1911 question

[fastsvt1998]

Again, great info guys. I have learned so much in the short time I have been on these boards!

[slick_711]

Like everyone has said, there is no problem keeping a 1911 Condition 1 as long as you test fire it a few times a year. In all reality, if this is something you keep Condition 1 at home you SHOULD be shooting with it regularly, at least 4x a year or you have no business reaching for it when you're half asleep and confused. I know a few of you will disagree with that statement but thats alright.

I have an 870 as my "home defense" gun, and I can say in all honesty that I am surgical with it; none the less, I take it out and practice with it at least once every two months. Staying proficient, and practicing with the ammunition that you keep in the gun is important.

I do have a 1911 and an AR-15 in the closet, and keep loaded mags for both but I don't keep either loaded. Personally I'm not a huge fan of pistols for home defense but if thats all you have it is certainly more than sufficient. Just don't be so fast to say you don't want to 'make the noise of racking the slide.' You'll go getting yourself in trouble.

I keep zipties taped to the stock of my 870, and were someone to break into my house you can be sure that they would hear me rack it and they would hear me tell them to freeze and place their hands on their head... after that the choice is theirs, they get an ounce of lead in the chest or they get buttstroked and tied up while I call 911.

By all means do whatever you want, and realistically the likelihood of any of us needing to use our home guns is slim; but if you're trying to be extra quiet and stealthy and then shoot the intruder without saying a word, you're looking for jail time. You could also be endangering a relative. Just be safe whatever you do.

ETA: Just out of curiosity KimberCarry, why? With a good holster and a competent shooter I'm sure carrying Condition 0 is fairly safe, and I don't question your ability... but when carrying Condition 1 is so much safer and adds very little time to your draw, why risk the possibility of an ND?

[blackrifle]

Honestly, you shouldn't carry in Condition 0 with a 1911. You should train to carry Condition 1 (shoot with the thumb always on the safety...this is the proper way to shoot a 1911 IMO). Ever pistol training course I've been emphatically states that and all my LE buddies who are allowed to carry 1911's carry in Condition 1.

Regarding the spring, I've upgraded all my springs to either Springco, ISMI or Wolff springs. The Chrome Silicon springs from Springco and ISMI won't set and Wolff's proprietary spring metal is supposed to not set either.

[wutzu]

Springs wear out by constant compression/decompression. They don't wear out by remaining constantly compressed (like your hammer spring in Condition One), or decompressed (like an empty mag).

Keep your 1911 in Condition One. As a precaution, I would probably have a competent gunsmith inspect the gun every few years, unless you're shooting it semi-regularly (a few times per year, at least) then you can keep track of the gun's proper function yourself.

Just remember to swap out the recoil spring for a fresh one every 3,000 rounds or so. The other springs in a 1911 will last much longer.

+1 on that. Fatigue is only an issue with cycles of compression/decompression, whereas creep (like keeping springs loaded for long times) would only be an issue if you were storing your 1911 in a toaster oven.

[wutzu]

Honestly, you shouldn't carry in Condition 0 with a 1911. You should train to carry Condition 1 (shoot with the thumb always on the safety...this is the proper way to shoot a 1911 IMO). Ever pistol training course I've been emphatically states that and all my LE buddies who are allowed to carry 1911's carry in Condition 1.

Regarding the spring, I've upgraded all my springs to either Springco, ISMI or Wolff springs. The Chrome Silicon springs from Springco and ISMI won't set and Wolff's proprietary spring metal is supposed to not set either.

WTF is condition 0? safety off, in battery on a full chamber?

[blackrifle]

yes...

Condition 0 = Round in chamber, hammer is cocked, safety is off. The condition you want to be when you're ready to actually pull the trigger.

[KimoBBZ]

1911 conditions of carry

Yup...

Condition 3: Hammer down on empty chamber

Condition 2: Hammer down on loaded chamber

Condition 1: Hammer back w/ loaded chamber, thumb safety ON (also known as "cocked & locked")

Condition 0: Hammer back w/ loaded chamber, thumb safety OFF