PT1911 Safety

[WoodLark]

I have been thinking about buying a PT1911 SS (probably in 9mm). It would be my first 1911 style pistol, and I have some concern about the outside safety lever brushing against something and accidently being moved to the "Fire" position while the gun is being carried cocked and locked in my holster. Is this a valid concern, or am I just being too Namby-Pamby?

[oso]

no others have the same concern, you can replace the safety with a right handed (left side only)saftey. i did, just preference i diddn't like the big ambi saftey, but like everthing else about the pistol.

[olfarhors]

That actually happened with one of my PT1911's on a couple of occasions.
I seldom carry my 1911's but do on occasion.
the one item that i do not like on the Pt1911 is those huge bat winged extended ambi safties (now of course I am right handed too)
, but I find them to easy to knock off for on.
so i normally replace them with a single side safety as in the pictures below.
Now there are other 1911's that have the single safety and that could be a consideration , but a single side safety cost generally in the 25-35 dollar area, and if you can't install it then a gunsmith will get another 25-35 bucks to do it for you.

[texastaurusguy]

I have been thinking about buying a PT1911 SS (probably in 9mm). It would be my first 1911 style pistol, and I have some concern about the outside safety lever brushing against something and accidently being moved to the "Fire" position while the gun is being carried cocked and locked in my holster. Is this a valid concern, or am I just being too Namby-Pamby?

It's something that isn't for everybody, and some people have to work their way up to the mindset. The nice thing about the 1911 is that if the thumb safety works itself to the fire position, you still have the grip safety that will keep you 'safe'. When I carry OWB, I occasionally check with my thumb to be sure the safety hasn't moved. Done properly, you can do this and nobody is any the wiser.

[Czechbikr]

Even without the thumb safety you still have the grip safety and the trigger which have to be activated for the shot to be fired. While we can't carry here, many of those who do carry their 1911 use a holster with a thumb break or retention strap that blocks the hammer.

[WoodLark]

I should have mentioned that I am left handed so I would have to remove the safety on the left side if I did not want the ambi safety.

[jonrjen]

There are also those who prefer to carry the 1911 with out a round being chambered. True it does take a second or so to chamber a round, but many who do it feel better about the extra safety behind the mindset.

[olfarhors]

I should have mentioned that I am left handed so I would have to remove the safety on the left side if I did not want the ambi safety.

HMMM! wrong handed and don't like an ambi safety on a 1911???
man talk about having bad luck, i mean really , really bad luck!
so how long do you think its going to take you to get use to those ambi safeties??-LOL
With practice i guess you could get use to using your left thumb to knock off a single safety by reaching around the gun but man that seems awkwrd to me.
I think that greenwolf guy is wong handed and perhaps he will be here in a while to give you some advice.

[TexasAviator]

I'm with those that say you still have the grip safety.

[cuban]

I think that a left handed shooter that carries there 1911 in a holster will probably use a left handed holster so a safety will always be exposed and they will not be able to address this problem by using a left side thumb safety, but rather by either using a strapped holster or replacing the ambi thumb safety with a lower profiled ambi safety.