[dsk]

 

[Boge]

Charles Edward Miller - Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum

Charles Edward “Charlie” Miller 1893 – 1971 Charles E. Miller was born in Frio County, Texas around 1893. There is some dispute about his actual birth year. He was educated in San Antonio and attended Old Main High School. Before becoming a regular Ranger in 1919, Miller served as a special...

www.texasranger.org

That is a real sweet ol' 1911. I hope some of these guys here don't come unglued over the rawhided grip safety!

Texas Ranger Charles Miller's Pistol, Carbine and Badges | Rock Island Auction

Texas Ranger Charles “Charlie” Miller’s Colt Pistol, Remington Carbine and Two Texas Ranger Badges -A) Engraved and Gold Inlaid Colt Government Model Semi-Automatic PistolOffered here are two firearms and two Texas Ranger badges that belonged to Texas Ranger Charles “Charlie” Miller (1893-1971)...

www.rockislandauction.com

 

[Hawkeye fan]

Nice

 

[mdell49]

Those Old Timers had Bark!

 

[flechero]

If you ever have reason to pass through Waco, Tx on I-35, the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum is a cool stop....

 

[Jim Watson]

That is a real sweet ol' 1911. I hope some of these guys here don't come unglued over the rawhided grip safety!

I have seen other period 1911s with the grip safety strapped down.
I can only assume that the owners did not know how their guns really worked and that a few minutes with a file would keep a BBQ gun looking nice.

 

[henryt]

I have seen other period 1911s with the grip safety strapped down.
I can only assume that the owners did not know how their guns really worked and that a few minutes with a file would keep a BBQ gun looking nice.

Chortle

You have to be kidding? These guys knew how to use their guns and used them very well. These guys had no problems putting a guy on the spot.

 

[Jim Watson]

Use, si. Tinker, apparently not much.

 

[Levian]

I have seen other period 1911s with the grip safety strapped down.
I can only assume that the owners did not know how their guns really worked and that a few minutes with a file would keep a BBQ gun looking nice.

Found that out first hand. I was trying to make mine a little easier to disengage. Few strokes too many and...let's just say mission accomplished. I won't have trouble disengaging it until I decide to fit a new safety to the pistol.

 

[Boge]

As the auction site states that 1911 was made in 1967 when he was retired and 74 yrs. old. I don't think he used it on anyone. If he followed Hamer's lead he probably used a S&W HE .44 Spcl. Hamer owned a Triple Lock and used it in at least one gunfight I know of.

 

[henryt]

Another Charlie Miller gun:

https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/gunsmoke_miller_0730/99973

Interesting Miller stories.

 

[dsk]

I have seen other period 1911s with the grip safety strapped down.
I can only assume that the owners did not know how their guns really worked and that a few minutes with a file would keep a BBQ gun looking nice.

Supposedly Charlie Miller was shown how to pin a grip safety once, but he replied that the rawhide trick worked just fine for him.

 

[AndyC]

Miller had once been attacked from behind by a knife-wielding felon and could not get the grip safety depressed to shoot him off of his back

 

[rangertrace]

There's a reason why a lot of companies are designing 1911s without a functioning grip safety. My fanciest engraved 1911 was a Baer Premier II that I traded for an open gun when I discovered USPSA. It had 100% coverage by retired (now deceased) Tarrant County Deputy Sheriff Bob Shade. I had him send it to Virgil Tripp who hard chromed it after it was engraved. Should have kept that one........

 

[Doubs43]

I don't know how popular it was at any given time but at least some people had their 1911 grip safeties pinned to disable them. I suppose they simply didn't trust them to function reliably in normal use.

 

[WalterGC]

Charlie Miller, like JMB, thought the grip safety was an absurd idea...kind of like the trigger safeties on my Glocks.

 

[dsk]

While pinning a grip safety was once a popular mod, in truth it was never really necessary. It's possible to tune a grip safety so that it still works, but is disengaged with just the slightest amount of pressure on it. It's easier to do than drilling it for a pin anyway. I personally think the folks pinning safeties are mostly paranoid about safeties to begin with.

I'm willing to give guys like Charlie Miller a pass though. He came from an era when it was also fashionable to remove the front of the triggerguard on a revolver. Nobody worried about ND's back then because cops usually worked alone without any means to call for for backup, and having a gun that would fire no matter what was more important than worrying about whether or not there was a personal injury lawyer peeking through the bushes.

 

[shooter59]

Use, si. Tinker, apparently not much.

You are missing an important item. Many of the old timers wanted to be able to have their guns operating properly if inspected later……

 

[Jim Watson]

Yeah, what did Lone Wolf Gonzaulas do when due for firearm inspection?

 

[Frank Vaccaro]

Very interesting.
In the 70s some of us in LE carried handloads in our duty weapons without qualms. I bet in the 40s till late 70s not much worry was had from lawyers.