Carrying 1911's Locked-n-Cocked???

[Chromedhearts]

I know people that do it all the time; I do too.
However I always carry in a well made holster with a strap under the hammer. I don't pass judgement on some one else method,
but I was wondering if there were any documented cases of an accidental discharge while carrying without an underhammer strap, not from handeling but while holstered.
I know it would be unlikely due to the design, with the safety engaged and the grip safety not disengaged. Any way I'm not asking about likelihood, or even opinions really, just wondering if it has actually happened to anyone's knowledge. Thanks

 

[Arik]

I've never heard of one. And I've actually never seen a 1911 holster with a snap unless it was for a shoulder holster.
The most common holsters today are some for of kydex and seems like it works fine
Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[Chromedhearts]

I carry in a Bianchi 19L, probably twenty years old, it has a thumbbreak strap that goes snugly under the cocked hammer. It's been a good one, but I also have a Galco Yaqui that I like but just haven't gone past the front yard carrying in it.
That 19L is older than I thought. Just remembered, I bought it in '93.

 

[WR Moore]

LE duty holsters for the 1911 generally had/have the retention strap cover the back of the slide, fitting between firing pin and hammer.

Many other types of holsters in the 1970s and up also had retention straps that fit in the same manner.

Since the grip safety blocks the trigger and the thumb safety blocks the sear, it would be possible (not likely) for an impact on the hammer to shear the sear and allow the hammer to drop.

 

[29aholic]

Kind of on the subject, but the cocked and locked was a requirement by the Cavalry when they switched from Colt SAA's to 1911's. A it takes two hands to do work the slide (I know there are ways around this) and two they felt it was safer for the horse as the pistol would be pointing at its head while the trooper charged his weapon.

 

[Fishinfool]

Yea, call me paranoid, but I like my 1911's in holsters with a strap or thumb break between the hammer and slide. Just feel better about it that way. I have, on occasion, found that whatever activity I was engaged in, has knocked the thumb safety off while carrying.

I also question those holsters that run their retaining strap behind the slide, over the grip safety. Maybe tight enough to depress it? See the paragraph above...

For what its worth, been carrying almost every day since I was 18, and 30 years in LE. Never felt a safety strap unduly slowed me down, in a properly designed holster.

Larry

 

[Chromedhearts]

I know when I was in uniform(Army) we were not allowed to carry that way. Just a loaded mag under an empty chamber. Of course that was a long time after horse cavalry and in peace time.

 

[Cpo1944]

I had a 1911 in a fanny pack cocked and locked with the safety double checked to ensure it was on safe. My son and I went bouncing over goat trails in the CO Rocky Mts on the Alpine loop and had a great time until that evening when we made camp and I pulled the 1911 out of the fanny pack and found the slide safety had disengaged its own self. The only safety in operation was the grip. What happened is all that bouncing around knocked the safety off.All the rest of that trip was not C&L no round in the chamber. I solved the problem by making a custom fitted sleeve out of a prosthetic material I use every day called pelite. It fits very well and the pistol cannot move around in the fanny pack loosely anymore and the safety stays on properly now.

 

[BUFF]

I carry a Colt Commander frequently in a Milt Sparks Summer Special or one of a number of similar styles with different leather finishes. These don't have a safety strap, they utilize tight fitting molding of the leather to hold the gun in place. Been doing so since about 1987 when I bought my first Sparks holster at Gunsite when I took a class. Never a problem.

Remember, the 1911 has several "safeties" at play at the same time. Thumb safety. Grip safety. Half cock notch is a safety. Many newer 1911's also have a firing pin lock safety. To get the 1911 to fire requires disengaging all of the safeties the pistol has.

 

[Chromedhearts]

I'm not questioning the wisdom of carrying this way or the likelihood of an accident. I am looking for any documented accidents.
Just sayin'

 

[keith44spl]

I can't find any documentation on this, but I met a feller one time that show me a scar
on his right calf of the entry of a 45 caliber bullet out of a 1911 being carried cocked & locked....

With that being said, I believe this feller was just purty reckless
in other walks of life as well as being careless handling his firearm.

I've carried the 1911 Gov't Model cocked and locked for almost half a century without nary a bobble.


.

