Question for 1911 guys - safety on or off?

[j21blackjack]

Spinning off the new chambered or not chambered thread.... Do any of you 1911 type guys carry with the safety off? I've been carrying a 1911 for almost a year, and always carry with the safety on. However, while reading some recent threads about carrying chambered, many folks have pointed out that fine muscle control is one of the first things to go in a high stress situation. So my question is, other than holstering, is it really dangerous to carry a 1911 with the safety off? I practise drawing a flipping the safety off in one motion, but I wouldn't want to forget it at the worst possible moment. Couldn't I just holster with it on, then flip it off after it is secured. Just seems like it fits with the argument to be as prepared as you can get because you never know what is going to happen if the time comes to defend your own life.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Thumper]

When the defecation hits the ventilation what you practice (or don't practice) is what you'll do. Personally I would never carry my 1911 with the safety disengaged.

[kingdaddyoh]

Let me strongly put a big vote in for carrying with the safety ON.

[Rcher]

IMHO ... not a good idea. The 1911 was designed this way. If you carry condition 1 ... place it on safe.

[mathewsman]

another one here with a safety on if you practice enough when your drawing you automatically turn the safety off.

[MgoBlue]

lmao! There is no way I would carry in condition 1 without the safety on.

[Extreme Defender]

lmao! There is no way I would carry in condition 1 without the safety on.

Since my Defender has a 4.25lb trigger SAFETY IS ON! Either way I think once you are comfortable in carrying with a chambered round you have to safety it. That is if your wife lets you carry it!

Sorry could'nt resist!

[Tally XD]

I carry my XD45 chambered and it has no safety but I feel very safe carrying it this way.

My Springfield 1911 is also carried chambered but I always carry with safety ON. For some reason it just seems like a good idea to carry that way with that gun.

[SubNine]

With a single action that has a very short trigger pull, it would be wise to carry with the safety on.

[gunthorp]

Safety on...it's what's for carry.

[RMS]

Safety On

[Karter]

The gun is designed to be carried "cocked and locked" and doesn't have the passive safeties of the modern polymers.

Random tangent: ambidextrous thumb safety of the XD is optional. Its really not required for saftey anymore than it is on a Glock; I imagine its optional for certain police department requirements or something. When I bought my XD45, I didn't even notice that the actual one we took out of the case had this optional safety.

I'm pretty ambivalent about its usage; so far though I've practiced holstering with the safety on, and snapping it off on the draw.

Since I also have a PM9 which is my real EDC I will probably revert to not using the thumb saftey at all on the XD for consistency.

[varob]

Hammer back, safety on.

[PatP]

Safety on. Practice drawing as you flip off the safety. It will become an autonomous response after time.

[retsupt99]

When my Kimber comes out of the holster, the safety comes off without me even thinking about it...natural motion and part of the draw.

Empty your 1911 and draw and remove the safety 200 times a day, 10 days in a row, it will then be etched into your brain.