obsessiveshooter Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 I'm a glock shooter and I'm trying to get used to a 1911 I just bought. I wear an xl glove and this thing feels small. The biggest problem is if I grip it and ride the safety with my thumb, with the web of my palm firm agsinst the grip safety, my thumb is like straight up. No good! I can grip my glock to where I'm bending the frame, but how can you crush grip anything without wrapping your thumb around it? If I try to shoot with my thumb under the safety, thumbs forward much like my glock grip, I end up engaging the safety. What do I need to do or what parts should I replace? I can't be the first to encounter this. Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Can you twist the gun around, just a little, so your thumb is perpendicular with the slide (little less fingers on the grip)? That should allow you to drop your thumb (without riding the slide, of course). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theWacoKid Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 I found going to a 2011 I had to basically let my right thumb hang off the gun. My issues is that where my thumb sits while on the safety gets into where my left palm wants to be. So my right thumb more or less lays over my left hand. The safety itself also gets in the way a bit of where I want my left palm to be. Either way, this was my fix. Was it Enos that said his preferred method was both thumbs off the gun? Crush it between your hands, not with your thumbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsessiveshooter Posted November 16, 2015 Author Share Posted November 16, 2015 Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, with my thumb low enough to be under the safety. There isn't much room for my weak hand. Attached is a pic of me trying to grip under the safety and a pic of the safety itself. Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullMetalJacket Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 I just moved to the 2011/1911 platforms this past season... I came from a Glock 35... I added a *thumb rest [generic]* slide stop and my thumbs ride the safety and the pedal... Keep shooting this way and you'll get used to it... I did have to chop the grip safety on my 2011's, but I grip my 1911's just fine to engage the grip safety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DedOn Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 When I first moved from a striker fire to 1911/2011 it felt very strange riding the safety. Now whenever I shoot my striker it feels weird and my strong thumb rides the slide lock. You just need repetition and it'll come around. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bountyhunter Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 I'm a glock shooter and I'm trying to get used to a 1911 I just bought. I wear an xl glove and this thing feels small. The biggest problem is if I grip it and ride the safety with my thumb, with the web of my palm firm agsinst the grip safety, my thumb is like straight up. No good! I can grip my glock to where I'm bending the frame, but how can you crush grip anything without wrapping your thumb around it? If I try to shoot with my thumb under the safety, thumbs forward much like my glock grip, I end up engaging the safety. What do I need to do or what parts should I replace? I can't be the first to encounter this. Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk I have the same problem (Large hands long fingers) and a 1911 feels like it rattles loose in my hand. I put a 2011 grip adapter on mine to make it the size of a double stack 1911 and it made it fit much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DagoRed Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Don't worry about getting your right thumb under the safety, I let mine ride on top of the base knuckle of my left hand. I'm not trying to crush w my right, and my left thumb is loose to avoid the slide release. I shot this way for a year, it's comfortable for me. But everybody says you are supposed to ride the safety, it supposed to help w muzzle rise. I've been working on it but am not comfortable yet. It ends up my knuckle is riding it instead of my pad, I guess I need to play e it more. I even got up and went to safe to make sure I remembered my grip right and wanted to take a pic but if I wake my wife to snap it she'll kill me Red Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Absocold Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Hogue or other style wraparound grips. Swap out the flat mainspring housing for an arched housing. Both of these will increase the grip size and make it more comfortable for large hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IHAVEGAS Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 http://www.dsperman.com/products/1920CF/1920CF.html Do not know if that will help, nice 2011 size grips though. My thumbs are not gripping the gun, just sort of floating and pointing downrange. Mr.Dremel has been hard at work on my thumb safety on one of my guns, I left it wide enough to make it easy to intentionally operate but cut about 50% of the width off and put an angle inward from the top outside edge to the bottom outside edge. It was in my way and I would occasionally bump it on when running a course previously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsessiveshooter Posted November 16, 2015 Author Share Posted November 16, 2015 Is there such thing as a really high, small thumb safety that stays out of the way after it's flicked off on the draw? Maybe even designed specifically for those who don't want to ride the safety? My safety now is long and even bends down (see pic above). It seems like a lot of you guys have adapted to or gotten used to a less-than-optimal grip to deal with the 1911 design. I want to crush the grip front-to-back between the web of my palm and the three fingers on the front strap. If I can't modify the gun to where that is possible, I'll sell this pistol and get something for production division instead. But it seems like there must be an optimal and inexpensive solution, what with the 1911 being "Everybody's Favorite Pistol" and all the people making parts for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATLDave Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 The CW is that your crush grip on the gun is not coming from thumb pressure, which is generally thought to be a source of "steering." If you have been using your thumb to grip the gun, then you have been violating the CW. The 1911 design makes it hard to do it what CW calls the "wrong" way. Maybe you have figured out a better way than all the people who back the CW. Or maybe not. FWIW, I won't own a pistol that I can't ride the safety on. I like what it does for my grip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsessiveshooter Posted November 16, 2015 Author Share Posted November 16, 2015 What does CW stand for? I'm not saying anyone is doing it wrong, I just noticed that a lot of people are saying there gripping it in a way that wasn't the way they initially wanted to do it. My group pressure doesn't come from my thumb but if my thumb is straight up then I can't put as much pressure on the gun with the web of my hand. It's actually straining my thumb to have it up that high for it to ride the safety. Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATLDave Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Conventional Wisdom. The CW says that if riding the safety is forcing your grip higher on the gun, that's a feature, not a defect. That's what I found when I switched to guns on which I could ride the safety. Now I wouldn't want one any other way. But, like I said, maybe you're right. Either for you or in general. But many of us affirmatively LIKE riding the safety. And not just on 1911's. Tanfos and non-decocker CZ's and several other guns are set up that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNSCaster2 Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 http://www.dsperman.com/products/1920CF/1920CF.html Do not know if that will help, nice 2011 size grips though. My thumbs are not gripping the gun, just sort of floating and pointing downrange. Mr.Dremel has been hard at work on my thumb safety on one of my guns, I left it wide enough to make it easy to intentionally operate but cut about 50% of the width off and put an angle inward from the top outside edge to the bottom outside edge. It was in my way and I would occasionally bump it on when running a course previously. ^This. I have one on mine and absolutely love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatJones Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 You'll get used to it. I came from revolver world, and I've grown to like it. It'll feel weird for a thousand rounds or so, keep shooting. I also went with the DSPERMAN grips. I like how they fill my hand. It open up my right hand some to make more room on the grip for the left hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickb45 Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 They make "lower" thumb safeties. http://www.brownells.com/handgun-parts/safety-parts/safeties/1911-extreme-service-thumb-safety-prod60392.aspx http://www.brownells.com/handgun-parts/safety-parts/safeties/1911-auto-low-mount-thumb-safety-prod6677.aspx The Harrison safety is nice, it also looks really nice when paired with his slide stop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bountyhunter Posted November 16, 2015 Share Posted November 16, 2015 Is there such thing as a really high, small thumb safety that stays out of the way after it's flicked off on the draw? Yep, it's what's left of the standard safety on mine after I chopped and rounded it. I had the exact same problem, never understood why most 1911 safeties are the size of a couch cushion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsessiveshooter Posted November 17, 2015 Author Share Posted November 17, 2015 Okay, so I made a decision to put some money into the gun to make it fit me, rather than sell it. It's been 100 percent reliable with an incredible trigger, so I figure she's a keeper. I just bought a Wilson combat bulletproof low thumb safety. 80 bucks shipped, ouch. It's not as low as the gunsite low safety, which has a reputation for bad quality and function. I'll get some thick grips and an arched msh next, and report back. Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bear23 Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 thick grips and go to an arched backstrap. Otherwise your grip looks fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obsessiveshooter Posted November 17, 2015 Author Share Posted November 17, 2015 It might look fine, but my thumb is actually straining to bend back that far. It's just not a workable grip for me. Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IHAVEGAS Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 I'll get some thick grips and Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk Layers of duct tape can simulate what the thick grip will do, if you want to play around on the cheap, as far as that goes some folks get good results with a few layers of filler tape and a non-slip tape outer layer. It ain't pretty but it can work well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sac Law Man Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 (edited) There really isnt anything wrong with your grip.. Your thumb is fine as long as you can manipulate the safety.. I shoot a 1911 and have large hands as well. The real test will be when you place your support hand on the gun. I grip the gun high enough that my strong hand thumb actaully rides on top of my support hand thumb since it sits higher than my safety. I would be more concerned if your fingers wrapped all the way around the grip and dug into your palm.. Edited November 18, 2015 by Sac Law Man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Absocold Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Start with the mainspring housing. You have the one on the left, you need the one on the right. They can be had for as little as $20. It doesn't look like much but it makes a big difference. Not only does it make the grip bigger around, it also changes the angle you grip it at a little bit. If that still isn't enough to be comfy, get something like these Hogue grips (also about $20): If you don't like rubber grips or finger grooves there are extra wide wood grip panels available too. With both items installed your guns grip will feel freaking huge to most people. If you need even more there are metal panels that can go under the grips as spacers. If that still isn't fat enough, trade it in for a double stack gun. /thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatJones Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Larger grips and an arched mainspring housing: Do whatever feels right, but your grip will naturally adjust to the shape of whatever pistol you shoot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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