The Shield's Safety

xopher88x

xopher88x

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I'm bummed out that I cannot get a Shield without a safety. I'm probably not going to get a Shield. I'm at peace with that notion. That said, can someone please describe how the safety works? I know how the "classic" M&P safety works by simply blocking trigger movement. Is the Shield's safety different than the rest of the M&P line?
 
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The Shield is my 1st M&P so all I know is it seems to just block the trigger. The slide still moves etc... I like having it myself, it's very unobtrusive and it's good for pocket carry IMHO.
 
The safety is small, use it or not to use it is your choice.

I carry a 1911 COCKED AND LOCKED at times, so the removal of the safety is automatic with the draw stroke.
 
The safety blocks the trigger bar from moving in the Sear. It does not lock the slide as it does in the Ruger LC-9. My Shield is my first M&P with a safety...my full size and compact do not have one and I prefer it that way. Since I have no option with the Shield I will only use the safety for re-holstering. Once the gun is in the holster I click the safety off making it just like my other M&P's.

Denying yourself ownership of a new and great gun based upon a simple little switch really doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Just leave it off and forget about it, problem solved. At least it doesn't have the dreaded key lock like many of the Ruger and Taurus guns.
 
The safety on the Shield is so unobtrusive unlike the ones on full size and compact M&Ps it doesn't bother me. It's there if you want to use it and small enough not to bother most that won't use it. I like the idea of having it.
 
I've had several M&P's and the Shield is by far my favorite for many reasons. That being said I must agree with the idea that you should not miss out on owning a great gun over what is in the end a very minor component of the gun. Sure it has a purpose yet at the same time it can be argued that a striker fired gun really doesnt need one anyway (finger off trigger saftey on, finger on trigger saftey off). The saftey itself is very small and somewhat stiff. Once it is in the off positon it is not going to easily move back to the safe postion.
 
Just keep her off --


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I think they did it for legal reasons. Shor-nuff' some knot head will/would have a "Darwin Moment" and stuff it in something (pocket/purse) and snag the trigger on something. This way S&W is covered. I don't have safeties on any of my other FS M&P's and wouldn't have them with them. However,on the Shield (being that small),it is handy. It's positive on or positive off and sits tight against the side.
 
Lee in Quartzsite said:
The safety blocks the trigger bar from moving in the Sear. It does not lock the slide as it does in the Ruger LC-9. My Shield is my first M&P with a safety...my full size and compact do not have one and I prefer it that way. Since I have no option with the Shield I will only use the safety for re-holstering. Once the gun is in the holster I click the safety off making it just like my other M&P's.

Denying yourself ownership of a new and great gun based upon a simple little switch really doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Just leave it off and forget about it, problem solved. At least it doesn't have the dreaded key lock like many of the Ruger and Taurus guns.
Click to expand...

Love the plan for safety use. That's exactly what I'm planning on doing once they make their way out here.
 
Lee in Quartzsite said:
The safety blocks the trigger bar from moving in the Sear. It does not lock the slide as it does in the Ruger LC-9. My Shield is my first M&P with a safety...my full size and compact do not have one and I prefer it that way. Since I have no option with the Shield I will only use the safety for re-holstering. Once the gun is in the holster I click the safety off making it just like my other M&P's.

Denying yourself ownership of a new and great gun based upon a simple little switch really doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Just leave it off and forget about it, problem solved. At least it doesn't have the dreaded key lock like many of the Ruger and Taurus guns.
Click to expand...
Well said!
 
mag318 said:
The safety on the Shield is so unobtrusive unlike the ones on full size and compact M&Ps...
Click to expand...

Agreed. If it was like the large lever type safety on the compact and full size M&P's I wouldn't want it there. However it's like the safety on the BG380 which is unobtrusive and requires conscious effort to activate and deactivate.

Another vote for no plan to use it but doesn't bother me that it's there.
 
I don't understand the refusal to buy what is one of the best handguns out there because of a relatively inconsequential device. The safety does serve a purpose (it appeases my daughter who has a curious 4-year-old, so she allows my son-in-law to have his), but if it's not your thing, just don't use it. It's small enough and has a positive enough activation that I don't see how you could engage it accidentally. I don't use it on mine, and haven't thought twice about it.
 
Smithaddict said:
Can it be taken out and thrown in the garbage?
Click to expand...

I personally would HIGHLY recommend NOT removing the safety from any gun you intend to carry. I just have to believe that if, God forbid, you had to use it for its intended purpose, the court system would have no problem throwing you under the jail!!!!!


Think about it.

Just my .02!
 
I LIKE the safety on the m&p serious. It's very much 1911 like and gives me a place to rest my thumb. On the Shield...it was easy to sweep off but wouldn't be so if your hands were wet and most likely not easy to take off in a high stress situation unless you had much much training in doing so.
 
Can't find the post from this forum entered a few wks ago in which someone stated with apparent certainty that the safety indeed CAN be removed and that S&W can provide the instructions and for a fee a dead plug for the hole the lever comes out of. Can't verify the accuracy of the claim, guess you could always call S&W and ask. The safety doesn't bother me. As mentioned by others, it's pretty unobtrusive and positive in its actuation either on or off. Anythings possible but would think it pretty unlikely one would find it accidentally in either the on or off position. Mine requires intentional effort to engage/disengage.
 
Lee in Quartzsite said:
The safety blocks the trigger bar from moving in the Sear. It does not lock the slide as it does in the Ruger LC-9. My Shield is my first M&P with a safety...my full size and compact do not have one and I prefer it that way. Since I have no option with the Shield I will only use the safety for re-holstering. Once the gun is in the holster I click the safety off making it just like my other M&P's.

Denying yourself ownership of a new and great gun based upon a simple little switch really doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Just leave it off and forget about it, problem solved. At least it doesn't have the dreaded key lock like many of the Ruger and Taurus guns.
Click to expand...

Chambering a round with the safety for me is a + and then I also sweep the safety off after holstering. I have a Taurus Slim with the silly key lock and I just do not use it.
 
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