Swartz Safeties, Pre-WWII, Firing Pin and Hammer/Sear
The "Swartz Safeties" are a pair of devices that Colt installed in 1911A1 commercial "Government Models" and 1911A1 Commercial National Match pistols in the late 1930s and early 1940s. First device, a firing pin block that was actuated by the grip safety, prevented the firing pin from moving forward unless the grip safety was squeezed. Second, Swartz Safety Device the Hammer/Sear safety prevented a possible unsafe half cock position. Swartz firing pin block safety can be observed by pulling the slide back all the way and looking at the top of the frame. A Swartz-safety-equipped 1911A1 pistol will have a second pin protruding up next to the conventional disconnect pin. A second Swartz safety (the Swartz Sear Safety), is usually built into pistols equipped with the Swartz firing pin block safety. The sear safety can sometimes be detected by the drag marks of the notched sear on the round portion of the hammer that the sear rides on. Pulling the hammer all the way back will expose these drag marks if they are visible. Presence of the drag marks, however, does not ensure that the Swartz-modified sear safety parts are all present. Disassembly may be required to verify the correct parts are all present.
The Swartz Safeties are referred to in Colt Factory letters as the "NSD" (New Safety Device). (From SN C162,000 to C215,000 about 3,000 total National Match pistols were made with and without Swartz safeties.) The number of National Match pistols having the Swartz safeties is unknown. However, only a few pistols below serial C190000 had the safeties installed and of the pistols made after C190000, most were Standard Models shipped to Brazil and Argentina. Brazilian pistols were without the safeties or the cutouts. Argentine pistols were shipped in two batches of 250 pistols each. Both of these Argentine batches appear to have had the safeties installed as a number of them have recently been imported into the U.S.A. Probably much less than half of the total Colt made National Match pistols had the Swartz safeties. Total number of pistols (both Standard Government Model and National Match) shipped with Swartz safeties may be less than 3,000. And, probably much less than half of the total Colt made National Match pistols had the Swartz safeties. Swartz safeties were also installed in late Super .38 and Super Match .38 pistols.
The Swartz Safeties are referred to in Colt Factory letters as the "NSD" (New Safety Device). (From SN C162,000 to C215,000 about 3,000 total National Match pistols were made with and without Swartz safeties.) The number of National Match pistols having the Swartz safeties is unknown. However, only a few pistols below serial C190000 had the safeties installed and of the pistols made after C190000, most were Standard Models shipped to Brazil and Argentina. Brazilian pistols were without the safeties or the cutouts. Argentine pistols were shipped in two batches of 250 pistols each. Both of these Argentine batches appear to have had the safeties installed as a number of them have recently been imported into the U.S.A. Probably much less than half of the total Colt made National Match pistols had the Swartz safeties. Total number of pistols (both Standard Government Model and National Match) shipped with Swartz safeties may be less than 3,000. And, probably much less than half of the total Colt made National Match pistols had the Swartz safeties. Swartz safeties were also installed in late Super .38 and Super Match .38 pistols.