Pocket 1911 - safety disengaging

[DickP]

I have a pocket .380 made by Star Echeverria (the pistol looks a lot like the Colt Mustang - basically a diminutive 1911).

I've pocket carried this gun for several years now in a leather pocket holster. Once in a while (every 6 months or so?) I find that in the course of riding around in my pocket I've somehow activated the magazine release button. Obviously, the thought of having to draw the gun in a life-or-death encounter only to have the magazine clatter to the floor doesn't leave me feeling very good.

A month or so ago, I removed the gun from my pocket to discover that the safety had come disengaged. The gun had been riding, briefly, in my back pocket, which I usually never do.

About a week ago the safety disengaged again, but this time it was riding in my front pocket. I haven't carried it since.

The holster is leather, and conforms well to the gun (I think it was probably designed for the Mustang). The holster covers the entire trigger guard, but leaves the safety and magazine release button exposed.

I'm thinking I should either ditch the gun (for pocket carry, at least), or modify the holster. It looks like a single thick piece of leather could be attached to the holster so that the magazine button would be shielded and the safety would be kept in place as long as the gun was in the holster. But I dunno. The last thing I want to do is Plaxico myself just because I'm sentimentally attached to a gun that's maybe not appropriate for pocket carry.

Am I overreacting? Discovering that I'd been carrying "cocked but unlocked" with the muzzle 4 inches from my scrotum made my stomach turn, but then I usually carry a Glock, and that doesn't have any active safety at all...

Thanks, guys!

 

[ATLDave]

For goodness sake, get a holster that covers the controls if you're going to have it in your pocket! Looks like Fist will make you one that will fit a Colt Mustang: http://www.fist-inc.com/holsters/gunlistA/Default.htm
Here's a model that goes in a pocket: http://www.fist-inc.com/holsters/holster/5.htm

 

[Loosedhorse]

I had this happen with a Mustang. I removed the safety levers and drilled the detente depression (for the safety plunger) a bit deeper. Easy does it. Then re-installed it to check the function. Went back and forth like that a few times until I got a nice, stiff, positive safety engagement--CLICK! Safety snaps on and off very deliberately, very positively.

Have had no problems with the pistol since. Not sure if your pistol uses the same system.

 

[LCPor9mm]

OUCH!!!

How old is this gun? Would you consider sending it back to the manufacturer? I would get it fixed or trade it in, in fact if I ever found a 1911 style single action pistol in my pocket with the safety off, that gun would be history.

 

[LCPor9mm]

 

[NG VI]

I second the FIST reccomendation, they make some very good holsters, and in your case maybe a Kydex one would be better, least chance of activating important controls in your pocket and great retention too.

 

[DickP]

Thanks guys, I'll take a look at some FIST holsters.

How old is this gun? Would you consider sending it back to the manufacturer? I would get it fixed or trade it in, in fact if I ever found a 1911 style single action pistol in my pocket with the safety off, that gun would be history.

I was assuming that the problem was with the holster, and my method of carry, rather than the gun - but maybe not? I mean, the safety lever requires a some real force to move off safe.

Loosedhorse - thanks, but frankly I don't trust my mechanical abilities enough to modify the safety mechanism on a carry firearm. A good idea for my gunsmith, though.

 

[mec]

The older mustang/380 governments that Ive seen have sometimes had spongy safety detents that came on and off too easily. The newly introduced mustang has positive engagement -not hard to manipulated but unlikely to self-activate.

 

[JohnBT]

He can't send it back to the manufacturer. Star went out of business for good in 1997.

 

[2wheels]

Maybe look into a new holster, but I'd definitely see a gunsmith about tightening up that safety (if it's possible). My P238 has never had the safety disengage in my pocket, it's stiff enough that I don't worry about it.

I've got a simple Galco leather pocket holster for my P238 that doesn't cover the mag release, and I've never had the mag released either. Possibly the spring for your mag release button is weak?