.380 Shield - Thumb Safety Malfunction

[Charlier26]

I went to the range (outdoors, very cold today) with my brother who brought his .380 Shield with Thumb Safety. While he was shooting, the safety came on. He said he didn't touch it. I watched another magazine or two with him shooting, and it did it again twice. His thumb clearly did not touch the safety.

I tried it myself, but it didn't do that for me.

When we got home we field stripped it, and there seems to be a decent detent for the safety. Can't figure how this could have happened. He is going to call S&W tomorrow. Anyone have a clue?

 

[Doug M.]

Something about the way he grips the pistol causes the safety to be pushed up during recoil.

 

[LVSteve]

I'd bet it's his strong hand knuckle setting the safety during recoil. One of the first YouTube testers had this exact issue.

See at time 3:20 in this video.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPuFOZfxx0k[/ame]

 

[Charlier26]

I'd bet it's his strong hand knuckle setting the safety during recoil. One of the first YouTube testers had this exact issue.

See at time 3:20 in this video.

Smith & Wesson M&P 380 Shield EZ Handgun: First Impressions - YouTube

Thanks.....I sent him that video. I was watching him on the LEFT side of the pistol. I was thinking he might have hit it with his strong side thumb. Didn't think of the other side.

Charlie

 

[Charlier26]

He is sure he didn't catch the lever with the right knuckle and has sent it back to S&W on their dime. 4-6 weeks will tell if there was a problem.

 

[oldiesradio1560]

This is Exactly why I got the "No thumb safety model" .380 Shield EZ. I felt the grip safety was enough. You have that happen when you need to shoot to save your life and you're toast. I wanted an auto that acted like a revolver. Point and shoot.

 

[Aahzz]

This is Exactly why I got the "No thumb safety model" .380 Shield EZ. I felt the grip safety was enough. You have that happen when you need to shoot to save your life and you're toast. I wanted an auto that acted like a revolver. Point and shoot.

Sums up exactly why I won't have any defensive gun with a thumb safety. Including a 1911. I have in the past, but when I really thought about it I just don't want something that I can forget, or miss, that could cost me my life in a real world situation.

 

[christak]

I went to the range today. While there, one of the guys that works there was anxious to show me his new acquisition, a Shield 380 EZ. He offered for me (insisted that I) shoot it. I put 50 rounds through it and was thoroughly impressed...BUT unless I positioned my thumb on the manual safety to hold it in place, the safety would set itself every time I fired the gun. I had the range officer watch me fire the pistol and verified that I was not causing the safety to reset. In summary, I loved the gun, but wouldn't buy one with a manual safety... I may well pick up the non-safety version though.

 

[Pisgah]

He is sure he didn't catch the lever with the right knuckle and has sent it back to S&W on their dime. 4-6 weeks will tell if there was a problem.

He's wrong. Even if you couldn't see it, he's wrong. It happens so fast that only highspeed photography can catch it. It's one of the problems with very small pistols, that big hands can and will affect safeties and mag releases, Only two solutions -- switch pistols, or re-train your grip to eliminate the problem.

 

[Charlier26]

He's wrong. Even if you couldn't see it, he's wrong. It happens so fast that only highspeed photography can catch it. It's one of the problems with very small pistols, that big hands can and will affect safeties and mag releases, Only two solutions -- switch pistols, or re-train your grip to eliminate the problem.

I guess we'll see....S&W said they replaced the thumb safety and are shipping it back.

 

[Charlier26]

Apparently, it wasn't his grip. There was a problem with the stock safety.
Smith & Wesson Issues M&P 380 SHIELD EZ Consumer Advisory - The Truth About Guns