Grip "safeties" are inexcusable. 1911 maybe gets a bye based on historical significance but even that is questionable. Unless you're worried that your 1911 is going to go off on its own, when you're not holding it.
Getting a click, or rather no click at all, instead of bang because one fails to engage it, is the only contribution to gun's "function" the grip "safety" provides.

 

Grip "safeties" are inexcusable. 1911 maybe gets a bye based on historical significance but even that is questionable. Unless you're worried that your 1911 is going to go off on its own, when you're not holding it.
Getting a click, or rather no click at all, instead of bang because one fails to engage it, is the only contribution to gun's "function" the grip "safety" provides.

I have owned and shot, 1911's, for over fifty years,.... never, NEVER had a click, or rather no click at all, instead of bang because one fails to engage it,,...NOT ONCE!!!

As to,... "you're worried that your 1911 is going to go off on its own, when you're not holding it.",... that comment belongs on the Glock forum site, not, a 1911 forum site.

 

I like Grip Safeties, a strong point for the 1911.

 

It’s integral to the 1911 design, including the obvious safety role it provides. As the 1911 is my handgun choice for almost all purposes, I like it as part of the 1911‘s operation and safety.

However, I‘d hesitate before opining that it would be desirable on other handguns. I think one needs to consider the functional and safety measures as a collective whole for each gun design, not looking at any one element in a vacuum.

FWIW , I voted “yes”, but I was voting in the context of the 1911.

 

I have had no issues with the grip safety on any of my 1911 pistols. I've never had a failure to fire when it was engaged. In my opinion, of course we all have one of those, when the pistol is gripped correctly the grip safety functions as designed. The newer styles have a more pronounced "hump" and therefore are easier to engage.

My $0.02
Grumpy

 

I have had no issues with the grip safety on any of my 1911 pistols. I've never had a failure to fire when it was engaged. In my opinion, of course we all have one of those, when the pistol is gripped correctly the grip safety functions as designed. The newer styles have a more pronounced "hump" and therefore are easier to engage.

My $0.02
Grumpy

This ^^^^

 

It doesn’t matter either way to me. If the firearm has one, that’s fine. If not , I’m good with that as well. I had a Springfield XD that had one. Never had a problem with it. Like anything, it takes practice. That’s my 2 cents.😄

 

Properly fitted and adjusted- no problem.

 

Not sure when a safety, which prevents the gun from firing when nobody is holding it, really comes into play as a safety? Sort of like a car with an ignition lock-out that's engaged only when there's nobody in the car.

 

For those who carry an ambi-thumb safety 1911 in C-1, it might (?) provide some added safety against a thumb safety being bumped-off (the safe position). But I’m not suggesting this is “needed”; as I’ve never experienced a thumb safety being disengaged in this manner.

A grip safety might also have been helpful to Plaxico Burress a few years ago…😳😳😳. He was doing other things with his hands at the time of the “bang …oops… owww”

 

I have no issue with grip safeties one way or the other. Guns that have them function just fine in my hands. Guns that don't have them work just as well. I, too, have never had any issue with them in any of my pistols so equipped. What I do require, however, is a manual safety. A pistol without one in the wrong (inexperienced, casual, distracted, foolish, ignorant, or cavalier) hands is a recipe for misery. Such guns are not 'beginner' guns, in my opinion. Grip safety? Well, I guess there are people out there after all who might benefit from 'umbrella insurance' above and beyond a manual safety!!!!!

 

My hand is apparently similar to John Browning's, I find it hard to pick up a 1911 and not depress the factory grip safety. I always considered them important because the trigger is light and the pistol was intended to be used in combat, where people get killed, injured and knocked down all the time while holding weapons.

 

^^^ I’ll bet Plaxico remembers….of course, he was doing other things wrong as well.

 

I hate grip "safeties." They are especially lame on polymer pistols. (HS 2000, AKA Springfield XDs)

 

A 1911 isn't a 1911 without a grip safety. My wife has a S&W EZ9 with one and she has to concentrate to keep it depressed when shooting it plus it digs into the web of her hand because it won't go flush.

 

As far as I'm concerned, the grip safety is an answer to a non-existent question. I either completely disconnect them on my 1911s or they're so close to disconnected that barely touching them engages them.

