The Colt automatic pistol caliber-45, was adopted by the U.S. Army, Navy, and National Guard in 1911. The drawing above is from the April 1, 1912 publication: Description Of The Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, Model Of 1911.

(The publication was recently digitalized as part of the Google project to digitalize public domain materials and make them widely available.)

The Model of 1911 or M1911, has a design flaw that excludes the use of a shooting method that is natural, fast, and accurate. And it may prove fatal 4 a user.

The shooting method was known and in use at the time of the adoption of the M1911. Mention of it can be found in publications of that day and earlier.

It is for use in close quarters encounters where there is the greatest likely hood of one being shot and/or killed. And it does not require the use of the sights.

Details on it, and rationales for its use are in the 1835 book: Helps And Hints - How To - Protect Life And Property, by: Lt. Col. Baron De Berenger. (The book also was recently digitalized as part Google's book project.)

The author states that the method is best used with dueling pistols, and in self defense situations against highway robbers, housebreakers, and etc., who will not allow you to take the time to deliberately aim with the sights.

Another reason for its use in those situations, is that: "can you be certain of your usual steadiness of nerve, when you look into the muzzle of a pistol presented at you, and menacing a fatal blaze."

And, in bad light, or given a dark target, you may not be able to see the sights for aiming.

Basically, the method calls for placing the index finger along the side of the gun and using it to aim with by pointing it at a target, and pulling the trigger with the middle finger.

And therein lies the rub, as the design flaw of the 1911 excludes the use of the index finger along the side of the gun for aiming.

The flaw involves the slide stop. Specifically, the slide stop pin projects out from the right side of the gun, and if it is pressed when the slide recoils, the gun can jam.

The slide stop was added by Browning to his pistol in 1902, and it was incorporated in the 1911.

Cautionary language against using the natural, fast, and accurate shooting method, is in the 1912 military publication mentioned above - Description Of The Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, Model Of 1911.

Here is that text:

..."(3) The trigger should be pulled with the forefinger. If the trigger is pulled with the second finger, the forefinger extending along the side of the receiver is apt to press against the projecting pin of the slide stop and cause a jam when the slide recoils."

Similar cautionary language is in several military manuals of the time. They are listed in Part 2, along with snippets of their text, links, and URL's.

The natural and simple shooting method described above, can be learned with little or no training, and it can be maintained with very little if any practice.

However, it will not happen by magic. You have to know about it, and know how to use it.

It does not rely on the use of a specific, stance, grip, point of aim, regulated breathing, trigger squeezing, indexing the gun, or using an aim point.

The grip is strong. It utilizes our natural pincer of thumb, web of the hand, and index finger, plus the base of the middle finger, and the ring and little fingers.

One can try and squeeze the beejeebers out of the gun if they wish. If so, the strength and tenacity of the grip will be increased.

I refer to the shooting method as AIMED Point Shooting or P&S.

All you have to do is grab the gun, and point-n-pull, point-n-pull. No more, no less.

And the sights can be used if there is time to use them, and conditions allow for their use. The shooting method also can be used with other types of Point Shooting.

Of course, safe gun handling and the use of common sense is required.

For example if the slide will hit your index finger, or if your index finger rests over the ejection port, or if it will be hit by hot gases, then don't use it with that gun.

The shooting method, was mentioned in a variety of books of the early 1800's and 1900's. They are listed in Part 2, along with snippets of text, links, and URL's.

Here is what the U.S. Army of today, says about using the index finger for aiming a weapon. It is in Chap. 2, Sect. II of the Field Manual 3-23.35 Combat Training With Pistols M9 AND M11 of June,2003:

"Everyone has the ability to point at an object.

"When a soldier points, he instinctively points at the feature on the object on which his eyes are focused. An impulse from the brain causes the arm and hand to stop when the finger reaches the proper position."

"When the eyes are shifted to a new object or feature, the finger, hand, and arm also shift to this point.

"It is this inherent trait that can be used by a soldier to rapidly and accurately engage targets."

Now, dueling pistols of the 1800's usually had no sights, and they were closed at the back. So, using the index finger to aim one naturally, fast, and accurately, made sense.

But, that was not the case with the 1911 due to the design of the slide stop.

And for those who rely on the 1911 for use in close quarters, the consequences could be fatal.

As they would not be able to use the natural, fast, automatic, and accurate shooting method.

Also, based on the science and the studies of our day, we know that the sights are not used in close quarters encounters by most all shooters.

That is due to the triggering of our instinctive Body Alarm Response (BAR), AKA the Fight or Flight response.

With the triggering of the BAR, there will be an immediate increase in the heart rate. And with the increase in heart rate, fine motor skills, which are necessary for Sight Shooting, will be lost to use.

Additionally, bad light, and/or obscure targets, or the dynamics of a situation, can make the use of the sights moot.

And just as in days of old, the housebreaker or highway-man of today, will not allow you the time needed to take a proper stance, get a proper grip, align the sights, breath properly, and squeeze off a shot.

Armed Forces members, Police, and others not versed in Point Shooting, will be "on their own" in a life threat situation.

And according to the literature and the stats, the shooting method they will employ, is instinctive shooting.

Not a bad choice given no other, but most likely an ineffectual one.

Now, there are those who say that you can accurately point a gun by just pointing it at a target, but in reality, the acknowledged hit rate in armed encounters is only around 20%.

In my opinion, prohibiting the use of a real and effective shooting method, to accommodate a weapon, rather than making a minor modification to a weapon to accommodate those who go in harms way, makes no sense.

And no doubt over the past "100 years" of army and police combat, the 1911 design flaw has resulted in countless injuries to and many deaths of our Armed Forces members and Police.

This "criticism" of the 1911, does not take away from its pure mechanical performance. It was the winner of the 1910 shoot off test.

This link is to the test info.

Here is language from it:

".....In November 1910, the second competitive range test was held on weapons improved as a result of field trials, but problems were still noted with both designs. Both firms went back to the drawing board preparing for the next round of testing. On 15 March 1911, an endurance test was held. The test involved having each gun fire 6000 rounds, with cleaning after every one hundred shots fired, then allowing them to cool for 5 minutes. After every 1000 rounds, the pistol would be cleaned and oiled. After firing those 6000 rounds, the pistols were then tested with deformed cartridges, rusted in acid or submerged in sand and mud.20

  By the end of the test, the Savage design suffered over 37 incidents of malfunction or breakage; the Colt did not have one. On 23 March 1911, the evaluation committee’s report stated,

"Of the two pistols, the board was of the opinion that the Colt is superior, because it is more reliable, more enduring, more easily disassembled when there are broken parts to be replaced, and more accurate."21....."

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One might think that in the past 200 years or so, since the early 1800's, the question of which shooting method to use in close quarters combat, would have been studied fairly and at great length and settled, since it deals with the matter of life and death.

But as bizarre as it may seem, that is not the case.

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Click here for Part 2 which presents snippets of text, URLs, and links: to the books that mention the use of the middle finger on the trigger, and to the military publications that caution against its use.