Thinking of pinning my 1911 grip safety

[tractorshaft]

Hi,

Does anyone here carry their 1911 condition one with the grip safety pinned? I know Novak has created the "Answer" back strap and mainspring housing into an all-in-one assembly. I called them and spoke with Eric, he said "We like the 1911, just dont like the grip safety". I laughed and told him I would seriously consider it for my Series 70, $450.00 fitted and installed. Its really a nice looking piece and I imagine it gives a very nice high grip from the looks of it. I am curious how many big pawed guys here have found it disturbing to squuueeeezze the trigger harder and harder wondering why it does not go bang, only to readjust your grip and wah lah! I carry my Glocks worry free all the time, only they dont have a 4lb single action trigger pull

 

[obxned]

I would never, ever in a hundred lifetimes do that. The grip safety isn't the problem, it's your grip.

I cannot think of a way that you could grip the pistol without putting the tiny amount of pressure on the grip safety that is required to disengage it. Nor can I think of a way that if you fired the pistol while having such a loose grip on the upper part of the grips that you could control it enough to fire a second shot.

 

[Bezoar]

can be considred suicdal in some aspects. For one thing this setup could be considered a hair trigger and that would be bad in court for you.

And accidental discharge aint worth it. Like ayoob said, keep the factory safety and dont dink with that.

 

[tractorshaft]

I use the Latham-Enos grip but have very large hands. I use a very high grip and the Comp-Tac holster I have "Infidel" has a sweat guard on the LH side that come up pretty high, often causing me to "pinch" the grip with my strong hand when I am in a hurry, as you should be in practice.

I have been practicing a slight readjust when I thumb the manual safety down but don't really like to have to "Readjust" when in the middle of presentation. I know a different holster would give a better initial grip, allowing me to fully center the pistol into the web of my strong hand and solving the problem. I may cut the sweat guard off of the holster and just deal with getting poked a little or start using my leather holsters.

I like carrying the 1911 .45 in the cooler months , I have gone to using my Glock 21 for CC most of the time because of the occasional failure to activate the GS on my 1911's. My 2 5" guns have speed bump's on them but I unless I get totally into "Practiced Draw" and thumb on top of manual safety I am resigned to carrying one of my plastic guns, sigh...

 

[Hawk]

I believe Cooper pinned the grip safety on his 1911s.

John Browning didn't include it (the grip safety) in the original design.

I'm not about to argue with the learned individuals that have counseled against it, but I'm sure not going to line up against the late JMB and Cooper, either.

Pretty pointless post, enh? Well, I guess the point is that if you do pin it you sure won't be the first or the most distinguised.

A family member recently wrote in and asked how he could pin the grip safety shut on his 1911, claiming that no available gunsmith would perform this task for fear of litigation. Personally I think the smiths declined this task because it is so easy that they cannot charge much for it. You simply pin opposing holes in the bottom of the grip safety and the top of the mainspring housing. These holes are about the diameter of piano wire. Then, with the grip safety pressed shut, you insert the piano wire pin and slide the mainspring housing up into position to take the other end of the pin. Once this arrangement is installed, it can be removed in seconds, for those who are terrified of regulators.

 

[trbon8r]

I've never once had a 1911 not fire when drawn out of the holster. Get an Ed Brown or Les Baer type grip safety with memory groove pad, and put your fears to rest.

 

[MarshallDodge]

I've never once had a 1911 not fire when drawn out of the holster. Get an Ed Brown or Les Baer type grip safety with memory groove pad, and put your fears to rest.

Ditto. I personally like the grip safety on the 1911 and would not carry in condition 1 without it.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

While a case could be made that a grip safety is superfluous, I wouldn't go to the trouble of pinning it, either. What does it hurt?

Originally posted by obxned:
I cannot think of a way that you could grip the pistol without putting the tiny amount of pressure on the grip safety that is required to disengage it.

Nor I.

 

[Outlaws]

I think you have a defective firearm. I have NEVER gripped my 1911 and not been able to pull the trigger due to failure to have the grip safety in enough.

 

[Geno]

That has never happened on any of the 1911s that I have owned. Something is wrong with your pistol, or your grip. Do not disable the grip safety. If you want a BHP, buy one.

Doc2005

 

[HorseSoldier]

I've got big hands and have never had a problem with not getting a good, deep grip that disables the grip safety. I'd +1 the recommendation to get a safety with a memory pad on it if it is a problem. I can't think of any circumstances where I'd pin the safety on a 1911.

 

[Hunter0924]

Hawk I believe you are mistaken. The 1910 That Mr. Browning designed did not include a thumb safety. The US Army requested the thumb safety so Colt incorporated it in the 1911.
Pinning a grip safety is a bad idea. If you are having trouble why not consider an aftermarket grip safety with a palm swell.

 

[Prince Yamato]

I'm not the world's biggest 1911 fan, but I find the grip safety to be of negligible interference. I mean, you barely notice it's there.

 

[zachsm]

can be considred suicdal in some aspects. For one thing this setup could be considered a hair trigger and that would be bad in court for you.

