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Thread: Single Thumb Safety Vs Ambidextrous?

  1. #11
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    My Dad just sent me home from Thanksgiving with his old IPSC gun.

    It's a great 1911 that I plan on converting into a carry gun.

    It had a lot of late 80s IPSC stuff on it including an ambi safety, I'm taking it off.

  2. #12
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    What single safety's do you guys run? I am thinking about the Wilson Combat tactical bullet proof line. Anyone use one of those? They are machined from a solid piece of steel. Seem nice.

  3. #13
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    Single extended here. A few years back I had a 70 series Colt "fixed" up by Novak's with the reliability package, sights, dehorning, solid bushing, checkering, hammer/trigger etc. It's a beautiful piece of work, but I stuck with the single safety that has a slightly lower and longer lever. I didn't want the unnecessary sticking out on the outer side of the pistol while wearing tucked in.

  4. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by payj View Post
    What single safety's do you guys run? I am thinking about the Wilson Combat tactical bullet proof line. Anyone use one of those? They are machined from a solid piece of steel. Seem nice.
    Ed Brown tactical extended

  5. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by payj View Post
    I recently just got a 1911 with an ambidextrous safety and was thinking about changing it to a single as I am right handed. My previous 1911 had a single and I liked it just fine. It just seemed while holding the gun the right sided safety could get in the way with a higher grip?

    What do you guys prefer and why?


    Thx
    How high a grip do you get? Geeesh! I tried to get the right side safety to move with my primary hand and the only way it even comes close is if I try and push my finger up to the ejection port while trying to maintain a firing grip. I have ambi safeties on my 1911's and have never had an issue and I consider my firing grip to be as high as it can possibly get. Maybe I just don't have meaty hands.

    I shoot with either hand and the ambi does help with weapons manipulation in the support hand.

    Really though, work with what works best for you.
    Time flies when you throw your watch.

  6. #16
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    Singles for me only. In 4 years carrying one with an ambi, I unholstered often enough to find the safety off that I finally swapped it out. I blamed friction between the right side safety, my clothing, seat belt, etc. It's a terrible feeling to check that safety and realize that you've been cocked but not locked.
    This is my mindset: if I am in a gunfight and so incapacitated that I can only use my left arm, putting it back on safe and reholstering is going to be impossible, given that I carry strong side. If I am hurt that badly, the only way the gun is getting out of my hand is when someone takes it from me or it becomes the ultimate low-speed, high-mass projectile.

    Oddly enough, these days I shoot one-handed better lefty only. It's either a function of a change in my eyesight or a tendon injury I had two years ago in my right hand. I haven't bothered to figure it out. I couldn't do either well until someone showed me the technique of clinching up the offhand into my chest. Holy Moses! It was like someone turned on the light.
    Last edited by tfltackdriver; 12-24-10 at 13:47.
    I do not ride to work in a helicopter or pretend to have insider information from my fifth cousin's friend about Delta Force, although I once served with a SEAL unit at Fort Monroe. It was a wedding party and I was 10. And no, I have not stopped talking about it.

  7. #17
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    I run them both ways, but I really don't care for the ambidextrous safeties, They snag when I carry them for one good reason. They slow me down when I break them down for cleaning also.

  8. #18
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    If your qualification course requires left hand shooting, an ambi-may be a significant benefit. After injuring my right hand a few years ago and having to shoot left hand only, I quickly came to appreciate the assistance of an ambi-safety.
    Last edited by DocGKR; 12-27-10 at 22:05.

  9. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by tfltackdriver View Post
    Singles for me only. In 4 years carrying one with an ambi, I unholstered often enough to find the safety off that I finally swapped it out. I blamed friction between the right side safety, my clothing, seat belt, etc. It's a terrible feeling to check that safety and realize that you've been cocked but not locked.
    This is my mindset: if I am in a gunfight and so incapacitated that I can only use my left arm, putting it back on safe and reholstering is going to be impossible, given that I carry strong side. If I am hurt that badly, the only way the gun is getting out of my hand is when someone takes it from me or it becomes the ultimate low-speed, high-mass projectile.

    Oddly enough, these days I shoot one-handed better lefty only. It's either a function of a change in my eyesight or a tendon injury I had two years ago in my right hand. I haven't bothered to figure it out. I couldn't do either well until someone showed me the technique of clinching up the offhand into my chest. Holy Moses! It was like someone turned on the light.
    I've been carrying a 1911 for over 15 years, on a daily basis and have never had the safety off when I unholster. Perhaps it's a matter of holster design on the left side of the gun rather than external stuff flicking it off.

    Also, and this is a bit of a stretch, but is it possible that your detent spring on your safety is a little light? I've handled some 1911's where flicking the safety off was about as easy as can be whereas others took more effort. Perhaps that would be something to check into.
    Time flies when you throw your watch.

  10. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by DocGKR View Post
    If your qualification course requires left hand shooting, an ambi-may be a significant benefit. After injuring my right hand a few years ago and having to shoot left hand only, I quickly came to appreciate the assistance of an ambi-safety.
    As did I after getting shot in the right arm.

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