From: gmk@falstaff.MAE.CWRU.EDU (Geoff Kotzar)
Subject: Re: M1911 operation

In article <9212171146.aa06373@claudius.pica.army.mil>
erudnick@pica.army.mil (FSAC-SID) writes:

#A question for owner/operators of M1911 pistols:
#
#
#So to satisfy my curiosity more than anything else, how do you drop the
#hammer on a loaded chamber with one hand with an M1911? Or can't it be
#done? I realize that this is not a common requirement, but I'm just
#curious. Thanks in advance.


I originally thought that this was not possible but I have seen it demonstrated.
The trick is to take your thumb, not your weak hand thumb, and pull the hammer
all the way back until it contacts the grip safety. Keep pulling back until
the grip safety is deactivated, just af if the web of your hand was wrapped
around the grip. With the hammer ALL the way back pull the trigger and lower
the hammer with your thumb. Once the grip safety has been deactivated and
the trigger pulled the grip safety no longer needs to be held down. The hammer
will lower all the way down to the frame. This can all be down without the use
of your weak hand. It feels a little tricky because you must control the gun
with essentially only the three fingers wrapped around the grip. Your trigger
finger and thumb are spread pretty wide apart and do feel like you have much
leverage; but, it can be accomplished quite safely with the standard 1911
hammer. This does not work well with the bobbed Commander hammers.

For those of you who remember the movie where Steve McQueen portrayed Papa
Thornton, the bounty hunter, this was how McQueen uncocked his 1911. I cannot
remember the movie's name, but, if you do, you can rent a copy and see exactly
how this is performed.

geoff kotzar