Shield CC Safety

[fishintheblood]

I appendix carry my shield 9 with the safety off every day with NO worries. I have a quality holster that completely covers the trigger. My firearm will not leave said holster unless I need to defend myself, if such an incident happens, I will NOT be re holstering in a hasty manner. I watch way too many guys on the range quickly jamming their firearm into their holster without looking. For the life of me, I see no situation where this kind of training is necessary. By all means practice your draw from concealment! but take your time re holstering and make sure your clothing and everything else is clear. NO safety needed on a striker fired pistol.
IMHO!

 

[Smoke]

Check about 4 or 5 paragraphs down.


Smith & Wesson  M&P Shield Sub-Compact 9x19mm Semi-Auto Pistol

The Shield has an internal striker safety which prevents the weapon from firing unless the trigger is pulled, and there is also a manual safety for right-handed shooters at the upper left side of the frame. In the upper position, the safety blocks the trigger, and pushes downward to the “fire” position

The only mention of a safety in the article and even if the article explicitly stated that the Shield should be carried with the safety off that would be an opinion of the author not a statement by the S&W corporation saying "we designed this gun to be carried with the safety off."

 

[Smoke]

There are more negligent discharges with striker fired handguns than other types.

Cite please?

 

[Smoke]

Doesn't the fact that Smith also offers a Shield without a safety kinda prove that it was designed to be carried with the safety off?

It proves that Smith & Wesson offers two versions of the pistol

If not, then how would you recommend carrying this gun?

Without a safety at all

 

[SMR]

Solution? Carry with the safety engaged and train to the point where swiping it off on the draw becomes automatic. 1911 owners don't seem to have any problem doing that, so why should Shield owners have a problem? IF they train hard enough to do it.

There is a big difference between swiping the safety off on a 1911 and a Shield. The safety on a 1911 is immensely bigger than the safety for the Shield. In a when the SHTF situation it would be very very easy to miss flipping that safety off on the shield as opposed to the 1911.

I carry my Shield with one chambered and the safety off. I have a great holster that covers the trigger and I don't give it another thought when its on my side.

Had they had the Shield when I bought mine without a safety I would have bought that one instead of with the Safety.

I have no mental issue carrying with a round chambered and the safety off.. or a Gun with no Safety at all.

Could be my background though.

Either way, you have to do what is most comfortable for you.

 

[Smoke]

I posted this a few weeks ago in a similar thread

When I was researching the Shield I watched a video on YouTube in which the videographer inadvertently engaged the safety on his Shield while he was showing it at different angles and didn’t realize it.
I don’t think that only happens in YouTube videos. A safety is a mechanical device and mechanical devices malfunction .
I’ve had to draw a gun exactly one time in self defense in my life and that one time was enough to convince me that I don’t want to have to add any unnecessary steps (AKA opportunities to screw up) to the process.

It’s your life and your choice. You make the decision and you live with the consequences

 

[cjjohn]

I appendix carry my shield 9 with the safety off every day with NO worries. I have a quality holster that completely covers the trigger. My firearm will not leave said holster unless I need to defend myself, if such an incident happens, I will NOT be re holstering in a hasty manner. I watch way too many guys on the range quickly jamming their firearm into their holster without looking. For the life of me, I see no situation where this kind of training is necessary. By all means practice your draw from concealment! but take your time re holstering and make sure your clothing and everything else is clear. NO safety needed on a striker fired pistol.
IMHO!

I have been carrying my Shield for about a year and a half. Safety is ALWAYS off. I'm perfectly comfortable with this. I also have 1911s, and trained to "swipe" the safety off. Shield is easy to miss, and I would wager that when the adrenaline is pumping it WILL be missed. I have actually started using a Clipdraw, but I use a Raven Concealment "holster" that covers the trigger. Very slim, very concealable, and very comfortable.

