Hazards of Carrying a 1911

To hedge it up a bit, I carry a cocked/locked/loaded Hi Power & it only has two safeties = the one you wipe & the one you have between your ears.

The BHP is actually a "less-safe" (if you can call it that) design than the 1911 &, if you do your part, you will never have any accidental discharges.

I never could figure out why the 1911s have "so many" "extra" safeties on 'em.

I absolutely hate the grip safety & see no need for it whatsoever.

As far as shooting the floor, that is improper use of a firearm & proper training should easily take care of that problem - it certainly wasn't any fault of the firearm's design or functionality. No flames/only an observation, but damn!

Only time I ever had an AD (exactly what that was) was when I shot my HBAR right through my living room window! :( Yup, my fault & had zip to do with anything re the gun. I screwed up, pure & simple. Shooting the floor on a draw is most certainly a sign of poor (& BTW continued) improper gun handling techniques.

You put your finger on the trigger when you're ready to shoot - not before.

(& I only hit "handguns" every once in a while so blow me up in e-mail & I'll jump right back in on this one)
 
Actually, Browning designed the pistol that was to become the M1911 to be carried cocked and UNlocked. The original guns had no thumb safety, just the grip safety. The army requested the additional safety lever, even though Browning thought it would slow down the draw-n-shoot time of what he had designed to be the fastest gun around. Obviously this was before anyone thought of carrying an autopistol in anything other than a flapped military holster. Apparently it was also before the invention of the liability lawsuit...

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"..but never ever Fear. Fear is for the enemy. Fear and Bullets."
10mm: It's not the size of the Dawg in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog!
 
It is indeed safety carrying around the 1911.

As others said, it has been discussed many times about the cocked and locked features.

In one thread I read hereon, one said that he return the hammer with one hand. I did not answer that comment, because it is impossible to return the hammer down with one hand without pressing the grip safety (not unless he disable the grip safety).

Also, I remember that one advised me here in TFL that even the manual safety will accidentally wipe off, still it is safety on relying on the grip. I agree to that advised because I keep cocking my 1911 and squeezing the trigger without pressing the grip safety and it never go off.

So, to my mind, it is one of the safest gun design and fast because of its SA action.

Thanks,

[This message has been edited by stdalire (edited May 08, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by stdalire (edited May 09, 2000).]
 
I've carried a GM for over 30 years C&L, no NDs. Seen them with abuncha other weapons, including DA revolvers, Glocks,SA revolvers, etc.

Proper training precludes NDs, unless one is too stupid to carry anyways....
 
Thanks Guys you all seem to be saying pretty close to the same thing I'm 25 and some of you sound like you've been carrying the 1911 since 1911 and I appreciate your Input. I do worry about being in a car and not having the abilitly to cock a gun with two hands while someone was reaching into a window grabbing me. I think I will try carrying it around unloaded for awhile and get comfortable with it. thanks again.
 
SodaPop - if you find you are just not comfortable packin the mighty 1911 there are two very good options for you:
1. The Para LDA, all the taste, and more fat than a regular 1911. The psuedo Double action trigger is a lot easier to get used to for shooters in your situation.
2. The Sig P220 - arguable the best .45 on the market thats NOT a 1911. I packed one for a long time and found it to be an ultimately worthy weapon. The Sig is sometimes called by gunwriters as "The Thinking Man's .45" I could agree with that... if it wasnt for the 1911. :D
The 220's Decocker (or Bobbit Lever) will safely decock and render safe the pistol from just about any condition. There is no External safeties - its all internal - and as easy to shoot as a DA Revolver... and should you want it safer - Bobbit it down... Done. Your weapon is perfectly safe and ready for instant use. All you have to do is pull the trigger.

Quite often its the "all you have ot do is pull the trigger" mode that gets people worked up. The answer is self control. Read the 4 rules of gun safety - and keep that finger away from the trigger. If your intent on pulling triggers, you shouldnt have a gun firing anything other than caps.
Never put your finger near the trigger until your aiming at something your about to shoot.
The 1911 is a SAFE pistol, just like the SIG - it IS NOT going to fire until YOU PULL THE TRIGGER.


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Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings; they did it by killing all those who opposed them.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Patrick Graham:
hmmm.. I'm almost afraid to post this.... :o .. I carry without one in the tube.. :) (Ziiiipppp <-- nomax suit zipping up) I know.. I'm a big chicken :) ...[/quote]Patrick, I don't have a problem carrying a 1911 in condition one but I feel the same way that you do with regard to these new DAO pistols that are striker fired (Kahrs, Glocks, etc.) -- there's no safety or external hammer so you have no idea what might be "failing" inside.
Share what you know, learn what you don't -- FUD
fud-nra.gif
 
Soda, you are the weapon and your gun is only a tool. That tool is not going to discharge on its own ever. I carry my Glock 27 in the waistband of my pants. No safety on it and I have never had a discharge. I also have the 1911 and I have not had a problem with it either. As long as that safety is engaged, that thing is not going to go off. I have even left the 1911 cocked and locked in its hiding spot for a couple months and it just sits there, doesn't move. Never goes off. You will get it man. Don't sweat it.
 
Soda:

Take a good look at the HK USP series weapons. Fine guns, reliable and accurate. You can carry in any condition you like. You can carry hammer down on a loaded chamber with the safety on if you feel better about it. That's a manual safety to disengage and then a DA trigger pull to let off the first round. Or you can carry hammer down (DA) with the manual safety off, or cocked and locked if you like.

If you're unsure what condition you are going to feel comfortable with, this gun may be an answer.


- gabe
 
Just do cocked and locked.

Try it.

The gun will only fire if the hammer comes down HARD.

With the hammer down on an EMPTY chamber in an empty gun, try raising the thumb safety. Youi can't? That's because the hammer just can't fall with the thumb safety on, it's just not possible - even if the other two safeties (trigger itself and grip safety, neither of which you will touch when carrying) fail.

Now, if the sear failed CATASTROPHILCALLY, the hammer would still be caught by the thumb safety.


Battler
Cocked and Locked.
 
the biggest danger is your clothes getting stained with grease and oil from your pistol.
If you carry a 1911 (as a cop friend told me) clean it OFTEN like every few days.. other wise it collects lint, etc and sheds oil that can cause it to jam.

Reload so you can practice a lot and start saving money for dry cleaning

Dr.Rob
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Point is.. some people don't like loaded guns pointed at then from a horizontal shoulder holster[/quote]

I don't like to have ANY gun pointed at me, loaded or "unloaded". (Ever notice how many accidental shootings involve an "unloaded" gun?)

But if the pistol's in a holster, I'm not going to worry about it. It's not going to spontaneously discharge.

The time to get nervous is when the person wearing the holster starts to handle the pistol, especially if he/she wants to practice drawing and re-holstering. THEN I want to be standing off on the other side!
 
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