Carrying with safety off

[richardw]

My SD9VE has no safety. My Remington 380 has not safety. My Ruger LC9s had a safety because the trigger was so easy to pull that it concerned me. But the safety did not inhibit my technique. I carried a 1911 once I was Staff NCO. It had three safeties. It worked fine when needed.

 

[tlawler]

My SD9VE has no safety. My Remington 380 has not safety. My Ruger LC9s had a safety because the trigger was so easy to pull that it concerned me. But the safety did not inhibit my technique. I carried a 1911 once I was Staff NCO. It had three safeties. It worked fine when needed.

I had bought an LC9 plus for my wife to carry, but the trigger pull was so light on it that I inadvertently double tapped a few times at the range. Got rid of that sucker and got her an LCR.

 

[jyork08854]

I carry my 9mm Shield with the 8 round mag, one in the chamber and safety off. It's ready if I need it.

 

[SATX]

I use the safety on the shield for one reason and that is if I have to unholster and leave it in the vehicle. The Shield safety is recessed and very positive and in my opinion, there is no way to accidentally engage it. Never liked safeties on a duty gun though. There are enough hoops to jump through on a level 3 holster to worry about disengaging a safety too.

 

[rwsmith]

Ignore the safety...

Ignore the safety. It has no bearing on the other operations of the gun.

Most double actions have a long hard trigger pull. I think the trigger on the Shield is short and light compared to most DA pistols. Keep 'um finger off trigger.

 

[jnichols2]

I carry my Shield with the safety off.

Not because I disdain safeties, I'm left handed and can't reach the right handed safety.

 

[Rastoff]

It doesnt take any time, It should just be part of establishing a proper grip. Which u learn by practice and dry fire.
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I see zero negative to a manual thumb safety and possible positives.

I agree that it should be a natural part of the presentation. However, the Shield safety is tiny, easily missed and many are very stiff. Spend some time in any class where a timer is being used and presentation is being made from concealment and you'll see a lot of Shield thumb safeties missed.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think the thumb safety is the devil. Neither do I think it's wrong to use it or not. I just think the Shield thumb safety design could be better. So, I recommend leaving it off.

I'm also a lefty so, it's virtually impossible for me.

 

[gc70]

All Shields had thumb safeties when I bought my first one. I did not initially want a thumb safety, but I came to like it.

I thumb the safety off after my Shield is holstered and put it back on before removing my Shield from the holster for any type of administrative handling.

 

[ScaryWoody]

Most of my carry guns have no safety. I do carry a Makarov in the summer that has one that I leave disengaged. In the civilian world of concealed carry time is not on our side.

 

[WR Moore]

A hearty AMEN to needing to practice with safeties if you're gonna use them. The slide mounted safety is easy to flip off if you learn the trick. The trick being to run your straight thumb past the safety while getting your grip. The thumb pops the safety off every time. I carried that way from 1992-2006 with no issues. In my/our case it was thumb hit the thumb break, punch the safety, complete grip.

Now for those who note the safety is now off and the gun is in the holster-so what! You still have the DA trigger stroke AND your finger is off the trigger until the muzzle is on/coming up on the target.

 

[Practical]

As long as you have holster that covers the trigger it should be as safe as ones without the safety.

However, I would NOT carry a shield without a holster period.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

As long as you have holster that covers the trigger it should be as safe as ones without the safety.

However, I would NOT carry a shield without a holster period.

Why not? On safe and in a pocket what could go wrong?

 

[BigDog48]

None of my concealed carry handguns have a safety. In a tense situation it is one more thing to remember. Carrying yours with the safety off is the same, functionally — draw and fire.

 

[Jaysq]

I also have the Shield 9mm with a safety. I use the safety to holster and when it is securely holstered, I flip it off and carry it that way. Holstering is one of the most likely times for a ND. I also use the safety if I am just handling the gun.

 

[sipowicz]

If I were a 1st time CCW person, I would go with a revolver or a double action auto. I carry an M&P 9 on duty and for me it's fine in a duty holster. But when I strap a gun on in civvies, I prefer a gun with a hammer. Something about knowing the cylinder needs to turn or the hammer on the auto has to come all the way back gives me more peace of mind than a striker fired gun.

 

[richbuff]

1. Single action 1911 with the hammer cocked- Safety is needed, because the firearm can be discharged by applying to the trigger a very small force over a very small distance.

2. Double action revolver with the hammer not cocked- No safety is needed, because the firearm can not be fired by applying to the trigger a very small force over a very small distance.

3. Striker fired semi auto- Same determining criteria as above.

Other determining criteria- a) If I have an overriding large concern that a perp can grab my firearm, or that I could have a negligent discharge, add a safety to the revolver and add an additional cascading safety to the single action 1911, and add a safety to the striker fired semi auto.

b) If I have an overriding large concern that the safety could impede a need to immediately discharge my firearm, then no safety on the firearm.

If my other criteria a) and b) are about equal and cancel each other out, I see 1., 2., and 3. above.

 

[AlHunt]

If the internals are the same between the safety and no safety versions, I'd see no reason a person couldn't carry with the safety off.

Key to the decision is knowing how the action functions on that firearm (which I personally don't have a clue).

I'm confident with a no-safety Glock IWB because I know the striker is only partially cocked AND has a striker block until the trigger is pulled.

 

[kbm6893]

I wouldn't carry a striker fired weapon if it didn't have a safety. 5 pound trigger and no hammer to rest my thumb on as I holster? No thanks. DAO hammer fired is acceptable. I have a Shield and a Ruger LC9S with safeties. Shoot them often. Draw and disengage is totally automatic. Five minutes a night drawing and flicking off.

 

[Deadeye Dick]

It all comes down to training and muscle memory. There is no disadvantage to a thumb safety IF you put in the time to properly train with the weapon. And no one would argue that a thumb safety could possibly save you from having an unfortunate accident, or might save your bacon should a BG somehow get your gun away from you and try to use it on you.

But to answer the OPs original question - A safety equipped Shield with the safety off is essentially the same as a non-safety equipped Shield.

Now for the disclaimer. None of my carry weapons have thumb safeties.

 

[Hunter8282]

One afternoon I lost my 5906 in a scuffle with a robbery suspect. By the grace of God, he did not know how to release the safety. I've been retired 13 years and I still like pistols with safeties.

Most civilian CCers wouldn't proactively confront a robbery suspect as part of their sworn duty. I know I would not.

So a persons profession can have impact on what they carry.