As anyone who has long been a S&W 1-2-3rd Gen fan and internet gun forum junkie knows... the "danged ole upside-down S&W safety!" is a tried and true argument or condemnation of the pistols we like so much. It simply MUST be the biggest pet peeve of detractors to the S&W design.
I cannot try to apologize for it... as it is a losing battle. I will however say that since my day one with a S&W pistol, it hadn't occurred to me that the lever was "backward" or flipped in the wrong direction.
What did occur to me on day one, and continues to occur every time I pick one up is actually two things:
1) my strong hand and natural placing of my thumb goes directly and naturally to exactly the place on the gun where the safety gets flipped off. My thumb has no interest in attempting to lay OVER the safety lever, it simply "pushes through" when I grip the pistol properly
2) that safety lever is like an arrow and it points where the bullets go
I do understand the argument against the S&W system, really. It simply doesn't bother me. And that is most likely because I really don't use, nor do I see the use, in a thumb safety on a DA/SA pistol.
To me, having a DA/SA with the safety on is like having a cell phone that is turned off or a fire sprinkler system with the main valve cranked closed. It ends up being a tool meant "FOR THE READY" that... isn't ready.
A short pull single action like a 1911? I see great utility is a sear-blocking manual thumb safety.
That said, I do understand that LE are often managed by organizational requirements.
I cannot try to apologize for it... as it is a losing battle. I will however say that since my day one with a S&W pistol, it hadn't occurred to me that the lever was "backward" or flipped in the wrong direction.
What did occur to me on day one, and continues to occur every time I pick one up is actually two things:
1) my strong hand and natural placing of my thumb goes directly and naturally to exactly the place on the gun where the safety gets flipped off. My thumb has no interest in attempting to lay OVER the safety lever, it simply "pushes through" when I grip the pistol properly
2) that safety lever is like an arrow and it points where the bullets go
I do understand the argument against the S&W system, really. It simply doesn't bother me. And that is most likely because I really don't use, nor do I see the use, in a thumb safety on a DA/SA pistol.
To me, having a DA/SA with the safety on is like having a cell phone that is turned off or a fire sprinkler system with the main valve cranked closed. It ends up being a tool meant "FOR THE READY" that... isn't ready.
A short pull single action like a 1911? I see great utility is a sear-blocking manual thumb safety.
That said, I do understand that LE are often managed by organizational requirements.
Regards 18DAI
