1911 Hammer bite - remedies?

[Rittmeister]

I have wanted a "GI"-pattern 1911 for many years. When the newer offerings from Tisas hit the market they piqued my interest. Recently Palmetto ran a special and I picked one up. I had it to the range for the first time today for a 100-round familiarization. All my other 1911s have the standard beavertail and ring hammer pattern that has become common so I've never had an issue with them; I knew the new gun could potentially bite me and sure enough I got snagged a few times. If I'm very careful where I put my hand under the grip safety I can avoid the issue but I'd like to do something more permanent.

Obviously I can change the hammer to a different style (which I had to do on my Hi-Powers) but I'd like to keep this one as close to the original pattern as possible, which to me means bobbing the hammer somehow to try to alleviate the pinching. Could folks who've done something similar post some pictures of the shape of your hammer after the operation? I'd like to get some ideas of what might be effective.

Thanks!

 

[LiveLife]

If you don't want "beavertail" grip safety, you could go with "duckbill" grip safety which has less rise in the rear and flatter profile - https://wilsoncombat.com/grip-safety-beavertail-spec-ops-bullet-proof-stainless.html

Beavertail - KCs Kustom Creations - KCsKustomCreations.com

A true to the original copy of the Clark 180 / Wilson 66 beavertail grip safety. The shape is copied but instead of the compound radius for the receiver a .220 radius is used to assist in fitting a wider selection of receivers.

kcskustomcreations.com

https://www.egwguns.com/jem-beavertail-grip-safety-blue-250-radius

 

[halfmoonclip]

A buddy and I both encountered blood-letting with this pistol/hammer. I simply filed/rounded/polished the underside of the hammer. Still get an occasional red mark on the web of my hand, but it no longer draws blood with a high, one handed hold.
Experiment a little before you change any parts.
Moon

 

[jar]

I don't get either a hammer bite or the bruise from the safety spur with my full size model but sure do with the "Tanker". Switching to a set of Magpul MOE grip panels helped a lot.

 

[Pudge]

I used a file and rounded the hammer, no more issues.

 

[Walkalong]

1911's can bite some folks in the old standard configuration. I've never had it happen.

 

[PistoleroWadcutterGANG]

high grip and juicy plump flesh in the web of the hand.

 

[bangswitch]

I must not be doing something right. I have two GI pattern 1911's and have never been hammer bit by either one. And to top that, I also have the "King of Hammerbite", a Browning HiPower, never been bit by that one either. What am I doing wrong?

 

[chicharrones]

I must not be doing something right. I have two GI pattern 1911's and have never been hammer bit by either one. And to top that, I also have the "King of Hammerbite", a Browning HiPower, never been bit by that one either. What am I doing wrong?

Genetics. Diet. Exercise. Favourite colour.

 

[Mizar]

I must not be doing something right. I have two GI pattern 1911's and have never been hammer bit by either one. And to top that, I also have the "King of Hammerbite", a Browning HiPower, never been bit by that one either. What am I doing wrong?

1. Hand size.
2. Hand shape.
3. Grip.

People who use their hands more (physical labor) tend to have more meat (muscle tissue) between the thumb and the index finger, so they are more prone to hammer bite. Just one of the reasons...

 

[JR24]

Callouses

I get hammer bite real bad from GI pattern 1911s and BHP. I’ve given up on the hi power and always get extended beavertails on my 1911s

I’ve tried reduced or filed hammers before and the … what was it… commander? Hammer on the BHP but nothing works for me. Combination of hand size and my preference for a really high grip.

 

[halfmoonclip]

a really high grip

THIS is a lot of the problem, especially with a one handed grip. I noticed it when pretending I was Richard Crenna in "The Sand Pebbles".
Moon

 

[Rock185]

I use a high grip, thumb atop the safety. Forgive me, I am but a poor victim of Gunsite training. So standard non beavertail 1911s, Hi Powers, Swiss SIG 210s, etc. all bite me; think bloodshed. With 1911s I've addressed this in a couple of ways, without replacing hammer or safety. I've rounded the sharp edges of hammers, and bobbed others along with softening any sharp edges. One of my current 1911 type pistols was biting me. I didn't really want to change the hammer or grip safety. So I removed the sharp edges of the hammer. It's subtle. Upon cursory examination, it's not noticeably different. But the last couple times to the range with it, no hammer bite and attendant bloodshed. After many years of issued and personally owned 1911s though, I've really come to appreciate and prefer 1911 type pistols with the beavertail grip safeties. In my dotage, elimination of bloodshed trumps traditional 1911/1911A1 looks for me. No matter what you may have heard, I'm just not into pain

 

[entropy]

I always liked the "Target" wide spur hammer, seemed to bite me less than the standard hammer, but I prefer a Commander style hammer, on both 1911s and BHPs.

