GOVERNMENT 1911 models

[OLDE RETIRED COASTIE]

As much as I like the standard GOVT MODEL 1911, I carried, and qualified with the 1911 from 1968 thru 1989. I always got hammer bite.

Best thing I found to stop the issue, was the beavertail grip safety

I still would buy a standard GOVT model. Just to have, but when I fire , I shoot my guns with the beavertail grip safety

If I had a standard model 1911 would change the grip safety to the beavertail grip safety

 

[Walkalong]

Never had that problem, but obviously some do.

 

[silicosys4]

I've never had a problem with hammer bite in any of my govts, so I've kept them as they came.
If I would change anything it would be the barrel and sights...and of those two definitely the sights.
My 1991A1 is far more reliable than my govts with anything but 230gr RN.



But they are pretty.

 

[ontarget]

I've honestly never experienced hammer bite with any gun, but I have been bitten by a couple of slides on old Colt rimfire semi autos.
Can cause a hell of a flinch.

 

[halfmoonclip]

The hammer on a TISA 1911 bit me hard enough to draw blood; carefully rounding the hammer spur solved the problem. A bone stock GI 1911 is just a thing worth having.
Moon

 

[OLDE RETIRED COASTIE]

In 21 years qualifying with 1911s, I always had hammer bite hard enough to draw blood.
They were all standard GI MODELS, and on the few I owned, I filed the hammer, and cold blued it so would not rust

If I owned one today would do the same thing. As I would probably want to keep it original

 

[Slamfire]

With my GI configuration 1911's, I wear a thin shooting leather glove, one where I cut the forefinger off at the knuckle so I can feel the trigger. If I don't do this, the thin A1 GI configuration grip safety will wear off the web skin on my hand around round 60 or so. At least the hammer hits the grip safety, not my hand.

an original WW1 1911 had a very short grip safety, so the pistol could be easily thumb cocked. The Army manual of arms was magazine in weapon, round in chamber, hammer down. The Navy carry mode, all the way to my Dad's WW2 Blue Jacket manual, was nothing in chamber, maybe magazine in gun. The Navy was very worried about rounds rattling around metal ships full of people and explosive compounds, so often the Office on the Deck had an empty pistol in his flap holster.

Compared to the GI grip safety, I can shoot beavertail grips for a long time.

I currently prefer the older Clark beavertail.

This beavertail was designed to hold the handgun high in the hand, so your fingers don't bump the thumb safety one way or another, and it was designed for the Bullseye Pistol safety practice of the era. That is, on the load command, shooters were to put their thumb on the hammer spur and hold it as the slide chambered the first round. A combination of low grade mil spec parts, and trigger jobs, lead to all sorts of hammer following issues, so that it became standard practice to hold the hammer back with your thumb, so it did not follow the slide down. There is enough room under a Clark 180 beavertail to get your finger under the slide. You cannot do that with these later beavertails.

Also, the Clark beavertail allows easy thumb cocking, and hammer lowering. Two hands should be used when lowering the hammer. Lowering the hammer with the thumb of the shooting hand is guaranteed to create a negligent discharge when the hammer slips out from under the thumb!. I consider this tantamount to suicide:

EEK!

This is more controlled

Late model beavertails block access to the hammer spur both in cocking and decocking. Cult Cocked and Locked might as well design the hammer out of the gun, install a striker, as they have made the hammer functionally vestigial.

 

[cfullgraf]

Government model 1911’s are “a dime a dozen”.

Unless the gun has some specific historic significance, just go ahead and replace the grip safety or have a Commander style hammer installed.

I get hammer bite depending on how high on the grip I hold the gun.

 

[OLDE RETIRED COASTIE]

I was taught years ago to let the grip safety rest on the web of the hand. So the grip safety could be sure to engage. when gripped like that, I have a lot of skin in the web of my hand.

My two brothers never had that problem, but the web of my hand was larger than theirs.

 

[Slamfire]

Government model 1911’s are “a dime a dozen”.

And that is so wonderful! I have never before lived in a period where "GI" configuration 1911's have been so affordable, plentiful, made of good alloys, outstanding machining, and overall, damned good pistols. This was $350 before taxes. Beat that.

did fine at 25 yards

The basic GI configuration 1911 was a simple, rugged, well designed combat pistol. I do prefer the taller and broader sights on that Tisas Patriot Brown 1911 to WW1 era thin, short sights. On round bull targets, the thin WW1 sights will allow the target shooter to shoot a higher score, as you can hold off at 3 OC, 5 OC, etc, on the black. Big sights are better for fast acquisition, but back then, the combat course was a paper punching game on round black bulls.

 

[cfullgraf]

I was taught years ago to let the grip safety rest on the web of the hand. So the grip safety could be sure to engage. when gripped like that, I have a lot of skin in the web of my hand.

My two brothers never had that problem, but the web of my hand was larger than theirs.

