Mike:
Wearing one right now....
I alternate that with a Para Tac-Four, which is my avatar and yours too. Betcha you didn't know what it was - an LDA can have an almost non-existent hammer. The "grooved" Pearce grips and the arched mainspring housing are my add-ons. (Think "double-stack Commander", but the Para's grip frame, although about the same width as a Commander, is rather more square; the Commander's kinda oval. My Commander has a Wilson drop-in beavertail and Pachmayr grips, too. Very comfortable to shoot.)
The important thing about Condition One ("Cocked & Locked") is that the safeties all have to be in good working order, and to keep you finger out of the trigger guard unless you're really serious. The trigger shouldn't be "hair trigger", but it probably will be fairly light, and there's just about nothing between you and an AD except training. You also need to practice flipping off the safety - I don't think anybody will tell you to carry one of these with the safety off.
It also scares the sheeple.... Hammer back looks agressive. Most people don't realize that the grip and hammer safeties are there to allow that kind of carry. It takes a heap of bad luck to AD without actually pressing the trigger. Even a holster-related problem is unlikely if you don't touch the grip safety. However, be sure about your holster - try to force an AD (unloaded, of course) and see what happens. If you can do it deliberately, you probably will do it accidentally.
IMHO, the real hazard is the "startle" reaction. Normal draw, presentation, etc., and then you put your finger on the trigger. Somebody says "boo" and it's BANG.... Any firearm can do this, of course, but an SA is just a little more likely to. (This is why you should avoid "hair trigger" firearms in general.)
(The Para's an LDA, which is a whole other thread, but has a very long trigger travel compared to the Commander. A little better....)
Overall, not for the newbie, but you can train into it easily enough. Don't carry the thing until you're really practiced up on it!
(Don't trust the safeties, either.... The grip safety can be a little iffy on the range and not cause any problems. I don't know how the slide mounted hammer safety can fail, but I'm sure it can. Trying to swap in a beavertail teaches you much.... Test them while the gun is empty during cleaning. Clean it regularly, too. Crud & corruption can cause reliability problems, as can lubrication issues.)
In proper hands, and in good condition, any 1911 should be about as safe to carry as any other semi. Then there's the intimidation factor.... That thing looks like a 12ga. when it's pointed at you. You may not need to fire it....
Stu.
(Why write a quick note when you can write a novel?)
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