History is constantly being reinterpreted to meet the needs of today.
Many users of the M1911 justify carrying the M1911 in “condition one” by stating that the pistol was designed to be carried that way.
Unfortunately this claim is not correct, the M1911 was not designed to be carried cocked and locked.
The adherents of this theory must be unaware of the evolution of the M1911. I highly recommend reading “The Government Models” by William H.D. Goddard to see the wonderful pictures and progression of Brownings automatic pistol design. I also recommend the “Colt .45 Service Pistols Models of 1911 and 1911A1 Charles W. Clawson”, but the pictures are not as good.
John Browning’s Models’ 1900, Model 1902, 1903 Pocket Model, Military Model 1905, M1909, M1910 did not have thumb safety locks. There are safeties, early on there is a hammer blocking device. This was the sight safety. The user pushed the back of the rear sight down, and that blocked the hammer from the firing pin. It did not last long. The grip safety was added later and stayed all the way through to the M1911.
The first thumb safety lock appears on the Model 1910 slant handle. It was added because the Cavalry apposed the adoption of a semiautomatic pistol because of their concerns about multiple accidental discharges while mounted. The Cavalry wanted to stay with their revolvers. As the primary user of a handgun, the Cavalry had the biggest vote at the table. John Browning’s thumb safety lock was needed to overcome the Cavalry's objections against a semi automatic pistol.
(What you will find when you deal with the User, is that the User likes what he has, wants something better but only a little different, and rejects revolutionary change)
Based on the serial numbers of some of the earlier models in the book, there must have been tens of thousands of these pistols built without a thumb safety lock.
These pistols, and the M1911 were designed to be carried in “Condition two”, that is a round in the chamber with the hammer down. The thumb lock safety was to be engaged to make the pistol safe when the user’s other hand was occupied. The manual of arms from 1913 clearly shows that the hammer was to be lowered (using two hands) when the M1911 was holstered.
Army 1913 Small Arms Manual:
If you cannot read the text on the bottom of pgs 91 and 92:
Italics are in the original.
So why did the Army change the regulations?:Hatcher’s Textbook of Pistols and Revolvers, page 95, provides the clue:
It is obvious that accidental discharges occurred trying to put the pistol in "condition two". The Army had to find an alternative, something that did not require redesign of the M1911, and so the Army changed the procedures to reduce the number accidental shootings.
It was the path of least resistance.
But the point is, the M1911 was not designed to be carried cocked and locked. Cocked and locked is an after design risk reduction measure.
The Army also determined that single action autopistols, even those that could be carried cocked and locked , still had too many accidents, so when the M1911 was replaced, the bidder requirements effectively prohibited single action autos from consideration.
Many users of the M1911 justify carrying the M1911 in “condition one” by stating that the pistol was designed to be carried that way.
Unfortunately this claim is not correct, the M1911 was not designed to be carried cocked and locked.
The adherents of this theory must be unaware of the evolution of the M1911. I highly recommend reading “The Government Models” by William H.D. Goddard to see the wonderful pictures and progression of Brownings automatic pistol design. I also recommend the “Colt .45 Service Pistols Models of 1911 and 1911A1 Charles W. Clawson”, but the pictures are not as good.
John Browning’s Models’ 1900, Model 1902, 1903 Pocket Model, Military Model 1905, M1909, M1910 did not have thumb safety locks. There are safeties, early on there is a hammer blocking device. This was the sight safety. The user pushed the back of the rear sight down, and that blocked the hammer from the firing pin. It did not last long. The grip safety was added later and stayed all the way through to the M1911.
The first thumb safety lock appears on the Model 1910 slant handle. It was added because the Cavalry apposed the adoption of a semiautomatic pistol because of their concerns about multiple accidental discharges while mounted. The Cavalry wanted to stay with their revolvers. As the primary user of a handgun, the Cavalry had the biggest vote at the table. John Browning’s thumb safety lock was needed to overcome the Cavalry's objections against a semi automatic pistol.
(What you will find when you deal with the User, is that the User likes what he has, wants something better but only a little different, and rejects revolutionary change)
Based on the serial numbers of some of the earlier models in the book, there must have been tens of thousands of these pistols built without a thumb safety lock.
These pistols, and the M1911 were designed to be carried in “Condition two”, that is a round in the chamber with the hammer down. The thumb lock safety was to be engaged to make the pistol safe when the user’s other hand was occupied. The manual of arms from 1913 clearly shows that the hammer was to be lowered (using two hands) when the M1911 was holstered.
Army 1913 Small Arms Manual:
If you cannot read the text on the bottom of pgs 91 and 92:
Italics are in the original.
So why did the Army change the regulations?:Hatcher’s Textbook of Pistols and Revolvers, page 95, provides the clue:
It is obvious that accidental discharges occurred trying to put the pistol in "condition two". The Army had to find an alternative, something that did not require redesign of the M1911, and so the Army changed the procedures to reduce the number accidental shootings.
It was the path of least resistance.
But the point is, the M1911 was not designed to be carried cocked and locked. Cocked and locked is an after design risk reduction measure.
The Army also determined that single action autopistols, even those that could be carried cocked and locked , still had too many accidents, so when the M1911 was replaced, the bidder requirements effectively prohibited single action autos from consideration.
