Why do 1911's still have the grip safety?

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It is sort of humorous, but the Army did insist on the grip safety so the gun would not fire if dropped, and that is the one case where the grip safety has no effect, since it only blocks the trigger, not the sear. The Army wanted the manual (thumb) safety so a cavalryman could make his gun safe when he had to control his horse. With DA revolvers, they could uncock them, but the auto pistol was then not ready.

Note that Browning put grip safeties on other guns, notably the 1903 pocket model, before government trials. Supposedly, that was to make sure that people used to revolvers did not let their hands ride up and get in the way of the slide.

Jim
 
McCormick

The 'DeActivator' is a grip safety.
It looks like the Kimber grip safety.
I prefer its raised portion to others, because I prefer the way it feels in my hand(s).
 
Preacherman,

Like 45auto said, pin the grip safety. A lot of the fellows that Col. Cooper shot with many years ago started the practice, I believe.

Regards
 
An alternative to pinning the grip safety would be to have an Ed Brown grip safety installed by a competent gunsmith.
It's a much higher hold than most other safeties, and if "adjusted" properly, requires very little pressure to release.

I have one that I have never failed to release, even on a "bad" grip. Compared to some other lower grip safeties that I have had problems with.

I believe this is a problem with mostly shooters that put their thumb on the safety while shooting.
 
I'm with Mr. Preacherman here.


I sincerely believe it's one safety better done away with. :cool:


Mr. Moderator: Could we post a poll about this? Thanks!
 
It is said that the Browning Hi-Power was the next stage in JMB's evolution of handgun design and I don't believe it incorporates a grip safety.
I believe that since the auto-loader was such a new concept at the time, that many who were used to using a single action revolver, it might have been perceived to be a dangerous practice to carry it cocked unless a safety was installed.
The 1911 isn't as easy to cock and un-cock as is a SA revolver, at least not one handed.
Personally, I would like to see someone design a 1911 without the grip safety, and add a decocker option to the standard thumb safety design.
 
I'm convinced that the 1911 grip safety is a huge gun manufacturer conspiracy aimed to prevent me from ever buying a 1911-style pistol. :D

I hate grip safeties. More than once, I have failed to deactivate a 1911 grip safety with my normal shooting grip. Yes, I know, I can have the safety adjusted or deactivated, but I don't like having to bother with it.

- Chris
 
Colonel Cooper, may indeed indicate that grip safeties should be pinned, but in the next breath he has said it will light the fire under liability lawyers. As I understand it his particular shooting style, does not always reliably depress the grip safety.

Proceed at your own risk if it is a CCW.

Civil cases don't have the burden of proof requirement of a criminal case and there is a lot more room for circumstantial evidence that would never even see the light of day in a criminal court trial. Expect to be sued, by the survivor or his/her family in the event that you have to defend yourself. Disabling a safety device just makes it easier for the other side.

I happen to like them and haven't ever had a problem with them.

If you are having a problem, evaluate your grip first, some people who rest thier thumb on the safety have a problem with failing to engage the grip safety. Replacing it with a grip safety with a memory bump will usually address the problem.
 
Just to interject a slightly different note here. I always have a problem with reliably activating the grip safety. All of my 1911s have had the grip safeties deactivated.

I do use the high thumb grip and I have had my grip evaluated by some class A and Master Class shooters in IPSC and my grip is fine. I have long thin fingers and not much padding at the base of my thumb. Rather than grip tightly, I "ride" the recoil. I use the Ed Brown safety because I like the higher grip it gives me, however, even with the "memory" pad I still can't reliably activate the grip safety.

I am not enough of an expert shooter to have a perfect grip every time so rather than take a chance on it not going boom, I deactivate the grip safety by grinding off the tip. I use the high thumb grip because it allows me to "ride" the recoil better and I am absolutely sure the manual safety is off.

BTW, I've heard this thing about liability lawyers before. Can anyone actually quote a case where deactivating the grip safety on a 1911 was actually part of the case?
 
Preacherman.....I just don't see any point to it, and given the number of times I've had to grab for a gun with a sweaty/wet/bloody hand, with my grip slipping and sliding as I present the weapon, I don't want anything that would prevent my firing it without a perfect grip.

What the heck do you do that puts you into that kind of situation a regular basis? I'm assuming that your not a preacher like your name indicates.

I guess I've never had any trouble holding in the grip safety. After all if you have a proper grip on the gun the safety will be disengaged. If its really that big of a deal get the grip safety checkered. Thats the great thing about the 1911. You can have the gun build for your needs.

Next time you're watching the news and they show someone from one of the many US Special Forces check to see whats on their belt. A majority of the time its a 1911. In fact US SOCOM just bought a bunch of slides and frames from Springfield to build somewhere close to 1000 1911's.

There's a reason why the gun has been around for close to 100 years.
 
It wouldn't be a 1911 without the grip safety or the thumb latch safety.

After all, isn't the Army's approval and designation what makes it the M1911?
Until the Army approved the design, it was called something else.

I personally think safeties are a good thing. I don't even "hate" the additional reduntant safties on my Colts and Kimbers. I don't particularly like them but, they is what they is, and mine work just fine. :D
 
Although I find the idea of the grip safety to be superflous and detrimental to actually being able to fire the pistol, being able to change the grip saftey allows an individual to change the fit of the pistol to his hand.

If I were to own a 1911, I would find a grip saftey that felt as comfortable as possible, and then pin it shut.
 
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