M39-2 Safety Questions

[broknindarkagain]

My 39-2 has 3 positions for the hammer. Resting on the firing pin (decocker on or off), half cocked off the pin, and fully cocked.

I understand the risk of a sharp blow to the hammer if its all the way down with the safety off....however, isn't this risk eliminated when you have it half cocked?

The reasoning behind my question is because I've always carried / trained with DOA pistols (like the M&P) without a safety. I like the 39 as a carry weapon, but if worst came to worst, my instinct does not tell me to swipe a safety.

[310Pilot]

IIRC, S&W recommended only the hammer down/safety on (down position, sweep up to disengage), not the "half-cock" notch. I never considered a half-cock position for carry with any of my 39s or 59s. Sort of like carrying a 1911 cocked and UNlocked - not a safe practice. Solution to your problem? Train with the 39 until sweeping the safety off is second nature. You don't want to go around with a weapon in a condition that is, in effect, trying to fire without you commanding it to do so.

[ispcapt]

Hammer should be all the way down. Safety can be on or off, your choice. The firing pin is short so with the hammer all the way down the firing pin does not touch the primer. Half cock or full cock is not safe to carry. Fully cocked takes only a few pounds to trip the hammer and it will fire. At 1/2 cock the hammer rests on a small notch. Striking the hammer hard enough, just as being dropped, can cause the hammer to shear the notch and strike the firing pin with enough force to hit the primer.
The 39 does not have a firing pin safety where it locks the firing pin from moving until firing. It is possible that if a 39 is dropped from sufficient height, striking at just the right angle, the firing pin could move forward with enough inertia to strike a primer.

[SG-688]

The problem with the 39 is not a sharp blow to the hammer but a sharp blow to the muzzle. The firing pin -- heavy because of the large diameter safety engagement ring -- has a relatively large mass and thus is more likely to go forward with enough energy to fire a primer compared to, say, a 1911 firing pin, which is problematic enough as it is.

The safety locks the firing pin when down as well as disengaging the trigger.

While the notorious S&W ad mentions carrying with the safety down, I don't think S&W ever warned against safety off carry.

My small department allowed either way, copying ISP policy, which never changed as far as I know, although ISP certainly was aware of the situation, as was my department.

ISPcapt can correct me -- and I see he has commented as I've been typing.

[ispcapt]

Originally Posted by SG-688

My small department allowed either way, copying ISP policy, which never changed as far as I know, although ISP certainly was aware of the situation, as was my department.
ISPcapt can correct me -- and I see he has commented as I've been typing.

You stated it correctly. Our training left it up to each Troop to decide carrying safety on or off. We were told that which ever way we decided to carry that we should carry that way all the time and practice that way all the time. Can't say which way, safety on or off, most carried. I don't know if a survey was ever conducted. I carried safety off.

[M19-5]

Brokn;

Are we still loving this great weather here in Phoenix ?
Cant wait until October.

As far as a half cock notch being a safety.
From everything I have ever been told or read it was an oops safety in case you were lowering a hammer and slipped and hopefully you had released the trigger already before it slipped.

Personally never carried a gun in half cock.
Hammer down and safety off on my 92's(long double action pull was my safety.
On my 1911's it was cocked and locked.

When I decide to start carrying my M39-2 it will be hammer down and safety off as the 92's

Ultimately it is your choice.

Clarence

[Armyphotog]

I guess I'm old school. I always keep mine on the first cock, to keep pressure off my firing pin spring.

[shawn mccarver]

Originally Posted by Armyphotog

I guess I'm old school. I always keep mine on the first cock, to keep pressure off my firing pin spring.

If, by "first cock," you mean "half cock," then I would not describe this as old school. I would call it no school.

As ISPCAPT said, half cock is a dangerous condition for carry. The only function of the half cock notch, whether in the Single Action revolver or the 1911 or the 39 or 59 Series S&W is to arrest the hammer fall should it, for any reason fall without a pull of the trigger.

The blow it takes to shear the half cock notch on any of these models is pretty light, and in one case of which I am aware, a 1911 sheared a half cock notch from a blow by the elbow of the shooter carrying the pistol.

Never, ever carry any pistol on the half cock notch. The firing pin spring will not become fatigued enough to make a difference by having the hammer all the way down.