Was the 1911’s Grip Safety a Mistake?

[DunRanull]

Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled “Was the 1911’s Grip Safety a Mistake?” and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/grip-safeties-suck/.

No, the grip safety wasn't a mistake. Leaving one off the BHP was a mistake. IMO, YMMV...
The 1911 was originally designed as a cavalry weapon, and the GS and half-cock notch are both there to prevent accidental discharges if dropped.
The trigger safety on the Glock is a joke, there is no way to block the striker, or render the pistol SAFE from accidental/"negligent" trigger pulls. And they DO happen, particularly on the Glock.
FWIW I do carry Glocks, but mostly "Israel-style", necessitating jacking the slide to make the pistol ready to fire. I prefer a positive trigger and/or firing pin block.

 

[Model 457]

Series 80 pistol?

Yes

 

[Muzzlestuffer]

I'm not sure why people think a grip safety is a issue if it's tuned correctly you don't even know it's there imo.

 

[Sherlockbonz]

Google "Glock Leg". Now Google "1911 Leg".
Trigger blade safeties only protect against droppage. They don't discriminate between a finger, part of a jacket or other piece of clothing or anything else. A grip safety is cheap insurance.

 

[Anchorite]

Yes

I don’t believe either 70 or 80 series are safe with hammer down on a loaded chamber.

I guess we could hypothesize about the half-cock notch - its use might achieve the goal of carrying hammer down on a loaded chamber. However, I have strong reservations about
using the half-cock notch for anything other than as a "my thumbed slipped when I was decocking" safety. Cocked and locked is the only way to go, IMO.
Cocked and locked gives you grip safety, manual safety, and firing pin safety in the Series 80, what more could you want?

 

[HayesGreener]

I will suggest that lowering the hammer is more prone to an unintentional discharge than carrying it in Condition 1.

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

For the record, I don't mind a grip safety at all.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[Model 457]

I don’t believe either 70 or 80 series are safe with hammer down on a loaded chamber.

I guess we could hypothesize about the half-cock notch - its use might achieve the goal of carrying hammer down on a loaded chamber. However, I have strong reservations about
using the half-cock notch for anything other than as a "my thumbed slipped when I was decocking" safety. Cocked and locked is the only way to go, IMO.
Cocked and locked gives you grip safety, manual safety, and firing pin safety in the Series 80, what more could you want?

While I know you are 100% correct, for some reason I just have an uncomfortable feeling carrying cocked & locked. This is largely why I went to the Model 457 to begin with.

When I was in high school, I had one of the coolest jobs on the planet. I was afforded the opportunity to work part time at the local municipal range. Looking back, it is crazy to compare permissibility of days yore to today. I was allowed to carry a sidearm while at work. My choice was a Series 70 Colt Government Model I bought from the Rangemaster.

Now enter a gentleman named Dale Thomas. He was a regular at the range. An old hardcore Marine. At the time, my preference was to carry hammer down on a chambered round. Mr. Thomas used to walk into the range office, somewhere nobody aside from staff was permitted entry, and in his booming, commanding voice, he'd say "Young man, carry that sidearm properly or don't carry it at all." He'd take it away from me, pull the hammer back, lock it, and hand it back to me.

I was absolutely petrified of that man. His presence commanded respect, if not reverence. Whenever I saw his car bombing down the dirt driveway into the range, I'd pull that hammer back and re-holster before he got out of his car. I will never forget that man.

 

[Annihilator]

Yeah, but Glocks are a passing fad.....

 

[Annihilator]

I have one but will never buy another. It's like the red-headed bast*rd stepson of my gun collection. Other guns in the safe verbally abuse it, but does it ever run well.

 

[Annihilator]

I keept mine covered with a towel in the gun safe so as not to offend the other guns....

 

[Dobbinsky]

While I know you are 100% correct, for some reason I just have an uncomfortable feeling carrying cocked & locked. This is largely why I went to the Model 457 to begin with.

When I was in high school, I had one of the coolest jobs on the planet. I was afforded the opportunity to work part time at the local municipal range. Looking back, it is crazy to compare permissibility of days yore to today. I was allowed to carry a sidearm while at work. My choice was a Series 70 Colt Government Model I bought from the Rangemaster.

Now enter a gentleman named Dale Thomas. He was a regular at the range. An old hardcore Marine. At the time, my preference was to carry hammer down on a chambered round. Mr. Thomas used to walk into the range office, somewhere nobody aside from staff was permitted entry, and in his booming, commanding voice, he'd say "Young man, carry that sidearm properly or don't carry it at all." He'd take it away from me, pull the hammer back, lock it, and hand it back to me.

I was absolutely petrified of that man. His presence commanded respect, if not reverence. Whenever I saw his car bombing down the dirt driveway into the range, I'd pull that hammer back and re-holster before he got out of his car. I will never forget that man.

Sounds like a common pr*** to me. He had zero right to touch anyone's gun but his own without permission.

 

[Model 457]

Sounds like a common pr*** to me. He had zero right to touch anyone's gun but his own without permission.

I was a kid and he was a Marine. Although I see your point, I did respect the man. He taught me a lot about shooting not only pistols but rifles as well.

By the time I headed off to college, I was probably in the top 5, if not the top 3 at the range due largely to his teachings. I don't know what his rank or position was but I'd be surprised if he wasn't the first guy you met when you got off the bus at boot camp. He wasn't a huge guy, probably 6'0"ish if I recall correctly, but his presence definitely filled the room.

 

[Dobbinsky]

I was a kid and he was a Marine. Although I see your point, I did respect the man. He taught me a lot about shooting not only pistols but rifles as well.

By the time I headed off to college, I was probably in the top 5, if not the top 3 at the range due largely to his teachings. I don't know what his rank or position was but I'd be surprised if he wasn't the first guy you met when you got off the bus at boot camp. He wasn't a huge guy, probably 6'0"ish if I recall correctly, but his presence definitely filled the room.

His teaching, I would also respect. When we were kids, most of us were taught to respect all adults, which was had its good and not so good results.

 

[Icepick Mike]

Don't fix somethin' that ain't broke

 

[EricN1771]

I am not a fan of grip safeties. I have a XD which I haven't shot since I first got it because the webbing on my hand 9 times out of 10 won't deactivate the safety unless I'm holding onto the gun for dear life and even then it's a crap shoot. If I wear my fingerless padded gloves it's fine but bear handed forget it. I'm not a fan of any of the modern safeties. Give me the old style lever safety like on my Ruger P89 and I'm happy. I guess it doesn't help that I'm a southpaw either.