1911 thumb safety

[oklahoma caveman]

only personal experiences please. for those of you who carry or have carried a 1911 cocked and locked. have any of you ever had the hammer safety get knocked off while carrying?

just curious because i know that is how it was meant to be carried, but i just want to know how reliable the safety is

 

[Prof. A. Wickwire]

Oklahoma Caveman,

Yes I have. This is one of the reasons that I carry in a holster with a thumbstrap. This way, even if by some miracle: the grip safety failed; the hammer was released without the trigger being pulled; and the half cock notch failed; the thumbstrap would still prevent the hammer from contacting the firing pin.

This also only happened a few times when the holster was new.

Sincerely,

Prof. A. Wickwire

 

[Big Boomer]

only once, not sure how long it had been like that. I must have bumped into a counter or something with my ambidextrous safety.

After my holster worn in and created a sort of crease in it not allowing it to click off anymore even with substantial force.

 

[White Horseradish]

I've had it happen with extended ambi safety. Never with standard GI safety.

 

[yomama]

Yes. No worries though. The grip safety would still have to be depressed and at the same time, something would have to get inside the holster and pull the trigger.

 

[oklahoma caveman]

so after the holster breaks it stops happening?

 

[Wayne G.]

As others have said, I've had it happen too, but only with the ambi safety. Since then, all my 1911's have single extended safety. No problems since!

 

[Seiko]

Yes, but only extended or ambi safety in a holster with a thumb break (mostly in my galco fletch).

Never had it happen with a small safety.
Never had it happen in a higher end Alessi or Rosen holster even with a thumb break and large safety.

 

[target1911]

I have an IWB holster with the leather skin/sweat guard. As the holster breaks in, a grove from the safety forms in the leather guard therefore helping to keep the safety from being swiped off.



I will try to get a pic of the holster without my gun in it so you can see the safety grove.

 

[Zach S]

have any of you ever had the hammer safety get knocked off while carrying?

No. I use a holster simular to target1911's.

I should also mention that I use a extended safeties on all my 1911s, one one has an ambi though, and its isnt carried. Its a wide body, I'm a skinny guy.

 

[James41]

I haven't been carrying for a long time, but so far have never had it happen to me. I use a Crossbreed IWB holster and I can see the indent where the safety is working into the leather.

 

[weisse52]

Yes, I've had it happen with an extended safety. Never with standard GI safety. That is why I went back to a GI on my CCW piece.

 

[rcmodel]

Not so far.
But I have only carried C&L'd 1911's for 50 years.

BTW: You couldn't give me an extended safety, or an ambi safety, if I had to put it on my carry guns!

I have always thought O'l John got it just about right the first time!


rcmodel

 

[oklahoma caveman]

ok thanx for the information. how hard is it to replace a ambi safety with a gi?

 

[Technosavant]

ok thanx for the information. how hard is it to replace a ambi safety with a gi?

The new safety does need to be fit to the sear; it isn't drop-in. A competent gunsmith should be able to do it rather easily.

 

[tegemu]

Yes, rarely but the grip safety is on, my finger is off the trigger and the trigger is covered by the holster so - no big deal.

 

[DMK]

only personal experiences please. for those of you who carry or have carried a 1911 cocked and locked. have any of you ever had the hammer safety get knocked off while carrying?

No, never. And I have a slightly wider safety. It's not ambi and I have pretty stiff springs though.