 

[bangswitch]

1. Hand size.
2. Hand shape.
3. Grip.

People who use their hands more (physical labor) tend to have more meat (muscle tissue) between the thumb and the index finger, so they are more prone to hammer bite. Just one of the reasons...

I do physical work almost every day (landscaping, carpentry, masonry, etc) and wear a size 8-1/2 surgical glove. My hand is the same shape as every other humanoid's, a palm, four fingers and an opposable thumb. Looks like I gotta grab the gun higher if I want to get bit.

 

[SterlingBullet]

THIS is a lot of the problem, especially with a one handed grip. I noticed it when pretending I was Richard Crenna in "The Sand Pebbles".
Moon

Now there is an actor’s name you don’t hear very often.

 

[jmorris]

You could bob the hammer a little.



Or a lot.



They can also be purchased, for non DIY folks.

 

[doubleh]

I have no idea about preventing hammer bite. I started shooting 1911's in the '70's and haven't been bitten to this day. I do like the feel of the beaver tail better than the military style though.

 

[CDW4ME]

I can't / won't tolerate a standard narrow grip safety, it is abusive to the web of my hand.
In contrast I can shoot 10mm and not have the web of my hand brutalized with a beavertail:


Lightweight Commander in 45 acp - no complaint from the web of my hand, equipped as pictured:

 

[wayneinFL]

My dad was 5'11" and 138lbs. when he went into the service in the 50s. I figure that's the kind of person the 1911 was made for. At 200 lbs., I get hammer bite. Too much fat in the web of my hand.

 

[Jim Watson]

You could bob the hammer a little.

Oh, no. The Internet Wisdom is that you should replace the hammer and grip safety and save the original parts so your bog standard mass produced pistol will have more resale value. The accessory manufacturers love it.

I am not subject to hammer bite, but prefer the feel of a beavertail. Any 1911ish I shoot much has one, even the Service Model Ace.

Others are not so fortunate. One friend fired three shots and handed my P210-6 back, saying "You might ought to wipe the blood off your gun."

 

[9mmepiphany]

You could bob the hammer a little.

I gave a Colt 1991 to an up-n-coming 1911 smith to customize and I only gave him a very broad outline of what I needed it to have. One thing I did want was a beavertail grip safety because I liked the way it spread out the impact on the web of my hand. I assumed he would install a ring/burl/Commander style hammer.

Imagine my surprise when it came back with a bobbed hammer and an Ed Brown thumb safety. My first thought was, "it's going to snag." After I calmed down and took a closer look, I saw that the bobbed hammer fit perfectly in the groove of the Brown safety when the hammer was cocked. Also the edge of the hammer blended with the tip of the safety to form a snag-free contour.

Sometimes you need to look outside the box and go with the simple solutions

 

[Tallball]

1. Hand size.
2. Hand shape.
3. Grip.

I'm staring to realize that a lot of our conversations get down to this in the end.

I have unusually large hands that aren't shaped like most people's. What works for me won't work for a lot of people, and vice-versa.

I never get hammer bite from a 1911. Just lucky, I guess.

 

[jmorris]

Oh, no. The Internet Wisdom is that you should replace the hammer and grip safety and save the original parts so your bog standard mass produced pistol will have more resale value.

That sounds a lot like me. If I am modifying parts, I prefer them to not be the originals, as you point out you can only go back to “stock” if you haven’t altered those parts.

That said, the op wanted photos of bobed ones so I posted a couple ways to do it. I do have one 1911 a friend gave me as a bunch of parts. I did modify the frame for the never tail it came with but didn’t like the hammer he had and just cut the hammer down like that second photo in my post above. I just couldn’t put my hands on it yesterday.

 

[mljdeckard]

I would like to congratulate the OP on the correct spelling and usage of "piqued".

I have shot all kinds of configuration of 1911, I have never had hammer bite. I am guessing that if you have meatier hands, it's more likely you will have some bulge up into the path of the hammer. It's easy to say; "modify the hammer or the safety." Well, ok. I would. But some guys really like the idea of an 'authentic' 1911/1911A1, and don't want to mess with it. I wonder if hammer bite was as much of a concern when most shooting was done one-handed?