 

[WSanford]

I appendix carry my shield 9 with the safety off every day with NO worries. I have a quality holster that completely covers the trigger. My firearm will not leave said holster unless I need to defend myself, if such an incident happens, I will NOT be re holstering in a hasty manner. I watch way too many guys on the range quickly jamming their firearm into their holster without looking. For the life of me, I see no situation where this kind of training is necessary. By all means practice your draw from concealment! but take your time re holstering and make sure your clothing and everything else is clear. NO safety needed on a striker fired pistol.
IMHO!

Oh, I don't discount the safety features already built into the weapon at all. It's just that while pointing the muzzle at the family jewels and my femoral artery at the same time, I'm not going to discount force majeure either.

 

[webfarmer]

I'm of the opinion I'm glad my Shield has a safety and always carry it on. As we get older, it seems easier to make mistakes. Not that I have (or know of because the safety is always on) it simply makes me feel safer carrying it. Since S&W offers the gun without the safety, it stands to reason it isn't absolutely needed. That's regarding pistol function though - not the dude carrying it. Good luck!

 

[Ruger_Up]

The only mention of a safety in the article and even if the article explicitly stated that the Shield should be carried with the safety off that would be an opinion of the author not a statement by the S&W corporation saying "we designed this gun to be carried with the safety off."

Agreed. I guess my point to posting that article was more to highlight the internal safeties, making the external safety unnecessary. I use my safety to holster and unholster when removing for the day, but if it wasn't there I wouldn't handle myself any differently.
The video is definitely a better representation to my point. With the internal safeties present, wouldn't it beg the question that the gun itself is designed to carry a round in the chamber, with or without a safety? To me, it does, but others may be of a different opinion.

 

[Ruger_Up]

Oh, I don't discount the safety features already built into the weapon at all. It's just that while pointing the muzzle at the family jewels and my femoral artery at the same time, I'm not going to discount force majeure either.

We said my friend. [emoji106]

Exactly why I don't Appendix carry.

 

[cheekychung]

If all guns had a thumb safety in the exact same spot and feel like a 1911, I'd get one with a thumb safety and left the one on my m&p45c on.

Range sessions, I can grip my m&p45 like a 1911, thumb over the safety and fire.
During drills, I never failed to sweep the safety off(I always inadvertently sweep the thumb safety whether if it's there or not.), but my grip was angled left because the thumb safety on the m&p was slightly farther back than a 1911 (probably due to the double stack design) and missed a lot of my first shots. I also never failed to consciously and carefully reholster/handle and never accidentally pulled the trigger when handling the firearm.
because of this I made the decision to remove it; in an emergency I'm not worried about not taking the safety off, but because of my shot being off and missing, or worse, hitting someone else.


The thumb safety on any range/gun/training gun is great for training new people(load firearm, safety on, hand over firearm, etc) but not for a defensive gun unless it's a 1911 or any chambered and SA gun.

 

[Kadonny]

There is a big difference between swiping the safety off on a 1911 and a Shield. The safety on a 1911 is immensely bigger than the safety for the Shield. In a when the SHTF situation it would be very very easy to miss flipping that safety off on the shield as opposed to the 1911.

This. The two are not even close to the same with the 1911 being infinitely easier to disengage. The Shields design is very flat to the frame and you really have to make sure to get enough of your thumb on it to slide it down. That being said, I am seeing the safety becoming easier to disengage the more I use it and practice with it.

 

[rsrocket1]

I see no reason to have a safety on a Shield if you intend to carry it in an IWB holster or some other holster where the trigger is covered. It makes sense to have a separate safety if you are carrying it in a pocket where the trigger may get caught in something or in a purse or bag where things could get into the trigger guard. Of course a pocket holster or partial holster would also serve that purpose. Personally I would keep my Shield's safety off at all times because I am used to the M&P FS w/no safety and just keep my finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.

 

[Motorsporting]

The shield trigger pull is within the same range as all SFA (XDs, PPS, G42, ...) of that size, so thumb safety or not, the question is more about trigger weight and what you're (the OP) comfortable with. This kind of feels like is a Glock (any SFA) more safe than a 1911 debate ... visible safeties vs. non-visible. The Shield is no more likely to have an AD than any SFA; its safeties, besides your brain foremost, were covered before the thought of a TS was necessary (added to sell to more markets and make people feel at ease). This has now been proven, as the latest model (without a TS) is the same as the one with, just lacking the external safety.

