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Safety use on a 1911


jimbo61

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My thumb is on the safety lever from the moment the hand grasps the pistol. When your hands come together would be a natural moment to apply the little pressure that you need for disengaging. Or you could do it at the same time as your finger goes on the trigger. The thumb stays on the lever, unless you need it for some other control.

Edited by perttime
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Starting out... I'd wait till I see the front site... get your thumb up on the safety as you push the gun out...dis-engage when you see the front site... build some good habits and techniques now... so you don't have to unlearn them later ...

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  • 3 weeks later...

Safety aside, if you wait to disengage the safety until after the muzzle is pointing downrange, you'll be a lot less likely to be DQ'd if you accidentally let off a round while acquiring the first target. I tend to flip off the safety when i draw, but am trying to delay it, so *if i AD, the bullet hole in the ground is far enough away from my feet that it won't be an automatic DQ. (Not that i ever intend to do that. Just seems safer).

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I forget what Master/GM it was at the nationals several years ago ... drew and broke a shot about 6 inches in front of his right foot... build on good habits and safe handling now...

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It feels slow to me to flip the safety off after my hands come together, but then again, I'm new to 1911's, so maybe I need to work on it more.

With practice you do it when you can't take the shot anyway. You're still prepping the trigger at that point. It happens so fast that it really doesn't use time that can be used in any other way. Try flipping the lever off AS your hands are coming together. Someone wrote, " as you see the front sight"; that's a good description.

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Caveat: I'm new to competition, but have done almost all my training courses with a 1911. For me, it's pretty much hard-wired to go safety off as sights go up to the target/safety on as sights go down. That's essentially the same as the "when I see the front sight" timing. Reloads can vary depending on slide lock, administrative need, and presence or absence of a malfunction.

Edited by sleepdr
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Just started shooting a single action pistol myself. Safety comes off as I straighten the wrist after the draw and build my two handed grip as I set my wrist tension I flip the safety off.. Stays off during COF.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'm pretty new to the 2011 platform (shot a Glock for ~5-6 years)

I was a bit concerned with the whole external safety thing.

It has never been a problem from the start, I did have to make a conscious effort at LMR for a few days.

Dumping with the safety on was so close to my AR it was an unconscious action from the beginning.

I also noticed the other day I was engaging the safety while moving and reloads

One of those odd slow motion things you get sometimes while shooting a stage.

Reload point

Click - safety on

mag release - " why did i just put the safety on ?"

mag in, - "that's odd I've never practiced that ? ? ?"

gun going back on target - " I don't remember even thinking about trying that ? ?"

Click - safety off - " hey that was pretty easy , didn't seem to slow anything down"

:lol:

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  • 1 month later...

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