I used to say I never got it with my springfield milspec and I didn't understand what all the fuss was about.  But now that I'm using a proper, high ride grip (which I think was part of my problem with my groups and photoman showed me a grip technique taught buy DE teacher, Sully, which at least at closer ranges helped a whole bunch) now I get it.   Hammer bite that is.  Not real bad but now I understand what everyone was talking about.   .  My next step is to get a flat mainspring housing, which I was going to do anyways.  I don't know if that'll help at all  but I'll wait and see.  

Thank you photoman for the tip!!!!!  

Just get an extended beavertail and commander hammer.  It will get worse, not better, particularly with a speed draw, and blood is extremely corrosive on firearms.

It is a fact of life with me.  There is no way I can shoot a 1911 without an extended beavertail, and have the scars to prove it.

You too????

I don't know what is worse,
bleading all over your self and the pistol  from getting 1911 hammer bite, or losing a nail from a M-1 Garand slamming the bolt off your thumb during a bad load.

What could be worse?  How about  finding a piece of meat inside your pistol when cleaning it.  I first learned about hammer bite at Gunsite in the early 80's with my Colt Commander.  After a week there was a pit in the web of my hand.  Bandaids would not stay on so I grinned and pressed on.  I discovered wiping the hammer off does not remove all the skin and blood.[XX(

I believe in beavertails now.

+ a billion

There are basically 4 things you can do:

1) Bob the hammer. Not recommended if it's anything vaugly collectable
2) Throw on a commander hammer. It shouldn't bite, in theory, but will require fitting, probably. Not sure about high holds.
3) Find a beavertail that drops in and does not require bobbing the standard spur hammer. They're out there, but they don't really work well with a high hold.
4) Do the commander hammer/beavertail thing. Again, will probably require fitting...but it will allow a high hold with no bite.

Right now, I have a King's drop-in beavertail on my Sistema, which works with the spur hammer...but it's high hold is lacking. Easily fixed with some grinding, but...it's still not exactily drop-in. I have a Nowlin "drop-in trigger job/hammer" kit from Brownells, along with a Wilson beavertail, that I need to drop into it as a replacement...the parts mostly drop in, but some things need fitting. As I progress in the whole area, eventually, they will be put in, and the stock hammer and grip safety will be retired...

If you have some mechanical aptitude and can detail strip a 1911, consider getting a Smith and Alexander .220" beavertail and a commander hammer.  With the inexpensive jig, they are a snap to install.  

Rockdoc, I never asked, how did you feel about the fit of that Beavertail on your Les Baer.  Do the little triangles stand out, or does it look good to you?

Hey guys, when I was at the gun store today, I saw a colt commander with a "commander" type hammer but no extended beavertail.  Does this configuration work?  In fact the grip safety, the part that rests on top of the web of your hand,  appeared to be a hair shorter than my milspec.  Unless it just looked different for some reason.  Plus, doesn't that type of  hammer improve lock time for the most part?  I'm still planning on putting a flat mainspring housing on with a lanyard loop.  Because I want the lanyard loop and the curve on the a1 just seems to sit in the wrong spot on the heal of my hand.  Like it shouldn't be there.  I'm still not sure I can take it apart though.  I think I'll just have to bite the bullet and do it.

Still bites.


Build up your scar, bob the hammer or get a beavertail and commander hammer.

Tell your web to quit getting a "chubby".

I have the same problem. All my Colts (except for one WWII model) have commander type hammers to cut down on band-aid purchases.

JJ no problem at all on the tip. Once you got a little used to it you could see the diferance, by that fourth mag or so you were blowing out that X-ring real nice.

What your getting probably isn't actually hammer bite, it's more of the  metal on the beavertail or whatever it's called  rubbing against your hand since your higher up on the grip. I got the same thing.

I'm meeting up with Kaboom on Wed about 4pm to exchange some brass and tools and stuff, but I plan on doing some pistol shooting too, if you got the time stop out.  

Quoted: Tell your web to quit getting a "chubby". I have the same problem. All my Colts (except for one WWII model) have commander type hammers to cut down on band-aid purchases.

