Thanks for the fine tips, and well wishes.
I found a remarkable screen that shows the internal workings of the 1911. You can even hide the slide and frame, and see the insides moving.
http://www.m1911.org/STI1911animation2.htm
Bill
He has developed his "plan" to load the chamber and then lower the hammer in order to feel safeWell, that's not the way John Browning intended it to be used, did he? I'm sorry, but that wasn't an AD, it was a ND and it wasn't due to the gun - it was due to Paco's carelessness. First, there are a couple of methods to safely lower a hammer, even on a live round :o - but you have to be comfortable and CONFIDENT with the gun, and always, always, always have a safe backstop. Second, this will only come with regular practice - if you're not willing to put the time in, especially with a 1911, then it's probably not the gun for you - get a revolver. But then again, if you choose to carry you should practice with whatever platform you're carrying. Third, if you check with almost any LEO agency that carries Glocks - guess what? Yep, a lot of AD's. I have no stats for this but I'm willing to bet that in the last decade there have been more AD's with Glocks than 1911's, especially when you consider their sheer prevalence.
This is 2006, no one should even consider carrying a SA as a defense gun. I don't want to upset all you die hard 1911 owners out there but they have no place in conceiled carry in this day and age.
Richard,
Very nice, but you still have to remember to hit the safety when you draw, is this correct? In a split second life or death situation, the person who is not very skilled in firearms handling will forget to do anything except draw and fire.
Again my opinions only here but it doesn't matter how many improvements are made to as standard size 1911 they are just to dam big and heavy to carry conceiled, at least with the type of clothing that I normally wear most of the year.
I must admit to some bias here. I never liked the 1911 and never will. It is just to old school. I don't like the way they fit my hand and I can't hit anything with one. Now the Browning Hi-Power, that is the finest single action ever made and in my and many other's opinion is the improvement/perfection over the 1911.
My opinions only, Mike
If you weren't holding the grip safety, would it stop the pistol from firing if the hammer did slip?You have to depress the grip safety in order to get the hammer to drop. You then carefully let up on the trigger and lower the hammer to its half-cock notch, which ensures you're not resting the hammer on the FP. You depress the trigger just enough to release the hammer, then let up. Keeping the trigger depressed the enire time will drop it to the FP.
They are not civilians. Civilians do not have the training of those orginizations. The mission and objectives of those orginizations are not even close to the Joe citizen with a conceiled carry permit. For a citizen, even one quite familiar with firearms, a DA gun, ANY DA gun is not a reasonable conceiled carry option or one that should be in the vehicle or in or on the nightstand.
You haven't swayed me yet and you can't because you don't have the revelant facts to back it up but you will probably still try.
Mike
But the bottom line is this: People who are only marginally familiar with firearms and have not had years of either "cock the hammer" or "release the safety" as soon as you draw will IN FACT either forget to cock the hammer or forget to release the safety when they are in a split second life or death situation.Sorry, this just shows your ignorance of the 1911, it should be carried in condition 1 - cocked and locked. Hammer down is a significant disadvantage in a self-defense scenario - I think this statement shows how 'scary looking' C&L is to you!
You might be an expert but the vast majority of people getting a CCP these days are not in your league. You experts can carry any SA you want to but for the vast majority of people an SA is NOT A REASONABLE OPTION.You've stated that "no one" should carry a 1911, and now you're acknowledging that those with experience will be fine.
I believe that I have posted more relavent facts concerning SA, DAO, DA/SA/ Decocker for the average CCP holder than some of the correct (but not relavant) info. that has been posted about the SA as it pertains to the average CCP holder.
The 1911 even with modifications is hopelessly outdated/outclassed as a conceiled carry gun in this day and age.Mike, you haven't provided a single fact throughout this thread, you're stating opinions, which is fine, but they aren't facts. For your assertion that a newbie carrying a 1911 will forget the safety in a self-defense situation can only be proved by real-world events, I don't think we'll find too many. Your statement can never be proven, so it's not a fact.
I still would carry the Kimber and not the Glock. How many AD's do the Glocks have compared to the total number of Glocks out there.That's an interesting statement and highlights the dissonance that C&L creates. It LOOKS, to the uninitiated, as if it's very unsafe - like if you touch it it will somehow magically fire. But the 1911 is simply one of the safest designs available and an AD with a 1911 is really a very difficult task to accomplish.
How many AD's do the Glocks have compared to the total number of Glocks out there.
Tom
I think what Tom is saying, in relation this specific thread where the safety of 1911's is in question, the Glock has a reputation for relatively frequent AD's, while the 1911 has a very good reputation. It doesn't excuse the shooter from paying attention to the four rules, no matter what the configuration!
The stereotypical 1911 owner is a gray-haired gentleman who most likely was in the military in his youth. He grew up shooting and owned many guns before getting a 1911 (partially due to cost).
Personal preferences and individual skill levels cannot be relegated to a single standard in this case.
"Better" is in the eye of the beholder. Isn't it a wonder that
they are still making 1911s in the face of all those better
guns?
You are correct, sir, and the more beers the more beauty.