The Safety Fast Shooting System

Given the choice, most of us would prefer to carry a 1911 "cocked and locked." That is, in Condition One with the hammer back, the safety on, and around chambered. This is the preferred method in many knowledgeable defensive shooting circles and is perfectly safe with a properly-functioning pistol carried by a properly-trained shooter. But, for those who really care, it may not be not politically correct in other circles.

That hammer visibly cocked back makes some people nervous, sometimes even among people in the know. As a result, many police departments don’t allow their officers to carry a 1911 at all. Fortunately, there’s a clever remedy: The Safety Fast Shooting System, a joint effort of Bill Laughridge, legendary founder of Cylinder & Slide (Cylinder-Slide.com, and Leon Hurbert, a designer for the equally-legendary Belgian firm, Fabrique Nationale. This system is very cool and really needs to be seen to be best appreciated.

Once installed in most any 1911 or Browning Hi-Power, here’s how it works. Cock the pistol, either by racking the slide or (if there’s already around in the chamber) by thumb cocking the hammer. Then, push the hammer back down, forward and against the slide. I prefer to use my off-hand thumb but even a pinkie will accomplish the job. As the hammer is pushed down the ambidextrous safety levers pop up, completely locking up the gun. I mean really locked up!

You can’t re-cock the hammer, pull the trigger, or even rack the slide. The system includes a small, flat safety "flap" mounted on the hammer ring that rests between the hammer and the frame when the hammer is pressed forward. This prevents an inadvertent discharge, even if the gun is dropped hammer down. The gun is now as safe and operative as a brick. Should an "undesirable" get hold of a 1911 or Hi-Power with this installed that doesn’t under-

stand how it works, it’s likely they won’t be able to fire it. To get the mechanism to release, press the installed safety down and the hammer instantly flies back, instantly making the pistol ready to shoot. If you have an audience, I can guarantee someone will immediately say, "Awesome! Show me that again!" To go back to the safe condition again, just push the hammer down and it’s locked back up. As a gunsmith, demonstrating one of these installations will usually produce at least one other sale.

And as your customers show off their new feature, their "audience" will be calling you for work! Installation The whole package is available as a kit from Brownells or directly from Cylinder & Slide. Part CSO116 is for blued 1911s, CSO116HC for chrome/ stainless finished 1911s, CS115 for blued Hi-Powers and CS115HC for chrome/stainless Hi-Powers. For Series 80 1911s, the kits include the little extra parts required and the included instructions cover that as well.

Each package includes anew hammer, an ambidextrous safety, anew, longer mainspring, a stronger safety detent plunger spring, and a slightly larger slide release. Installation is simply the replacement of these parts for the originals, with one caveat: The new and highly-engineered hammer. When you take it out of the package and until it is fully installed in the pistol, treat it like alive hand grenade!

Not that it will explode, of course, but should you drop it the little spring inside will leave its nest and take you a day or two to get it back in and operating! Ask me how I know… The hammer internals include apart called the hammer ring, along with the hammer itself. These two parts are connected by a little circular spring. That spring, if allowed to get loose prior to installation, will ruin your day. Should it happen, read the instructions for reassembly, reread the instructions, and maybe pack a lunch!

Other than these component swaps, no real modifications of the pistol are required. As aside note, the way I like to swap mainsprings on any 1911 is to place the mainspring housing in the vise of a drill press or mill. With a chucked punch or small Allen head bit, use the drill press or mill spindle to depress the mainspring cap. Then, locking the spindle in place, remove the little pin that secures the cap. Slowly release the spindle and allow the mainspring innards to emerge.

Swap the necessary parts—the mainspring in this case—and reverse the procedure. I’ve installed a number of these kits during the past six years. Of the few complaints I’ve had in that time were all from shooters who brought me a pistol with less than 3.5 pound triggers. Cylinder & Slide says the Safety Fast Shooting System should NOT be installed with pistols having triggers this light.

However, for "problem" (or insistent) customers, I’ve found that with a longer sear, this unit can occasionally be done and made to work. Use your best judgement on how to handle this for your customers. AG