Why would anyone want a thumb safety on an M&P so now bear with me on this? The M&P like the Glock is a striker fired weapon and there is no hammer to strike the firing pin which could possibly fire if the weapon were to be dropped but there is no hammer on an M&P!

While I do have one M&P that does have one just like my old model 59 it also has a mag disconnect the same as my model 59 but I bought it for a good price and don't even use the safety as it is unnecessary.

The only way a striker fired weapon will go off is if the trigger is pulled and with the cantilever or two stage trigger design that M&P has this almost has to be a purposeful act.

I own 5 M&P's 7 if you count the .357SIG barrels I have for my 40c and 40 fullsize and all are always fully loaded at all times even in the safe. I have had a Model 59 since 1982 and the same is true with it and it nor any other weapon has ever gone off without me pulling the trigger. Now I do chamber a round in them all and with the model 59 since it has a hammer I do engage the safety and disengage when ready to fire the weapon, it is natural as I am sure thumb safety is with those that carry the 1911 type weapons.

Can someone come up with a good reason to have a thumb safety on a striker fired weapon, I would sure like to hear it because I can see no logical reason for one in the first place!

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59,M&P9,40,40C,357,(2)45,G26

Because that's what a lot of (gun-dumb) customers want!!!

That has to be one of the reasons and also for those that use the 1911's and are so accustomed to it so they figure why not have it and if it makes them feel better then God Bless them but it is not necessary, just like a television on your honeymoon night!

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59,M&P9,40,40C,357,(2)45,G26

If you want it and you don't have it, you can't use it.

If you don't want it, and have it, you don't have to use it.

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John 3:16 .

You call us "gun dumb", but you are the one walking around with a loaded gun, fully cocked, one in the tube, NO MANUEL SAFETY, and one mistake away from shooting yourself, a family member, or someone else, and you call us dumb??????????

So some of us is DUMB what are you??

after 40+ years with firearms I guess I'm (gun-dumb) too, I won't buy an MP with out the thumb safety, go figure, OR is you that can't figure how to work a safety under stress ?

All the people that have shot themselves or someone else with a Glock; ask for it.

Those are the shooters who generally have to wear shin-guards and safety-toed boots for daily life.

Good thing someone put a safety on a gun for them!

Edmo

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TRUTH: Don't delete my posts!

I agree wit Dave 686, I know several persons that have shot themselves with striker fired pistols. Besides you are not alone in The World, people have kids and wants an extra safety when un holster his/her gun, women carry them in their purse, some w/o a holster, some men carry Mexican style, pants got lose, you may lose your name. In ideal conditions, no need for a manual safety, as with revolvers; but if something can go wrong, it will go wrong, Murphys Law. Old "revolver shooters in PR have a saying, "pistols always carry a bullet for the owner" and styker firing pistols make it easier.

That's the reason . . . "almost".

+1 on that.

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STUBBORN AS A MISSOURI MULE...

Not "gun dumb". I have been an active handgun shooter for almost 30 years now and a competition shooter for about 10 years. I like the 1911 style thumb safety on the M&P pistol. I use it and it gives me a piece of mind. I do not like the very small thumb safeties on the Ruger SR9 or the M&P Shield. Under stress I would not be able to de activate those little safeties.

+1 on that.

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Jorge

I love the safety on the Shield (can't speak for SR9). Since the smaller conceal carry guns like the Shield are often not carried in some kind of holster (maybe a belly band), the flatter safety won't catch on clothes. I carry my Shield with one in the chamber and the safety on in my belly band. With a larger conceal carry gun which I can carry somewhere better, I don't care that much (lever is fine). I have much better finger dexterity than most though (I play piano). I've watched other people fumble with their fingers though. That's not me. I'm already fast at taking the safety off and haven't even practiced yet.

I'm not sure if I'll ever buy a gun without a safety. I like to lighten up the trigger and feel much safer doing that if I've got a good thumb safety. Maybe that's just me. Seems like most guns don't have a thumb safety which tells me most people don't want them and/or don't lighten up their trigger.

I wish more guns out there had options for a thumb safety :-(

Consider me a newbie. Only been shooting for a few years but plan to shoot a lot more now.

