AmbGun Hammerli Forge H1 Page
https://www.ambgun.com/ambidextral-pistol/hammerli-forge-h1

I really like the 22 caliber, 1911 style, Hammerli Forge H1. But since I advocate carrying and initially presenting left handed, I really wanted an ambi safety on the pistol…or, at the least, a left hand safety.

For my heavy left handed use, I needed a very strong link between the right side lever and the left side lever. There are some unbelievably janky ambi 1911 safeties out there. Some that use the grip to retain the right side lever. And these same cheap safeties, crosslink with a tongue and groove or flat blade and split tail interface between the two halves. Maybe these work ok for occasional left hand use, but with any regular use the split tail gets wallowed out by the right side’s leveraged molestation.

I chose to try the Evolution Gun Works slim ambi safety on the Hammerli pistol. I liked the heat treated hardened steel used and the coupling sleeve that reinforces the linkup between the right side and left side levers. The EGW kit uses a special hammer pin to retain the right side lever and they included three lengths of this hammer pin to accommodate different frame widths. I used the medium length with the Hammerli. 

Very well made the paddles feature length wise serrations that provide excellent grip while also allowing the thumb to slip a bit fore and aft. I found the underside gripped well for engaging the safety. Although, I can only use my left hand thumb for that task as my right thumb has a torn UCL from back in my motocross days. 

This is an excellent choice for those who want an ambi safety on their real 1911 pistol. Unfortunately, Hammerli strayed a bit from standard 1911 dimensions…their safety detent spring housing is extended a few hundredths further to the rear and the drum that blocks the sear is smaller. This is not your typical “fitting” job you’d expect to do with a real 1911. Given what’s at risk, I wonder if your typical gunsmith would even dare try it. 

I could have shortened the detent housing, but I wanted to preserve the ability to reinstall the stock safety if things went horribly wrong. So I reshaped the leading edge of the left paddle to clear the detent pin and then went to work reshaping the portion that blocks the sear. 

During the project the detent pin achieved escape velocity multiple times. One pin completely vanished. Get replacements from NicTaylor00. In advance would be smart…smarter.

Once fitted, I am extremely pleased with the Evolution Gun Works safety. There is no flex between left and right. The levers have great thumb traction and just feel perfect. I would really like to see EGW produce an ambi safety just for the Hammerli Forge H1. That could be a drop in or near drop in installation. 

I hghly recommend the Evolution Gun Works ambi safety for those installing on an actual 1911. Installing on the Hammerli is not for the faint of heart…only for the most adventurous tinkerers. I recommend Hammerli Forge H1 owners encourage EGW to create a dedicated ambi safety for the 22LR 1911.