M&P Shield Drop Safe?

[robkarrob]

Gebe8513 reply

No, the M&Ps are not less safe. The distance the trigger pull moves the striker back is not what makes a gun safe or not. What make it safe is that the sear has enough contact area with the striker, so that the sear will not slip off the striker. Sounds like you are thinking the sear only engages the striker by 1/32 inch, which is not correct. The actual sear engagement depth is around 3/32 inch, which is a lot of surface area to safely hold the striker. Plus you still have the striker blocker, that will prevent the striker from contacting the primer, unless the trigger is pulled/moved back to near the break point.

Bob

 

[Gabe8513]

Gebe8513 reply

No, the M&Ps are not less safe. The distance the trigger pull moves the striker back is not what makes a gun safe or not. What make it safe is that the sear has enough contact area with the striker, so that the sear will not slip off the striker. Sounds like you are thinking the sear only engages the striker by 1/32 inch, which is not correct. The actual sear engagement depth is around 3/32 inch, which is a lot of surface area to safely hold the striker. Plus you still have the striker blocker, that will prevent the striker from contacting the primer, unless the trigger is pulled/moved back to near the break point.

Bob

See that's what I was most confused about. I had no idea it was that much depth of interface between the striker nose and the sear. Now I don't even get how the system could even fail, which I guess is what everyone's been trying to explain to me this entire time!

 

[SMMAssociates]

Gabe:

The drop safety pin has a "notch" in it. Moving it upwards (there's a portion of the trigger bar that does this) allows the striker to pass the notch and fire the weapon. Otherwise the un-notched part of the pin is in place, blocking the striker.

The trigger bar moves the drop safety just before it makes the sear release from the striker.

I don't trust the trigger safety, but the advantages listed above could be useful.

Regards,

 

[RussC]

Hi All,

So I have recently started carrying for the first time and the piece I purchased exclusively for conceal carry was an M&P Shield. I've been doing a lot of research on its characteristics and one thing I've read a lot about recently was the fact that while the gun is listed as being DAO, in reality it is closer to a SAO firearm in that the gun is almost entirely cocked when a round is chambered and pulling the trigger only releases the striker.

What this brings me to is has this discrepancy between DAO (for example the Glock) and SAO (XDs and supposedly M&Ps) resulted in more accidental discharges for guns on the latter? I realize all of modern, quality firearms have drop safeties and striker blocks, but I am mainly curious if anyone here would think it'd be even possible in the event my M&P Shield somehow accidentally takes a fall to a hard surface, if the inertia from the fall could cause the striker to be released easier since it is already cocked?

Sorry for my paranoid question but there some things that just drive me nuts!

Gabe

I understand your concern. When I first started pocket packing a handgun with a round chambered I was very nervous.

For the first 2 weeks I would pack with the weapon racked but empty. Every night I would check to see the weapon during thr day went bang.

Fast forward 3 years pocket packing 10 hours per day (2 years with my Shield) and the weapon is safe and I never clear the chamber except when I clean it.

Consider the multiple safeties on the Shield. You have the block, inertia trigger, manual safety, holster and your brain.

Russ

 

[Gabe8513]

Gabe

I understand your concern. When I first started pocket packing a handgun with a round chambered I was very nervous.

For the first 2 weeks I would pack with the weapon racked but empty. Every night I would check to see the weapon during thr day went bang.

Fast forward 3 years pocket packing 10 hours per day (2 years with my Shield) and the weapon is safe and I never clear the chamber except when I clean it.

Consider the multiple safeties on the Shield. You have the block, inertia trigger, manual safety, holster and your brain.

Russ

Thanks for the reassurance! I decided to face my fear and start carrying with a round chambered (with the manual safety on, just my preference). Now that I better understand HOW the safeties all work together it makes a lot more sense why the only well documented NDs happen due to people manipulating the trigger from complacency and mishandling

 

[desmondj]

My wife carried her shield in a purse with an outside zipper compartment. Walking to the cat in at Walmart the zipper gave way and the shield fell to the pavement. About a three foot drop. She carries with a round in the chamber. No accidental discharge, just damage to the right top of the right rear sight. Purchased a Comptac holster the next day.

I think its drop safe.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

 

[hbaird]

My EDC for the last 15 years has been a Taurus CH85. Right front pants pocket carry. Five shots and no safety of any kind except the firing pin is not part of the hammer. I have never worried at all about unintended discharge. I am moving to a Shield 40 when I get delivery of an on order pocket holster for right front pants pocket. I won't use the external safety on it under normal carry.