1911 Thumb Safety

[Malfunction]

I have a Glock 34 and a Kimber 1911, I love both but I have been struggling with the 1911. I shoot the Glock much better than the 1911 and from what I read in here this just isn't right.

I may have stumbled onto the reason yesterday, I was discussing this with a friend and he asked me where my groups were going and I stated low and left, he then asked me if I was placing pressure on the safety and I said that I think so, he told me to try just placeing my thumb onto the safety with no pressure.

I will try this later this week. What do you think ?

Bill

[tightloop]

I do not consciously place any pressure on the safety...it is just convenient to place it there and the other thumb under it....

[Thomas Moore]

i place pressure on the safety. i heard the burner would place so much pressure that he would break thumb safeties.

[Derek45]

My right hand thumb lays on top of the safety, but I don't think it will ever break in a million years, I'm not holding the gun very tight with my right hand.

Make sure your trigger finger isn't wrapping around the trigger too much. You only need the pad on the tip of your finger to touch the trigger, nothing else on the entire finger should touch the gun. Press it straight back.

I think Matt Burkett's site has some good tips on holding the gun.

You stated your hits are "Low left", are you right handed?

Edited October 18, 2005 by Derek45

[Malfunction]

right handed.

Bill

[BSeevers]

I do and break them on a regular basis. I apply no conscious effort but since I break safetys I think I am doing it. That's one of the problem that kept me from A5 I usually have a fitted backup set but was on the backups since new gun is on the way

[knightkrawler00]

If you look at the grip panel on the right side of my gun, there is an indentation from pushing the safety down into the grip. I haven't broke one yet, my current pistol has just shy of 6000 reounds throught it, so I must not be puttig that much pressure on it, but there is some.

[Action Pistolero]

I'll second Dereks response. Hits low left for a right hander is too much finger on the trigger. Use the center of the pad and concentrate on pulling straight back.

Kevin

[lady 45]

Hi All - I'm new here but have learned soooo much already. I've struggled with shooting 'left' for several years now and couldn't figure out why. I'm eye cross dominant (right hand/left eye) and thought that was the problem. Made myself start shooting with my right eye. Still shooting left. Really concentrated on using just the pad of my trigger finger, follow through, sight alignment, watching my sights and on and on and on. I shoot a 1911 Kimber and a S&W 1911, same problem with both, so I know it's me. The other nite I was dry firing in front of the mirror and noticed that my muzzle was going ever so slightly left. I too ride the safety with my right thumb. Well, a little adjustment of my grip and the gun was pointing straight on! The problem - I have very long fingers and to get my hand aroung the grip, I was canting the gun to the left. I tried this at the range with live fire and amazing - but my shots are now more centered, so much so that I have to readjust my sights back to the left. So, maybe that will help someone else with very large hands or extra long fingers.

[Flexmoney]

Another possibility for hits going to the weak side is gripping a bit too hard with the strong hand. Then, when we squeeze the trigger, the whole hand squeezes too..."milking" the grip some.

A possible fix is to shift more of the gripping to the weak hand.

[TriggerT]

Stong hand thumb rests on the safety, and I know there is some pressure there, as there is across the entire grip on the gun, but I don't try to bend the safety off of the gun.

[AlamoShooter]

I broke one on an STI,

[3quartertime]

Sell the Kimber and buy two more Glocks.

Problem solved!!!

[Bigbadaboom]

I found that with the stock Ed Brown ambi-safety on my STI I would put a lot of pressure on the safety with my right thumb. I don't think that this ever helped or hinered me but I did cut those "Wide" paddles in untill they are only .145" wide. This allowed me to get my hands way up behind the gun for a much higher grip which "did" help improve my accuracy/recoil control.

[jeffscaspian]

I'm with 3quartertime. If you shoot your Glock better than the Kimber, then get rid of Kimber. Shoot what is comfortable for you.

"Sell the Kimber and buy two more Glocks"

[kevin c]

...I did cut those "Wide" paddles in untill they are only .145" wide...

I think Ed Brown actually sells a slimmed down set of ambi's called the "Tactical" version. Tactical or not, my old set is about 0.170". The version in the current Brownell's is nominally 0.150".

[Bigbadaboom]

Yeah, I know. I got mine back when all Ed Brown sold was the 1/4" wide paddle safety (Guns about 5-1/2 years old) and I trimmed them down to about the width of what their tactical is now.

[Gregg K]

That wide Ed Brown looks a lot like the Wilson High ride ambi, it's just a little more square at the back of the lever. I like the big lever Wilson High Ride. I cut down the off side a bit to keep it from digging into my trigger finger. I don't think about it much but I find that I do lean on the safety a little. Never broke one.

I vote to keep the Kimber and learn to shoot it better and put the Glock back in the kitchen.

Edited January 9, 2006 by Gregg K

[Mustang1]

If you're bending/breaking safety's you're doing it wrong. Remember that your grip should be 30% strong hand and 70% weak hand. The strong hand thumb should just rest on top of the safety as part of a proper grip. Another reason for this configuration - I've seen a lot of people with their thumb positioned under the safety inadvertantly put the safety on during a course of fire (Of course, in my younger days I NEVER did anything like that - you believe me, don't you?)