I recently examined reproductions of John Browning’s patent application drawings for what ultimately became the 1911 and was reminded that his original design did not feature a thumb safety, which was added later at the request of the Army (the cavalry, I believe). What I did not realize was how rounded the butt of the pistol was in his original drawing—much more so than the sharp corner you see on “traditional” 1911s.
While it was not as abbreviated as modern “bobtail” versions of the 1911, such as the Ed Brown Special Forces Carry 1911, it was interesting to see that John Browning himself knew the obvious: Sharp metal edges in the palm of your hand are not necessarily a good thing on any gun, much less one chambered in .45 ACP.
The Ed Brown Special Forces Carry features his Bobtail butt. In addition to turning a sharp corner into a more comfortable curve, this modification to the frame does two other things. It shaves a little weight, about an ounce, but more importantly, it makes the gun more concealable. The butt of any handgun is the part most likely to print against a covering garment, and by removing the corner, the Bobtail modification makes the pistol surprisingly easier to conceal.
Between the modified frame and the shorter, Commander-length slide, this is about as concealable as you can make a full-frame 1911. It is amazing just how much smaller a Bobtail 1911 frame feels in the hand when compared to a standard grip. It slightly changes the grip angle, but unless you’re going back and forth regularly between guns, this shouldn’t make any difference.
Read more – handgunsmag.com
(Featured image courtesy of marksmanarmory.com)
