I have had my RIA Two Tone for about ten months. I bought it used and I love the gun. I shoot about 100 rounds a week and it is my primary 1911.
I figured it was time for a detail strip and clean and I thought that all went well. The gun functions perfectly after I re-assembled everything. I do a safety check and pull the trigger without engaging the GS and the hammer falls. The grip safety would not function. I took it apart again, looked at everything and checked fit. Re-assembled again and hammer still falls without engaging the GS.
I have detail stripped my Colt regularly and Springfields in the past and never encountered this. Is there anything about the RIA that I may not be aware of? Any suggestions?
Forgive a dumb question, but are you sure it functioned properly before the detail strip?
Have you tried putting more tension on the grip safety spring?
(the leaf to the right on the sear spring)
Take Cap's advice and check the sear spring, just in case. Maybe the left leaf isn't putting enough pressure on the grip safety, or maybe on of the leaves is behind the sear or the disconnect? Strip it and reassemble again, maybe you missed something.
There are no dumb questions Cap... Yes the GS did function properly before I took it apart. I'll give it another shot and pay close attention to the location and positioning of the sear spring.
I'll ask a dumb question for you guys more in the know than me... which leg of the sear spring is activated by the GS? Thanks.
Third one to the right if you're looking at the back of the gun. The leaf puts outward pressure on the GS to keep the trigger bow passively blocked. When you grip the pistol the lever arm on the GS rises and allows the trigger bow to move rearward.
If your gun is like a 1911, here's how it ought to look:
Mine is a RIA Two Tone which (from what I understand) is a clone of the Colt Series 70. If I can't get the thing working right, I'll take some pics and post for opinions.
Quote:
Mine is a RIA Two Tone which (from what I understand) is a clone of the
Colt Series 70.
it is.
just bend the right "finger" or leaf of the sear spring (when looking at rear or pistol) out away from the frame a little more
Be sure left and middle "fingers" are positioned like Niemi's pic when you re-install
Also be sure you bend the "just" the right leaf a little, and don't inadvertently bend and decrease tension on the center and left leaf
BTW, a quick, effective and easy why to know if spring tension is the likely culprit....
Simply put manual pressure on the GS to it's furthest engagement travel.
You can do that by pushing up on the bottom of the GS "tail" near the end.
That will cause it to rotate out to it's furthest travel point
Try that before you dis-assemble.
If it blocks the trigger then, it's a pretty sure bet bending out the right leaf of sear spring will fix the problem
Thanks for all of your help guys. I took the RIA apart again last night and everything "looked" fine on the way down. I then put it back together again after bending the right sear spring finger out a 1/4" more. Miracle upon miracles... the GS works again.
Now for my next project which is to try to install a longer trigger in the RIA. This is the Brownells part that I'm thinking of.
Is there anything that you guys can think of that I will need to do to modify this new trigger? The shape of this new long trigger is not the same shape as the current RIA. The RIA trigger has a more pronounced bevel at the top. The bottom of the RIA trigger is very bevelled vs. this new trigger which is squared off. Do I need to match the exact shape of the RIA to get the new trigger to fit?
sump'ums wrong with the link, 'Spy
depending on "which" trigger you're buying, there's a pretty fair chance it will drop-in and function
I've never fit a trigger into a RIA but have in more than a few Colts. The Harrison trigger is an good one IMO but will probably have to be fitted. Usually just the top and bottom. I'm not sure what you mean by the RIA trigger is beveled, but the trigger shoe channel should be square. I do put a slight bevel on the corners of triggers when I install them.
Quote:
Is there anything that you guys can think of that I will need to do to
modify this new trigger?
Yes, definitely. First off, by an oversized trigger that you'll have to fit yourself. It isn't difficult to do, you just need a little patience. You'll most likely have to take off a bit of metal from the top and the bottom of the trigger pad. You'll want to put a 45 degree bevel on the bottom end of the trigger bow also. Then you'll want to polish the whole trigger bow with some polishing compound. There are a few more little details to tinker with (like the slight bevels you noticed) but that's it for the most part. You might want to buy a trigger without an over-travel screw (I think Dave Berryhill sells one that has a permanent over-travel stop) so you don't ever have to worry about the gun failing because of a loose screw that backs out.
Here's a link to get you started:
http://www.blindhogg.com/gunsmith/triggers.html
You'll need a few inexpensive tools but you'll wind up using them again in the future. If you have any problems there are a lot of very knowledgeable people on this site that will help you out. I learned a heck of a lot from the people here and over at 1911forum.com. The reason you should get an oversized trigger is so you can fit it so there is no vertical or horizontal movement in the trigger when you're shooting. It will help you put the bullet in the right spot.
I really appreciate all of the help here... This is my first 1911 trigger replacement.
The existing RIA trigger looks very close to a STI like this - see the curved rear part of the trigger?
The trigger that I want to install is the Harrison or a Nighthawk like this one - see the squared off rear part of the trigger at the bottom?
This what I was wondering about - is there anything about the squared off rear part of the Nighthawk trigger that would impact installation and operation in my RIA?
...The trigger that I want to install is the Harrison or a Nighthawk like this one - see the squared off rear part of the trigger at the bottom?
...is there anything about the squared off rear part of the Nighthawk trigger that would impact installation and operation in my RIA?
I can't think of any reason why there would be. The trigger rides in a straight groove with parallel sides and ninety degree corners.