Interested in a 1911 and few questions.

**mpett1** · January 18th, 2009, 03:34 PM

I am new to 1911's and am interested in getting a 10mm 1911. SO I was at the gun shop yesterday and was looking at some kimbers and others. I had noticed that the damn slid release was hard as hell to work with one thumb and had to use my other to drop the slide. Are all 1911's like this? Also another thing you cant drop the hammer with your thumb and still manage to keep your palm on the grip safety so again I had to use my other hand to drop the thing. Just looking at someone to chime in with some 1911 experience and give a few pointers.. Thanks

**jdlv4_0** · January 18th, 2009, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by mpett1

I am new to 1911's and am interested in getting a 10mm 1911. SO I was at the gun shop yesterday and was looking at some kimbers and others. I had noticed that the damn slid release was hard as hell to work with one thumb and had to use my other to drop the slide. Are all 1911's like this? Also another thing you cant drop the hammer with your thumb and still manage to keep your palm on the grip safety so again I had to use my other hand to drop the thing. Just looking at someone to chime in with some 1911 experience and give a few pointers.. Thanks

The reason the slide stop was hard was that the mag was in putting upward pressure on the mag release, you're fighting that spring tension, drop the mag, then use the slide release.

When reloading it's not that difficult to use the release if you use that method.

Regarding the lowering of the hammer, pending on what type of grip safety there are ways to do it one handed, the hammer should be able to be moved past the full cock position and that will press in the grip safety allowing the trigger to be pulled to decock the pistol, you should not lower the hammer on a live round.

If you're looking at 10mm 1911s, I would greatly recommend a Dan Wesson.

**Mity2** · January 18th, 2009, 04:12 PM

Originally Posted by mpett1

Also another thing you cant drop the hammer with your thumb and still manage to keep your palm on the grip safety so again I had to use my other hand to drop the thing. Just looking at someone to chime in with some 1911 experience and give a few pointers.. Thanks

I can do this with my DanWesson CBOB.
But I think its a bad habit to learn..
Its a easy for hammer to slip(because how you have to manipulate your thumb to drop hammer), and unless your choice of 1911 have FPB, and have live round in chamber, it can be very dangerous.

I'd practice using both hand personaly...

Oh for 1911 in 10mm, I'd recommend Dan Wesson too

**synergy** · January 18th, 2009, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by mpett1

I am new to 1911's and am interested in getting a 10mm 1911. SO I was at the gun shop yesterday and was looking at some kimbers and others. I had noticed that the damn slid release was hard as hell to work with one thumb and had to use my other to drop the slide. Are all 1911's like this? Also another thing you cant drop the hammer with your thumb and still manage to keep your palm on the grip safety so again I had to use my other hand to drop the thing. Just looking at someone to chime in with some 1911 experience and give a few pointers.. Thanks

The slide releases on 1911's typically feel a little stiffer than Glocks and the like...but as said above, if you had the mag in, it makes it 10x harder.

Regarding lowering the hammer....dry fire the gun, or use both hands.
There is ZERO reason to lower on a live round, so you'll never have to worry about how to do it.

**Jim1911** · January 18th, 2009, 10:26 PM

I have strong hands and shoot with either. The only time I cannot release the slide one handed, is when there is an empty magazine in it. In my owners manual it says not to release the slide unless it is chambering a round.

WTF is up with the mag release when shooting right handed?

**S&W 10mm** · January 18th, 2009, 11:24 PM

i dont know about the slide release stiffness. ino that i used to have problems with the release on alot of guns with the magazine in but i just dont now...whether its because the guns all got broke in or whether or not my hands got used to it but i just know that i can do it without a problem and fairly easily now even with an empty magazine in. the guns i am talking about is a colt .38 super gov't model, .45 kimber grand raptor II, and a colt .45 defender.