 

[pawngal]

Several years ago it happened at a local gun show here. The show promoter was carrying a 1911 in some kind of holster, he sat down and the gun fell out of the holster and fired when it hit the floor. I don't know what brand the 1911 or the holster were.. Thankfully no one was killed or seriously injured, I would say it was negligence on his part for not having a secure holster.

I can't locate an actual news story on it any more but there are posts on an AR forum referring to it.
Starts about 1/2 way down the page.

spirit lake gun show black ford bfl - Page 1 - AR15.COM

This is a Facebook post by the guy that was injured. Don't know if you have to be a member of Facebook to read it or not.

Dynamic Firearms Instruction - Timeline | Facebook

 

[Chromedhearts]

pawngal;
That was a good read. That kind of thing makes me sorta spooky about going to gunshows. Sounds more like negligence.
I kind of think a quality holster, strapped or not, would not have done that

 

[Rule3]

This is not the OP's topic but kinda related. I like 1911's but to big for me to carry. A lot of folks buy these pocket pistols like the Sig P 238 which is like a baby 1911. Only problem is it has no grip safety!

So to me shoving one of those in a pocket holster or heck even in a belt holster seems scary to me let alone bouncing around in a purse or fanny pack,
The thumb safety is not that hard to release and the triggers are very light on those guns. Seems like without the grip safety those would be a accident waiting to happen.

Maybe just me.

 

[cmort666]

I frequently carry an M1911 (or Browning Hi Power) cocked and locked, IWB. None of my holsters has a thumb break, nor do I feel the need for one.

 

[American1776]

This is not the OP's topic but kinda related. I like 1911's but to big for me to carry. A lot of folks buy these pocket pistols like the Sig P 238 which is like a baby 1911. Only problem is it has no grip safety!

So to me shoving one of those in a pocket holster or heck even in a belt holster seems scary to me let alone bouncing around in a purse or fanny pack,
The thumb safety is not that hard to release and the triggers are very light on those guns. Seems like without the grip safety those would be a accident waiting to happen.

Maybe just me.

Would you carry a glock 43 in a pocket holster? The Glocks have 5.5 lbs. triggers with a short take up, NO MANUEL SAFETY. The Sig P238 has a 5-7 lbs trigger with about as much takeup as the Glock, and it has a nice positive thumb safety.

I might get bashed for this, but I'll say it anyway. A Glock, with it's 5.5 short takeup trigger, is very much like a 1911 WITHOUT the thumb and grip safety. 1911 triggers are in the 5 lbs. range, with a short takeup. Only thing is, 1911's have a grip and thumb safety---Glocks have neither.

 

[Kanewpadle]

I'm another that has carried a 1911 cocked and locked in a holster without a strap. No problems here. The 1911 is one of the safest guns one can carry.

Any documentation you can find won't tell the whole story. And 99% of those are due to negligence.

Rule number one. Keep your finger off the trigger.

 

[mrchuck]

I enjoy seeing a "cocked and locked" 45 auto in someone's holster.
Fear?? Absolutely not, as I carried mine this exact way for many, many year's.
It was always ready throughout my long career.

 

[Faulkner]

Would you carry a glock 43 in a pocket holster? The Glocks have 5.5 lbs. triggers with a short take up, NO MANUEL SAFETY. The Sig P238 has a 5-7 lbs trigger with about as much takeup as the Glock, and it has a nice positive thumb safety.

I might get bashed for this, but I'll say it anyway. A Glock, with it's 5.5 short takeup trigger, is very much like a 1911 WITHOUT the thumb and grip safety. 1911 triggers are in the 5 lbs. range, with a short takeup. Only thing is, 1911's have a grip and thumb safety---Glocks have neither.

I don't want to be the Glock defender here, but in all transparency the Glock does have the trigger safety bar and it is half cocked so I wouldn't call necessarily say it has a short take up trigger. People who have AD's with 1911's or Glock's are handling or carrying them improperly, they don't go bang by themselves.

 

[Grayfox]

I've carried cocked and locked 1911s for about 30 years now. I prefer open top holsters and don't remember ever having one with a strap. I've never had the thumb safety mysteriously disengage or an AD.
For that matter, I've also carried Colt Mustangs owb, iwb and in pockets without any problems either.

I consider the 1911 to be the finest defensive handgun ever made. BUT, one must be willing to put in the time and practice to master it. Many people don't and they are the ones who pay the price for their ignorance.