Does anyone carry 1911's anymore?

[Slamfire]

I would not carry a M1911 as the only proper way to carry a M1911 is with a round in the chamber and the hammer down. Carrying the things cocked and locked is an invitation to an accidental discharge. It is very easy, and there are plenty of posts, where individuals have found the safety off in the holster, carry case, etc. Modern large extended safeties are particularly easier to move, not merely to off, but to on. Another issue with the M1911 is bumping the safety on (safe), when you want it off (fire) . I had my Les Baer Wadcutter do that, my grip was not tight and the thing rolled in my hand on recoil. Next shot, I was squeezing the trigger and nothing was happening. The safety had been bumped to safe. A pistol making itself inoperable leaves an impression about relying on the thing as a self defense weapon. Incidentally, take any decent self defense class, and they teach you to ride the safety.

The carry state of the original M1911 was a round in the chamber and the hammer down. The pistol was carried in a flap holster. I have handled original, WW1 and earlier M1911's, the hammer spurs are wide, the grip safety unobtrusive, it is easy to thumb cock. Users of the period were familiar and comfortable with thumbcocking their Colt SAA's, and the M1911 was made to be equally easy to thumb cock. Hammer down is the proper way to carry the thing, but modern M1911's have the beavertail grip safeties that block access to the hammer and the wide hammer spurs are gone.

I like the operating system of the Walther P5 and Sig P220. No external safeties, external hammer, and decocker. First shot either double action, or you can thumb cock if you want.

 

[dakota1911]

Yup a Colt Commander. About 10 years I downsized from a Gov.

 

[KyJim]

I most often carry a 1911, though clothing and weather sometimes dictate otherwise. I checked "Commander" for the size, though my favorite configuration for carry is the CCO -- commander length slide and officer size grip. Below are the three I have carried: a Dan Wesson CCO, Les Baer Stinger, and Sig C3:



For the last several months, the only 1911 I have been carrying is the Dan Wesson CCO:



Now, as far as carrying cocked and locked as an "invitation to an accidental discharge," I would strongly disagree. I won't say it never happens but the reported incidents seem to be less than certain other kinds of carry guns, say a Glock. I'm not dissing Glock.

Keep in mind that the 1911 has one or two other safeties in addition to the thumb safety -- the grip safety and, in some, a firing pin or other safety that prevents the gun from discharging unless the trigger is pulled (a lot like a Glock).

I will agree that the ambidextrous, wide extended safeties may sometimes make it easier to bump off the thumb safety (but that doesn't equate to an accidental discharge). It seems like a left-handed safety could be developed without completely re-engineering the pistol. As for disengaging with the weak hand, it takes little training to learn to disengage a single sided safety while carrying in the left hand.

 

[mavracer]

Need a multiple choice poll, while not my EDC I have Govt, Commander, Officers size guns that I carry plus a couple that aren't 45s.

 

[ritepath]

I don't carry a 1911 because 1. I don't like the grip safety 2. I'd rather have a decock option.

I do carry a p220 on occasion, but normally carry my LCP or Shield because of their size and weight.

If only CZ would make a single stack PCR then life would be great.




I would like to have a nice WWII specimen in my collection.

 

[Jo6pak]

I do not carry a 1911 because I don't own one. Just personal preference, but I haven't found a 1911 that I like well enough to keep.

IMO, for a carry gun the 1911 is too heavy and complicated for what you get out of it. I'll stick with a smaller, simpler package in a smaller caliber.
That's why they make so many different ones, so we can all choose what we like

 

[SansSouci]

Just a guess: the 1911A1 is the most popular handgun in the world. It'll be around long after guns not yet designed are marketed and forgotten.

The 1911A1 has the most natural point of any handgun I've ever held.

 

[tallball]

I own one and like it very much. But it is large and heavy for cc. I have better options for that.

 

[BigJimP]

Yes, my primary carry gun is a 5" all steel gun...Wilson Combat CQB in .45 acp....and once in a while, I will carry my other Wilson a 5" all steel Protector model in 9mm..../ both are virtually 100% reliable.../ and I will usually carry 1 extra Wilson mag ( ETM mag )....

I use a Kramer, inside waist band, horsehide with a forward FBI tilt...and with a good belt its easy to carry...

( its the gun I shoot the best ..so its what I carry )....

I have double stack guns...like a Sig 226, and holsters, etc for them but I don't carry them / the full sized 5" 1911 is lighter and thinner ..

( If I want to go with a smaller or lighter carry ...I'll go to my Sig 239 in .40 S&W...in an Inside waist band, Kramer rig as well.../ or a 4" Kimber alloy frame 1911 in 9mm a Tactical Pro II model ) -- but no double stacks -- and I know I'm a little old school ...but in my 60's now and at 6'5" and 290 lbs I could carry almost anything - but the full sized 1911 is my choice/ and I shoot Tactical practice with my 1911's once or twice a week..to maintain my skills.

 

[P5 Guy]

Never have owned a 1911 type pistol.

