can you get a 1911 with no safety ?

[ROLEXrifleman]

It's probably been answered but: any good gunsmith could deactivate the thumb safety. With that said any good gunsmith wont deactivate the thumb safety.

 

[oldfb]

There have always been three alternatives all with differing advocates. People that feel carrying Israeli style is akin to being unarmed or a having a club are fooling themselves into a superior mindset. For the simple fact that even cocked and locked 1911's have been known to go click instead of bang from several ammunition or action failures. Nothing is murphy proof and only with proper discipline and repetitive training/drills/practice will we be ready for that when things go south in a hurry.

So Barring the obvious speed issues, what safety concerns are there for carrying a modern colt 1911 in condition 2. Loaded chamber with hammer at rest? In a quality thumb break holster it shouldn't be any less safe than carrying a modern single action Ruger with 6 rounds loaded and with the hammer at rest or am I missing something?

As long as the hammer was lowered in a safe manner preferably while being pointed at or into a ballistic trap there shouldn't be any tragedies that would befall someone. Unless I am missing something in the latest series of the Colts design.

The only option is to carry the gun Israeli-style - full mag, empty chamber, hammer down. Then do what you want.

If you want to carry a loaded and chambered 1911, learn how to use the safeties like any other reasonable person has or would.

AS for this last statement I agree but some people just aren't reasonable.lol

 

[88E30M50]

If you want to carry a loaded and chambered 1911, learn how to use the safeties like any other reasonable person has or would.

1911s are great guns. I have my Ultra Carry on my belt as I type this and would not go anywhere I can legally go without it. The safety is an integral part of the function of a 1911. If you choose a 1911, you generally do because of the short, light trigger pull. The only responsible way to get that kind of pull is by incorporating a manual safety. If you get a 1911, learn to draw and stroke the safety in one motion. If you are worried about the manual safety, then the 1911 is not the gun for you.

The problems with removing a safety are that it's irresponsible and that it alters the design of an excellent gun to compensate for the lack of skill of the shooter. By carrying a 1911 in condition one without the safety, you substantially increase the risk of a ND. If someone were to be injured by that ND, you would be totally and completely screwed by the law and your new friends in prison. If you ignore all of the advice given here and try to go that route anyway, you are adding to the arsenal of anti-gun folks who just love stories of irresponsible gun owners as evidence of why guns need controlled.

 

[kingnereli]

The grip safeties are actually considered a passive safety.

Tell that to the people who have trouble keeping them depressed consistently.

 

[ROLEXrifleman]

^^^^ LOL, so true!

 

[Colt556]

While the P7 doesn't have an active safety, it's designed in such a fashion to make it impossible to fire unless you're deliberately trying to shoot someone. It's not really comparable.

His statement was revolvers are the only guns w/o safeties. A P7 has no safety. And a double action revolver won't shoot unless you are actively trying to shoot it. Neither are comparable to a 1911 of course.

 

[WIZZO499]

With a proper high thumbs grip, you never notice the thumb safety. You flick it off as the gun clears the holster and you're ready to put a hole in something before it even points to the horizon. There's no concious thought required.

As far as carrying a 1911 in condition 2, that's not really dangerous since there's a firing pin spring in there keeping the firing pin from doing anything (the pistol cannot discharge by being dropped on the hammer anyways). The problem is getting it to that condition. You have to chamber a round. With the safety off, you have to grab the hammer as you pull the trigger. You have to hold the trigger down to get the hammer past the half cock notch, then you can release the trigger. That sounds like a great way to put a nice new hole in some unsuspecting apendage.

And carrying without a thumb safety? The only way that would be safe is if there wasn't a round in the chamber. A single action pistol that's loaded and cocked with a very short 4lb trigger pull is not a time to think you're mister pro that will never have anything touch the trigger unless you want it to. Case in point: Have you ever heard of 1911 leg? No? Well, you d*mn sure have heard of Glock leg. One draw string, a leather closure from a thumb break holster, hell, even a stick in a wooded area, and you're gonna hear a bang without ever physically touching that trigger. And that's with a 5.5lb (or heavier) Glock trigger and the extended travel it takes to retract the striker. All a 1911 has to do is twitch the end of the sear northward just a touch, and you're releasing 230gr of hell.

Is it possible? Yes
Is it safe or advisable? No
Would I carry something like that? HELL NO.

Just my opinion. Good luck in your decision.

 

[OD*]

Tell that to the people who have trouble keeping them depressed consistently.

You're correct, that can be very true of the hi-hold, none the less, it's categorized as a passive safety.

 

[Indyal]

Perhaps the colt DA pistols with the 1911 frame would be the answer.

Also, no one has mentioned I believe, but there could be huge legal liabilty issues if there was an AD or shooting.

 

[downzero]

You're correct, that can be very true of the hi-hold, none the less, it's categorized as a passive safety.

I did it at a major tournament and even got it on video.

 

[salamander42]

A couple of folks have mentioned carrying in condition 2 or three. . . Just wanted to add to their comments that aside from the danger of getting a 1911 into condition 2,you're going to have a lot more trouble getting the pistol ready to fire from either of those options. Manually cocking the hammer in condition 2, or racking the slide in condition 3 is a lot more trouble than sweeping off the thumb safety as you draw a pistol carried in condition 1.

If you don't like thumb safeties, the 1911 isn't for you. If you have to have a 1911, get used to thumb safeties.

 

[jbombelli]

ONLY remove that safety if you're the only one professional enough in that building to handle it.








If you want to carry a 1911, keep the thumb safety and carry it in condition 1, as intended.

 

[YoungMilsurpGuy]

You know what op wants is essentially a tokarev. Get that in .38 super and its actually a pretty decent pistol, provided you make sure you have a good half cock or carry it isreali style

 

[88E30M50]

If you want a 1911, then you want a thumb safety. If you don't want a thumb safety, then you don't want a 1911. Simple as that.

EDIT: I really need to look at the dates on threads I reply to. Not only was this an old thread, but I replied to it back in 2010 when it was fresh. Hopefully, the OP did not go through with his idea and is now enjoying a 1911 as it should be carried.

 

[nakinate]

If you want a 1911, then you want a thumb safety. If you don't want a thumb safety, then you don't want a 1911. Simple as that.

EDIT: I really need to look at the dates on threads I reply to. Not only was this an old thread, but I replied to it back in 2010 when it was fresh. Hopefully, the OP did not go through with his idea and is now enjoying a 1911 as it should be carried.

We'll never know. He's a shooter now.