For self-defense and civilian carry, the 1911 remains just as viable today as it is for military and law enforcement. It is faster into action than any double-action auto due to its single-action design that mandates that it be carried “cocked and locked” as Browning intended. As the pistol is drawn, the safety is swept off and as the pistol comes on target, the trigger is squeezed. With double-action designs, the first shot requires a long heavy trigger pull with the second single-action unless the pistol is double-action-only (DAO). Changing the trigger pull from long and heavy to short and light requires that the grip be adjusted slightly at the sacrifice of time and accuracy. Both are killers in a life or death situation. For those reasons, the single-action 1911 is both more accurate and quicker into action than double-action/single-action (DA/SA) guns because the trigger pull is the same every time the gun is fired.

