1911 half cock/ full cock

[Disposable Heart]

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.

Do they make that for the 1911? I thought it was only for the Browning Hi Power.

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

Who told you this? It's interesting, but the original design was for it to be a safety feature in case of failure of the thumbsafety or internals. If there is a secondary feature to it, that's pretty cool!

 

[Springfield fan]

Do they make that for the 1911? I thought it was only for the Browning Hi Power.




Who told you this? It's interesting, but the original design was for it to be a safety feature in case of failure of the thumbsafety or internals. If there is a secondary feature to it, that's pretty cool!

Yup, Brownells has the system listed for the 1911 also.

 

[thompal]

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.

If the thumb safety is getting brushed off, I would say that either the detent in the safety itself isn't deep enough, the edges of the detent are rounded, or the plunger spring has gotten weak. I've carried a 1911A1 for decades (two different ones), and have never had the thumb safety come off accidentally.

 

[Jmtbug21]

I think that having a gun cocked and locked is more a mental thing. Its kind of intimidating and scary seeing that thing with the hammer down. But if you think about it, a 1911 is one of the safest guns to carry. It has a double safety, being the grip safety and the thumb safety. But, like one of the first post said, if you dont feel confident carrying like that. Dont do it!

 

[jwardrip]

Thank you everyone who helped answer some of my questions and your advice is greatly appreciated. I learned alot from all of you, exspecially some really good information on what exactly half cocked is. I received a message from someone who really explained it, in terms that i understand a little bit better and I wanted to pass this along.....

The 1911 has a hammer notch that is not its cock notch, it's true. But it's not a half-cock notch, either.
It's there to catch the hammer in mid-fall, if somehow it should become dislodged from its cock notch, so it doesn't fall on the firing pin and ignite a cartridge accidentally.

It's there because, when the 1911 was originally to be used by the horse cavalry, cavalrymen were instructed to carry the pistol in Condition Two (hammer down on a cartridge in the chamber).
As you probably know, it is safe to carry a 1911 in Condition Two because the firing pin will not contact a cartridge's primer unless it has first been given a strong blow by the pistol's hammer. The Army thought that Condition Two was safer than Condition One, on horseback.
Cavalrymen were instructed to cock the pistol while it was still in its holster, and only then to make a presentation. The "half-cock" notch was there to catch the hammer, should the trooper's thumb slip.
The "half-cock" notch is neither strong enough nor deep enough to act as a safety device of the sort seen on the hammer of a Single Action Army revolver. It should never be used as a half-cock-safety notch.

 

[Bshaw]

1911 Carry

When I 1 st started carrying a sidearm I was also a little nervous about the cocked and locked carry style. But you have the thumb and grip safties to back you up. I am more concerned with carrying a Glock ( no manual safties at all)
Carry that 1911 "Cocked and Locked " as it was intended to be carried.
Wear it around the house to get used to it being there on your side.
When a SHTF situation arises and you need that weapon you may not have the time to cock it.

 

[immortallyinsane]

Appreciate the question and info, in the market for a 1911 style.

 

[Cemetery-man]

When I carry mine I carry it un-chambered and safety off. In the heat of the moment I see no difference in reaction time since I can rack the slide as fast as I can flip the thumb safety off. One less thing for me to remember plus it honors a promise I made to the wife when carrying around her and the grandchildren.

Probably why I prefer to carry my M&P. The absence of a hammer seems to make her more comfortable and she lets me cary with a round chambered. I've never told her it doesn't have a manual safety though or I'd probably be back to square one.

 

[singlestacksig]

When I carry mine I carry it un-chambered and safety off. In the heat of the moment I see no difference in reaction time since I can rack the slide as fast as I can flip the thumb safety off. One less thing for me to remember plus it honors a promise I made to the wife when carrying around her and the grandchildren.

Probably why I prefer to carry my M&P. The absence of a hammer seems to make her more comfortable and she lets me cary with a round chambered. I've never told her it doesn't have a manual safety though or I'd probably be back to square one.

it takes only one hand to work the safety.. racking slide often requires two hands..

I can draw & fire my 1911 as fast as i can my Sig..
I can not draw, rack & fire a gun as fast as one cocked & locked..

 

[Garb]

I carry a 1911 cocked and locked, and I've never had the safety come off for me. A friend of mine told me his did, but he used a crappy holster I think.

On a side note, I can't believe no one has tagged this thread "cock" lol.

