Question for those that carry a 1911 in condition 1

[Mike from Texas]

I'm new to CC and I have a question. Do you guys feel 100% safe carrying condition 1? I know that's the only logical way to carry a 1911 and I told myself I'd be comfortable doing it, but now I'm beginning to get butterflies knowing that I have a loaded and cocked weapon with a 4-5# trigger on my hip all the time. I've gotten used to carrying my XD and am very comfortable with it. Does it get better with time?

I guess I'm just trying to reassure myself that I didn't make a almost $1k purchase of a gun that I'm not going to be comfortable carrying.

While we are on the subject, what is the safest holster you can recommend for this type of carry, both IWB & OWB?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[pgrass101]

You could try a holster like this.

http://www.desantisholster.com/098.html

The thumb break goes between the hammer and slide.

You then don't have to worry about accidently shooting your butt off while carrying in condition 1. You can remove the thumb break (or get a new holster) once you become more comfortable carrying in condition 1 later.

[Landor]

Getting use to carrying is half the battle. Once you start trusting your gun and yourself, it will pass and you will be writing this message to the next new to carry person that asks this question. I can not imagine not carrying one in the chamber. Holsters are like cars, everybody has a different opinion about them. A holster should be made for the gun it is housing and should cover the whole trigger area. The best way of carrying is up to you. You will have to try different ways.

Good luck young Jedi..

[Rob72]

Stick a Glock in your pants. The 1911 become blase'.......

[Hobbes]

Try this- unload and carry it cocked and unlocked see if the hammer ever falls. It won't, then you'll be more comfortable with cocked & locked.

[limatunes]

I feel very safe with my 1911 because I understand that guns do not fire by themselves. It takes trigger manipulation to fire a weapon and my holster protects my trigger from accidentally being manipulated.

And the added fact that the grip safety needs to also be depressed or the trigger cannot be pushed to the rear also helps to ensure that the gun need to be held in order to fire.

The thumb safety locks both the hammer and the sear so that neither can move. Without the sear releasing the hammer and without the hammer falling and striking the firing pin the gun is useless.

I entirely comfortable carrying my 1911. I ensure that the thumb safety is engaged when I'm not firing it, but even if I wanted to carry it cocked and UNLOCKED I would still have the assurance of the grip safety and the knowledge that my gun does nothing that isn't done to it by a human being (me, in particular).

I think that it will get easier over time. I honestly never felt the trepidation that you are feeling when I started to carry my 1911 (in fact a 1911 was the very first gun I ever carried, and I carried cocked and locked). I think it will get easier once you learn to trust your gun and yourself more like Landor said.

1911's are very safe guns (and so are a lot of other guns). If you have an accident, it's a safe bet to say it's going to be human error not a mishap of carrying a cocked and locked 1911.

[kpw]

You said you were comfortable carrying the XD but the 1911 gives you some concern. Carrying the XD is like carrying a 1911 with the thumb safety off. In theory, the 1911 would be safer in condition one than the XD. It bugs you because you can see the hammer cocked. Try a good thumb break holster if it really worries you but condition one is as safe as the person carrying it.

[Janq]

Familiarize yourself with how the 1911 functions and that knowledge should greatly reduce your apprehension.

Function Checking an M-1911
http://www.m1911.org/technic25.htm

How a 1911 functions
http://www.m1911.org/loader.swf

- Janq

[H. Lee]

You got it Hobbes........
Anyone who says they didn't get that quesy feeling at first, simply hasn't carried a 1911.
It was for that very reason that I never carried my 1911's. Now, I'm a convert and wouldn't carry anything else. Guess the only exception would be if I could conceal the 12 ga.

[kpw]

You got it Hobbes........
Anyone who says they didn't get that quesy feeling at first, simply hasn't carried a 1911.
It was for that very reason that I never carried my 1911's. Now, I'm a convert and wouldn't carry anything else. Guess the only exception would be if I could conceal the 12 ga.

It was the first auto pistol I owned and carried. I grew up shooting my dad's Colt. I've carried one plenty and never felt queasy about it. I'm sure it would have been different if I hadn't been familiar with them already. Of course I read Jeff Cooper a bunch as a high school student too. That mighta had a little factor in it.

[limatunes]

It was the first auto pistol I owned and carried. ... I've carried one plenty and never felt queasy about it.

Ditto. Never felt queasy. I was always very comfortable with them. Maybe because the 1911 was the first semi-automatic I was every introduced to. They may have something to do with it.

[QKShooter]

BEFORE YOU CARRY COCKED AND LOCKED - CLICK HERE! - FUNCTION CHECK LINK


If you are new to the 1911 pattern pistols then the first thing you should do before you carry cocked and locked is learn how to do a function check on your carry pistol just to make certain that everything is as it should be internally.

SO...Do you just go ahead and trust your firearm right off...and carry it in Condition 1?

The answer to that question is "NO" - you should do a complete "function check" first.
And then you may carry it in Condition 1.

Even if your pistol is spanky new right out of the box from the factory. You should do a function check.

Do I trust my own 1911 pistols in Condition 1 carry?
I sure do but, I know for a fact that they are all mechanically correct.

[limatunes]

Good advice, QK!

[Impax]

I carry mine cocked and with the thumb safety off because I am left handed. Like was stated before it has a grip safety, is function check each time I clean it, and the holster covers the trigger. Now I'm just waiting on my Springfield ss loaded champion to come in so I can have an ambidextrous safety.

[packinnova]

Yes it gets better...Familiarity and training are KEY. Train Train and more train. Learn how your gun works too. Break it down, put it back, repeat...over and over and over. If you still don't feel safe with it after knowing how it works inside and out and have taken a good bit of training...then, rethink carrying something different.