I suspect that the thumb safety may be a way to gain points in certain states that are unfavorable to handguns and have stringent requirements before the pistol can be sold in those states.

This is because those states that place weird requirements on guns mag cap and so forth really do not want you to have a gun in the first place and are just placing more hurdles so in Massachusetts (which is where Smith & Wesson is headquarted) you are not allowed to buy a magazine with more than a ten round cap and to make sure of that try to put ten rounds into a ten round Smith&Wesson mag, it ain't gonna happen! So you now go out and buy 10 10 round magazines so you just have to change mags more often and how long does that take?

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59,M&P9,40,40C,357,(2)45,G26

funny you mention MA. when talking about this issue....if you look at the S&W website....the MA compliant M&P 9 has NO thumb safety... and as far as the 10 shot clips....big deal if you have to change a clip...if I am carrying a 9mm and need more than 10 shots all at once, I need something more than a 9. just sayin' Product: Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm - No Thumb Safety

I really can’t give a good answer as to why I wanted it. I have been taught to always check the safety to make sure it’s on and only take it off when ready to shoot. Guess it’s just been drilled in. The weird thing is I don’t mind a revolver not having one.

Why? Lawyers. That's why. I've carried Glocks, HKs, and numerous 1911s. I'm good with the safety. I'm good without. Won't use it on my Shield.

Lawyers. Nuff said.

^^ This ^^ I suspect the only reason that S&W put a safety on the Shield was to cover their butt in case some goof shooting him/herself pulling the gun from a pocket/purse and dummy had a fingered curled over the trigger area. "But it's S&W's fault for not having a safety option" and the heck with gun handling safety rules.

It's not "gun dumb". It's personal preference. If it's not something you want, don't buy the model with it. I applaud S&W for giving the firearms enthusiast a choice.

My M&P 9 doesn't have a frame safety. I'm a Glock owner so it's no big deal to me not having a safety. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot: aware of the foreground, the target, and the background.

My 1911 has a frame safety that I find easy to use, and not intrusive. A reflexive flick of the thumb, and the safety is off. I have a M&P 22 that has a frame safety, and I find it as easy to use and unobtrusive as a 1911's safety.

I agree with Jeb21. John Moses Browning got it right with the thumb safety concept. I don't like those little, hard to activate/deactivate, nub safeties that sit basically flush to the weapon. I also don't like the slide mounted safety system a-la Beretta 90-series.

***EDIT***

The Shield is an odd one. The one I fondled at the LGS had a pretty stout safety. It wasn't easy to engage/disengage it by accident. It took a bit of pressure. I'm not a big fan that style safety. At least S&W made it as unobtrusive as possible. If you don't want to use it, leave it disengaged.

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-John

You stated pretty much the idea for a weapon that uses a hammer but the M&P does not have one you could drive nails with it if you want and it would not fire, but the point is that a STRIKER FIRED weapon will only fire if the trigger, that thing within the trigger guard is squeezed and that is the whole point I was trying to make in the original post, which is without squeezing the two stage trigger with your finger in the correct place the M&P cannot fire the firing of this weapon is an act of whoever is holding the weapon to actually pull the trigger!

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59,M&P9,40,40C,357,(2)45,G26

There is no contesting that point. Safety off or no safety, pull a trigger and you get a bang.

There's a generous amount of trigger area that can be depressed that will deactivate the trigger safety on a M&P. I can put my finger on either side of the trigger, and the trigger safety will disengage.

IMO, this is the one point I give the Glock's safe action trigger. The pad of my finger has to be on the exact center of that trigger, depressing that little lever, for the trigger safety to disengage.

This is something we just won't see eye-to-eye on, and that's a good thing. I think we both agree that the best "safety" is to keep your finger off the trigger until you're 100% ready to shoot, no matter the firearm.

