Does your non beavertail 1911 "bite" you?

do you get hammer bite from a 1911

  • Ouch!

    Votes: 38 37.6%

  • Nope

    Votes: 63 62.4%
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someguy2800

someguy2800

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Just curious, I have never in my life gotten hammer bite from either of the 1911's I've owned, both of which were old school non beavertail grip safety models with spur hammers. I have tried to force my hand up into the grip safety to try to figure out how people get hammer bite and I can't physically get into a grip position where it will even come close to happening. Years ago I did shoot a couple original US army marked 1911's and although I did not pay any attention to the grip safeties at the time they did not bite me either.

I was just thinking perhaps they make the grip safety extensions longer now than the originals so I went looking at some pictures. There seams to be some inconsistencies in the length from gun to gun. Most looks to be the same as mine but I did see a couple that look to be shorter.

Here is mine

D7264_B79-_D081-4_DC7-8_D38-_DDA6_F5574_A23.jpg

Here is an original colt I found on google image, this one I can see how it would happen.

1911pistols025.jpg

So anyway, does your non beaver-tail 1911 bite you, and if so what kind is it?
 

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After I put the wide target-style hammer (like on the Colt above) on my RIA, it bit me. I just shot with gloves. That Colt looks just like the one in my Arms Room back in 1988. I sure hated turning that one in for an M9.
 
I've never been bitten by a 1911 or any other hammered semiauto. Don't ask me why, just lucky I guess. I once compared these exaggerated beavertails to a Ferrari rear spoiler on your daughter's Toyota; they just look wrong. :uhoh:
 
Have yet to get hammer bite from my Auto Ordnance .45 pistol, a 1911A1 clone. I notice the frame and grips are big for my hands. If my hands were big for the frame and grips, I'd probably feel differently. Ouch.
 
someguy2800 said:
Just curious, I have never in my life gotten hammer bite from either of the 1911's I've owned, both of which were old school non beavertail grip safety models with spur hammers. I have tried to force my hand up into the grip safety to try to figure out how people get hammer bite and I can't physically get into a grip position where it will even come close to happening.
Click to expand...
Do you ride the thumb safety when you shoot your 1911's?
 
I've been bitten so many times that I have a permanent scar where I get bitten. I think a large part of it is that I have XL, meaty hands. I've had blood drawn on too many occasions. As the photo above shows, the standard tang allowed easy access to skin. The extended tangs helped a lot but since I like to have as high a grip as possible, I still got bit if I wasn't paying attention. I also got bit on my BHP. My shooting gloves have a small hole where I got bit. The beaver tails eliminated getting bit but my older 1911s require a lower grip if I want to shoot them. They don't get shot as much as they should for this reason. It hurts and causes a flinch.
 
someguy2800

Have never been bit by any grip safety on any 1911. I think the main reason is that I have rather small size hands that are well protected, even with the tiny factory grip safety Colt use to have on their Combat Commander.

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I’ve had 4 non-beavertail 1911: a Springfield just like Walkalong’s one, two WWI 1911, and one 1944 1911A1. Never gotten bitten by any of them.

In fact, when I’ll build my own I’ll use a wide spur hammer and an early-type grip safety, I like the look and the feel of them.
 
JTQ said:
Do you ride the thumb safety when you shoot your 1911's?
Click to expand...

I ride the safety when shooting one handed, but I shoot better without it two handed. I don’t get bit either way though.

Also a note on hand size, I’m 6’4” and don’t have Trump hand syndrome.
 
I don't get hammer bite on my RIA GI but it has a somewhat extended tang compared to the Colt above. However the sides of the tang are pretty sharp and cause discomfort after a while. I'm thinking of sanding them a little but fear that might encourage hammer bite. All my other 1911s have beaver tails.
 
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As I recall, the hammer was not as brutal to the web of my hand compared to the narrow / standard tang of the grip safety.
Currently, (and forever) all my 1911's have a beavertail grip safety, problem (pain) solved.
 
CDW4ME

As I recall, the hammer was not as brutal to the web of my hand compared to the narrow / standard tang of the grip safety. Currently, (and forever) all my 1911's have a beavertail grip safety, problem (pain) solved.
Click to expand...

I never had a problem with the original, narrow tang of the grip safety but I did try a stainless beavertail on the nickel plated Combat Commander. Didn't care for the way it changed the handling dynamics of my grip and it felt somewhat uncomfortable to shoot with. I currently have two other 1911s that have factory beavertails on them and they feel alright.





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I have smallish thin hands so I'm fortunate there hasn't been enough fleshy parts to push up to get slide bite or pinch from the hammer. That's with the thumb riding the top of the safety.
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CDW4ME said:
the hammer was not as brutal to the web of my hand compared to the narrow / standard tang of the grip safety.
Click to expand...
This.

Beavertails are useful not only for keeping the thumb web away from the hammer spur, but also for distributing the recoil across a broader area. A couple of hundred rounds through a GI spec 1911 always leaves my web red and abraded.
 
Never got hammer bite but as others have stated the thinner tang of the grip safety would dig in to the web of my hand and leave it's mark on me, which is why I prefer the beavertail.
 
It is a heck of a lot harder to thumb cock a 1911 with a beavertail, or, lower the hammer on a chambered round. The original 1911, the SOP prior to WW1 was to chamber a round, lower the hammer, and put the pistol in your flap holster. You then drew the pistol and thumb cocked the hammer, when you were in a combat situation. That is why the original 1911 has wide hammer spurs and a tendency to bite the web of the shooting hand.

The grip safety was made a little longer in the A1 version, but the thing is still easy to thumb cock. I have not had any hammer bite with this pistol, a modern day replica of the 1911A1.

bYTfb5t.jpg
 
BSA1 said:
Yep.

I simply removed about 1/8" from the end of the hammer spur.
Click to expand...

Me too. Never bit very badly, just enough to take off a couple layers of skin and leave a little bloody spot. A slight hammer bob solves the issue.
 
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