 

[charley59]

Carry a 1911 cocked and locked, they were meant to be carried that way. Easing the hammer down on a loaded chamber creates the situation where an AD could occur. To unload a 1911: safety on, finger outside of trigger guard(1) remove magazine (2) point firearm in a safe direction, where a discharge will not destroy people or property (3) thumb safety off (4) with gun still pointed in a safe direction and fingers/ body parts away from the muzzle, open the slide, ejecting the live round (5) lock slide back to double check no ammo is in the chamber or magazine well. (6) you may then close the slide and lower the hammer

 

[Cemetery-man]

On a side note, I can't believe no one has tagged this thread "cock" lol.

Or, as the reason for this thread......'Half Cocked"!

 

[Robert Richardson]

it takes only one hand to work the safety.. racking slide often requires two hands..

I can draw & fire my 1911 as fast as i can my Sig..
I can not draw, rack & fire a gun as fast as one cocked & locked..

Racking the slide will never be as fast as flipping off the safety.

 

[Timjoebillybob]

Who told you this? It's interesting, but the original design was for it to be a safety feature in case of failure of the thumbsafety or internals.

The original design the colt 1909 iirc didn't have a thumb safety, it was designed to be carried cocked and the grip safety the lock. That and keeping your booger hook off the bang switch. The US military wanted the thumb safety for the cavalry.

Carry that 1911 "Cocked and Locked " as it was intended to be carried.

Again original design was to carry cocked and unlocked..

Carry a 1911 cocked and locked, they were meant to be carried that way. /quote]

 

[OD*]

Again original design was to carry cocked and unlocked..

John Browning designed the pistol for the military, not the civilian market, it was to be carried with the hammer down on an empty chamber, as the military called for. The US Calvary requested a safety of some sort be incorporated into the weapon system so that our mounted troopers would not have to let go of the reins to place the M1910 (M1911 w/the safety) into a safe condition, Colt designers/JMB came up with the thumb safety. The C&L option was intended to be used only until the trooper was dismounted and could safely place the weapon in Condition 3 carry as called for by the military.

 

[OD*]

Thank you everyone who helped answer some of my questions and your advice is greatly appreciated. I learned alot from all of you, exspecially some really good information on what exactly half cocked is. I received a message from someone who really explained it, in terms that i understand a little bit better and I wanted to pass this along.....

The 1911 has a hammer notch that is not its cock notch, it's true. But it's not a half-cock notch, either.
It's there to catch the hammer in mid-fall, if somehow it should become dislodged from its cock notch, so it doesn't fall on the firing pin and ignite a cartridge accidentally.

It's there because, when the 1911 was originally to be used by the horse cavalry, cavalrymen were instructed to carry the pistol in Condition Two (hammer down on a cartridge in the chamber).
As you probably know, it is safe to carry a 1911 in Condition Two because the firing pin will not contact a cartridge's primer unless it has first been given a strong blow by the pistol's hammer. The Army thought that Condition Two was safer than Condition One, on horseback.
Cavalrymen were instructed to cock the pistol while it was still in its holster, and only then to make a presentation. The "half-cock" notch was there to catch the hammer, should the trooper's thumb slip.
The "half-cock" notch is neither strong enough nor deep enough to act as a safety device of the sort seen on the hammer of a Single Action Army revolver. It should never be used as a half-cock-safety notch.

Do yourself a favor, go right to the man that invented the pistol to get your answer, page 7, paragraph 10, John Browning refers to it as a SAFETY POSTION.

MREARM - Google Patent Search

 

[Malard]

If the thumb safety is getting brushed off, I would say that either the detent in the safety itself isn't deep enough, the edges of the detent are rounded, or the plunger spring has gotten weak. I've carried a 1911A1 for decades (two different ones), and have never had the thumb safety come off accidentally.

I had it happen to my Kimber as well when I would carry outside the waist band, when I took it in to get refinished I had the smith put a more positive feeling on the thumb safety and it helped alot!

 

[rabbit]

I carry my 1911 cocked and locked all the time and have for over 20 years. One thing I have always done is get a holster with a thumb strap between the hammer and firing pin. Just a little extra piece of mind!

 

[Hoosier8]

I also read somewhere that left handers used the half cock for the safety position since it was harder to work the safety while out on patrol.

 

[schafe]

I also read somewhere that left handers used the half cock for the safety position since it was harder to work the safety while out on patrol.

So us leftys don't go off half cocked?