Before there can be an answer, there must be a question. In this case, the question was directed to Wayne Novak. As the designer of perhaps the most-used tactical sight of modern times, as well as the director of an advanced pistolsmithing operation, Novak gets a lot of questions. He has a wide-ranging list of customers that includes both police and military, as well as plain folks who choose to go armed.

Little of Novak's talents go toward building pistols for competition. As the company's motto proclaims, he builds "real guns for real people." Over the years, he has done such things as assist in the design of the S&W 3rd Generation pistols, write the specs for the FBI's HRT pistols, design a version of the Novak sight for every combat pistol worthy of the name and develop a best-selling magazine for the 1911- series .45 pistols. Along the way Novak has seen a steady stream of fine custom autos leave his shop for discriminating users worldwide.

Small wonder, then, that he gets questions about various modifications and improvements to the 1911. For the majority of those queries, he usually has a quick answer based on wide experience. But for a recent question from a regular customer, Novak had no ready response and ended up developing a completely new patented product he calls the Answer.

The question came from a 1911 shooter who wanted to end his--and his daughter's--struggle to repeatedly and reliably compress the grip safety in a fast combat draw stroke. In plain terms, the question was: "How can you modify my 1911 so that I can be sure the grip safety is pressed fully inward 100 percent of the time?" Hence, the Answer.

The bottom of the grip plates are of Tactical Oval shape, which was designed for function and form.

Every shooter who has taken his 1911 to Gunsite or any other training facility has had it happen once in awhile. In trying to perform the speediest possible presentation, the pistolero hits the backstrap of the gun just a little off center. Or sometimes he reaches just a little too high. The result is insufficient pressure on the lowest extension of the grip safety. That means that the trigger-sear linkage is not cleared the way it is supposed to be, and the pistol won't fire.

The 1911's grip safety was installed at the behest of the Cavalry Board that contributed to the original pistol's design. It has been said that John Browning was not in favor of the device. In its original form, the grip safety was probably less trouble than it is now.

For good reason, we have changed the shape of the M1911A1 pistol's grip safety. To get a higher grip on the pistol, most of us have gone to a wide beavertail grip safety with a high, sweeping contour. Pioneered by Charlie Kelsey of Devel fame, the device gives you a much better grip on the pistol and much better control of repeat shots.