Wider safety levers?

[HeavyDuty Ken]

I know there's a contingent who really dislikes thumb safeties on M&Ps, but this is a specific use case. Please bear with me, I acknowledge you don't like them.

I'd like to be able to "ride" my M&P's safety with my shooting hand thumb just like I do with a 1911. I've been searching for aftermarket wider safety levers and am coming up blank. Has anyone seen anything?

 

[Ggunb]

https://youtu.be/Z1wtpKg39_o?feature=shared

Haven't done it but I thought it was a good idea.

 

[HeavyDuty Ken]

https://youtu.be/Z1wtpKg39_o?feature=shared

Haven't done it but I thought it was a good idea.

Thanks - those are for Shields, not full size M&Ps.

 

[song dog]

Heavy Duty Ken,

I ride the safety on my M & P like a 1911 too, agree a wider safety like a 1911 would be ideal while no after market safety has ever been produced. The safeties are clipped onto the bottom of the safety bar, its possible a gunsmith could manufacture a metal or plastic safety lever.

 

[gunny4053]

How much wider do you need them to be? I have the manual safeties on my M&P's and they're wider than any 1911 safety I've ever seen. Here's what's on mine.

 

[song dog]

Gunny,

The 2nd safety appears much wider so can you share more where to obtain them?

 

[gunny4053]

Gunny,

The 2nd safety appears much wider so can you share more where to obtain them?

Actually, the safeties on both guns are identical. They are OEM parts and were purchased from MGW. They sell the levers, the detent, and the detent spring. Full disclosure, these are for the 2.0 models, if you have the newer 1.0 with the safety notches that can use the frame plugs, these will still work. These are what I have on my M&P 1.0 .40. The levers are $20 and change at MGW.

 

[hardluk1]

I like thumb safety's too but I do not ride them . My 1911's over the years will have a GI thumb safety on them my m&ps have had a small amount of the polymer covering the metal removed and round the edges so like on my 1911 I can sweep over the thumb safety and use a thumb forward grip. .

 

[Hawg Rider]

I tend to favor having a thumb safety on my Shield Plus 9mm, mainly because I sometimes carry AIWB and it gives me a little more of a warm tummy feeling that the family jewels (and femoral artery) are safer. Of course, there is no substitute for dry fire draw and holster practice. I could not find wider thumb safeties for Shields at MGW, and even their 1911 versions were listed as "discontinued". After seeing numerous reviews and recommendations, I contacted "[email protected]" to see what he has to offer.

 

[song dog]

Hawg Rider,

If you don't mind share with us the price of wider safety and if you receive a picture.

 

[Hawg Rider]

As requested, here are a couple of pics of the wider extended safety from [email protected] (Brian Beard). He has some of these in stock and others in production...cost is $62 + shipping (~$70). Apparently he also has some of these safeties being made for SIG 365s. Brian responded very quickly to my email, sent plenty of photos and instructions, and the safety looks to be very well made. Not exactly cheap, but I plan to purchase one. I also passed Brian's info along to my son who manages a local gun store. Plenty of customers would like a larger thumb safety for their Shields. S&W Customer Service replied to me that unfortunately S&W doesn't make extended thumb safeties for their Shields, but they were going to pass along my suggestion to Engineering. We'll see.

 

[Racer X]

are they plastic as well?

 

[Hawg Rider]

are they plastic as well?

Nope...according to the manufacturer the thumb paddles are CNC machined, TIG welded to stock S&W Shield safeties, and then black nitride coated.

 

[song dog]

Hawg Rider,

Thank you for following up and posting, very nice safety, S&W should take notice.

 

[Hawg Rider]

Just received my new wider thumb safety

Just received my wider thumb safety lever, and plan to install it in my PC M&P Shield Plus 9mm this weekend. Really nicely made with nitride finish.

 

[Hawg Rider]

Final Report

OK, here's my last Post and installation report about the wider thumb safety for my PC M&P Shield Plus 9mm. The only tools needed to R&R the wider Shield thumb safety are a 1/8" pin punch (to remove the rear roll pin) and a small screwdriver (to gently pry out the trigger/safety module). I followed some YouTube instructions (posted by Rider's-Range), which made life a little easier. I tapped out the rear roll pin (R-L), removed the trigger/safety module from the polymer frame, removed the stock thumb safety, and installed the wider thumb safety on the module in about 5 minutes. Man, that was quick and easy! Now to reinstall the module into the frame and tap in the roll pin (L-R). Uh oh...not so easy. Like the YouTube video, the installation of the module is kind of a pain and took me about an hour of patient manipulating (no cussing, of course!) to properly seat the module in the frame. Here's what the final installation of the wider thumb safety looks like. Pictures include the stock safety from my pistol, the wider thumb safety, and the final installation. I think it was worth the time and expense. Enjoy!