Its been a while...

[DonT]

Many more years ago than I care to remember I use to do some combat shooting and did some work on 1911 styled 45's for competition.  At the risk of dating myself this was before folks referred to em as 70 or 80 series.

I moved away from shooting just about the time Colt introduced the firing pin blocks.   That little plunger that moved up and down and keeps the firing pin from striking the round if the trigger wasn't pulled.

Well I am revisting the 1911's after a long absence.  Recently stumbled across a stainless officers model with the oblonged loop hammer and wider beavertail safety.  The trigger was replaced with one of the aluminum ones.  Other than that it hasn't been messed with and it about 98% with the box and 2 factory mags.  Figured I couldn't go wrong at $500 shipped.  Gonna be getting my conceal & carry permit shortly and figured this would make a good carry gun.

I do have a question.  Although I know on the earlier models we use to trick out you either carried them  hammer down on an empty chamber or condition one (cocked and locked).  I know you can do that with the 80 series but with the advent of the firing pin block can they be carried with one in the chamber and the hammer down or on half cock?  Is this an accepted and safe practice?

Thanks for you feedback.

DonT

[Savage]

Don,
You'll get all sorts of answers to your question. Some like to carry 1911s with unloaded chambers, loaded chambers with the hammer down, or on half cock-------some are more comfortable with the pistol  broken down into three sub groups and in the safe. I see no reason to carry a 1911  in other than condition one. The ones that shun condition one carry, have no problem carrying an 870 chambered and on safety.
Savage

[1911crazy]

I carry all my 1911's chambered cocked & locked its a good practice to carry it one way and one way only you can never go wrong you know its chambered and loaded the minute you see it locked.  If its ever needed there maybe no time to chamber it.  Even if someone comes crashing thru the front door or if you have to pull it and use it quick its ready all the time.  My point is if its cocked and locked its chambered everytime. There can be no if an's or butts its loaded.  

I have seen others make mistakes carrying them chambered and half cocked it went off some how blowing a hole in the floor.

[Mikey]

The 1911 pistol and the 1911A1 pistol were designed to be carried with a round chambered, the hammer back to full cok and the slide safety engaged.  The pistol, at that point, was and still is considered fully safe as two (count'em boys, two) safeties are required to be disengaged before the pistol can be fired.  That makes the almost 100 year old design of the 1911 to be safer today than many of the other pistols available.  

It is not recommended to carry the 1911 or 1911A1 on half cock.  The half cock notch on the hammer of those pistols is shallow and not designed to safeguard the pistol from accidental discharge if dropped.  It simply hampers the full fall of the hammer to prevent accidental discharge if the hammer slips from full cock when a round is chambered using the slide release.  This is seen in some pistols where less than judicious trigger work has been performed.

It has been shown in time trials that leaving the hammer on half cock costs the shooter another .5 - 1 second time in bringing the pistol to bear and firing two shots to the target in close quarters drill.  That could cost you your life.

The 1911 was designed to be carried with a round chamberred and fully cocked and locked.  It is then in its safest, most reliable and rapid to present condition.  Mikey.