Question for those who carry 1911's/variants single action?

[Jesse1911]

A condition 1, 1911A or variants keep the hammer cocked to the rear . I've found out through this site that most CHL holders carry with round chambered, so enough of that but my main question is, do you feel comfortable carrying it like this? Have you ever had any accidents? Also, is the manual safety on or off? Please no smart comments, only respond if you own and carry one of these weapons. Thanks.

[Keith B]

Condition 1 means round in the chamber and manual safety on. You move the safety lever when you draw and are ready to fire (Condition 0) I carry a 1911 periodically, and always in Condition 1. I feel safe carrying this way as a properly operating 1911 should not fire with the manual safety on, and grip safety and trigger not depressed. I have never had any accidents. If anyone carries Condition 0, then they are nuts IMO!!

[Kalrog]

This topic comes up from time to time. Short version is that yes it is safe and yes I feel comfortable with it. You still have 2+ additional safeties that need to be disengaged (manual and grip) before it will fire.

[jimlongley]

This topic comes up from time to time. Short version is that yes it is safe and yes I feel comfortable with it. You still have 2+ additional safeties that need to be disengaged (manual and grip) before it will fire.

Constant awareness of the condition of your 1911 is also part of the responsibility of carrying one, I clean mine regularly, and check it out even more so. A couple of years ago I discovered a problem with my trigger and sear that I had a gunsmith correct quickly - it could have been serious, and it could have led to a negligent discharge, but my routine checks forstalled that.

Of course this same applies to every firearm.

[sbb]

I carry a 1911 every day in condition one. I will also echo the warnings of the other posting members. Constant vigilance of cleanliness and proper function will serve you well. No ND's and ZI feel completely safe.

[Houston1944]

I have been carrying a "cocked and locked" 1911 in an open top holster for many years. I have never had the manual safety disengage while carrying in the holster. I would not panic if it ever did since as previously stated there are other backup systems to prevent it from firing while in the holster.

If you do not feel good about this method then you can use a thumb break holster that has the strap snapped between the hammer and the firing pin. I use this type of holster on rare occasions when I am concerned about retention due to planned activities that day.

[stroo]

I carry a Hipower cocked and locked. I feel safer carrying with a manual safety on the Hipower than I would carrying with the "trigger safety" on a Glock. That is the primary reason why I went with a Hipower rather than a Glock. But whichever way you carry, the primary safety is your head.

[longtooth]

2 1911s here. Both are carried C&L. Thumb safety on. Totally comfortable carrying that way. For a discharge to take place, intentional or neglegent, the grip safety has to be fully depressed w/ a proper grip & the thumb safety depressed. Totally comfortable w/ that.

[flintknapper]

2 1911s here. Both are carried C&L. Thumb safety on. Totally comfortable carrying that way. For a discharge to take place, intentional or neglegent, the grip safety has to be fully depressed w/ a proper grip & the thumb safety depressed. Totally comfortable w/ that.

And the trigger would somehow have to be manipulated. Just doesn't happen (unless someone is not paying attention reholstering).

I'm with LT, I carry C&L and never give it a second thought. Never had an incident.

[DoubleJ]

so, if you carried a 1911 with the safety off, wouldn't you basically be carrying an XD?

I carry my 1911 round chambered, hammer cocked, safety engaged. I periodically check the safety on it throughout the day, as I carry IWB and don't want to unintentionally disengage the lever. looks like I'm scratching my side, to the casual observer.
even if it did come off, and I have knocked it off once or twice just to see if it could be done, I don't panic, I just re-engage it while making sure not to disengage the grip safety.
even if I did disengage the grip safety, I wouldn't worry, my quality-made holster covers the trigger and guard, so I am confident that nothing is touching the trigger.

[HighVelocity]

I carry a 1911 most of the time and condition 1 is the only way to carry it. Any other way is just crippling the gun. I have no concern about it firing in the holster since 3 things have to happen at the same time.

The thumb safety has to be off, the grip safety has to be depressed and the trigger has to be pulled. Even I can't do all three at the same time by accident.

[Mike from Texas]

I carry cocked & locked every day. I do not worry about it in the least.

[NcongruNt]

I also carry a Hi-Power, also cocked and locked (condition 1). I have never had the safety disengage unintentionally in the last year+ of carrying it daily. I would not consider condition 0 (cocked, safety off) as a proper method of carry. While I have never had an issue with a trigger knock (as my holster keeps it well covered), SA pistols almost always have a significantly lighter trigger pull than DA or DA/SA pistols, and the trigger is more susceptible to be actuated by relatively minor touches. As pretty much every other 1911/Hi-Power owner I'm aware of on this forum, disengaging the safety is something that has become a natural part of drawing the gun. This, of course takes practice and repetition.

I feel absolutely safe carrying in condition 1, a conclusion that I came to after taking a trip to the range and intentionally trying to fire the gun with the safety engaged. If you are not confident in carrying your SA pistol this way, I invite you to do the same thing and test your pistol at the range in a controlled environment.

[The Annoyed Man]

so, if you carried a 1911 with the safety off, wouldn't you basically be carrying an XD?

I carry my 1911 in Condition 1 also, and have no worries about it. Regarding the XD, isn't it a double action pistol? A cocked 1911 with the safety off is not a thing to be waking around with, unless you're pointing it at someone. But wouldn't carrying an XD be like carrying a revolver with a double action first pull? When I carry my USP, I carry it decocked with the safety off. That first double action pull is long and heavy. There is very little likelihood of it ever discharging without me pulling the trigger. But if I carried it cocked, I would safe it. (Unfortunately for me, a left handed safety for the H&K has proven to be unobtanium.)

[Excaliber]

But wouldn't carrying an XD be like carrying a revolver with a double action first pull?

The XD is technically a single action pistol. The striker is fully cocked by the recoil action of the slide, and the trigger and sear simply release it. This differs from double action and Glock "safe action" guns where the trigger does some or all of the cocking work. The XD system's advantage is that the single action pull is much lighter and smoother than most double action trigger pulls, and this makes it easier to put the rounds where you want them. The XD also has a grip safety which must be depressed before the weapon will fire, and a firing pin block safety which is released automatically as the trigger is pulled.

Technically the function of the XD is very much like that of a Series 80 style 1911 (one with a firing pin block safety) with the thumb safety off. It doesn't excite people as much though because the very small protrusion of the rear of the striker is a lot less visually obvious than the cocked hammer of the 1911.

I have carried 1911's in condition one (cocked and locked) for varying periods of time for over 3 decades (I went through a lot of "newer, better guns" at various times), and in recent years I've carried them almost exclusively. I have never had a negligent discharge, largely because I mentally stop and remind myself to rigidly adhere to the Four Rules each time I go to pick up a gun. I have no illusions that past safety is any protection against a dumb mistake today.

I have had the thumb safety on 1911's disengage in the holster occasionally. This has almost always been with new holsters and IWB carry where body position, pressure, and movement can create hard to predict force combinations for active people. If it can't be fixed by repositioning, adjustment, etc. I ditch the holster, not the gun.