Minn. State Rep (democrat) has said we should not allow women to have guns because the safeties are too complicated

[para bellum]

Revolvers don't have safeties.

Same with a lot of Sigs. One of the things I really liked about my P220. The safeties were all automatic.

 

[WinterBorn]

My wife can't. She cannot easily shoot a 1911, the safety is on the wrong side. (She's left-handed.)

My G/F is a leftie too. She can work my 1911, but doesn't like it.

 

[westwall]

You don't know how to operate your gun?

When the slide goes into battery, the hammer is back. If the mag is not empty, there is a round in the chamber. Engaging the safety puts the gun in safe.

If the mag is empty, the slide will not go into battery unless you operate the slide release.

You don't have to cock the hammer to fire, it's already cocked. You release the safety and pull the trigger.

1911's are designed to be carried "cocked and locked". If you carry it safety off, you have to leave the chamber empty, and rack the slide before you shoot. That is a two-handed operation.

Or you can carry in Condition Two which is hammer down on a loaded chamber. That merely requires you to cock the hammer before you fire. Yes, it is safe to carry that way.

Condition One is hammer cocked on a loaded chamber with the safety on. Condition Two is hammer down on a loaded chamber, safety off. Condition Three is hammer down, on an empty chamber, safety off.

 

[westwall]

My wife can't. She cannot easily shoot a 1911, the safety is on the wrong side. (She's left-handed.)

They can be retrofitted with ambidextrous safeties.

 

[para bellum]

Or you can carry in Condition Two which is hammer down on a loaded chamber. That merely requires you to cock the hammer before you fire. Yes, it is safe to carry that way.

Condition One is hammer cocked on a loaded chamber with the safety on. Condition Two is hammer down on a loaded chamber, safety off. Condition Three is hammer down, on an empty chamber, safety off.

What I don't like about Condition 2 is it requires you to drop the hammer on a loaded chamber, and you have to pull the trigger to drop the hammer. The hammer spring is pretty stiff. I put the meaty part of my hand (between the thumb and forefinger) between the hammer and the frame, but it's still not without risk. Thumbing the hammer back takes some work, at least on my Kimber, but at least you don't have your finger on the trigger.

Also some 1911's might not be drop-safe in that condition.

 

[westwall]

What I don't like about Condition 2 is it requires you to drop the hammer on a loaded chamber, and you have to pull the trigger to drop the hammer. The hammer spring is pretty stiff. I put the meaty part of my hand (between the thumb and forefinger) between the hammer and the frame, but it's still not without risk. Thumbing the hammer back takes some work, at least on my Kimber, but at least you don't have your finger on the trigger.

Also some 1911's might not be drop-safe in that condition.

I can't think of a single 1911 that wouldn't be drop safe. That aside, your concern about lowering the hammer is not unfounded. Condition Two is only for experts. That I agree with.

My primary desert pistol is a Colt Delta Elite in 10mm. I carry Condition Two because when we do see people out in the wild I don't want them to be nervous about the cocked pistol. Most don't understand how they operate so they immediately get concerned.

Condition Two and I don't have that issue. If needed, I cock the pistol on the draw, costs maybe 3 tenths of a second.

 

[Jarlaxle]

They can be retrofitted with ambidextrous safeties.

I will not modify my grandfather's 90-year-old Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911A1 in that way.

 

[westwall]

I will not modify my grandfather's 90-year-old Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911A1 in that way.

All you are doing is swapping one safety for another. It doesn't alter the original pistol. You keep the original safety and when you want to return it to original it takes all of two minutes to do so.

 

[para bellum]

I can't think of a single 1911 that wouldn't be drop safe.

My view is it really depends on the particular gun. Some models do not have firing pin safeties and rely on the firing pin spring alone, which can get weak over time. I think Colt recommends that you replace the firing pin spring whenever you replace the recoil spring, just to be safe.

Some (like my Kimber or Colt Series 70's) have a firing pin block that's disengaged by the grip safety. The Series 80 Colts have a firing pin block that's operated by the trigger. The "classic" 1911's are inertial firing pin only, and you are relying on just the spring.

Also if the firing pin was ever replaced, was it properly dressed to length? I have heard that they can be as much as +.015" long when new.

You really have to know the gun. For my own gun? Sure, I am confident I can do it safely, but people I don't know? As a rule I never tell people to carry Condition two because there are just too many unknowns.

I get your reasoning, and some carry rigs have a thumb break that's made to fit when the hammer is down, so there may other considerations that a person has to deal with (but safety can never be compromised).