I've looked at a few and it seems that some people carry these guns cocked and loaded with the safety on. Is that the way you guys are carrying them. I think I'd be more comfortable decocking it knowing I'd have to thumb cock it if needed. How about it.
1911 Carry Question
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I carry in condition 1. Hammer cocked. One in the pipe. And safety engaged. You have 2safetys on a 1911. Thumb safety & grip safety. Both have to be disengaged before it goes bang if it's in good working order. I don't want to have to thumb the hammer back when the s*&t hits the fan.
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192 Posts
Same here. One of the reasons the 1911 design has lasted 100 years and will to continue to is it's unique triple saftey design. Carrying a 1911, in good working condition, in battery is safe as you can get when carrying cocked, locked, and ready to rock. Most of the guys you find carrying a 1911 on their person have tactical setups with shaved down tactical hammers. Getting on that hammer in an instant isn't easy. If you get a good concealment holster you can snap the weapon in place while the hammer is back. With that in mind if there is a malfunction and the hammer drops forward the strap holding the weapon in will usually block the hammer from striking and causing the weapon to fire. But even if you are carrying in a holester without a retaining strap you should be safe. I don't think I've ever heard of a 1911 in good working condition malfunction in such a way as would be required for it to fire with the safety on.
G
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·I have'nt been carrying the 1911 very long; only since I was eighteen. That ishow I was taught to carry it. Even in the Corps we carried Condition One and we weren't allowed to insert the magazine.
You are in greater danger of having an accidental discharge from lowering the hammer than anything else with a 1911.
You are in greater danger of having an accidental discharge from lowering the hammer than anything else with a 1911.
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16,202 Posts
Condition one always!!!
Most of your high quality holsters come molded to fit the safety in position one.
Like I just said in general gun discussion, I've ONLY ever carried my 1911s since I got my permit in July. I've had days where I'm up running around and moving constantly, or getting in and out of cars all day, and even went to a concert with it a few weeks back and myself and the gun were constantly being bumped into.
But I have NEVER ever checked or unholstered my weapon and found the safety to be off.
If you want to feel extra safe then get a series 80/series 2(depending on brand) style 1911 with the internal Swartz Safety and you really won't have to worry about it!
If you insist on hammer down carry then you need to do so ONLY on an empty chamber.
As long as your gun is in good working order and you have a good holster that covers your trigger guard and retains your gun well, then you will never have a need for a thumb strap when carrying cocked and locked
Good holster+good belt+good working condition gun=nothing to worry about!
Most of your high quality holsters come molded to fit the safety in position one.
Like I just said in general gun discussion, I've ONLY ever carried my 1911s since I got my permit in July. I've had days where I'm up running around and moving constantly, or getting in and out of cars all day, and even went to a concert with it a few weeks back and myself and the gun were constantly being bumped into.
But I have NEVER ever checked or unholstered my weapon and found the safety to be off.
If you want to feel extra safe then get a series 80/series 2(depending on brand) style 1911 with the internal Swartz Safety and you really won't have to worry about it!
If you insist on hammer down carry then you need to do so ONLY on an empty chamber.
As long as your gun is in good working order and you have a good holster that covers your trigger guard and retains your gun well, then you will never have a need for a thumb strap when carrying cocked and locked
Good holster+good belt+good working condition gun=nothing to worry about!
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7,254 Posts
Cocked and locked is the way to carry a 1911. People who don't know about 'em see that hammer cocked and freak out. Think about a Glock it's cocked all the time and doesn't even have a "real" safety, not bashing Glocks here I have one, the 1911 is the safer IMO.
J.B.
J.B.
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16,202 Posts
i mentioned in a old thread, my future SIL's baby-daddy carries a M&P compact in the appendix/crotch position..."mexican style"(no holster). luckily he IS smart enough not to leave one in the chamber! that is the only time i think you shouldn't keep one in the chamber! but i also believe you should always use a holster, so the 2 kinda cancel each other out, which still makes him a retard...but thats neither here nor therecottonmouth said:
Thanks for the replies and please keep them coming. I chose my carry gun because it has a thumb safety. I know the Glock is a fine gun but I don't have one because it doesn't have a safety. Just one of my hang ups I guess. It would probably unnerve me for a while to carry a 1911 with the hamer back but I guess it is something i could get used to. The holster I use now doesn't have a strap over he top and I would prefer not to have one just because it's just something else to get in the way if you were in a hurry.
