1911 hammer bite

[Jack Spade]

I am shooting an auto ordnance 1911 and shooting traditional category.  I have shot different 1911's all my life but never had one bite me like this one does.  First time out it drew blood on my hand.  This time I gripped it really hard with my ring and little finger putting more pressure on the bottom of the grip and while it didn't draw blood it left a welt.  Do I need to bob the hammer?  Anything else I need to do to stop this?  Will a flat main spring housing help?  Gun is just for shooting wild bunch so I don't mind modifying it. 

[Kid Rich]

I have one that does that to me. It is a mid 20's Argentine Colt 11.25 mm.

I think the old ones are supposed to bite ya.

kR

[DUSTY BODDAMS]

Measure the grip safety.  I don’t know the specs on your gun but original 1911 colts were notorious biters had a shorter tail and they came out with the A1 and solved the problem. Point is you might just need the longer tail of the A1. 

[Garrison Joe]

I shoot a Colt Govt Model 70 traditional.

 

Flat mainspring doesn't let the web of hand move down enough.  The longer (dimension away from the safety's pin) grip safety from A1 does help quite a bit.

 

But the best solution is to take a little metal off the top of the grip safety and bottom of hammer spur until the hammer, at full slide recoil, leaves a quarter inch of air gap, or more if you have more skin to get in the way.  Leaves the hammer in the same overall dimensions, just removes the interference.  When my gun was new, the hammer spur would come back far enough to touch the grip safety, leaving a ding.  You can see how that is an automatic bite if there's skin in the way.

 

good luck, GJ

[J. Frank Norfleet]

They were designed to touch so a cavalry shooter could lower the hammer on a live round one-handed. JMB designed it to be carried hammer down on a live round like any other horse pistol.

 

As stated above an A-1 will have a longer tail on the grip safety and alleviate most of the bite, but not all.

JFN

[Jack Spade]

The pistol I have is the Auto Ordnance A1 clone.  Looks like I will be bobbing the hammer.  I guess first question I have, is it legal for WB if I bob it?  If it is, anyone have any pics of how they have done it or other pointers?  Thanks

[Garrison Joe]

You gotta have a spur on the hammer to be a legal Traditional hammer.  That kinda eliminates "bobbing" as far as I understand the definition of bobbing.  I've not seen anyone yet get a "more precise" description of minimal size allowed than what is in the handbook.

 

good luck, GJ

[J. Frank Norfleet]

Call Boggus Deal, I think he has a traditional hammer that is high and legal.

JFN

[Baltimoreed11754]

Don’t think my 1911s have got me yet. The main 1911 that I used for years was a heinz Colt ww1 slide and a essex frame with all original 1911 parts, hammer, safety, housing etc. I picked up a lovely nickeled Cimarron 1911 next and now I’m shooting an older AO 1911 a1[?]. My suggestion would be for the op to swap parts between the AO and one that doesn’t bite to figure out the cause of it. Also shoot duelist.

[Happy Jack]

In response to the comment about  "bobbing the hammer"  it is an ILLEGAL external modification.

[Jack Spade]

I understand bobbing it completely off would be illegal, is it illegal to just shorten the spur a bit to stop the biting? 

[Happy Jack]

Shortening the hammer  "a bit"  that isn't really noticeable would be OK.  I am sure there are many early style hammers that have been worked on in use in WBAS.

[Garrison Joe]

This page might help show the small adjustment that is usually required to prevent bites

 

https://www.theboxotruth.com/educational-zone-45-fixing-hammer-bite-on-a-1911/