1911 - Am I the only one who doesn't like oversized beavertail safeties?

[Skylerbone]

King's went under and was bought out. American Gun Works now offers digital pattern finishes for firearms and, so far as I can tell, little else.

Modifying yours will get you the same look. The Wilson BP Concealed is the closest I've seen, linked above, post #27 or PM poster #41 RogersPrecision to inquire about professional pistolsmithing services.

 

[1911Tuner]

The King's drop-in was a singularly ugly affair, but it worked.

 

[Holland&Holland]

This grip safety looks nearly exactly what my former employer, Jim Hoag, came up with in the mid 1970s! I still managed to get bit by a spur hammer with it though, and ended up cutting back the spur as well as removing some metal along the rear radius to make it look a bit nicer.

The one thing that I haven't seen here is the "protection factor" of the ugly upswept beavertail of the spur...if one has a Series 70/original 1911 design and managed to drop their pistol while it is in Condition Zero, that design would afford a fair bit of safety from an AD, by essentially covering the rear of the hammer from impact.

 

[EddieNFL]

With these modern beavertails it is very hard to thumb cock and dangerous, in my opinion, to attempt to lower the hammer on a chambered round.

Non-starter for me. In the greater part of four decades I've never cocked/uncocked a loaded 1911. Don't recall ever doing so with an empty one, either.

 

[Prosser]

I find the large beavertail annoying. I've only been bit by a Walther, never a 1911 with the standard design bt.
Makes the gun harder to CCW, sticking me in the stomach.

 

[Skylerbone]

One more possibility from Colt, standard for a few years on their XSE line, the down swept beavertail.

 

[Frank Ettin]

I do like the look of that abbreviated beavertail. Now where can I get it?

It's done by Heirloom Precision. AFAIK, they don't sell it. They will fit it as part of custom work.

 

[gym]

I remember a discussion about carrying my p13 wit a round chambered and the hammer down, that I caught a ton of incoming flack on, years ago when I was explaining that it was safe to do so. I really got mugged when I said that, even though the owners manual said it was safe at the time the gun came out. I just find it easier "because I always did it that way" to cock the gun like a single action revolver. On the way up. Now there are 2 schools of thought on that also, I believe the swat way was gun up and then cock the hammer, and military was all in one motion. "I may have them reversed" it's been a while. But I always did it that way and it wasn't any faster or slower, just worked for me.I automaticlly puled the hammer back upon reaching for the pistol.And lowering the hammer using my thumb in between the frame and the hammer, while holding the hammer with the other thumb. So far so good, it wold take me sliding off both thumbs to fire the gun. Or if I still felt threatned I would use the safety. But like in blackhawk down, my finger is the safety. i sure don't recommend this if you didn't start out this way.
Beavertails I like the stock colt size, those big ones are just ugly to me and make the gun clumsy. That R1 has a nice beavertail, so does my EMP. not overdone.I don't remrmber the last time I pinched my web on a slide to be honest.

 

[klw1911]

1911 was not designed with firing pin safety that came along 70 yrs. later.With 1911(PRE 80 SERIES OR NO FIRING PIN SAFETY) in half cocked POSITION when dropped can go off.

 

[Greg528iT]

klw1911 sorry NO. The original 1911 hammer had a half cock notch that fully captured the sear. The hammer or sear would need to be nearly pulverized before either would allow the hammer to strike the firing pin. Some newer hammers have a shelf not a notch. Know which one you have.

 

[FoMoGo]

I LOVE the grip safety in my Delta Elite.

Jim

 

[1911Tuner]

1911 was not designed with firing pin safety that came along 70 yrs. later.With 1911(PRE 80 SERIES OR NO FIRING PIN SAFETY) in half cocked POSITION when dropped can go off.

As to that, any firearm that gets dropped carries a risk of discharge. There are no guarantees or fool-proof safeguards against that. There are only mechanisms that make it less likely. The Series 80 system covers dropping the gun muzzle down, and the standard grip safety blocks the trigger and keeps it from bumping the disconnect should it strike the ground muzzle up...which is why the grip safety is there to start with...but even that can fail should the pistol hit the ground in just the right way. No guarantees. Only safeguards that make it unlikely.

In the 1910 patents...before the US Cavalry requested the thumb safety...the half-cock was intended to be a "Safety Position" and is referred to as such by John Browning.

And...The firing pin block/safety isn't a new idea. The Swartz system was tried in the 30s and abandoned for being too complex and unreliable. It was resurrected by Kimber, and is plagued by the same problems that caused Colt to shelve it 80-odd years ago.

 

[JTQ]

I LOVE the grip safety in my Delta Elite.

I have the same hammer/grip safety combo on my Combat Elite. I agree. No hammer bite and it is still very compact.

I'm convinced Colt took a GI grip safety and ground it down to make room for a Commander Hammer, and took off some of the downward dip at the end of the safety to make this one.

Of course, that Harrison grip safety has gone to yet another level.

 

[1911Tuner]

I'm convinced Colt took a GI grip safety and ground it down to make room for a Commander Hammer.

That's exactly what they did. I've modified a few in the same way. The ones on the 1991A1 Commanders were more nicely done.



And here is the original Commander style. Very easy to get your hand on top of during a hasty draw, and brutal if you didn't correct it before pulling the trigger. Notice how close it is to the original pre-A1 safety.