I don't know enough about the development of the 1911 by JMB, but I think the grip safety is there more because the military wanted it and not because JMB thought it was the right thing to do. Notice that the Hi-Power doesn't have one, so JMB thought them useless at that point.

 

YVKpost: 13477010, member: 32832"]
Did you put this thread up to argue, as you do in just about every other thread, or get others' opinions?

No! Did you post on this thread thinking I would automatically agree with you?
Oh and Thanks,.... nice to know I have a follower of my posts, never had one before!! 😁


This forum is full of discussions with members having experiences of not engaging grip safeties.

Well, as stated in my OP, this is more of an opinion seeking post,.... either yeh or ney,... not about grip safety failures. That can of worms have been well covered, here!

But you knew that,.... you read the OP,... right?

Sorry, I am a firm TRUST BUT VERIFY REAGAN guy,... got a link to those posts, of members having experiences of non engaging grip safeties. ?


There have been numerous other solutions to this, from pinning to Novak's Answer to patented non-pivoting designs. Wilson Combat is making a line of 1911 clones that have no GS and that are very popular, including with members of this site. I have not had it happen with my guns but I can make any off the shelf 1911 with a beavertail GS not fire on demand. And I've seen numerous instances of people not engaging GS on XDs,


Easy guy, ... take it easy,.... all I am interested in, is whether you like a grip safety, or not. No need to blow a gasket,....we're all 1911 friends here..



My comments will go wherever I choose to but if you can't comprehend what it means, read this post again.

My reading comprehension is just fine,... and, I will post my comments anywhere I wish, as well !!!


Finally, if you're holding a fully loaded handgun, not just 1911 but any handgun, in your strong hand with anything other than a complete strong hand firing grip and trigger finger indexed to wherever your indexing point is, than in over fifty years you have not learned how to handle handguns correctly. Seek professional instruction.

Obviously, you need to go back and read my reply,... it was in reference to handling a gun without firing it,.... no need for a tactical grip, when just examining a 1911.

p.s.,... that will be the last personal insult, I will ignore.

 

Obviously, you need to go back and read my reply,... it was in reference to handling a gun without firing it,.... no need for a tactical grip, when just examining a 1911.

Help me understand this: why do you need any safeties when "just examining a 1911"? Do you examine them without unloading or verifying an unloaded status first?

 

AZdesert1911; Amazingly enough, it's readily apparent that some few join 1911Forum for reasons other than from esteem for the 1911 gun and respect for its capabilities.

Weird, ain't it?

 

Like them? No.

Will I put up with them to use a 1911? Of course!

I guess I’m ambivalent about them.

Further elaboration: I stopped carrying and using the XD series because I didn’t like them, but had the Hudson H9 been an actual good gun I would taken it, grip safety and all in a heartbeat.

 

The diversity of perspectives and individuals here is what helps drive many good discussions on this Forum.

The “other” 1911 forum pretty much died a few years ago due to the narrowness of permitted “clinical-like” discussions…after a few years of that, posts and responses to posts came to a complete standstill. It’s now just a repository of information/posts from years ago.

”Outlying” opinions, if honestly held, are oftentimes useful…even if some of us sometimes think they’re rubbish.😅😅😅

 

Agreed. Unfortunately, however, unless one takes great care, much can get lost when discussions are limited to the written word. Actual debate truly was an artform, one now in its death-throws, for the most part. I think that's why younger people, in particular, are sorely lacking in conversational skills - they've been typing their thoughts in shorthand for much of their existence - and it typically follows a pattern: point, counter-point, petulant response, personal attack, withdrawal. Quite uninspired and truly dull. At least here, spirited debate lives on...... for all practical purposes. 👏 👏 👏

And yes..... even though a 1911 forum, we do welcome the rubbish too..... particularly the plastic-ophile rubbish!!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

There are grip safeties and there are grip safeties. Some work fine for me, like the 1911, MAT-49 or the pocket hammerless.. Others are clumsy and awkward, like the 1910 or 1922 Brownings. I leave the ones I like alone. If I ever really feel the need to defeat one, rubber bands will do the job. In general, pistols I find clumsy or awkward to use are there because they fill a place in my collection of oddball stuff. I have enough choices among pistols that are comfortable and I shoot well that I don't have stake my behind on clumsy range toys.

