Indians For Guns

Greetings Everyone, I am new to this forum.
I have searched for both the MSD Guardian and Webley 45 in their respective websites, but i was unable to find this particular information.
Do both these pistols have a drop safety feature like the series 80 colt pistol, in which the pistol is drop safe even if the pistols falls down on its hammer because there is a firing pin block connected to its trigger.
Is the same kind of feature provided in MSD Guardian or Webley to make it drop safe?

If I am correct, a 1911 pistol without a firing block that falls on its muzzle with enough force can cause the firing pin to hit the primer to cause an accidental discharge due to Inertia.
Also the manual safeties provided in a 1911 pistol only interacts with the hammer/trigger and does not prevent the movement of the firing pin.

Regarding Colt 1911 pistols, you are correct up to the Series 80 models. Which do have a positive firing pin block as you describe, in addition to the original hammer block safety.

I will point out that for the inertia firing pin (with the hammer down, the inertia firing pin does not protrude from the slide. The inertia the firing pin gains from being struck by the hammer is ample to ignite the primer.) will not gain enough energy to ignite the primer unless it is dropped from a considerable height, by which time the heavier grip end of the gun will be the first to strike a solid surface. It has been suggested that a heavier firing pin spring and/or a lighter firing pin would make an inadvertent discharge even less likely.

But you are quite right: only a positive firing pin block such as used in the Series 80 will block the firing pin in the situation you ask about.

As for the many 1911 copies, I can’t say, as there are so many variations. Your best bet may be to get a parts diagram of the exact pistol you have in mind and study it. I find that I’m often reduced to this, no matter how insufficient it may be.

AB_265 wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 15, 2025 6:27 am

Greetings Everyone, I am new to this forum.
I have searched for both the MSD Guardian and Webley 45 in their respective websites, but i was unable to find this particular information.
Do both these pistols have a drop safety feature like the series 80 colt pistol, in which the pistol is drop safe even if the pistols falls down on its hammer because there is a firing pin block connected to its trigger.
Is the same kind of feature provided in MSD Guardian or Webley to make it drop safe?

As far as my experience Webley doesn’t have this kind of safety mechanism since I got a chance to examine one of my
relative’s Webley 0.45” ACP, I assume same is the case with
MSD Guardian, they both are based on Colt’s 1911(0.45” ACP)
Series 70 although Webley resembles a lot with Series 80, and my relative’s Webley had the hardness test mark towards the muzzle which raises suspicion regarding quality control.

Thanks a lot for the information, appreciate it @gurbir22, @timmy

Just a brief digression, the video isn't exactly correct. There are other differences between the Series 70 and the Series 80 beside the firing pin block safety. The Series 80 actually is a development of the 1911 and the Series 70 became a dead end development. Here is the rest of the story the video doesn't describe:

MSD Guardian, they both are based on Colt’s 1911(0.45” ACP) Series 70

Actually, the Colt 1911 Series 70 isn't an intermediate model between the 1911 and the 1911 Series 80. It is its own design branch, which is like the 1911, but differing in the barrel and bushing only. The bushing has four "fingers" which extend back from the main part of the bushing about a centimeter or so. The barrel has a slight swelling about a centimeter long. The idea is, the fingers are the part of the bushing that holds the barrel because the fingers have a little spring action to them, and the barrel is always held tightly by these fingers when the slide is returned to battery and the pistol is ready to fire. This way, the position of the barrel is unaffected by the clearance between the barrel and bushing of the 1911.

This feature was done away with when the firing pin block safety of the Series 80 was introduced, making the Series 70 a dead end as far as 1911 development is concerned.

I have some familiarity with the Series 70 because that's what my 1911 is. Think of it this way:

Series 80 (firing pin block)
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|--------------- Series 70 with spring bushing and thicker barrel at muzzle
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1911 & 1911A1