And accidental discharge aint worth it. Like ayoob said, keep the factory safety and dont dink with that.

What about the hi-power? How does this vary in any way? The other guy says "If you want a BHP, buy one." That doesn't make any logical sense at all.

well, just like the 1911 guy always says, one more safety is just another thing to break right?

 

[Hawk]

Hawk I believe you are mistaken. The 1910 That Mr. Browning designed did not include a thumb safety. The US Army requested the thumb safety so Colt incorporated it in the 1911.
Pinning a grip safety is a bad idea. If you are having trouble why not consider an aftermarket grip safety with a palm swell.

IIRC, there was a version sans thumb safety and one without grip safety. JMB was a pretty accomodating guy.

I don't have issues with the grip safties on mine - just a Cooper fan is all.

 

[JDGray]

As long as the thumb safety works, whats the big deal

 

[ZeSpectre]

I think you have a defective firearm. I have NEVER gripped my 1911 and not been able to pull the trigger due to failure to have the grip safety in enough.

+1 You've got something else wrong with the gun and should have it checked.

 

[10-Ring]

The idea of disabling a safety feature on a pistol is just asking for trouble.

 

[Hawk]

Found a few more Cooperisms:

This obsessive fear of litigation, however justified, is pervasive enough to be given a proper definition. Litigophobia does not come off well, since it derives from two different languages. Daughter Christy, who is our resident Greek student, has gone into this matter and has become somewhat bogged down. She has come up with the word dikadzomaiophobia! I do not think this is ever going to catch on, so we will just have to go on being terrified of lawsuits without knowing what is wrong with us.



Amongst the new offerings in major caliber service pistols we notice a fascination with grip safeties. The grip safety was a poor idea when Browning first dreamed it up, and as you know he dropped it in 1935. It is not only useless, but somewhat dangerous, but it does satisfy a sort of nervous craving for mechanical safeties which seems to be the mood of the times.
...
It is obvious to anyone who thinks about it that in handling a firearm, safety rides between the ears, rather than between the hands. You cannot make a gun safe. You can, however, make a shooter safe, but in the Age of Technological Irresponsibility, we seek to make up for human shortcomings by means of gadgetry, which, of course, is fallible. The gun industry, like other industries, is distressingly enslaved to faddism. The lemming principle prevails.

 

[surjimmy]

Not to sound stupid, but what would be the benefit of doing this............. The one rule that has served me well is "If it aint broke don't fix it"

 

[Old Fuff]

Does anyone here carry their 1911 condition one with the grip safety pinned?

Yup. The Old Fuff occasionally does.

Actually I used a small screw rather then a pin, but the method is of no importance. My first pistol that was so modified was a Government Model, because I was having trouble fullying depressing the grip safety if I used a high hold with my thumb on top of the safety lock (manual safety). My modification occured after discussing it with none other then Jeff Cooper himself. He pointed out that the pistol wouldn't be of much use if during an emergency it wouldn't go BANG!

For the record, John Browning wasn't keen about either the grip safety or the safety lock. Both were added because the Army insisted on them. It should be noted that Browning's later P-35 Hi-Power didn't have a grip safety, was widely used by many large military and police organizations around the world, and no problems due to the lack of a grip safety seemed to have turned up.

In later years I decided that a better course would be to "adjust" the grip safety so that the slightest movement (or no movement) would disengage it. This also worked, but I still occasionally carried the guns with the blocked grip safeties without any qualms.

 

[Old Fuff]

Does anyone here carry their 1911 condition one with the grip safety pinned?

Yup. The Old Fuff occasionally does.

Actually I used a small screw rather then a pin, but the method is of no importance. My first pistol that was so modified was a Government Model, because I was having trouble fullying depressing the grip safety if I used a high hold with my thumb on top of the safety lock (manual safety). My modification occured after discussing it with none other then Jeff Cooper himself. He pointed out that the pistol wouldn't be of much use if during an emergency it wouldn't go BANG!

For the record, John Browning wasn't keen about either the grip safety or the safety lock. Both were added because the Army insisted on them. It should be noted that Browning's later P-35 Hi-Power didn't have a grip safety, was widely used by many large military and police organizations around the world, and no problems due to the lack of a grip safety have seemed to have turned up.

In later years I decided that a better course would be to "adjust" the grip safety so that the slightest movement (or no movement) would disengage it. This also worked, but I still occasionally carried the guns with the blocked grip safeties without any qualms.

 

[AndyC]

Never had a problem with a grip safety, so I wouldn't personally ever pin it.

 

[Hawk]

A point that seems to be missed by some is that the OP is having an occasional problem. "Pinning" is not being considered simply as a lark.

If I were to develop an issue with the "Tang Tumor" even one time, I would not hesitate to deactivate the thing.

 

[trbon8r]

There is no issue or problem to be had if the gun was wearing a memory groove grip safety and is in good mechanical condition. With the memory groove grip safety it is impossible to grip the gun and not depress the grip safety.