Welcome to M1911.ORG
The M1911 Pistols Organization Forums Site


John needs your help
Please read this message.


Sponsors Panel
If you intend to buy something from the companies advertising above, or near the bottom of our pages, please use their banners in our sites. Whatever you buy from them, using those banners, gives us a small commission, which helps us keep these sites alive. You still pay the normal price, our commission comes from their profit, so you have nothing to lose, while we have something to gain. Your help is appreciated.
If you want to become a sponsor and see your banner in the above panel, click here to contact us.

Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: Condition 1 sear failure?

THREAD CLOSED
This is an old thread. You can't post a reply in it. It is left here for historical reasons.Why don't you create a new thread instead?
  1. #1
    Join Date
    2nd August 2015
    Location
    IL
    Posts
    2
    Posts liked by others
    0

    Condition 1 sear failure?

    I received my IL carry licence last year and have been carrying one of my wheel guns since, but I also enjoy and practice with the 1911s I own. I have carried them on occasion but I also think to myself on occasion when in public what if my sear cracked, split or sear pin failed? The hammer would fall wiping off the thumb saftey, nothing to catch the half cock notch and I would have a very bad day. The sear is C&S tool steal and the weapon passes all saftey checks and inspections but I still have that little worry in the back of my mind on occasion.

    I was wondering if anyone has heard of this type of sear failure or this type off AD while holstered? Is there much stress on the sear while in condition 1 where this is even possible? One last question, I would think if a sear spring failed the sear would still be locked in by the thumb saftey and the hammer would not fall if the sear was not damaged?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    3rd April 2015
    Posts
    42
    Posts liked by others
    1
    Try pushing the hammer down a bit with it cocked. There isn't that much pressure on the sear when cocked. The hammer strut pin moves towards centered relative to the hammer pin when cocked (with the grip safety off, you can actually pull it back so far that it over-centers and spins backwards), so there's not much leverage on the hammer when cocked and it only really gets going once it starts to fall and the leverage changes.

    If it makes you feel any better I have somewhere around six thousand rounds through a gun with (GASP) a MIM hammer and sear and no cracks. I wouldn't worry about it.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    22nd December 2004
    Location
    Orlando, FL USA
    Posts
    5,997
    Posts liked by others
    22
    Unless the sear engagement surface is very thin, I doubt a tool steel sear from C&S would fail. If it did, the sear is still blocked by the thumb safety, so you would need to have both parts fail simultaneously. And if it was a series-80 Colt, those parts would have to fail, the grip safety would need to be depressed, and the trigger pulled to release the firing pin safety. In other words, you have a better chance of being struck by lightning.

    If you are still worried about it, you have two options.

    1. Get a traditional DA pistol like a Sig or a Beretta and carry that.
    2. Get a holster with a thumbreak that blocks the hammer.
    "The 1911 was the design, given by God to us through John M. Browning, that represents the epitome of what a killing tool needs to be. It was true in 1911 and it's true now." - Col. Robert Coates commanding, U.S. Marine Corp Special Operations Command Detachment 1 (DET 1)

  4. #4
    Join Date
    2nd August 2015
    Location
    IL
    Posts
    2
    Posts liked by others
    0
    Thank you for your responses. Yes I do usually carry a wheel gun usually and did consider a 1911 thumbreak holster. I was wondering if someone has heard of this type of failure, or even possible. I was thinking a 70 series style without fp block. I would think on mosts 1911s depending on fit of the thumb safety and plunger if the sear cracked or split the thumb saftey would just be pushed out of the way by the falling hammer?

  5. #5
    Join Date
    9th June 2004
    Location
    Alabama, US
    Posts
    2,199
    Posts liked by others
    115
    1. I have never heard of the lockwork just crumbling away at rest. It is not on my worry horizon.

    BUT

    2. If you are afraid of it, don't force it. There are a lot of serviceable DA/SA, DAO, and tricky trigger guns out ther if you want more ammo in the gun than a revolver.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    22nd December 2004
    Location
    Orlando, FL USA
    Posts
    5,997
    Posts liked by others
    22
    Quote Originally Posted by Jux View Post
    I would think on mosts 1911s depending on fit of the thumb safety and plunger if the sear cracked or split the thumb saftey would just be pushed out of the way by the falling hammer?
    Again, not very likely. Take a look at this article on how the parts mate together.

    http://www.m1911.org/interact.htm
    "The 1911 was the design, given by God to us through John M. Browning, that represents the epitome of what a killing tool needs to be. It was true in 1911 and it's true now." - Col. Robert Coates commanding, U.S. Marine Corp Special Operations Command Detachment 1 (DET 1)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  



Sponsors Panel
If you intend to buy something from Brownells, please use their banners above. Whatever you buy from them, gives us a small commission, which helps us keep these sites alive. You still pay the normal price, our commission comes from their profit, so you have nothing to lose, while we have something to gain. Your help is appreciated.
If you want to become a sponsor and see your banner in the above panel, click here to contact us.

Non-gun-related supporters.
Thank you for visiting our supporters.