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-John

First, you mean to tell me and the rest of the gun owners, young and old, on this forum that the thing inside the trigger guard is the trigger? And to think I thought it was just for looks. No wonder I can't get my gun to shoot..
Second, you don't think there could be something in someone's pocket that could press the, what u call it, oh yeah trigger accidentally? Someone could slip the gun into their pocket and forget there was a tube of chapstick in there. Or a woman's purse!!! Holy *****, that's a accidental discharge waiting to happen. And from what I've read the shield is catered for ladies and their purses.....IMO this gun has exactly what it needs, a safety for people who want it and need it in a pocket or purse, and a safety! For people who holster it and can chose one way or the other, and it not be in the way if chosen not to use it.....

I don't like the safety on it for the fact that I am a leftie.

If you are going to put a safety on a gun it should be an ambi safety so everyone can use the gun.

That being said if I were to buy one I would remove the wrong sided safety.

I may not buy one because I would have to put more into the gun to make it right for me than it would cost for the gun.

Yes us in MASS are going to get the Sucky 10 Lb trigger, so I would have to do a trigger job and by the time I get done running back and forth to my Gun Smith the cost of repair and gas would be more than the gun.

Plus the gun will not be availabe to us in MASS till at least June ( as told to me by S&W).

So I may not buy one because of that and because the safety is on the wrong side. Plus I would want it in the 40, I haven't shot the 40 yet, but I'm kind of thinking that the 40 is going to be to much for this gun.

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NRA & GOAL LIFE MEMBER

One reason is that the military requires it. So if you want to compete in military trials you have to have it.
A lot of 1911 fans like the thumb safety; and want their other pistols to be like the 1911. Personally, I like an exposed hammer like the HK has. I do not like having to place my thumb on top of a thumb safety ( a requirement in all tactical courses). It is uncomfortable for me. So I like the striker fired pistols without the thumb safety.

Just keep the safety in the "off" position and stop whining if you don't like the safety.....or buy a Glock. Now Problem solved.

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Lt. Dan, what R U doing here?

...or go purchase the M&P pistol variant with no safety.

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-John

While the stiff small thumb safety might make it harder to flip off it also makes it far less likely to be accidentally flipped on during carry or while holstering/unholstering.
I have firearms in various configurations, with and without thumb safety, with and without grip safety, with and without mag disconnect, DAO or SA/DA or SAO. Each has pros and cons in different situations.
So far I have carried with an empty chamber and safety off and with a round in the chamber with safety on. Trying to balance the fact that I have to handle the weapon a number of times in order to get through a day against the chance that I might need to use it.
What about this - chamber a round - put the safety on - holster the weapon (before or after attaching the holster to your belt) - get everything situated, then thumb the safety off - assuming you have a good holster which covers the trigger. Then if needed the safety is off. At the end of the day or when removing the gun from the holster of the holster form the belt, thumb the safety on to make it safer to handle when in a safe location.
Then again there is the keep it simple philosophy where minimizing the parts and steps involved is the way to go. Not that anyone is completely safe anywhere but some level of threat assemesment needs to be done.
I don't feel I need to have my safety off while sitting on my sofa but perhaps I do when inspecting a vacant house.

Good for reholstering, charging the first round, clearing the weapon, etc. I don't like safeties that lock the slide because that defeats half the benefit.

I wish that people would quit thinking that the trigger tab/hinge makes the gun safer from fingers and other things entering the trigger guard. That IS NOT it's primary purpose, it is a DROP safety. It is designed to easily disengaged with a finger, just like a grip safety does when you grip the pistol. Both are designed to stay out of your way and be more or less automatic.

If I want something, why should I have to explain myself to those who don't want it.

+1 ON this one also.

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STUBBORN AS A MISSOURI MULE...

I had the choice of thumb safety or not. I chose the thumb safety because it is in keeping with my 43 years of shooting pistols. From the Combat Commander to Gold Cup [finally fitted with ambi safeties to give my thumb a rest] to my Browning Hi Power and even the 92FS [though it is a slide safety rather than frame], same motions and memories each time.

Some folks wonder why I still like manual shifters in my sports car when the new automatics "do the same thing better". But it is hard to beat shifting in the twisties with the top down on the SL. Some habits you just don't change.

Best post in the thread.

HA, because they think that you are accountable to them. And don't forget, they are from the tribe of people who like to tell others what to do.