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Practice practice practice, dry fire dry fire etc. You get the message. What ever set up you choose, practice with it daily.
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for another stupid gun story:g2072 said:
my fiance's uncle keeps a para 1911 in a nylon holster w/ a thumbstrap across the hammer, w/ the hammer at half cock(BBBBIIIIIIGGGG NO-NO), in the door compartment of his truck
he opened the door of his f250 one day, and maybe he bumped it? i dont know, but as he stepped out of the truck the gun went off and blew a .45" hole in the top of his foot. luckily it didnt mushroom, and it followed the instep of his foot and came out the bottom, like you hear of .22s doing, so it didnt damage any bone either.
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425 Posts
Only gangstas carry autos with an empty chamber. That way the surveillance tape at the convenience store shows them racking the slide so they can look "serious."
The well made, well maintained 1911 should be safe to carry with the hammer DOWN on a loaded chamber due to the inertial firing pin Browning included in the design. I've tried to set off many primed cases by hammering the hammer, and I have yet to get one to fire, but when the hammer was cocked and released, the primer would go bang. The half cock notch is there as a fail safe, last ditch protection against dropping the hammer while cocking, but it doesn't always work.
Cocked and locked, along with learning the manual of arms--that's the way to go. The grip safety is a redundancy which Browning did not want, but the US Army did, and they were paying the bills. He didn't think the gun needed it. The grip safety on one of my 1911s doesn't work, but I really don't notice it. I do think about it, however, and whether the grip safety is a redundancy or not, I'm going to fix it just so the gun is "right." I honestly can't think of too many ways it would save you from an unwanted discharge, unless perhaps something got stuck in the trigger guard while drawing the weapon; as the grip safety locks the trigger, you might be saved from that possibility.
The well made, well maintained 1911 should be safe to carry with the hammer DOWN on a loaded chamber due to the inertial firing pin Browning included in the design. I've tried to set off many primed cases by hammering the hammer, and I have yet to get one to fire, but when the hammer was cocked and released, the primer would go bang. The half cock notch is there as a fail safe, last ditch protection against dropping the hammer while cocking, but it doesn't always work.
Cocked and locked, along with learning the manual of arms--that's the way to go. The grip safety is a redundancy which Browning did not want, but the US Army did, and they were paying the bills. He didn't think the gun needed it. The grip safety on one of my 1911s doesn't work, but I really don't notice it. I do think about it, however, and whether the grip safety is a redundancy or not, I'm going to fix it just so the gun is "right." I honestly can't think of too many ways it would save you from an unwanted discharge, unless perhaps something got stuck in the trigger guard while drawing the weapon; as the grip safety locks the trigger, you might be saved from that possibility.
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1,628 Posts
If a person is uncomfortabe carrying a 1911 cocked and locked they need to look into carrying another gun. For those uneasy about it unload your 1911 cock it and lock it put it in your holster and roll around and bump it and move it all around and see if you can get the safety to disengage and the gun to dry fire.
I think free-stater posed only gangsters carry auto with an empty chamber- not true google Israli carry-
I think free-stater posed only gangsters carry auto with an empty chamber- not true google Israli carry-
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1,143 Posts
I've carried my 1911(s) in Condition 1 for several years, wouldn't do it any other way.
I pray that I never get into an altercation resulting in my having to draw/fire, but if I do, I pray the BG has opted to not chamber a round for safety's sake... that's all the time I'll need!
I pray that I never get into an altercation resulting in my having to draw/fire, but if I do, I pray the BG has opted to not chamber a round for safety's sake... that's all the time I'll need!
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8,626 Posts
I did this for 3 days when I first carried a 1922 in Condition 1 to ease my mind. Its harder to accidentally drop the thumb safety in a good holster than it is to cock a DA pistol or revolver and no one seems to worry about those.ftsibley said:
One friend had a ND with his 1911. Turns out he was carrying it around the yard (in his hand) with the safety off. That's why trigger discipline is key with all firearms.
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The Israelis carry "Israeli" style during training in order to show the level of their training by being able to rack in a round and get into action fast. In actual combat zones they carry with a round in the chamber.ftsibley said:
Here is a good discussion of the background of the practical considerations faced by the Israelis in the early history of that country.
http://www.gunatics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4881
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