Lower hammer on live round - M1911

[Michigunner]

I just got a Kimber full-sized 1911 .45 Auto, after having sold my Colt Government Model years ago.

If it is cocked and locked, with a live round, how would you de-cock it?

I intend to remove the magazine, take the safety off, and rack the slide a couple of times to get the round ejected.

Then, pull the trigger, carefully following regular safety routines.

Is this how you folks would do it?

I just don't believe  in holding the hammer, and letting it go slowly forward, while pulling the trigger.

Bill

[sslater]

Bill,
I unload my Firestar S.A. pistol about the way you describe: drop the mag, rack the slide, rack a second time while looking in the chamber, then thumb the hammer down while while pulling the trigger.

I've seen guys thumb the hammer down on a live round.  Scary!!!  First, if the gun were to go off, kiss your thumb good bye.  Second, where is that errant round headed?  I guess first and second are tied for first.....

That Kimber you just picked up is a beautiful piece.  A friend of mine recently bought two Kimbers from Guns Galore.  He says they shoot as well as they look.

Steve

[Michigunner]

Steve,

Thanks for telling about your procedure.   Much appreciated.  That's it then.    

My Kimber should come in tomorrow.  It is a Custom Stainless Target II.  I'm hoping to take it up north next week and try it out.

I carry the HK USP Compact .45, so the Kimber will be just for fun at the "range", really part of a National Forest set aside for informal shooting.

Bill

[tracker]

Have a great time shooting it, Bill.

[Michigunner]

Thank you, Sir.  Another new toy.  

Bill

[theirishguard]

Bill, enjoy yourself.
Tom

[Thunderbolt]

Hey Folks,

I had to get in on this one.
Thank God, I haven't experienced an AD. and I will be very happy to never have that experience. My good friend and shooting buddy did.  

Paco (alias) "doesn't feel comfortable carrying "cocked and locked" with his concealed full size 1911. He has developed his "plan" to load the chamber and then lower the hammer in order to feel safe.   Well, you guessed it, he ventilated his front door and his neighbors door jam and some sheetrock   .
  "D@*$ this mainspring is strong, this hammer sure is slick, etc., etc." Bonehead move? ....... You bet. The good part is, nobody got hurt and the neighbors and apartment management were very "understanding". Best part now is, we are both much more careful and respectful of our firearms.

I have carried "cocked and locked" in years gone by; in recent years, I feel less comfortable with it. My solution has been a Para 3" LDA carry, the R9s and last but least my P3AT. My Kimber Tactical Ultra 3" has been appropriated by my wife since I don't carry it any more; she loves it and occasionally lets me shoot it . But then, she did let me buy a stainless Para full size single stack LDA.

Bill, If your new Kimber is as good as ours   you will never let it go. Kimbers usually take several hundred rounds to get broken in. You might want to invest in some Wilson mags. also.

Best of luck and enjoy the new Kimber,
Thunderbolt

[flyandscuba]

One bad habit some get into when the round doesn't eject as expected is to rack the slide back and forth rapidly in an effort to free the jam.  ADs have occured doing this with a 1911 when the ejector makes undesired contact with the primer while trying to eject the live round.

Rather than pivoting the pistol to the side and slowly racking the slide from the top with your fingers cupping the ejection port, I choose to drop the magazine and then rack the slide in normal fashion as if I've just made a mag change -- letting the live round eject and find it's way to the carpeted floor.  Then a press check is made to ensure an empty chamber prior to dropping the hammer.

An alternate procedure would be to drop the loaded magazine, replace it with a magazine containing snap caps and then rack the slide as normal -- ejecting the live round and feeding a snap cap.  Then a press check to ensure the red snap cap is in the chamber and either drop the hammer or safely dry fire (leaving the snap cap in the chamber until you again load the weapon with a magazine containing live rounds).

[Michigunner]

Thanks for the fine tips, and well wishes.

I found a remarkable screen that shows the internal workings of the 1911.  You can even hide the slide and frame, and see the insides moving.

http://www.m1911.org/STI1911animation2.htm

Bill

[bigyimmy]

Great link Bill!  Thanks!

[Richard S]

Thanks for the fine tips, and well wishes.

I found a remarkable screen that shows the internal workings of the 1911.  You can even hide the slide and frame, and see the insides moving.

http://www.m1911.org/STI1911animation2.htm

Bill

Thanks for posting that, Bill!

[PursuitSS]

The only AD I've ever had was trying to lower the hammer on a Colt Gold Cup .45 acp. STUPID MOVE on my part!!!!!

If this gives you any idea how long ago this was, the round was a "fresh" Super Vel 190 gr. JHP

PursuitSS

[riffraff]

Just my opinion here guys.  This is 2006, no one should even consider carrying a SA as a defense gun.  DAO's are good but in the larger handguns the SA/DA with a decocker lever is the only way to go.  I don't want to upset all you die hard 1911 owners out there but they have no place in conceiled carry in this day and age.

My opinions only,  Mike

[Richard S]

Enter the SFS System from Cylinder & Slide:

http://www.cylinder-slide.com/sfs.shtml

I have one installed in my 1911.  It works like a charm!  But I've said that before   :

http://www.rohrbaughforum.com/YaBB.cgi?board=Other;action=display;num=1145297620

[riffraff]

Richard,

Very nice, but you still have to remember to hit the safety when you draw, is this correct?  In a split second life or death situation, the person who is not very skilled in firearms handling will forget to do anything except draw and fire.
Again my opinions only here but it doesn't matter how many improvements are made to as standard size 1911 they are just to dam big and heavy to carry conceiled, at least with the type of clothing that I normally wear most of the year.

I must admit to some bias here.  I never liked the 1911 and never will.  It is just to old school.  I don't like the way they fit my hand and I can't hit anything with one.  Now the Browning Hi-Power,  that is the finest single action ever made and in my and many other's opinion is the improvement/perfection over the 1911.

My opinions only,  Mike