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Ambi Safety and concealed carry?

2K views 9 replies 9 participants last post by  Josey 
#1 ·
Please forgive my ignorance in advance........I have been carrying a Glock .45 (G30) in an IWB Kydex holster, but I want to make a change to the 1911 to get the better trigger and better grip ergonomics.


It looks to me like most of the major 1911 manufacturers equip their carry pistols with ambidexterous thumb safeties. When I look at the Kydex holsters for 1991 pistols, it looks to me like the holster will cover the inboard safety but not the outboard safety.

Isn't there a risk that normal activities of daily living will swipe the outboard safety off? Is this a problem?

Thanks in advance for any advice you all have for me.
 
#2 ·
dg53, welcome to the 1911 Forum.

I have experienced no problems with compromising an ambi safety with Kydex IWB concealed carry. Actually, I prefer the ambi safety. I can and do check the status of the safety with my right thumb on occasion. I've never brushed the safety off during concealed carry with either a standard or an ambi safety.

You might try a search for comments on the ambi safety as there has been a good deal of discussion on this forum about the virtues (or lack thereof) of the ambidexterous safety.

Also, you might try wearing subject rig unloaded, cocked-and-locked around the house and the yard to gain some piece of mind about the safety situation.

John
 
#3 · (Edited)
Isn't there a risk that normal activities of daily living will swipe the outboard safety off? Is this a problem?
If you place your finger on the trigger and point the muzzle at something you do not wish to destroy, sure, it is a problem.

Same as your Glock in that regard.

If the pistol stays in the holster and you observe the safety rules, then it is as safe as you are. Again, just like the Glock you are progressing from.

In fact one could argue that the unlocked, cocked 1911 is at least as safe as a Glock, which is also essentially in condition zero when the striker is cocked, which is any time there is a round in the chamber.

Personally I would avoid getting into that argument.

(Safety resides between your ears, not on a small metal latch, right ?);)

Welcome to the forum and a higher plane of firearms contentment !
 
#4 ·
I'm a lefty, so an ambi safety isn't optional, and its the left one that would come disengaged anyway. There aren't any without those. As many have pointed out, even if it did disengage, normal safe gunhandling would prevent any problem, and it does make for a nice discreet way to check the safety is still on. I do question your premise though, being a lefty, ambi equipped guns are far harder to find then single sided ones. Admittedly ambi's are more common then they were 10 years ago, but that is fine with me. If you don't want an ambi, most basic guns from Kimber, SA, Colt, and Dan Wesson come stock with single sided units and any of the cusom makers will most likely allow you to delete the ambi at no cost or even giving you credit for the lower cost part. Wilson for example charges extra for the ambi equipped guns. I wouldn't worry too much about the ambi if you found a gun you like that has them, but by far most of them don't come with an ambi.

later,
AJ
 
#6 ·
Thanks for the replies!

Thanks guys! I guess I already knew the answer, which is, "if your finger isn't on the trigger, what difference does the condition of the rest of the safeties make".

It is reassuring to hear that someone out there has been carrying for years and hasn't had the ambi safety get swiped off.

And yes, I do see most basic models with single sided safeties, but I should have said "All of the models I am interested in come with ambi safeties". (I have wondered what the lefties of the world did before the ambi safety, shoot right handed?)
 
#7 ·
Archer said:
In fact one could argue that the unlocked, cocked 1911 is at least as safe as a Glock, which is also essentially in condition zero when the striker is cocked, which is any time there is a round in the chamber.
Not exactly true. A Glock striker is only partially to the rear (cocked) when a round is chambered. Supposedly, there is not enough tension on the striker spring to ignite a round from this position. Final "cocking" and eventual release of the striker occurs only when the trigger is pressed rearward.
 
#9 ·
Welcome dj53,

Ignorance isn't a problem concerning gun issues. That is why the forum is here. However, you are ignorant of how to use the forum to its fullest advantage. If you go to the top right of the page, you will see the SEARCH button. One of the nice things about 1911forum is that posts are archived. Using the search button, you can search the entire site.

The topic of ambi safeties and carry guns has been discussed numerous times. There are those who feel an ambi isn't necessary unless you are a lefty. Some feel it poses a risk of getting hit and disengaging the safety. Some feel that since John Moses Browning did not put it on the original 1911s that it does not belong on a 1911. Apparently, he and/or the military had no wish to allow lefties to have a gun that functioned just as well as the original did for righties. Some feel the safety is just another part and hence increases your chances to have something go wrong with the gun.

Use the search and you will learn lots.
 
#10 ·
I have found my ambi safety flipped to firing position. This applied to my BHP and my Colt. I am using IWB myself. I tried Kydex holsters. I found that they break easily. I switched to Galco IWB and stock safeties. I have had no problems since. I found that meal turnstiles were knocking my safety to fire. The cold temps were the reason for my Kydex failures. YMMV.
 
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