Why the 1911 Has a Grip Safety and Shooters Still Argue

Colion Noir sits down with a guest to break down why 1911 shooters tend to argue about the grip safety, and the conversation turns into a short history lesson on how John Moses Browning's design actually evolved. The gun people call the 1911 went through a string of earlier models, and several of its now-iconic features were added late and for reasons that have nothing to do with modern carry or competition.

Key points

• Patent timeline: Browning filed his patent for a locked breech, short recoil pistol in 1896, granted in 1897, with the design passing through the 1900, 1902, 1905, 1907, 1909 and 1910 models before becoming the 1911.
• Grip safety origin: The grip safety wasn't added until the 1907 model, at the request of the US Cavalry Board, which wanted an "automatic safety" that would engage if the gun was dropped from horseback.
• Luger influence: According to Colion Noir's guest, the Luger's angled grip, push-button magazine release and grip safety directly shaped the 1911's design, including its now-famous grip angle.
• Thumb safety came later: The 1910 model left the factory without a thumb safety; it was added afterward so cavalry troopers could holster a cocked hammer safely while falling back from mounted engagements.
• Memory bump: The now-common "memory bump" on the grip safety didn't appear until the late 1980s or early 1990s, well after serious 1911 shooters in IPSC were already pinning or deactivating the feature.

Quick take

This is a solid watch for anyone who carries a 1911 and never thought about where its parts actually came from. Colion Noir and his guest make the case that the gun's real strength isn't any one feature, but how easily it's been reshaped from a cavalry sidearm into whatever modern shooters need.

Watch the full video: Colion Noir