can you get a 1911 with no safety ?

[45calibre]

I don't like safeties on my carry guns and I want to get a 1911. Are there any parts that can replace the safety and keep it off?

 

[calcot7]

Which saftey are you refering to? There is the thumb saftey and then the palm saftey that is deactivated when you grip the pistol in the firing position.

 

[45calibre]

Sorry I meant the thumb safety. I want NO thumb safety.

 

[melensdad]

Which saftey are you refering to? There is the thumb saftey and then the palm saftey that is deactivated when you grip the pistol in the firing position.

I have NEVER seen a 1911 without the thumb safety, but there are 1911 guns without the grip/palm safety. Detonics and Victory Arms both offer 1911s with a deactivated grip safety. Gunsmiths will deactivate them (may ask you to sign a waiver).

However I would NEVER consider a 1911 without at least a thumb safety. Being a light/short trigger pull gun that fires single action only, it would likely be unsafe to carry without a safety.

Perhaps it might be safe to carry without a thumb safety IF it was a 'series 80' design AND had the grip safety in tact???

 

[ShooterDW]

Just one question, why?

Practice your draw so you sweep the safety off as the pistol comes out of the holster. I've been carrying a 1911 for 5 years, and I shoot IDPA regularly, sweeping the safety off is so automatic that I don't even think about it.

 

[downzero]

It is not safe to carry a single action gun without a thumb safety. If you want to carry a gun with no safety, get a double action gun. Para makes a double action 1911 if that's what you really want.

 

[melensdad]

It is not safe to carry a single action gun without a thumb safety. If you want to carry a gun with no safety, get a double action gun. Para makes a double action 1911 if that's what you really want.

But they still have a safety. I do agree, however, that the Para LDA guns can safely be carried with the safety flipped off.

I periodically carry a Para Carry 9 LDA gun and trust it, safety on or off.

 

[45calibre]

I don't want a thumb safety to mess with. I don't see what's unsafe about it as long as finger is off the trigger until ready like its supposed to be.

I'm used to carrying polymer guns with only trigger safeties but I want a 1911.

 

[downzero]

I don't want a thumb safety to mess with. I don't see what's unsafe about it as long as finger is off the trigger until ready like its supposed to be.

I'm used to carrying polymer guns with only trigger safeties but I want a 1911.

The polymer guns to which you refer require 3/8" or more to trip the trigger. The 1911 is more like 1/8". Additionally, if the striker DID fall from where it is when the gun is in battery, it probably wouldn't fire, because the striker spring does not have enough energy stored to set off a primer. Additionally, these guns have a firing pin safety that isn't deactivated until you pull the trigger. They're designed--specifically--to be used without a manual safety.

What you want is not available because it's not safe. If you were at a match and you holstered a single action gun without the safety applied, you would be done for the day.

Personally, I won't even carry a single action gun without a functional grip safety! But one thing is for certain--the thumb safety is absolutely essential.

If you saw how tiny the sear surface was, and how close a cocked 1911 was to going off when in battery, you wouldn't even consider holstering it without the thumb safety applied.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I too believe there are no 1911's that do not have a thumb safety. As far as I know there is no way around it. Unless you can remove the thumb safety. I do not think a honest gunsmith would do such a thing. I'm with you though on not liking manual safeties. Practice or not to me it's one more procedure, to me at least is useless. As long as you keep your finger outside the trigger guard, and use a good holster. I would feel safe carrying a 1911 with the safety off. What's the standard trigger pull? I know my Xd is just over 5 lbs. If I remember correctly. Trigger safety or not. If you snag the trigger with enough force it's going to go bang. So is it really a safety? To me not really. Unless you snag the very top portion of the trigger.

 

[downzero]

Guys, seriously...

THIS is what is keeping a cocked 1911 from going off in your holster without a thumb safety (which blocks the sear from moving)

 

[OD*]

I don't like safeties on my carry guns and I want to get a 1911. Are there any parts that can replace the safety and keep it off?

There are no parts that will replace the thumb safety that I know of, but you could always take it off and just leave the opening, but it would be a dirt and debris magnet. John Browning's original design didn't have a thumb safety, #3 was his personal gun.

 

[OD*]

How the thumb safety works;

 

[CVictor]

screwwww that. a piece of fabric from your pants could pull back the trigger on a 1911. It's irresponsible, plain and simple.

 

[downzero]

screwwww that. a piece of fabric from your pants could pull back the trigger on a 1911. It's irresponsible, plain and simple.

It's not just irresponsible. It's manifestly unsafe. That is why no competitive shooting organization will allow you to holster a pistol in this manner.

 

[sloughfoot]

We don't need no stinkin safeties on our pistols. Funny post, I enjoyed it..

 

[45calibre]

There are no parts that will replace the thumb safety that I know of, but you could always take it off and just leave the opening, but it would be a dirt and debris magnet. John Browning's original design didn't have a thumb safety, #3 was his personal gun.

i dont see whats "unsafe". i dont plan on shooting competitively.

it almost looks like his gun had an outline to cut out the metal for a safety.

 

[Jack Ryan]

i dont see whats "unsafe". i dont plan on shooting competitively.

it almost looks like his gun had an outline to cut out the metal for a safety.

Just don't put the safety on or grind it off the side of the gun so it's impossible to engage.

Keep it pointed at yourself at all times.

Before you start improving on a hundred year old gun design, I have to ask if you've figured out how to adjust your sights on that gun or how to tell if you even need to adjust the sights on a gun?
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/handguns/18095-how_do_you_know_if_your_sights_are_off.html

 

[downzero]

i dont see whats "unsafe". i dont plan on shooting competitively.

it almost looks like his gun had an outline to cut out the metal for a safety.

You don't see how small the sear surface is that is holding the hammer from falling?

I know I'm more mechanically inclined than most, but seriously dude, we're trying to explain to you that this is just not safe.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Know why JMB's 1911 didn't have a need for a thumb safety?

'Cuz if he carried it, he carried it with the hammer down. Probably on an empty chamber.

That was the practice for many many years, both as a hold-over from hammer-mounted firing pins on revolvers and many semi-auto pistols not having a firing pin / striker / trigger safeties.

OP, if you want to carry a 1911 without any safety, just carry one un-chambered and with the hammer down. Or perhaps unchambered and hammer back to aid in chambering #1.