So the commander hammer doesn't reach down and bite as hard, ha?  Mine is minimal but it still happened.  I might be the only guy that is like this but I'm not really fond of the looks of a beavertail.  Why, I don't know, it just dont hit me the same way as the shorter safety.  That looks niiiiiice to me.  Actually, I really liked that Colt I saw.  It was a commander, blued, had the commander hammer and what appeared to be a 4.25 inch barrel and some lighter brown / wood grips.  It was niiiiiiice.  It did however have the curved mainspring, but no beavertail.  Mmmmm Kool aid.  I don't know how it shoots obviously, but it looked nice to me.  I'd like one almost exactly like that in 9mm.  And I really like the 1911 in blueing.  Or even better, nickel plated.   AAAAAAhh.  Now that's niiiiiiice.  Come to think of it they had one nickel plated, it was a springfield, in .38 super, all nickel, can't remember but I think the grips were white, probably pearl (I know, pearl is for pimps - according to patton or somebody like that) and it was in a presentation box and it was expensive!!  Still looked nice.  I think I'd like a nickel slide on a parked frame.  OK now I'm rambling.  

I may have to install a commander or bobbed hammer, eh?  Or have someone do it.

Quoted: JJ no problem at all on the tip. Once you got a little used to it you could see the diferance, by that fourth mag or so you were blowing out that X-ring real nice. What your getting probably isn't actually hammer bite, it's more of the  metal on the beavertail or whatever it's called  rubbing against your hand since your higher up on the grip. I got the same thing. I'm meeting up with Kaboom on Wed about 4pm to exchange some brass and tools and stuff, but I plan on doing some pistol shooting too, if you got the time stop out.

You got it from mine, or from yours??  

As far as the shooting goes, I don't know if it was real good but it was a whole lot better than what I was doing before!!!!!  You Da Man!!!!

I have used a couple of the Wilson's drop in beavertails and they seem to work well.

As far as the mainspring housing goes.....In general, people that have larger hands like the arched housing as it seems to fill up their hand a bit more.  If you put a beavertail on, I can't see any reason for you to change the housing if you like how it fits now.

I shoot all of my 1911's (other than my safe queen) with arched housings and beavertail grip safeties.  I have all skeletonized hammers in them as well.

I'm from WI too, just give me a yell if you want to see or try anything.

Quoted: Quoted: JJ no problem at all on the tip. Once you got a little used to it you could see the diferance, by that fourth mag or so you were blowing out that X-ring real nice. What your getting probably isn't actually hammer bite, it's more of the  metal on the beavertail or whatever it's called  rubbing against your hand since your higher up on the grip. I got the same thing. I'm meeting up with Kaboom on Wed about 4pm to exchange some brass and tools and stuff, but I plan on doing some pistol shooting too, if you got the time stop out.   You got it from mine, or from yours??   As far as the shooting goes, I don't know if it was real good but it was a whole lot better than what I was doing before!!!!!  You Da Man!!!!

I got it from the baby eagle.

Anytime yer X ring and 10 ring are shot out, I'd say thats good shooting

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: JJ no problem at all on the tip. Once you got a little used to it you could see the diferance, by that fourth mag or so you were blowing out that X-ring real nice. What your getting probably isn't actually hammer bite, it's more of the  metal on the beavertail or whatever it's called  rubbing against your hand since your higher up on the grip. I got the same thing. I'm meeting up with Kaboom on Wed about 4pm to exchange some brass and tools and stuff, but I plan on doing some pistol shooting too, if you got the time stop out.   You got it from mine, or from yours??   As far as the shooting goes, I don't know if it was real good but it was a whole lot better than what I was doing before!!!!!  You Da Man!!!! I got it from the baby eagle. Anytime yer X ring and 10 ring are shot out, I'd say thats good shooting

That was pretty sweet.  I'll have to thank Sully, or thank him for me.  It definitely bumped my accuracy up.  I gotta try it with my 9 too!!!!!  Those big .45 bullets have a way of making big holes in the paper though.  Fun Fun Fun.

Bobbing the hammer didn't do it for me.  Installing a commander hammer and modifing a stock grip safety did not work, either.  

Beavertail.  Just do it.  They are not that hard to fit, if you are steady with a file.