Interesting conversion for a 1911; NOT for the purist

[Supermoto]

I didn't say it was a "good" idea. I said he'd be better off doing that instead of messing with his 1911. Personally I have no problem carrying my Colt Defender cocked and locked.

He would not be better off, carrying at half cock defeats safeties on the 1911

All 1911 users should "test" the safety from time to time. With the gun empty, put it on safe, pull the trigger HARD and take it off safe. If the hammer drops, you have not done things quite right to get the nice two pound pull. Ask me how I know. Jack.

A poorly fitted thumb safety is a poorly fitting safety no matter what the trigger weight.

 

[drgrant]

My leather 1911 holsters all have thumb-break straps that do go UNDER the hammer. You grasp the handle as you hit the thumb-break, pull the pistol free of the holster with your thumb falling naturally to the safety lever, (pistol is cocked and locked). Left hand comes across to join, pistol comes up, as it starts to level safety is snapped off (trigger finger is still outside the guard, (pressed up on the frame/slide). Target acquired, finger on trigger, lock it down, press trigger...

More - or - less. I'm definitely not a wordsmith.

The key point in this being that the leather strap on the holster does go under the hammer as an additional mechanical safety to keep the gun in the holster and to keep the hammer from contacting the firing pin.

Not sure if serious. When do hammers on 1911s fall on their own when in a holster?

Hell some guy on sigforum who worked in armed security, while carrying a 1911 C1, got into a massive scuffle with a guy, got smashed into a metal door jamb on his strong side, I think his gun got damaged, but it never discharged. If a 1911 can withstand that, the hammer is not going to just "fall on its own".

-Mike

 

[drgrant]

I didn't say it was a "good" idea. I said he'd be better off doing that instead of messing with his 1911. Personally I have no problem carrying my Colt Defender cocked and locked.

No, he wouldn't. C3, C1, or nothing. or carry something else. Messing with half cocks, etc, is how NDs and other problems happen. Whenever I see people carrying 1911s at HC, I get a little nervous because that usually means there's a numbskull carrying it.

-Mike

 

[allen-1]

None of my 1911 holsters have straps. When was the last time that your 1911's hammer fell without you pulling the trigger?

Never. But it WAS nice that it stayed in its holster when I went bouncing down the street after falling off my motorcycle...

 

[allen-1]

Not sure if serious. When do hammers on 1911s fall on their own when in a holster?

Hell some guy on sigforum who worked in armed security, while carrying a 1911 C1, got into a massive scuffle with a guy, got smashed into a metal door jamb on his strong side, I think his gun got damaged, but it never discharged. If a 1911 can withstand that, the hammer is not going to just "fall on its own".

-Mike

It's not going to fall on its own. I personally like the retaining strap with the thumb-break. It keeps my pistol in its holster pretty much no matter what right up until I decide that I want to take it out, and the logical placement of the strap happens to be under the hammer. So, if by some obscene set of circumstances, like me wrecking my bike again, it's one more mechanical safety. But - frankly, it's the RETENTION of the strap that I like, the placement of it's just the way that it works.

And the thumb-break strap's my personal preference for those guns, not everyone likes them - and when I use one of my 1911's for IDPA or USPSA, I use a kydex holster.

 

[one-eyed Jack]

He would not be better off, carrying at half cock defeats safeties on the 1911



A poorly fitted thumb safety is a poorly fitting safety no matter what the trigger weight.

True. Had to correct that. Jack.

 

[M1911]

Never. But it WAS nice that it stayed in its holster when I went bouncing down the street after falling off my motorcycle...

The worst I've done when carrying is when I tripped on a concrete floor and ended up doing a shoulder roll. My 1911 stayed put in my open-top kydex holster. But for riding a motorcycle, I can understand the appeal of a retention holster.