 

[Grumpy_Bottom]

in five years of almost daily carry of either a dan wesson cbob or colt defender, in an active job that has me climbing in and out of cars, in tight parts rooms, etc, I've never once found my safety off.


with that said, trying to suggest people drop a hammer on a chambered round to make a gun safer is, truly, one of the most foolish statements ive ever read. its also not at all how the gun was intended to be carried. want a round in with a decocked hammer, buy a beretta or any other gun with a decocker, but for the love of god dont try to get people decocking chambered 1911s!

 

[Bake]

Cocked & Locked since '63, 4 for 4 with Remington Rand 1911a1. A topped off mag. in the gun, and one full spare mag. in the left front pocket

I heard that Mr. Browning was a Cocked & Locked guy. If you want to carry the 1911 with a empty chamber and hammer down; use the old WWI & WWII flat holster. It was made to chamber a round and cock the pistol while drawing.

 

[Polinese]

I carry a full sized ruger that I had filled with Wilson Combat parts and I feel far more confident in that than both of the sidearms I've been issued before. Plus I get a tickle out of watching fellow officers freak out about the cocked hammer yada yada yada.

 

[WVMountaineer]

I don't carry a 1911 because they are too heavy on the hip. Great, accurate guns but, no match for a well built conceal revolver in terms of practical purposes. God Bless

 

[sgms]

When belt carrying(IWB or on belt) often carry a 1911. Have the full size Gov., lightweight commander, as well a a micro all in .45 acp. Learned to carry cocked and locked sometime late 60's or very early 70's never had A.D. or any other problem in that time. Practice and proper fitting holsters do wonders in reducing carry accidents, no matter what you carry.

 

[michael t]

If Iam riding my Bike a Colt Defender is in the shoulder rig or a LTW Commander . Sometimes I carry my DW CBOB IWB .

 

[mavracer]

1911s too heavy??????????

I see several responses that 1911s are too heavy, you do realize they make alloy framed ones, my LW commander is under 30oz.

 

[kilimanjaro]

Colt 1911 Series 70 or Officer's Model.

Never a failure to feed.

 

[moosemike]

I'm not a 1911 guy. I like double stacks and high capacity.

 

[Slamfire]

with that said, trying to suggest people drop a hammer on a chambered round to make a gun safer is, truly, one of the most foolish statements ive ever read. its also not at all how the gun was intended to be carried. want a round in with a decocked hammer, buy a beretta or any other gun with a decocker, but for the love of god dont try to get people decocking chambered 1911s!

John Browning’s Models’ 1900, Model 1902, 1903 Pocket Model, Military Model 1905, M1909, M1910 did not have safety locks. There are safeties, early on there is a hammer blocking device. This was the sight safety. The user pushed the back of the rear sight down, and that blocked the hammer from the firing pin. It did not last long. The grip safety was added later and stayed all the way through to the M1911.

Based on the serial numbers, there must have been tens of thousands of these pistols built without a thumb safety lock. These pistols were made safe by lowering the hammer.

The first thumb safety lock appears on the Model 1910 slant handle. It was added because the Cavalry opposed the adoption of a semiautomatic pistol because of their concerns about multiple accidental discharges while mounted. The Cavalry liked their revolvers, liked their SAA revolvers, which were made safe by lowering the hammer. As the primary user of a handgun, the Cavalry had the biggest vote at the table. John Browning’s thumb safety lock was adopted at the insistence of the horse cavalry, to make the pistol safe with one hand.


These pistols, and the M1911 were designed to be carried in “Condition two”, that is a round in the chamber with the hammer down. The thumb lock safety was to be engaged to make the pistol safe when the user’s other hand was occupied. The manual of arms from 1913 clearly shows that the hammer was to be lowered (using two hands) when the M1911 was holstered.

Army 1913 Small Arms Manual:

If you cannot read the text on the bottom of pgs 91 and 92:

If the pistol is to be kept in the hand and not to be fired at once, engage the safety lock with the thumb of the right hand. If the pistol is to be carried in the holster, remove safety lock, if on, and lower the hammer fully down.

Pg 92. (Caution) The pistol must never be placed in the holster until hammer is fully down.

So why did the Army change the regulations?:Hatcher’s Textbook of Pistols and Revolvers, page 95, provides the clue:

“It is the danger of accidental discharge when thus lowering the hammer with one hand while on horseback that caused the Army to change the regulations some years ago so as to require the automatic to be carried with the hammer cocked and the safety on.

Here is what Hatcher was saying about carrying the M1911 in 1935:

Textbook of Pistols and Revolvers ,
Major Julian Hatcher, Small Arms Technical Publishing 1935.

“ Thus with the hammer down and resting on the face of the breech and the loaded cartridge in the chamber, the .45 automatic is perfectly safe and the best way to carry it is with the hammer down on a loaded cartridge. Great care should be used, however, in lowering the hammer on to a live cartridge, and two hands should always be used for this job”

pg 94.

Based on the practices of the era, and period documentation, the M1911 was not designed to be carried cocked and locked, it was designed to be carried with a round in the chamber and the hammer down.

It is interesting to me that the current generation is used to carrying pistols with the hammer/striker cocked, a practice that I consider unsafe but consider the practice of lowering the hammer to decock, they consider that dangerous.