I received an email with a link to this page. I found the title quite amusing:
A CONFLICT WITH THE 1911 – AND WITH DIRE CONSEQUENCES FOR A 1911 USER
“Dire consequences” are just now being discovered with the most long lived handgun design ever? I think the time for discovering “dire consequences” was about 99 years ago.
I think that the inability to use that stupid shooting method is a feature, not a bug.
I’m surprised he wasn’t trying to sell me some accessory…or was he, but it was for other non-1911 handguns? ::confused::
My solution is to “Stop shooting it wrong”
Yeah, this guy has been spamming every gun forum and blog on the net for a while.
Somebody tell Rob Leatham (and every other Grandmaster): He’s been using the wrong technique!
I’ve actually seen the problem described: with left handers using a proper two-handed grip the weak side thumb riding against the frame can push the slide stop out jamming the gun. The solution is to file the slide stop pin flush with the frame.
Well, using the middle finger to actuate a firearm trigger brings a whole new meaning to “shooting the bird” doesn’t it?
I seem to recall that many self-defense people dislike the 1911 because it requires a lot of training. You need to know how to rack the slide, flip the safety, dislodge misfires, and and change magazines–and all this, even before you take aim!
If you’re so concerned about aiming, that you need to resort to a natural index-finger trick to point the gun correctly, then I have a funny feeling that the 1911 is not the design for you.
As for myself, I think 12-year-olds should be trained on the proper use of the 1911 (because I like the platform), so that by the time you’re old enough to legally carry, you should be more than comfortable with using the 1911 properly.
Just get yourself one o them chinstrap-activated bobby helmet guns and you’re good to go (just don’t yawn at the wrong time).
I JUST finished qualifying on the M9 pistol today. If anyone can accurately pull off the double-action shot with their middle finger on that pistol I’ll spring for a beverage of barley, hops, and water of their choice. I fire the Beretta at work, and have a small collection of 1911s. I’ll take JMBs design (pbuh) over that of Peitro Beretta any day, just on sheer mechanics alone. Lord I can’t stand the trigger pull on that POS.
I know a guy who tried this method with an older revolver…
He now has a very interesting burn/tattoo on his right forefinger.
In fairness, the guy does warn not to attempt that if your finger is long enough to go past the muzzle. Excellent advice, I might add–I have a scar on my ring finger from being stupid in that regard with a pistol I found when I was 13 or 14. The sad thing is, I knew better even at the time…
hazmat,
Can’t you cock the hammer manually as you draw if you don’t like the DA pull? Or is that against the qualification rules?
Against the rules on most qual ranges. And military M9s have a horrendous 12-14 lb LOOOONG DA pull.
You need to know how to rack the slide, flip the safety, dislodge misfires, and and change magazines–and all this, even before you take aim!
Wow, except for the thumb safety, just like every other autoloader!
I got the same e-mail. As soon as I read that I deleted it without even visiting his site.
hazmat
Few things to try on the M9:
Replace the stock mainspring with a 92D mainspring.
Take two coils off a FS mainspring.
Try a Wolff’s mainspring, they go all the way down to 13lbs.
Thanks for all the tips re: the M9. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to mod my service sidearm other than to switch the mag release from one side to the other. Not that I want to try, my preference is for the 1911, not Beretta. If they’d let me, I’ve got a couple of 1911s I’d love to carry at work.
There’s something about carrying a pistol whose double action pull starts on Sunday and finally goes off late Saturday afternoon doesn’t sit quite well with me. Then there’s that little issue of the 2.5 feet it takes once it goes over to SA to take up the slack in the trigger to get it to go bang again.
hazmat
Do you have an armorer or someone who is in charge of repairing your sidearm?
Maybe they could be asked if they would consider making the modification?
Unfortunately, no. I don’t have an M9 that is issued to me personnally. There are several of us who carry the same pistol. Those kinds of mods the armorers are allowed to do to their guns, not us proles. MD, don’t take this the wrong way, I appreciate what you are doing, I really do, but I fire 90 rds a year in qual on the M9 (of course I go through that and more in a range session with my 1911s) so making any kind of mod like that is kind of pointless.
There are times I wish they would let me carry one of my 1911s on duty, but I don’t think they would smile upon a DW CBOB in 10mm being carried, you know?