1911 half cock/ full cock

[jwardrip]

OK, yet another question(s) on the 1911. I figure i owe it to myself and everyone to COMPLETELY understand everything on my 1911. What is the pourpose of having a half cock? Surely its not for safety is it? Also, when I load my 1911, I insert the mag, and pull my slide back to put one in the chamber, from the mag. At this point the 1911 is fully cocked. The only way to decock it, as far as I know, is to slowly pull the trigger as your hanging on to the hammer, allowing it to close slowly. As Im new to carrying, im not 100% comforatable carrying lock and loaded. Has anyone ever had a 1911 go off decocking one like this?
Thanks
NEWBIE

 

[Kick]

OK, yet another question(s) on the 1911. I figure i owe it to myself and everyone to COMPLETELY understand everything on my 1911. What is the pourpose of having a half cock? Surely its not for safety is it? Also, when I load my 1911, I insert the mag, and pull my slide back to put one in the chamber, from the mag. At this point the 1911 is fully cocked. The only way to decock it, as far as I know, is to slowly pull the trigger as your hanging on to the hammer, allowing it to close slowly. As Im new to carrying, im not 100% comforatable carrying lock and loaded. Has anyone ever had a 1911 go off decocking one like this?
Thanks
NEWBIE

I have not personally had one but can guarantee you that it is the easiest was of having an AD. You are doing yourself and others around you a disservice by carrying in that manner. If you are going to carry, get an H and K, a Beretta, a Glock, one of Springfield's XD pistols, hell even get a wheel gun.

Anything is better than what you are doing. Carrying like that is just asking for problems. The 1911 is designed to be carried cocked and locked. One in the chamber, hammer back, and thumb safety on. If you are not comfortable carrying like that, you are not comfortable carrying that firearm. See above suggestions for a firearm you may be comfortable carrying.

 

[Sweetums]

No reason to come down hard on him/her...

The 1911 is perfectly safe to carry cocked and locked. It's not going to go boom until that grip safety is squeezed and the trigger is pulled.

 

[ANeat]

Yep, cocked and locked, try it around the house with the gun unloaded (cocked and locked)

Dont put your finger on the trigger unless you want it to go BANG

 

[rockhopper46038]

DON'T decock the 1911 with a round in the chamber. The hammer down on a loaded round is unsafe in non-firing pin safety 1911's and not advised even for those. If you aren't comfortable carrying in condition 1, then an alternative is "Israeli" carry, which is empty chamber, hammer down, full magazine.

This might give you the info you are seeking:

The Sight 1911 Conditions of Readiness Page

 

[LEGENw84itDARY]

the purpose of the half cock is in the even that the hammer slips pass the seer it still has the halfcock to stop it before hitting the firing pin. Also when lowering the hammer the half cock is nice because you pull the trigger start to slowly put the hammer down then release trigger while still lowering the hammer and it stops at the halfcock. then you can pull the hammer slightly back again pull the trigger in and finish lowering all the way. But i still would never do this with a loaded round in the chamber. kinda scary just thinking about it.

 

[trigger643]

Half cocked is a hold over from the days of the revolver, from the percussion cap and cartridge guns, with the firing pin located at the end of the hammer. The idea of keeping the hammer off the primer or the cap prevents accidental discharge when the hammer is struck.

Unlike most modern semi-autos (like the Sig 226 for instance), a genuine 1911 does not have a firing pin block and the possibility of discharging a round does exist by striking the hammer.

This feature probably was intended to make it easier for training to transition from the revolvers it was replacing (Model 1909 New Service and some remaining Colt's SAA still in inventory).

The 1911 is best carried "locked and cocked". Easing the hammer down on a live round, even to half cocked, does run the slim risk of your thumb slipping off the hammer and accidentally discharging the weapon.

 

[jwardrip]

DON'T decock the 1911 with a round in the chamber. The hammer down on a loaded round is unsafe in non-firing pin safety 1911's and not advised even for those. If you aren't comfortable carrying in condition 1, then an alternative is "Israeli" carry, which is empty chamber, hammer down, full magazine.

This might give you the info you are seeking:

The Sight 1911 Conditions of Readiness Page

That is a very good site. I never even thought about the slide comming back and damaging your hand if there was a misfire. Guys, Im sorry if what I asked was a stupid question. I have seen SEVERAL people carrying 1911s with the hammer closed. I just always assumed that this was an exceptable way to carry.

 

[Scutter01]

That is a very good site. I never even thought about the slide comming back and damaging your hand if there was a misfire. Guys, Im sorry if what I asked was a stupid question. I have seen SEVERAL people carrying 1911s with the hammer closed. I just always assumed that this was an exceptable way to carry.

If you don't know the answer, then it's not a stupid question. I'm glad you asked it.

 

[ANeat]

Yep, not a stupid question at all. You need to feel 100% comfortabe with the gun you carry.

I carried an unloaded 1911 around the house, doing chores, mowing, whatever...cocked and locked, Till I felt confident with it..

The gun was fine, I just needed to see it for myself

 

[Benny]

OK, yet another question(s) on the 1911. I figure i owe it to myself and everyone to COMPLETELY understand everything on my 1911. What is the pourpose of having a half cock? Surely its not for safety is it? Also, when I load my 1911, I insert the mag, and pull my slide back to put one in the chamber, from the mag. At this point the 1911 is fully cocked. The only way to decock it, as far as I know, is to slowly pull the trigger as your hanging on to the hammer, allowing it to close slowly. As Im new to carrying, im not 100% comforatable carrying lock and loaded. Has anyone ever had a 1911 go off decocking one like this?
Thanks
NEWBIE

Dang man, I'm very happy to hear that you haven't had a ND yet!

