Question for the 1911 guys?

[DadSmith]

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

Dean's picture shows one with rubber band on it. It isn't disabled in the sense of a gunsmith disabling it.
If one practiced with it like that I don't see a problem. If a person doesn't practice then yes I could see a problem.
Like @88E30M50 said a guy got hit in the hand and wasn't able to manipulate it that could cause major problems in a fire fight.

 

[Squid556]

I’ve viewed the grip safety on a 1911 like a forward assist for ARs….
It’s there because of a contractual requirement, not strictly from a necessity of the firearm design. In the 1910 trial I believe it was a requirement from the Calvary.

Wouldn’t mess with it, although I’m surprised we don’t see more 1911s that come without them. I don’t feel like I need it when I’ve got a good thumb safety already.

 

[Leo]

I have seen them secured down in old school wrap around bullseye grips. Some of them bury the grip safety under wood. Most of my beaver tail grips have the raised bump on the bottom so your grip would have to be awful not to press it. I never have any problems with the stock pistol grip safety, so I don't do anything about it.

 

[Magyars]

Plenty of handguns without the grip safety in 45 acp to choose from.

 

[92FSTech]

Plenty of handguns without the grip safety in 45 acp to choose from.

This right here. If you really don't like the grip safety that much, why not just pick a platform that's designed without one? There are plenty of them out there.

I like the 1911, but for a number of reasons specific to my situation, I won't carry a gun for self-defense that has manual safety that needs to be deactivated prior to firing. I've never considered disabling the thumb-safety on a 1911...I just pick other designs for carry.

 

[88E30M50]

Question for the group: if a 1911 manufacturer offered a 1911 without the grip safety, would you buy one? Lugers were available with or without a grip safety. What if 1911s were similar. Would you choose one with or without the grip safety?

 

[Expat]

I have one of those new Wilsons... it might be considered a 2011, I dunno, but it doesn't have a grip safety.

 

[Jaybird1980]

Question for the group: if a 1911 manufacturer offered a 1911 without the grip safety, would you buy one? Lugers were available with or without a grip safety. What if 1911s were similar. Would you choose one with or without the grip safety?

It wouldn't bother me if it wasn't there.

It's not there on any of my other guns. It's not there on the small 1911ish pistols

 

[88E30M50]

I have one of those new Wilsons... it might be considered a 2011, I dunno, but it doesn't have a grip safety.

Which one is that? I'm having trouble finding it on their website

 

[Dean C.]

Which one is that? I'm having trouble finding it on their website

Wilson Combat EDC X9 Model Handguns

Wilson Combat has developed a new 5 inch barrel EDC X9 long slide version for defensive & recreational shooters that prefer a longer sight radius.

www.wilsoncombat.com

Probably this , actually uses modified Walther PPQ magazines. I asked them about this at NRA 2019 and they said it was the slimmest 9mm magazine they could get to run 100% . Bet they waited a year or so for the P365 to come out I would pay through the nose for a P365 slim 2011

 

[ECS686]

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.

^^THIS^^

It was done a lot back in the late 1980’s (probably before) by a lot is USPSA guys and maybe a few others

Read of some old school Texas Rangers doing it with leather shoestring’s back in the day

But with the advent of extended grip safeties with those nice Memory numbs not really a need and has fell to the wayside

 

[BigRed3588]

Question for the group: if a 1911 manufacturer offered a 1911 without the grip safety, would you buy one? Lugers were available with or without a grip safety. What if 1911s were similar. Would you choose one with or without the grip safety?

Waiting for the 1911 purists…

 

[BigRed3588]

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.

I’ve wondered about the arguments regarding modified carry guns for a while and I’m hoping there’s a resident lawyer that can explain the logic here. I don’t modify mine for reasons pertaining to reliability, but if I did, I don’t understand how it could be used against me. First, if I shoot somebody, it’s because I felt my life was in danger and I fired with the intent to eliminate the threat. Second, guns are designed to be deadly weapons. If I make my gun better at it’s intended purpose or modify it in a way that improves my ability to effectively defend myself, how is that unlawful in an otherwise lawful shooting?

 

[JAL]

I've heard of it being done for some specific types of competition guns, but those are tricked out six ways from Sunday as it is, including the holsters, magazines, hair triggers, etc., making them unsuitable for use as a "Duty Pistol", only for specific types of competitions. I'd never consider it for a Duty Pistol. For all the hundreds of M1911A1's I had in my arms rooms over 21 years - all of which were made no later than the end of WWII - we never had a single grip safety failure. Other very occasional failures such as spring fatigue in some of the oldest that were thrashed in Vietnam, but nary a grip safety that didn't work as advertised.

John

 

[thompal]

Logically, the grip safety was deemed unnecessary as is evidenced by the follow on designs.

I'm not sure I agree with this line of logic, especially since modern follow-on designs have totally eliminated all safeties, and instead rely on a terrible trigger.

 

[thompal]

First, if I shoot somebody, it’s because I felt my life was in danger and I fired with the intent to eliminate the threat. Second, guns are designed to be deadly weapons. If I make my gun better at it’s intended purpose or modify it in a way that improves my ability to effectively defend myself, how is that unlawful in an otherwise lawful shooting?

I could imagine an anti-gun prosecutor telling the jury that you purposefully modified your gun to make it easier to kill someone, or painting you as reckless because you made it more likely that you gun could accidentally go off and kill innocent bystanders.

 

[Expat]

Which one is that? I'm having trouble finding it on their website

Wilson Combat EDC X9 Model Handguns

Wilson Combat has developed a new 5 inch barrel EDC X9 long slide version for defensive & recreational shooters that prefer a longer sight radius.

www.wilsoncombat.com

Probably this , actually uses modified Walther PPQ magazines. I asked them about this at NRA 2019 and they said it was the slimmest 9mm magazine they could get to run 100% . Bet they waited a year or so for the P365 to come out I would pay through the nose for a P365 slim 2011

Per Dean

 

[Trapper Jim]

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.

It just another work around for those that refuse the education. Not a fan of shortcuts.

 

[Trapper Jim]

Question for the group: if a 1911 manufacturer offered a 1911 without the grip safety, would you buy one? Lugers were available with or without a grip safety. What if 1911s were similar. Would you choose one with or without the grip safety?

Nope. Should an inexperienced 1911 shooter holster without the thumb safety not much left if secondary safety is gone. Noob+crappy holster+ plus no commitment to education and training + a jury rigged gun = a perfect storm disaster. And then there are human mistakes made by experienced shooters.

Just not a good recipe.

 

[DadSmith]

Question for the group: if a 1911 manufacturer offered a 1911 without the grip safety, would you buy one? Lugers were available with or without a grip safety. What if 1911s were similar. Would you choose one with or without the grip safety?

In my short experience shooting 1911's (just a few years) I've not had any problems with the grip safety. They both have raised beaver tail safeties. I do have large hands though and the grip gets covered up really easily in my hands.
Before I shot 1911's I had a Springfield XD Tactical 45. It also had a grip safety that I had no problem with.