I agree but I'm not talking about having air space visible between my hand and the grip safety. I just found that I was griping the firearm tighter and the fleshy part of my hand would extend above the grip safety and I'd get bitten.

Except for maybe my Gold Cup, I do not have any 45 ACP 1911's that have the Government Model grip safety. I only
shoot target loads in the Gold Cup and recoil is pretty soft. I have a couple 38 Super 1911's with Government Model, a mid-1950's version and a 2010 version, grip safeties. Again, the recoil is not as harsh as with 45 ACP so hammer bite is not a problem, at least for me.

Hammer bite is no fun. "Nothing like putting yourself into your shooting".

 

[Anchorite]

Never a problem here nor have I ever seen a case of hammerbite in person, but I understand it afflicts some folks.

 

[trackskippy]

Some bite, some dont, it is what it is. Man up and think like a Samurai, it is a weapon after all, so there should be blood involved.

 

[AlexanderA]

I'm a fan of the M1911, but I don't see the point of spending so much time and effort "improving" it beyond the standard WW2 configuration. Yes, back in the 1950's and 60's this might have been justified, because surplus guns were cheap and nothing better (as far as the basic gun) was available. But now we're 80 years past the M1911's heyday, and lots of better things are available. As a collector, I'm content to keep the M1911s (as well as all revolvers) in their historical context, and shoot them only for the historical experience.

 

[jmorris]

I never had hammer bite from a 1911 but I prefer how they feel With BT. With one of the little dumbbell like fixtures you don’t have to be a master machinist to fit one nicely either.

 

[jmorris]

But now we're 80 years past the M1911's heyday

And there are probably more manufacturers making them now than ever before...

 

[halfmoonclip]

With one of the little dumbbell like fixtures you don’t have to be a master machinist to fit one nicely either.

jmorris, would you like to expound on that a little more? Thanks.

Cult Cocked and Locked might as well design the hammer out of the gun, install a striker, as they have made the hammer functionally vestigial.

I recall Steve McQueen casually chambering a round in a 1911, smoothly easing the hammer down, one handed, and shoving the piece in his belt small of the back. It looked great when he did it. These days, condition 2 is viewed with the same bile as throwing stones at holy pictures.
Liked your diagrams from the CZ manual; much as I love the feel of CZs, lowering the hammer does require caution.
Moon

 

[RA40]

I've not had that issue with the 1911 nor Hi Power either. I have small skinny computer like hands so that attribute has saved me in hammer bite. I did cock the hammer on the revolver a few times to get myself. I would shave the hammers on the revolvers because of the high hold with them.

 

[jmorris]

jmorris, would you like to expound on that a little more? Thanks.

Strip the frame and put the fixture where the thumb safety goes and file or sand down the frame to meet the fixture and they go right on and have the gap shown in the photo above, in #15.

Looks like this before you remove the proper amount of material.

 

[halfmoonclip]

Strip the frame and put the fixture where the thumb safety goes and file or sand down the frame to meet the fixture and they go right on and have the gap shown in the photo above, in #15.

Looks like this before you remove the proper amount of material.

View attachment 1228625

Thanks, very clear!
Moon

 

[cfullgraf]

Thanks, very clear!
Moon

There are one or three different gauges for modifying the frame for a beaver tail safety on the market. All function similarly as the one jmorris shows.

I'd suggest getting the guage used by the manufacturer of the beaver tail safety you are planning to use.

Remember to work slowly. You can always take a bit more material off the frame of the gun but you cannot put it back on if you take off too much at one siting,.

 

[King Medallion]

Never been bit.

 

[jmorris]

There are one or three different gauges for modifying the frame for a beaver tail safety on the market. All function similarly as the one jmorris shows.

I'd suggest getting the guage used by the manufacturer of the beaver tail safety you are planning to use.

Remember to work slowly. You can always take a bit more material off the frame of the gun but you cannot put it back on if you take off too much at one siting,.

Yes, you will want the correct radius for the safety. I have a friend that gave me a frame he messed up on (tried milling it but it his set up slipped. I TIG welded it back up so its useable but I agree work slowly and carefully.

 

[CraigC]

I don't have a problem with hammer bite but they are a lot more comfortable to shoot with a beavertail. Tisas has an interesting model, the Stakeout, that is sort of an in-between model with their GI style sights and finish but with a long solid trigger and beavertail with Commander hammer.




Tempted to get one of those jigs and install one on my Tank Commander. I think I have one somewhere that I bought and never used.

 

[Jim Watson]

the thin A1 GI configuration grip safety will wear off the web skin on my hand around round 60 or so.

My FLG describes it as "chewing" on his hand along the seam between grip safety and frame.

I am not much subject to hammer bite, but the beavertail smooths the draw and spreads the recoil a bit.

I recall Steve McQueen casually chambering a round in a 1911, smoothly easing the hammer down, one handed, and shoving the piece in his belt small of the back. It looked great when he did it.

Bet "the round" was a dummy or blank.