than mine. As for your safety, mine is around the same vintage and has been used, my safety was still difficult to engage. I polished it up a bit where the safety meets the plunger, much better. Definitely not as good as my Nighthawk though. Did you remove the safety from the frame to polish it? If so, was that difficult? What did you use to polish it? Did you just polish the little dimple that the plunger / pin fits into? Thanks. Before you get to polishing, remove the slide and with it the slide lock lever. With the slide lock lever gone, you wont have the same tension on the plunger tube spring and pin, now try the safety if its easier then relieving the dimple just a hair will help. Reinstallation of the safety can only be done with the hammer at full cock. The safety should be halfway between on and off in order to remove it. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Beautiful gun! Yours is in much better shape than mine. As for your safety, mine is around the same vintage and has been used, my safety was still difficult to engage. I polished it up a bit where the safety meets the plunger, much better. Definitely not as good as my Nighthawk though. Did you remove the safety from the frame to polish it? If so, was that difficult? What did you use to polish it? Did you just polish the little dimple that the plunger / pin fits into? Thanks. Yes, sorry for the late reply. Just a file and some patience. Don't take off too much. Keep installing and removing material until you get what you want. |