Question for the 1911 guys?

[Mij]

Anybody familiar with or hear of intentionally disabling the grip safety on a 1911? And carrying with just the slide lock? Don’t want a ruckus about safety, just a pure question. It’s come up in my personal circles and I’m curious? I have my own opinion but would like to hear others. Thanks in advance for any response.

 

[churchmouse]

Yes this is more common than you know.
I am not a fan for doing this to a carry piece.

 

[Expat]

Have I heard of it being done? Yes.
Would I ever do it? No.

 

[92FSTech]

It's been done, but why? A properly functioning grip safety deactivates itself as soon as you establish a grip on the gun. It doesn't add any time whatsoever to your draw, or require any additional manipulation. If it's not working for you, I'd look at proper fitment rather than deactivating it.

 

[Bigtanker]

Don't like it....

get a Hi Power.....

 

[Mgderf]

John Moses Browning thought it needed one.
Who am I to argue?

 

[Jaybird1980]

Anybody familiar with or hear of intentionally disabling the grip safety on a 1911? And carrying with just the slide lock? Don’t want a ruckus about safety, just a pure question. It’s come up in my personal circles and I’m curious? I have my own opinion but would like to hear others. Thanks in advance for any response.

Pinning the grip safety has been done in competition for a long time.

Good grip safety with large raised pads made it less common, but I'm sure it's still being done.

For a carry gun I wouldn't even consider it.

 

[pmbiker]

I've disabled them twice on others guns at their request. I didn't pin in place, just ground down the leg that blocks the trigger bar. I would not do it to my own guns.

 

[Dean C.]

John Moses Browning thought it needed one.
Who am I to argue?

That was the Cavalry if memory serves

Old school Delta Force rig

 

[DadSmith]

Anybody familiar with or hear of intentionally disabling the grip safety on a 1911? And carrying with just the slide lock? Don’t want a ruckus about safety, just a pure question. It’s come up in my personal circles and I’m curious? I have my own opinion but would like to hear others. Thanks in advance for any response.

Why would someone do that?
I have a Springfield Ronin 45, and a RIA Ultra FS 10mm I have no problems with the grip safeties. What problems are these people experiencing that they need to disable it?

 

[pmbiker]

One of the two I did was strictly a match gun. He wanted zero possibly of failure from an inconsistent grip.

Other guy just didn't like it. His was an older Colt without the hump.

 

[88E30M50]

Would I do it? No, I don’t think I would but it is a good topic to discuss. A lot of SAO guns have been designed since the 1911 that did away with the feature. Do these have a more positive thumb safety than what’s in the original 1911? Maybe so, but I don’t know that they do. The Hi Power did away with the grip safety and I don’t think that the thumb safety is providing more of a sear lock than is in the 1911.

Was the intent of the grip safety to provide a second level of safety that has come to be seen as redundant or, was it a Calvary requirement as they moved from SA revolvers to a semi-auto.

Has anyone looked at the sear area and locking components to see if there is a deficiency that has later been addressed, allowing the grip safety to be eliminated?

Good topic to discuss OP

 

[2tonic]

Heard of it.
Seen it.
Wouldn't ever consider doing it.
That is all.

 

[Doug]

My understanding is the military wanted the grip safety so Browning provided it; as noted, the High Power, also a Browning design, doesn't have one.
One possible problem is, in court, you might be labeled as reckless for disabling a safety device.

 

[wcd]

My understanding is the military wanted the grip safety so Browning provided it; as noted, the High Power, also a Browning design, doesn't have one.
One possible problem is, in court, you might be labeled as reckless for disabling a safety device.

Did they also request a strait Main Spring Housing?

Oh never mind we all know the 1911 is on its way out lol. Apply purple as needed.

 

[wcd]

Why would someone do that?
I have a Springfield Ronin 45, and a RIA Ultra FS 10mm I have no problems with the grip safeties. What problems are these people experiencing that they need to disable it?

Improper Grip?

 

[Amishman44]

Have I heard of it being done? Yes.
Would I ever do it? No.

I'm in this camp...
Absolutely would NOT do it...especially on a carry gun!

 

[88E30M50]

The legal aspect would be interesting. Even here, among gun enthusiasts, it would be seen as reckless. Would a lawyer be able to refute that by demonstrating the number of guns produced without a grip safety? Maybe, maybe not.

The biggest reason I could see for doing it would be to eliminate a possible point of failure if you were not able to grip the gun correctly for some reason. There was a story out a while back about someone that, in a gun fight, was hit in the hand and struggled with the grip safety, IIRC.

When I use a grip that rides the thumb safety, it can cause issues with grip safety, so I just don’t use that style grip technique with 1911s. I am by no means advocating disabling the grip safety and am just finding it interesting to discuss. Logically, the grip safety was deemed unnecessary as is evidenced by the follow on designs.

It’s good to see though, that as a group, we take safety seriously enough that the very idea of disabling a safety, even if possibly an unneeded one, to be wrong.

 

[armalitesheepdog]

My understanding is the military wanted the grip safety so Browning provided it; as noted, the High Power, also a Browning design, doesn't have one.
One possible problem is, in court, you might be labeled as reckless for disabling a safety device.

This

 

[armalitesheepdog]

Mr Brownings first design did not have the grip safety. The US Army requested it.
That said I would never disable it