I guess you don't watch Top Shot. Former Seal, Jake, managed to accidentally put a 1911 on safe in the middle of a shooting string.There's another one that I've never seen except on a badly-fitted safety...and only once. Oddly enough, it was a Les Baer StingerThose big safeties are easy to bump off. They are also easy to bump on when you want to shoot.
Tex Grebner ND:
My own opinion is that manual safeties (esp with light triggers) lead to more ND's. Here's my theory. The human brain can only consciously do so many things at once. The more steps you add, the more you develop and rely on muscle memory. Muscle memory is dumb. It lumps a bunch of different things together as one, and it doesn't know the four rules. When the situation changes, it might trug along, anyway. Or if you get confused, it might skip or mix some steps. Keeping things simple leaves less to muscle memory and more to analytical thinking.
In other words, when someone has an ND (not saying the OP didn't have an AD) with a 1911, and someone responds with "all you have to do is keep your finger off the trigger," I agree. I also think that doing so is easier when that's ALL you have to do. When you have to do X and Z but NOT Y, then it's easier to screw up.
I have a handgun with no decocker on it, which I have slowly and deliberately practiced decocking hundreds of times. When I am giving it my full attention, it is completely safe. There are only 5 basic steps. And yet when I'm dryfiring it and decocking it without my full attention, muscle memory takes over. And it is often wrong! I've caught my trigger finger on the trigger before the hammer was completely blocked. Maybe it's not the same for everyone, but my muscle memory sure seems to look for shortcuts when I'm not watching.
I believe that once things started going wrong, Tex's muscle memory went on autopilot. He had already flicked the safety off, had already started the draw, and now his finger was looking for the trigger, even though it was all out of order.
My friend has had a 1911 for almost a year. Has been shooting Glocks for almost 3. The other day we went shooting, and were both wearing holsters. There was some cans set out, and I was bored, so I suggested some quickdraw shots. I see my friend going for the holster, then stopping. A confused look on his face. I prompt him. "Put the safety on." Ok, click. "Put the gun in the holster." Uh, ok. Done. Ok, I go. Draw, bang, miss. "Your turn." He draws. Takes a two handed grip. Looks at his gun. Takes the safety off. You can see the gears turning. La dee dah. Finally takes aim and shoots. Brilliant to me that he was so careful. But it illustrates that with more going on, it takes more time and effort to use a gun with a manual safety. Your brain has to jive each step with the 4 rules, and figure out how to complete the puzzle, efficiently, and yet without breaking any rules. And in the process you have to make some decisions, many of them somewhat arbitrary, if you think about it. (I can think of at least 4-5 safe sequences in drawing and firing a gun with a manual safety and as many wrong ways. And arbitrary decisions are often the hardest to make under stress.) That is, until you get your muscle memory. One day, he'll have that muscle memory. And he'll be one step closer to an ND.
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