 

^^^^
I especially liked the last comment.

Heeheehee😄😄😄

 

Once upon a time I carried a Star PD cocked and locked. It doesn't have a grip safety.
At the end of the day I took the gun out of the shoulder holster in which I had been carrying it.
I found the thumb safety was off. I had been carrying the gun for who knows how long with
the hammer back and no safety. I realized I was lucky I had not accidentally touched the
trigger.
After that day I decided two things. Never carry the PD with the hammer back, and get
a 1911 with a grip safety.
Now I carry a 1911cocked and locked with no worries.

 

Once upon a time I carried a Star PD cocked and locked. It doesn't have a grip safety.
At the end of the day I took the gun out of the shoulder holster in which I had been carrying it.
I found the thumb safety was off. I had been carrying the gun for who knows how long with
the hammer back and no safety. I realized I was lucky I had not accidentally touched the
trigger.
After that day I decided two things. Never carry the PD with the hammer back, and get
a 1911 with a grip safety.
Now I carry a 1911cocked and locked with no worries.

I had that happen once with my Colt 1911. It's also one of the reason that I never carry a 1911 in a holster that doesn't have a thumb snap with the strap over the back of the slide so the hammer can't fall on the firing pin in the holster.

Oh, I found the issue because I look at the gun when I'm unholstering for the day and immediately saw it. The thumb safety went on immediately before it left the holster. I determined that I probably clicked it off myself when I was snapping the thumb snap on while holstering. Now I'm extra careful when I do that.

 

Depends on how well designed they are and how well they work. I own 1911s, Astra 600, VIS Radom P-35 , and OMC/AMT Back-Ups , all have grip safeties and all work differently. Never really examined how the one on certain model Lugers worked.
The 1911 grip safety really doesn't do much. Just blocks the trigger bow from coming back. Doesn't do diddly to block the sear or hammer. They're still free to move if the pistol is jarred or dropped.
A more positive way of blocking or interlocking with the hammer, sear, or both would be cool. A grip safety would work well for a Ser.80 style firing pin block without affecting the trigger.
The old S&W 'Centennial' revolver had a good design , and even came with a pin to disable it if desired. More designed to prevent children from firing it, but even if an adult doesn't have a proper grip, it won't fire.

The H&K P7 "Squeeze-Cocker" , which had it's psuedo-grip safety in the front , is something else!

 

The H&K P7 "Squeeze-Cocker" , which had it's psuedo-grip safety in the front , is something else!

Why pseudo?

 

Never had a problem with a grip safety on a 1911. If your gripping the gun properly, it’s a non issue.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Never had a problem with a grip safety on a 1911. If your gripping the gun properly, it’s a non issue.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

EXACTLY and one of the benefits of a 1911 grip safety, imo!

I found, at a very early age, that with 1911's, my accuracy depended a lot on how high I gripped it,.... for me, grip safeties make me aware of just how high I am gripping.

Just an additional, positive, idiosyncrasy, the 1911 has, for me!

 

I endure grip safeties. Don't hate them....and sure don't love them. Simply endure them.



Provided they are the humped variety there is seldom any issue in my hands. I do have a humpless version on a cco that sometimes gives me trouble.

I do appreciate the WC EDC X9 and it's lack of such. Wouldn't hurt my feelings if there were more guns built in this way.

 

I like them. But I also have work-hardened, meaty hands that seem to depress grip safeties even if poorly gripped.
I have friends whose hand size and shape requires studied practice to disengage them. Obviously they don't like them.

 

I'll admit that when I bought my Wilson Combat EDC-X9 I was disappointed that it didn't have a grip safety. I planned to use it not only for steel plate matches but for EDC. In both applications I prefer having that one additional safety when the pistol is holstered. The thumb safety is pretty reliable but in the event its inadvertently clicked off I like the idea of having the grip safety as a backup.

 

You didn’t realize the EDC X9 didn’t have a grip safety prior to purchase ?



Have there been any other surprises with the gun ?

One surprise for me was not realizing how thin those grip panels actually were.