As others have said, PLEASE don't decock your 1911 again while there is a chamber in the round. If you aren't comfortable carrying it cocked and locked, then either carry it without one in the chamber or find something you are more comfortable with.

The only time you should be lowering the hammer is after you have taken the mag out and racked the slide(ejecting the live round).



BTW, there is absolutely no such thing as a stupid question. Thank you for being responsible and finding out the correct way.

Yep, not a stupid question at all. You need to feel 100% comfortabe with the gun you carry.

I carried an unloaded 1911 around the house, doing chores, mowing, whatever...cocked and locked, Till I felt confident with it..

The gun was fine, I just needed to see it for myself

Unloaded or unchambered?

 

[melensdad]

.. . .The only way to decock it, as far as I know, is to slowly pull the trigger as your hanging on to the hammer, allowing it to close slowly. . . Has anyone ever had a 1911 go off decocking one like this?
Thanks
NEWBIE

Oh yes there have probably been tens of thousands of 1911s that have had an accidental discharge by owners committing this exact error.

I collect the old/original Detonics brand of 1911 pistols and some of the very early guns were produced with serrations on the SIDES of the HAMMER so that people could get a better grip on the hammer when lowering it on a live round. The designer of Detonics, a man named Sid Woodcock, held more patents for the 1911 than anyone except John Moses Browning and modern 1911 pistols today have many of Sid's features incorporated into them. Sid's personal prototype gun had side hammer serrations so he could lower the hammer. But after an accidental discharge with his own gun in the factory office he changed the design to eliminate side serrations because he figured it was safer to carry cocked & locked!!!

Oh, and if you carry a Glock with a bullet in the chamber that is carried 'cocked' and there is no external safety. Seems to me a 1911 with a thumb safety + a grip safety, both of which require them to be rendered inert by intentional hand actions are more "inherently" safe than many of the modern striker fired guns that have no external safety at all.

Just something to think about

 

[Mr.Strato]

"1911s with the hammer closed"
In fact, you may have seen what you saw!
There are some 1911 lookin' pistols that are double action.
Those pistols could be carried with the hammer down.
You haven't comitted any unpardonable sin- lots of guys here have eased the hammer back down. Usually reserved for revolver handleing or cooling off a hothead,"Let that hammer down slowly" is a saying that's probably not used enough these days...

 

[M67]

IF you're going to carry one in the chamber with the hammer down, grip the hammer HARD, then get it to half cock, once at half cock, pull the hammer back enough to where the trigger moves all the way back and the hammer can go forward all of the way.

That being said, 1911's are very safe. Grip safety, slide lock, and the single action only feature makes a 1911 pretty safe.

It's just when you holster it, make sure the slide lock is engaged, I've heard of people holstering, grip saftey depressed, and their finger slipping inside the trigger guard and puling the trigger, shooting themselves in the leg.

 

[bman1962]

I am really glad this question was brought up. I don't carry our 1911 so it really has not been an issue but when I would see someone carry cocked and locked ( at the guns shop ) I always thought it unsafe. If I ever carry a 1911 it will either be unchambered or cocked and locked. Thanks for the great info guys!

 

[dom1104]

I would just like to point out the work "cock" appears 48 times in this thread.

That is all.

Carry on Gentlemen.

 

[Disposable Heart]

Do not carry on half cock, it is not designed for that. If you will, take a look at the stirrups on the hammer for the half cock position. VERY small compared to the main locking stirrup. The half cock on the 1911 isn't a "hold over" from revolvers for loading, it was an additional safety feature. In case of thumb safety failure (and the grip safety not pushed in), the gun would go to half cock instead of striking the firing pin.

Having the gun in the half cock postion (1911s) and it is dropped, with round in chamber can trigger a discharge as it will force the sear past the relatively fragile half cock position and potentially trigger a discharge.

If you feel leery, try a basic safety check on your 1911. Unloaded, try to pull the trigger with the gun cocked, thumb safety off but grip safety untouched. If the hammer falls, see a gunsmith. Also, cock, lock the gun, then try to pull the trigger with the grip safety pushed in. Once again, if the hammer falls, see a gunsmith. If you didn't see a gunsmith after both of these tests, your gun is good to carry cocked and locked.

The first few weeks I carried a 1911, I hit the bathroom more often to check the thumbsafety and hammer. After a while, that went away quick.

 

[Springfield fan]

While I personally prefer to carry cocked and locked, Cylinder and Slide makes what they call the "Safety Fast Shooting System". This system allows safe condition one carry without worrying about accidental discharge.

 

[dondavis3]

I'm not comfortable carrying my 1911 in the cocked & locked condition.

But it should be carried that way if you carry a 1911.

I'm uncomfortable because on my 1911's I've had the safety move to the unlocked position on 4 different occasions while wearing the gun.

It has happened once on my Colt and 3 times on my Kimber.

I love both guns, but carry a Sig Sauer P229 which is DA/SA.

It works well for me.

IMHO it is safer for me.

 

[trnsplntfrmohio]

half cock was used for left handed shooters in the military before the advent of ambi safeties.