Carrying a 1911 cocked and unlocked?

[megatronrules]

I have carried glocks for a few years without any trouble a glock is half cocked I guess you could say with one in the pipe. Now before anyone goes crazy on me for asking this I want to clearify that I've carried my browning hi powers like this for about as long as the glocks w/o any trouble I carry the BHP in a galco summer comfort thats made for the 1911 really but fits the BHP fine this ia a proper holser that is stiff and covers the guns trigger guard fully.

I also have a question about how long would it take before I will rememeber under stress to disengage the thumb safety? I always remember on the range but thats not under stress. I want to add that my finger IS NEVER AND I MEAN NEVER INSIDE THE TRIGGER GUARD ON ANY GUN I CARRY OR OWN AT ANY TIME UNLESS ITS POINTED DOWNRANGE READY TO BE FIRED. Also I never point the muzzle in an unsafe direction for me this is second nature I don't have to think about it I just do it. All this being said i've heard of people having the grip safety on thair 1911 permanatly pinned shut,Now even with the thumb safety off this is going to be a springfield WWII milspec that don't exactly have a feather light trigger. So I'am thinking that I still have to put my finger inside the
trigger guard,depress the grip safety and pull the trigger. All thing I'am not going to do accedently so I figure carrying a glock with its safety being part of the trigger can't be much differant. Please don't flame me to bad for this question as i'am onlt trying to get some insight on wether this practice is generally frowned upon.

 

[RWK]

With respect -- and even under the “no finger inside the guard†(etc.) conditions you describe -- I believe cocked and UNlocked 1911A1 carriage is unwise. The incremental time it takes to disengage the thumb safety is minuscule, while the additional physical safety’s effect could be huge.

 

[Pappy John]

Learn to shoot the 1911 with your thumb ON the safety lever....that way you know it'll be dis-engaged when you trip the trigger.

I wouldn't carry it with the safety off.

 

[Ktulu]

Don’t carry a gun you're not familiar with. I submit that if you have concerns about disengaging the thumb safety on a 1911, you are not familiar with 1911s. Thumbing off the safety should be automatic. If it's not, practice or go back to the Glock.

I sometimes have a similar problem with Glocks. My thumb keeps looking for that safety.

 

[Snowdog]

Also I never point the muzzle in an unsafe direction for me this is second nature I don't have to think about it I just do it.

With ample training, disengaging the manual safety will become second nature as well.

Practice drawing and disengaging the safety in the comfort of your own home enough and you'll do the same under pressure I assure you.

 

[Leatherneck]

Snowdog nailed it. Cocked and locked with a 1911, and practice practice practice drawing and pushing the safety off..

TC
TFL Survivor

 

[megatronrules]

Thanks guys I think I will do just that when I get another 1911 I am very familiar with these guns I just been carrying glocks alot and they have no safety to flip off. As a result I spoiled myself I guess in not thinking about manual safeties. I think i'll get the hang of it after a short time of practicing while drawing as you suggest.

 

[Pendragon]

Lots and lots of dry practice.

I used to practice drawing and unlocking my BHP clone when I got it - only about 20 times a day for a few weeks, but then it became second nature.

Technically, I do not see a real reason why "Condition Zero" carry of a 1911 in good repair would be a problem - even with a light trigger, the grip safety must be depressed for it to fire.

Still - its such a small motion, easily learned with some repetition that it just seems like a good idea.

Also - since I learned the thumbs on the safety grip, my shooting has improved a lot.

 

[shooter1]

Actually disengaging the safety of a 1911 is more a matter of shooting grip. I use the straight thumbs grip on all my pistols. As I present the pistol from the draw, my strong side thumb automaticly disengages the safety. This allows me to transition back and forth from my Glocks to Kimbers without a thought.
Will

 

[BluesBear]

You'll probably get the same comments and opinions that were expressed
in March
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16174

or in August
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=38237

and in November
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=50813

 

[PCRCCW]

Ill echo everything spoken thus far. I carry SA guns that are cocked and locked and I carry Trad. DA guns.....come with decockers. Its habit to sweep the safety (go through the motions) even when there isnt one.

Better to have a good habit than try and work around doing something thats "thought of as unsafe"........at least by me.

Shoot well.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

One simple method is to train yourself to grasp the gun with the thumb on the safety and the finger OUTSIDE the trigger guard. When you come on target and decide to shoot, you simply close your hand.

Imagine holding your hand as IF you had a gun, but were holding nothing but empty air. When you close your hand, you bring your thumb and index finger into contact.

If you're holding the gun properly, that action takes off the safety and fires the gun at the same time.

Add the flash front sight picture and a few thousand rounds in practice, and you'll be able to shoot quite well that way.