Shield 9 safety or no safety

markmiela

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Here is my dilemma, new to guns would like extra protection against the mishap but being a self defense type gun and being left handed I am thinking no safety as it is on the wrong side of the gun.
 
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I don't disagree. I am a lefty and while practicing I find I can disengage the safety with my thumb as I am grabbing the pistol. Don't know if I can do that under life and death stress however.
 
It's really up to you. I went with no safety while my wife went with the safety. Both of us are right handed. The tiny safety button is kind of hard for me to work with. I can imagine it would only be worse for a lefty. My advice would be to get a safety version in your hands and see if you can be 100% in dealing with the safety.

IMO, there's really no need for a safety on a striker fired gun. Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to fire and it's about as safe as you can get. Again, this is my opinion and there are folks out there that feel a mechanical safety is absolutely necessary so in the end it's completely up to each individual.
 
You can always just leave it off.

I agree. I do not see any reason for not opting for a safety. If you leave it off all of the time, it is like not having a safety. If for whatever reason having a safety would be beneficial, it is there to be used.
Example: I always have one in the chamber. When someone wants to checkout my Shield, I make them aware of the round in the chamber and then I make sure the safety is engaged. Without that safety, I would not hand someone my gun unless I fully unloaded it. I really hate re-loading a round that was already in the chamber. For this reason, a safety would work for a lefty.
 
It's really up to you. I went with no safety while my wife went with the safety. Both of us are right handed. The tiny safety button is kind of hard for me to work with. I can imagine it would only be worse for a lefty. My advice would be to get a safety version in your hands and see if you can be 100% in dealing with the safety.

IMO, there's really no need for a safety on a striker fired gun. Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to fire and it's about as safe as you can get. Again, this is my opinion and there are folks out there that feel a mechanical safety is absolutely necessary so in the end it's completely up to each individual.

I dont disagree with this poster, I was raised in a military family, I also have a glock and frankly I never felt safe with one in the pipe on it. It just gave me the willies. When I found a banging deal on a shield with a safety, I jumped on it. when I carry now, there is one in the pipe and safety is on. I have heard all the , " it takes too much time to disengage and will take my chances with it. I feel much more confident now than with the glock, it is household defense now.
 
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I dont disagree with this poster, I was raised in a military family, I also have a glock and frankly I never felt safe with one in the pipe on it. It just gave me the willies. When I found a banging deal on a shield with a safety, I jumped on it. when I carry now, there is one in the pipe and safety is on. I have heard all the , " it takes to much time to disengage and will take my chances with it. I feel much more confident now than with the glock, it is household defense now.

I put one of these on my Glock 19:

Lone Wolf Distributors - Product Detail - LWD Siderlock Trigger Safety - $49.95

Best $50 I ever spent, 20 min to install and as simple as it comes! Many MANY will disagree and get nasty about this Glock safety.. but it works for me. Being a 1911 and a revolver guy the no safety Glock gave me the willies like you...

Oh and to xcutter... I never hand anyone a loaded gun safety or not, I always unload first even if it is for a 30 second hand off to just hold the gun, actually I should say "especially if " I am handing the gun to someone unfamiliar with the gun to just "check it out" (unless at the range and the gun is pointed down range). Just how I was trained.

Anyway, if I get a Shield in the future (thinking of one for my wife), it will have the safety.. like already posted... you can just leave it off and ignore it.
 
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I have been carrying Glocks for 22 years professionally. I'm like them a lot, but personally I rather a safety if one can be had. Although I have trained heavily with Glocks (12 years as a SWAT Operator), and carrying them daily for 22 years, 32 years carrying firearms daily, I still have absolutely no trouble flicking the safety of my Shields or 1911's that I occasionally carry off duty.

Further, the safety on the Shields is a positive click safety. If you choose not to use it, there's not much chance of it accidently "bumping on". I carry mine on safe, and have never found it accidently bumped off.

Of course if you never intend on carrying on safe, then the only advantage of the safety would be to have a safety to use when chambering/unchambering.
 
I'm left handed too. I like safeties on guns that must have them. Otherwise modern guns don't go off unless the trigger is pulled
 
I don't disagree. I am a lefty and while practicing I find I can disengage the safety with my thumb as I am grabbing the pistol. Don't know if I can do that under life and death stress however.

I would think that's a pretty important question to get an answer to
 
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
 
All of my guns have a manual safety on them and I never carry mine with a round in the chamber. Call me old school or whatever you like, but I have never heard of a firearm discharging accidently with nothing in the chamber!! I was always taught "Safety First" when handling a firearm.

I also train a lot drawing the gun from the holster, charging a round into the chamber and releasing the safety as I point it at something I wish to destroy! If you do this consistently in your training you will develop muscle memory for when it counts. Most times I don't even realize I am doing it. You can also do this drill while dry fire training at home.

I know everyone has their own opinions and I respect each of them, this is just my opinion!
 
I have both versions, both run just fine. I find it almost impossible to believe that the safety can accidentally engage itself without the handler intentionally (or negligently) flicking it on. It is very positive and unobtrusive. Before the no-safety model came to be I carried my Shield daily in a variety of holsters, used it, abused it and never once did the safety just suddenly find its way on. It's one of the only handguns I own with a manual safety that I would not worry about just leaving it off.
 
It's pretty hard to accidently engage the safety on a Shield. Especially if it's in a good holster. For pocket or appendix carry the safety is a practical option.
 
You have options with a safety.

I engage the safety on my Shield when I load or unload the firearm at home, when I carry the Shield in a pocket holster and occasionally at the range when working with a new shooter. I carry with the safety disengaged if I'm carrying the Shield in a belt holster.
 
All of my guns have a manual safety on them and I never carry mine with a round in the chamber. Call me old school or whatever you like, but I have never heard of a firearm discharging accidently with nothing in the chamber!! I was always taught "Safety First" when handling a firearm.

I also train a lot drawing the gun from the holster, charging a round into the chamber and releasing the safety as I point it at something I wish to destroy! If you do this consistently in your training you will develop muscle memory for when it counts. Most times I don't even realize I am doing it. You can also do this drill while dry fire training at home.

I know everyone has their own opinions and I respect each of them, this is just my opinion!


[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=syxrpLbaEuY[/ame]
 
I have a shield 9mm with no safety. I am left handed, if the safety was ambi I would've got one with the safety. leaving it on/off then becomes a situational decision.
So because I don't have that option....chambered it is.
 
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