 

[hokiefyd]

The shield trigger pull is within the same range as all SFA (XDs, PPS, G42, ...) of that size, so thumb safety or not, the question is more about trigger weight and what you're (the OP) comfortable with.

I think this is the bottom line. As noted, the Shield now comes either with or without a thumb safety (TS)...but the rest of the gun is the same (trigger pull, passive safeties, etc). If you are comfortable carrying a SFA gun such as a Glock, XD, or M&P, without a safety, then you would probably feel comfortable carrying the Shield...either the NTS model or the TS model with the safety in the fire position. If you are not otherwise comfortable carrying a SFA gun, or a gun without a safety, then it'd be best to carry a Shield with the TS in the fire position.

When I bought my Shield, the NTS model had just come out. I went back and forth on which one to buy. I bought the TS model because it was the first SFA gun I owned and I wanted the choice of using the TS until I was comfortable with it. As it turns out, I immediately witnessed how intentional one must be to pull the trigger on a Shield, and quickly overcame any hesitation about it. I carry it in a Kydex holster that covers both the trigger and the TS area, and I carry it with the TS in the fire position. There is very little chance of an unintended discharge (because the trigger is covered) and very little chance of the safety moving to the safe position (because the TS is covered).

If I were buying today, knowing what I know now about the gun, I'd probably buy the NTS model. But I'm considering a TS fullsize M&P, because I may want to really tune the trigger in the future and would want a TS then. Different tools for different jobs.

 

[gnystrom]

Response to "are there more ND with striker fired guns" Statistics may be hard to find but the training facility I work for has seen a number of ND's from striker fired pistols. It appears the firearms that require a trigger pull to take them down for cleaning also requires the operator to have his/her brain engaged when doing so. I have repaired more than a few bullet holes in the cleaning room walls in spite of strict agency policies. BTW, not one with hammer fired weapons.

I have owned a Shield since they came out and appreciate the thumb safety. It is an extra protection when loading/unloading/handling the gun, and is very easy to swipe off on the draw. If for some reason my gun were suddenly removed from my holster by an individual other than myself, with the safety on, it just might give me the fraction of a second I needed to react before I got shot with my own gun.

 

[TheBob_1]

Sure this is an elementary question - but someone please explain to me why it is safe to carry a Shield with the safety in fire position?
I carry a CS-9 and understand that carrying it with the hammer "de-cocked" and safety in fire position is safe because the gun is in double action mode. Could dribble it down the street and it wont go off, and the long, heavy double action trigger pull helps prevent an accidental trigger pull. Same with carrying a double action only revolver - long heavy trigger pull.
A buddy just got a Shield 9mm and I got to fire it today. if i understand correctly it is Double Action only and designed to be carried with the safety in the fire position. But the trigger is spectacular, very easy to shoot, much softer and shorter pull than my CS-9 in Double Action mode or a revolver.
How does this work? I know it is "striker fired", which I do not completely understand, probably has something to do with it.
Just trying to educate myself. Thanks for the help.

I too would like to understand how ANY striker-fired pistol gets categorized as double-action?!?! Only "action" I can tell is put enough force on teh trigger and it goes bang.

I love my Shield but it will always have the safety on (or no round chambered, which I really don't prefer). Same with its bigger brethren of which I have one each (M&P full-size and compact).

 

[Arik]

I too would like to understand how ANY striker-fired pistol gets categorized as double-action?!?! Only "action" I can tell is put enough force on teh trigger and it goes bang.

I love my Shield but it will always have the safety on (or no round chambered, which I really don't prefer). Same with its bigger brethren of which I have one each (M&P full-size and compact).

Because most (don't know every single one) are partially cocked. You still need to pull the trigger in order to finish cocking it. And it's not 100% cocked to be a single action

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[Slingn]

A pink bunny argument. It's goes on and on and on and....

Carry your gun like you like. Train how you carry it. The best safety is always between your ears