CCW 1911, cocked and locked or no?

Around the ranch, I carry cocked and locked in a holster that has a retention strap between the firing pin and hammer and that and fully covers the safety and trigger.

I'm comfortable with C&L in all situations (bedside, back pocket, whatever). I'm also fine with condition 2.

If you are uncomfortable carrying the gun in condition one, like it is safe and prudent to do, you should get a DA gun. IMHO

bob

Series 80. Grip safety. Firing pin safety. Thumb safety.

Yeah, it's safe.

despite being in good condition, and a series 80 style design, and knowing full well the function of the thumb and grip safety, i am nervous walking around with a ready to fire 1911.

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I wouldn't call it "Ready to fire."

Revolvers and double-action pistols maybe, but a 1911 with the safety on, no. I will admit, having the hammer cocked when carrying it does make it look pretty threatening, but, in fact, it's pretty darn safe.

If you truly feel uncomfortable with it, try this. Carry your gun unloaded for a week or two. Every day when you get home, check to see if you've inadvertently switched off the gun's safety at any point. Once you're confident that it hasn't happened and probably isn't going to happen, you will be able to start carrying it loaded.

Mind you, a 1911 is not going to go off unless you have your hand on the gun (depressing the grip safety) and have disengaged the manual safety. On a modern double-action pistol, that pistol will fire if the trigger is pulled, regardless of whether or not you have your hand on the gun, and there is no safety that must be disengaged before it can fire. By this line of thinking, the 1911 would actually be safer than the DA/SA pistol; you have to be holding the gun in your hand for it to go off, thanks to the grip safety.

If you buy another gun, it is only going to have a lesser number of safeties on it than your 1911 already has. I can't think of another autoloader that has both a grip safety and a manual safety, in addition to all the usual passive safeties.

If you are nervous, then don't do it. This is more of an issue with your mental software than the actual hardware. I suggest you arm yourself with something other than a M1911.

If you can get past this, then take faith that the M1911 was designed for cocked and locked condition one carry. You try any other way and you negate the design superiority of this pistol.

I would suggest that you take a few professional pistol training classes to familiarize yourself with the M1911 and it's operation. That should build your personal confidence in the manual of arms for the M1911.

Cocked and locked baby!


If you are uncomfortable... walk around the house C&L and with an empty chamber for a few days.

You will overcome your fear in no time. It's safe, just keep finger off trigger.

cocked and locked, the way the 1911 was made to carry! but i guess its not for everyone, if your not comfortable with it, then dont do it! csa

JMB designed this firearm to be carried C&L. I always carry C&L or condition 1 no matter what firearm I have on me at the time. I use holsters that cover the trigger.
It sounds like you are just not used to it yet. What I would suggest has probably been suggested many times on many threads. Carry C&L around the house to get a feel for it and too build your confidence. Before long you won't carry any other way.

Condition 1

"Cocked & Locked" in a Kirkpatrick Leather open top holster~!

If you already have the gun, carry it unloaded but cocked and locked around the house a while and see that it does not go "Click" by itself. Perhaps that will train you out of your phobia.

If you do not already have the gun, or if the above does not help, get Something Else. Maybe a Sig-Sauer DAK.

i'm a wuss. i carry condition 3 (loaded mag but no round in the chamber).

I've heard for years how dangerous the 1911 cocked and locked was. Since I didn't own one and few fellow LEO's carried one,I never gave it much thought. Since I bought my first 1911, I can tell you the safety concern of C&L are MYTH. The 1911 is a remarkable combat weapon. The C&L is a big part of the package.You never seem to hear of AD's with the 1911. Glock leg on the other hand is quite common. Chuck.

What is the big deal about "cocked and locked?" Every time I ever loaded a pump or semi-auto shotgun to go hunting, it was "cocked and locked." So just why is the 1911 so different?

