I had two reasons for my choosing the M&P with the thumb safety. Gun dumb or not I carried a Glock CCW for 15 years and had a few instances where the trigger hooked on my shirt and IWB holster when reholstering. Didn't make the gun go off but it made me nervous. Bad gun handling on my part? probably. The other reason is that growing up with the 1911 platform I was always taught to sweep off the safety. I am teaching my daugther the same way, feeling that if she had to use another gun that has a safety in self defense I would rather she is used to swipe it off than fumble looking why it didn't go off. A far fetched senario? Probaby, but I do like that new gun people get used to putting on the safety until they get used to hndling loaded firearms. Is it lawyer induced? probably but I think it is great Smith and Wesson gives you the option to get it either way. Glock doesn't, it's take it or leave it. Besides it is pretty easy to remove the safety down the road if you decide you don'y want it on the gun and Smith will even give you the frame plugs. You can't add it on later if you decide you want it.