Just purchased a brand new SD9VE at Field and Stream in Troy MI on 7/16/2016. Box says Pistol was manufactured in April of 2016. So far so good. Going over the manual, it proceeds to detail two different field strip take down procedures depending on whether the pistol is equipped with a magazine safety or not. My SD9VE does NOT have the magazine safety. My question is this: what determines if my pistol should have had the magazine safety or not? Is this a regional thing? Cali complaint thing? Thanks! My FIRST EVER firearm, feel kinda proud!!

Most do not have the magazine disconnect. The pistol competition sanctioning bodies do not call it a safety, for good reason: it is a convenient way to disable the gun temporarily by dropping the mag. Some police/military require this feature. No competitor would have one with it.

At any rate, it is too late for you to change your mind now, unless you want to sell your gun and buy one with a magazine disconnect.

Have you considered taking an NRA basic pistol course? You would more than save the cost in wasted ammunition trying to learn by trial and error.

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Science plus Art

Are the mag safeties required in certain states, like Massachusetts?

Hmm, never saw one of those (e.g., a SD-9VE or 40VE with the magazine disconnect).

Welcome aboard! These are good pistols, and great value for the money. Good recommendation to take the NRA pistol course. Lots of new shooters brush past safety training, but it shouldn't be missed.

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S&W Rover

In order to be on the California handgun roster the gun must NOT be able to be fired with the magazine not in the gun.

Magazines are limited to 10 rounds. (There is a crimp in the magazine and a stacked portion in the bottom of the magazine spring.)

Finally, California requires drop tests and significant reliability tests.

For a non-California gun you may find text in the de-bossed area on the right side of the frame saying the gun can be fired without a magazine in place.

The magazine disconnect is a California requirement. Some law enforcement agencies prefer a pistol with a magazine disconnect. A magazine disconnect can give a law enforcement officer an optional method to disable their firearm (depending on the evolving dynamic of the moment) to keep a criminal from shooting them with their own gun. Some manufacturers pistols have a magazine disconnect model wide as part of their design (ex. HiPoint, Ruger SR, etc..)

Congrats! Welcome aboard.

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-John

Looks like things have changed since 2006, according to this
site, Design Safety Standards | Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence

"In California, as of January 1, 2006, an “unsafe handgun” includes any pistol that does not have either a chamber load indicator or a magazine disconnect mechanism. As of January 1, 2007, handguns in California are required to have both a chamber load indicator and, if they have a detachable magazine, a magazine disconnect mechanism. California is the only state that requires both a chamber load indicator and a magazine safety disconnect.

The same site states

Massachusetts requires that all handguns be equipped with a safety device designed to allow use only by the owner or authorized user of the firearm. Massachusetts also requires all handguns with a mechanism to load cartridges via a magazine to have a chamber load indicator or magazine disconnect mechanism.

In my view, a magazine disconnect creates a safety issue. If you're fighting for your life, it is possible to accidentally drop the mag by depressing the magazine release, thereby effectively disarming yourself at the point when you most need that round in the pipe.


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Thanks all! Even though I've owned the firearm since 07/16/2016, I have NOT LOADED it UNTIL I take that safety course!! I know better than that! A local police officer friend of mine is going to train me! Again, THANKS!

I have an SD40ve and it has a magazine safety Lever. From the answers on the thread it seems like Cali does have a laws making it so the gun is not able to fire unless the magazine is in it. California gun laws are way strict so of course they would have this haha. Took me a while to realize my gun wasn't broken cus it wouldn't dry fire then I put the empty magazine in and all was fine. I actually like it cus it makes it easier to disassemble it holding the trigger and piling it back and pulling the takedowns down to take it apart is not easy with two hands. This feature makes it much easier. At least for me anyway.

Till you go to break it down to replace stuff, I have done that a few times with my sd9 and absolutely hate it. I have pulled it all out and the gun funtions as a gun that doesnt have the disconnect. Either way its just extra parts to make life more difficult.

As a side note I just took mine back apart to reinstall some spring parts I wanted to play with and removed all that **** from mine. Now it functions just as my XD does. I like it.