Before you carry any gun you need to have complete confidence in the system. This comes from understanding the design and inner workings of the platform. A 1911 is a hell of a lot safer than a Glock, yet few people concern themselves with carrying a Glock with NO safety (Me included) I know that some will say the "safe action trigger" makes it safe to carry. It is safe of course unless something, usually a finger, pulls the trigger. Personally, I can't think of a worse place to put a safety lever than on the trigger. The 1911 has to have the manual safety disengaged, and the grip safety depressed before the trigger can be pulled. This makes the 1911 design one of the safest available. Many times in my LE career when open carrying a 1911, I had well intentioned citizens ask me if I knew my pistol was cocked. It's the visable hammer that makes folks uncomfortable. Guess it just looks menacing!
If you can get around that perception, then all will be well. If not, carry something else. Don't try to fool yourself into thinking the 1911 is safer carried in any other way other than C&L, or that you can cycle the slide on the draw and still survive a gunfight. You may not have the time, or the physical ability to perform that drill when you need your weapon. I have carried many a mile mexican style. I still have all my vital parts and no unplanned holes in my hide! Your choice, Good luck!
str1

I, too, was nervous with the same several years ago. I carried gun in condition 2 (unsafe), and condition 3 (impractical). I loaded the gun with a snap cap and carried it around the house condition 1 while learning about the gun. I read and learned about the mechanical function of a 1911--which parts do what and how. I recommend the same for you. Study the 1911. Read different books on the pistol, it's operation, etc. Also, shoot it--ALOT. Doing these things didn't make the pistol any safer but they made ME safer with the pistol. I now know that the 1911 condition 1 is the proper way to carry--FOR ME and I carry IWB. I also know that it (1911, cond. 1) is at least as safe as any similarly loaded modern reputable autoloader--bar none. Not to open a can of worms, but some would even argue that a 1911 condition 1 is safer than some striker-fired autos with one in the pipe. I don't have a dog in the fight. I like both. I'm not taking a position. Bottom line, neither will fire unless and until the trigger is depressed. So, I discovered the real safety of the pistol is between my ears.

Examine the design and you will find that it is safest when cocked and locked. I haven't found a pistol design yet that quite matches the speed and precision of the first shot. Now if only mine (Sigarms Revolution Carry) would function ...

What is the big deal about "cocked and locked?" Every time I ever loaded a pump or semi-auto shotgun to go hunting, it was "cocked and locked." So just why is the 1911 so different?

Click to expand...

It's not. Some people just have a problem with seeing the hammer back on a fully safe pistol because they do not understand the safety features. It may be a PC mentality instilled by gun-grabbers -or it could be leftover sentiment from old-timer SAA wheeliemen.

Cocked and locked here!!

Series 80 Colt's Commander... I did what others have suggested and simply carried it cocked and locked with an empty chamber for a while before trusting it, for everyday carry. The oddes thing though is that one day I was carrying it as usual, when I noticed the thumb safety had some how come off, with a live round in the chamber!! I was never more thankful for that grip safety in all my life.

Still 2 Many Choices!?

Cocked and Locked is the only way to go on a 1911, IMO.

Personally C&L is the only way I would ever carry my 1911. I'm very confident in it's design.

I've been carrying one sort of 1911 or another most often as my CCW for many years. Always in "Condition 1".

If you aren't comfortable doing so, your best alternatives, IMO, are: go with another platform option such as the Springfield XD, Kahr, Glock, etc., switch to a 1911-based alternative such as the Para LDA, or have Cylinder & Slide install a "Safety Fast System" kit in your 1911.

Or you could train intensively with professionals and alone until you become
comfortable enough with the platform's system and your own skills with it to render it a 'non-issue'.

I have to jump on the train on this one. A 1911 should only be carried cocked and locked, and is entirely safe when doing so. A little "practice" time should ease your mind. If you still have doubts, then it may indeed be time to find another style of pistol to carry. Good luck.

(BTW, I've been ccwing a C&L 1911 for more than twenty years, never had any "issues")