Well, this gun dumb guy (65 years old, been shooting since I was six) likes a manual safety, and that's why I ordered mine that way. If it makes you feel like more of a man without one, go for it. Don't know why you would care one way or the other.

Can't add anything to this post. Has one sans safety-sold it and bought one with. If this makes me a gun dumb girlie man than so be it. Know what else??? I have a J frame 22 snubby AND I CARRY IT!!!!!!!!!
BUt as a concession-I will admit that none of my revolvers has a safety.
If we carry this argument further, that only when the trigger is pulled will the gun go off, then why do we have a thumb safety on 1911's ??

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Forum consigliere

Because they belong to the tribe of people who like to tell others what to do. 1

I grew up with the 1911 and shoot a CZ 75B SA in competition and love the thumb safety. I don't even have to think about it, its just a natural part of my draw. I thought when I first got the shield that the small safety would be an issue, but it turns out I can flip the safety just as well as my full size pistols. ND's are nearly impossible with a striker fired gun and thumb safety, not so without....

I have a 40c without the safety and I recently bought a police trade in 45 with a safety. I am working on being proficient with both. I am the kind of guy that likes to master whatever tool I have, tablesaw or 45, same concept. Frankly I fear the table saw more. Being proficient is the key regardless of which safety you have.

Two reasons to have a safety:
1. When you are awakened at o'dark thirty, that extra action can keep you from having a negligent discharge from an adrenaline dump.
2. LEO's know that a separate safety can save your life in a fighting situation.
And if I want one, I have the freedom to have it on my handgun.

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Always bet on stupidity.

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.

I bought my S&W M&P Mod 2.0, 5 inch barrel, with the external safety because S&W did not offer it without an external safety. I'll be removing the external safety as soon as S&W ships me the frame plugs. I, too, like having options.

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O L James III
CPT Army Ret FA

Absolutely. I'm not "gun dumb either and all my M&Ps have the thumb safety for commonality. Given a preference, I don't mind the magazine safety either.

The advantage of having a DA revolver or Glock is pull the trigger and they go bang. Minimal instruction, minimal effort.

The disadvantage of having a DA revolver or Glock is pull the trigger and they go bang. Minimal instruction, minimal effort.

I personally like the idea of having to be somewhat familiar with your firearm to make it go BANG. Familiarity a drug crazed home invader may not have.

If for any other reason, I like having a place to rest my thumb when shooting with a high thumb grip ala the 1911.

Larry

My EDC rotation is a pair of Officer's-sized 1911's, with thumb safeties....

I ended up putting a thumb safety on my M&P40C, which I wear around the house (lighter, doesn't require a special belt, etc.), largely so practicing with the M&P has the same "manual of arms". That said, IMHO, if you normally train with a gun with a thumb safety, it's easier to deal with not finding the safety lever under stress than being surprised to find one, and even worse if it works backwards, like the older S&W semi's.

(How did I add a thumb safety? Cheated.... . I bought my daughter an M&P9C with a thumb safety, and she didn't want the gun. After a little thought, I just put the .40 slide & barrel on top, and used the .40 magazines. Works fine.... I could have swapped sear blocks into the 40C and cut the grip, but it was easier. You can't put a thumb safety on a standard sear block assembly....)

It really boils down to what you like, and what you're willing to train with.

Regards,

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Stu.

I've been shooting and carrying since 1984. This gun dummy likes the thumb safety. Since it's my gun, my life, and my choice, no explanation should be necessary.

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Tom
"Panem et Circenses"

If a striker-fired pistol was truly safe, nobody would be able to shoot themselves with one, but we all know that people do. I understand that some people need to carry a pistol in condition 1, but most of us really don't. I've heard all the arguments and I still don't buy them. If someone wants a thumb safety on their M&P, so be it.

There are still 10 commandments of shooting safety, keeping a semi auto pistol in condition 1 at all times is a violation of 1 or more of them. Period. Same for the older "cocked and locked" carry method for DA pistols. When did it become okay to ignore the rules of shooting safety? Who was it that decided this was okay?

Nobody asked me, but this is my opinion.

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Geoff. Since 1960.