FLSquirrelHunter

an XD-45 has the same calibre and can be safely carried just as you'd like to have a 1911

And you have a choice of 3", 4" , or 5" barrel,
short or long grip

It ain't as pretty, but just as mean -- and no thumb safety to worry about remembering

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edr9x23super

that is the way the gun was designed to be carried. As for other posters who mentioned "point and shoot" weapons, don't worry. with practice, you can point and shoot a 1911 as fast as any other handgun. My average draw and shoot times are around 1.2 seconds out of a carry holster, hitting an IPSC target at 25 yards in the "A" zone. Practice will remove your apprehension with the thumb safety and you will be much more confident; hang in there.

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stanislaskasava

I agree with madengr; both of my 1911's safeties are turned off by the way I grip the gun.

gear_monkey

unless you're left handed like I am ... then it doesn't happen so smoothly.

Thumper

The 1911 was designed to be carried cocked and locked.

I think the answer is... Practice Practice Practice!

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BigEFan

TO my knowledge the XD-45 acp does not come in a 3 inch model

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limatunes

Well, I think I'm in the minority when I say this, but I don't think it's that big of a deal to carry it cocked and "unlocked."

To quote from one of the many books in our home about the 1911 (Model 1911 Automatic Pistol by Robert Campbell):
When the military began to shop for a self-loading pistol, Browning began work on a .45-caliber design. He steadily updated his design, eliminating the second link and increasing the caliber to .45, while maintaining a .900-inch-long cartridge case. A slide lock safety and the grip safety were added. The cavalry was a tremendously influential branch of the Army at the time, and the cavalry planners wanted the option of carrying the gun cocked and unlocked if need be. The grip safety was to be their fail-safe. The horse solders also insisted on a pistol that could be manipulated with one hand, allowing the trooper to keep control of the horse with the other.

So, as you can see, it was designed with at least the possibility foreseen and left open as an option.

I have carried my 1911 cocked and unlocked before and have never felt "unsafe." I trust my gun, my holster and my trigger finger: together they make for a safe carrying experience. To me, it's no different than carrying a Glock with a lightened trigger pull (and no, no one has to tell me the difference between the triggers on Glocks and the triggers on 1911s, I know that the Glock does not completely "cock" until you pull the trigger, but with the "light" triggers, it's primarily the same. The only think that will fire a 1911 is trigger manipulation, same as a Glock, so that's my rationale, despite the design difference).

Finally, though I have carried my 1911 cocked and unlocked and don't see a problem with it, that is not primarily how I carry my gun.

When I first looked into carrying any gun I made a list of the features I wanted on my gun. On the top of that list was the thumb safety. I never wanted a thumb safety because I thought that I would be unsafe with the weapon, but because it could thwart against a novice who either somehow gets my gun away from me, or a careless moment when someone (more specifically, a child) could pick up my gun and play with it. A thumb safety saved the life of a childhood friend of mine, consequently, ALL of my carry guns WILL have thumb safeties.

I have done extensive practice disengaging my thumb safety while drawing to the point that it is so natural sometimes I flick it off just when taking it out of the holster to put it away. To me, it's automatic, if the gun comes out of the holster, the safety goes off. I have to re-engage it again before I put it down.

So, while I don't necessarily think it's as unsafe as other people are making it out to be (especially if you have a series 80 firing pin safety as well) I think it's a good feature to utilize.

If you don't want the thumb safety, I agree with what everyone else has said, get a thumb-safety-less gun.

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buckrod73,

This site should answer all your questions about the 1911 thumb safety.

http://www.sightm1911.com/index.htm

Click on "Care and Use" on the left side, on the next page, click on "The Conditions", then scroll to the bottom of the next page and click on "Is Cocked & Locked Dangerous"?

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Terry

Bark'n

If you carry a 1911 model weapon loaded, and cocked with the safety off, you do so at your own peril! Plain and simple. You are asking for a neglegent discharge!

A single action pistol has a very light trigger pull compared to a double action, or striker fired weapon.

If you are in need to use your weapon to defend yourself, you WILL be in Body Alarm mode! You will have just experienced an Instantaneous Adrenalin Dump and adrenalin will be surging through your veins at probably greater than 140 beats per minute. You will lose fine motor coordination and your grip on the pistol will be almost of super human proportions. If you carry with safety off, you are flirting with disaster.

You may think that in such a case, taking the safety off on the 1911 would be a fine motor skill that you may lose in such a situation but it is not.

The design and position of the safety was a feature that was well thought out in advance by Mr. Browning and designed for soldiers scared out of their wits in combat.

If you can't manipulate the safety on your 1911 to the point where it is a natural event as you bring your weapon up into the shooting plane, you either haven't practiced with the weapon enough or the 1911 platform isn't for you!

If you think the prosecution will play around with you if anyone is ever injured from a negligent discharge due to what will be considered to be deliberate carelessness on your part for failing to utilize the safety as it was intended then by all means, do as you wish.

As I stated earlier, you do so at your own peril.

This is not meant to criticize or berate you, just inform you that what you proposed in your post is considered by everyone on the gun world to be an unsafe act!

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-Bark'n
Semper Fi

"The gun is the great equalizer... For it is the gun, that allows the meek to repel the monsters; Whom are bigger, stronger and without conscience, will prey on those of us who without one, would surely perish."

Skygod

As for carrying the 1911 with the safety lever disengaged, I would not under any circumstances carry in the condition "0" mode. Although LIMATUNES touched on a subject that has been discussed ad nauseum by even some of the best shooters in the industrie. Personally I have no problem with disengaging the 1911 safety lever during a single motion presentation to the target. But, that's just me.

Although Glock owners are in fact carrying in this method whether they want to admit it or not. "SAFE ACTION" I dont think so. There's nothing logical about a safety on trigger. I still have not found any firearms engineer that can convince me othewise. I'm not a Glock fan, never have been, never will be.

Proper instuction and practice will make the disengagement of the safety feel natural during the removal of the weapon from the holster. With proper index discipline and instruction you'll find that what seems like a secondary operation/manipulation of the safety control lever will soon be incorporated into one smooth action during the draw and presentation of the muzzle of the weapon to the intended target. This should be done with an unloaded weapon, hammer cocked, and magazine in the mag well during practice. It will become natural to have disengaged the safety lever prior to the muzzle being presented to target.

Practice and practice some more. Or, simply purchase a weapon that is DA/SA operation such as Sig Classics or Beretta 92 series, for example.

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