I purchased a Colt Gov Model and the Hammer bit the web of my hand.  My other 1911 has an extended beavertail grip safety and there has not been a problem.  I must be holding it wrong or I need to get and extended ringl hammer and extended grip safety.  I shot it well but the red mark is still showing on my shooting hand.  How did the soldiers hold it properly in WW I and WW II?

Big or "fleshy" hands will have more web, and be more subject to hammer bite than the average WW1/WW2 GI.

Commander hammers bite me too.  I have to use an extended beavertail.

The 1911 had a short grip safety and hammer bite was an issue.  The 1911A1 has a longer grip safety to help minimize, or eliminate that issue.

I've never been bit by either of mine, the 1911 (Colt made in 1917) or the later models with the longer tang on the back of the grip safety.

Maybe it's my grip, maybe it's my hand.  

I do have beaver tail grip safeties on a couple of mine though.

You can install one yourself, but be aware that some brands are contoured to fit perfectly on the 1911's and some require the frame to be machined (or carefully filed/stoned) to make the frame fit the grip safety.  I can't tell you the brands that fit without needing a change to the frame but the vendor you order/buy one from should be able to.  Brownell's sells them (as do other parts vendors).

Good luck with it.

I've fit beaver tails to most of my 1911's.  It's not so much the bite it's getting a higher grip more in line with the barrel.



Wilson makes a "drop in" beaver tail that might help, with the caveat that very few things on a 1911 don't need some fitting.

have an ED BROWN beaver-tail grip safety fitted

do it right



My Grandfather's World War One 1911 gives me hammer bite too.

My Rock Island GI model will bight the heck out of my right hand but my left hand never gets bit. The reason is I'm a right handed shooter and jam that hand as high as I can on the grip. I don't cram my left hand up anywhere near as high on the grip.

Hammer bite is an individual thing. No matter how high I grip a regular 1911 I have never been bit.
I think technique has a lot to do with it - just mashing your hand onto the grip as high as possible does invite a bite.
However starting lower on the grip and sliding up and under the grip safety tends to eliminate it at least for me.

Have a Stainless Series 80. Hammer bite is a part of life; I wear gloves when I shoot it; my STI and my Kimber both have beavertails and my Delta has the stock commander hammer and grip safety, so no bite on any of them.

I don't think I've ever experienced Hammer bite, but then when I looked, both my Colts have extended grip safeties.