1911 safety

Question
Hi Doug.  I recently purchased a Springfield Armory 1911 Mil Spec. My
intended use for it is the defense of my family while on remote desert trips. I
took your excellent CCW class and I'm very experienced in gun safety, but
this is my first 1911.  The internet blogs are full of conflicting opinions about
the safest way to holster-carry a .45 of this type. The "Lock and Load"
(hammer at full cock) faction point out that there are trigger, grip and manual
safeties so this is plenty safe. Opponents of 'Lock and Load" recommend a
full magazine below an empty chamber, saying that there's usually plenty of
time to work the slide to arm the pistol. I would very much appreciate your
comments about this.

Answer
Allen,

Interesting that you found me here...you can also ask questions at www.arizonaccwpermit.com

To answer your question, if you are planning on carrying a 1911 style pistol, it can be safely carried in "cocked and locked" or what is typically referred to as "condition 1".  There are a couple of things to consider.  

First you should insure that your holster completely covers the trigger and retains the gun well.  

Second, you will need to make sure that you practice disengaging the thumb safety as you draw so that it will be automatic.  The biggest issue I see for 1911 shooters is that they don't practice disengaging the safety which will most likely cause them to forget to disengage it under stress.  This can obviously have catastrophic consequences in a potential gunfight situation.

Third, despite what some might say, in my experience you will absolutely not have time to work the slide and arm the pistol.  It is very frustrating for me to find these 'arm chair firearms experts' telling people stuff that could literally get them killed.

I hope this helps and you are certainly welcome to ask any follow up questions if you need more details.

Best regards,

Doug