Safety off again

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I recently began OC'ing a Kimber 1911 in a serpa holster on my belt while riding a motorcycle. Today I found the safety had somehow clicked off. I'm thinking a combination of my leather jacket and a bump in the road took the safety off. Has anyone else had problems keeping the 1911 safety on? To you all that carry every day; does this happen very often and require frequent checking?

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My 1911 has never done that. It actually requires quite the snap to move the lever. You could have a gunsmith take a look at it, but it is just one of several "safeties" on your gun.

LoveMyCountry

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I have a Galco belt slide holster that has an open top, and on two occasions I have discovered the safety off on my Springfield 1911.

I am now a constant "safety checker". I have developed a smooth and inconspicuous "bump" to insure the safety is on. Every time I enter or exit my vehicle, I physically check the safety.

Whenever I'm in public, I do a "fake wallet check". This is where I check my wallet to see if I have it. Anyone watching will merely see a guy patting his back pocket as if to confirm that his wallet is there. What they won't notice (unless they are staring at my every move) is the fact that, through my shirt,I bump the safety up towards the on position with the inside of my wrist.

Both times I have found the safety on my pistol off was when exiting my vehicle while carrying in the driver's seat. I have now transitioned to removing my pistol and putting it beside my seat and the center console when I'm driving. This frees up the gun in case I need it while driving, and lessens the possibility of disengaging the safety. Of course, this wouldn't be possible on a motorcycle.

If you haven't yet developed a feel for any particular carry design, you might be interested in getting a closed type holster.



Although this photo shows the hammer down, I think it should work for condition 1 as well. Maybe.

This will cover the safety selector, almost ensuring that it stays on, but it is entirely too restrictive for me. No, I know it's a pain, but when I want my pistol to come out of the holster, I want it out NOW. The open top pretty much dictates constantly checking the safety. It's the price one pays for blink-of-an-eye draw times.

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Yeah your right it is a redundant safety. I'm being too sensitive. The trigger is covered and there is the grip safety too. I already have the habit of checking it when I dismount so I'm not caught walking around with it that way.

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I carry an XD, so I don't even have a manual safety. It's just the grip safety and the trigger safety, and I'm not worried about it. As long as you know the hammer won't drop without depressing both the grip safety and the trigger, it shouldn't be an issue. Unless it's a comfort thing.

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you may want to try one of the Fobus holsters, they work well for me, just depends on if your are carrying in the open or concealed, and what clothing you're wearing. For concealment I have a DeSantis IWB open top leather holster, and a buddy of mine carries his SA 1911 in the same holster with a thumb break. Who says a 1911 can't be carried concealed?

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Lax, does your Kimber have an ambidextrous thumb safety? Or perhaps it is left side only, and you are carrying the gun on your left side? In either event, the safety being on the "outboard" side of your body is a bit more likely to get bumped downward.

If this is not the case, some holsters are still capable of rubbing against an "inboard" side lever. Or perhaps the safety is not tightly engaged when in the 'on' position.

And one more thing to look at: The more extended the lever in width and/or length, the more of a chance of it being bumped.

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Lax,

I too, have ran into that problem, with 2 of my 1911 style pistols.
The first, my 1911 .38 in a Blackhawk CQC holster,( pictured)
numerous times I had unholsterd my firearm upon returning home to discover
that the saftey was in the "off" posistion. I prefer to carry Condition 1, (OC) so,
this was quite a comfort issue for me.

The second, i OC'd my Colt Delta Elite 10mm for a few weeks in a leather
thumb-break that a friend had made for me. I found this pistol without the saftey
on more than once as well.

To counter the problem, I have since switched to carrying a new-fangled
XD .45 5in (which I LOVE) in a Serpa or My glock 20 (have feelings for this one too)
also in a Serpa, except for when weaering a heavy winter coat, they are carried in a Blackhawk thigh holster.

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Brian, the safety is on the left and I carry on the right side so it is inboard. My heavy leather jacket is tripping the safety off. I just got my CrossBreed Holster (pretty comfy) so I could switch to IWB. But then I would have to go back to suffering tailgaters when I'm in heavy traffic or at a stop light.

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Springfield45, great idea, use this to justify dropping some bills at my local gun shop.

I've never used a thigh holster. Any idea how well it works on a bike? I ride with my legs stretched forward. I wonder if the holster would want to rotate toward the back of my thigh.

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Hm. I too carry a Kimber 1911 (Custom II) in a Serpa holster (safety on the left, gun on my right), and I've never had a problem with the safety switching off. I occasionally carry outside a jacket as well, although not leather; maybe the leather is just "grippy" enough to get a hold on the safety lever?

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Lax,

I've used two different thigh holsters, The first one was a shitty no-name that looked pretty well designed that I had picked up @ a local surplus store. It had me to the point that i would never use a thigh holster again. After some frustration, I spent a little extra $$$ on a Higher Quality, Blackhawk branded Drop holster, Been wearing it since the begining of winter, with a heavy coat, and really have no complaints at all In and out of vehicles, up and down steps, jogging,running, and even some intensive defense simulations @ the range. It seems to me that the drop (thigh) holster, provides more rapid weapon procurement, and faster draw times. IMHO (compared to a standard hip-holster) It is of the two thigh-strap design instead of just one, (like the lesser brand) and It's always stayed put for me and remains pretty comfy. Never had any trouble. But then again, never took a motorcycle ride with it either. Give it a try, if your willing to spend upwards of $80 for an experiment, unless you can utilize it elsewhere too.

~~John