SwflG17Guy
Member
I personally am glad I have the safety on my .45. That a big bullet pointing at my junk.
M&P Shield Safety vs. No Safety
- Thread starter RLee
- Start date
kthom
Member
If I chose to carry my guns in a holster that points at my junk, I'd probably feel just like you do, Sir! I try very, very hard not to ever point my guns at my junk! I also chose to carry in a manner and place where my guns don't point at anybody else's junk unless I'm holding my gun in my hand and intentionally point it at someone else's junk!
I'm not picking on you, Sir! I'm just reporting my own choices.
SwflG17Guy
Member
No worries!
Safety
Safety or not, on or off, you should 'look the pistol into the holster'.
This should be part of our training/practice.
Let's be safe out there.
tb
Safety or not, on or off, you should 'look the pistol into the holster'.
This should be part of our training/practice.
Let's be safe out there.
tb
smithman 10
US Veteran
Shield safety
The tragic story about the Idaho mother is one we use in everyone of the concealed carry classes my business partner and I teach, the point being to caution folks about off-body carry and the need to be in control of one's weapon ALL the time.
But I do wonder if the Shield in question had had a safety, which the story does not say, it might have made a difference.
IF I ever own a Shield, it WILL have a safety and it WILL be used 100%.
The tragic story about the Idaho mother is one we use in everyone of the concealed carry classes my business partner and I teach, the point being to caution folks about off-body carry and the need to be in control of one's weapon ALL the time.
But I do wonder if the Shield in question had had a safety, which the story does not say, it might have made a difference.
IF I ever own a Shield, it WILL have a safety and it WILL be used 100%.
smithman 10
US Veteran
Not so fast
As I mentioned in my previous post in this thread, I favor a safety on the Shield. And as for the assertion that it will be impossible to accidentally discharge a gun if one practices safety, I will just mention that in the concealed carry classes that I teach, we always ask if anyone present has ever had an unintentional, accidental, negligent, (whichever you prefer) discharge.
Normally about half of the class will raise their hand. And that includes many folks who have had a lifetime of experience handling weapons. Guess they didn't practice enough!
My point is that there is always the possibility of making a mistake, no matter how much you practice or train.
Ask around and see what folks tell you when pressed on the accidental discharge question. You may be surprised.
As I mentioned in my previous post in this thread, I favor a safety on the Shield. And as for the assertion that it will be impossible to accidentally discharge a gun if one practices safety, I will just mention that in the concealed carry classes that I teach, we always ask if anyone present has ever had an unintentional, accidental, negligent, (whichever you prefer) discharge.
Normally about half of the class will raise their hand. And that includes many folks who have had a lifetime of experience handling weapons. Guess they didn't practice enough!
My point is that there is always the possibility of making a mistake, no matter how much you practice or train.
Ask around and see what folks tell you when pressed on the accidental discharge question. You may be surprised.
kthom
Member
"Normally about half of the class will raise their hand. And that includes many folks who have had a lifetime of experience handling weapons. Guess they didn't practice enough!"
I have found in my own experience that one of the things we must guard against at all times is described by the axiom, "Familiarity breeds contempt!" Not that we hold safety in contempt, but it's really easy to become a bit complacent and do things without giving them our entire attention, which is always a requirement for being safe as we can all the time. Have you ever driven a stretch of highway and realize that you did not consciously see anything along the way? I sure have, and it scares me to death. And I'm a guy who spent years sorting out and filing reports on thousands of vehicle crashes. No one should pay more attention while driving than I, based on what I've seen firsthand. It's really a challenge to be fully alert and aware and paying full attention to the task at hand ALL the time! As they say, safety is job one with everything we do. I know to do better than I do at times, and that scares me more than about anything!
I have found in my own experience that one of the things we must guard against at all times is described by the axiom, "Familiarity breeds contempt!" Not that we hold safety in contempt, but it's really easy to become a bit complacent and do things without giving them our entire attention, which is always a requirement for being safe as we can all the time. Have you ever driven a stretch of highway and realize that you did not consciously see anything along the way? I sure have, and it scares me to death. And I'm a guy who spent years sorting out and filing reports on thousands of vehicle crashes. No one should pay more attention while driving than I, based on what I've seen firsthand. It's really a challenge to be fully alert and aware and paying full attention to the task at hand ALL the time! As they say, safety is job one with everything we do. I know to do better than I do at times, and that scares me more than about anything!
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I recently purchased the shield with a safety. My logic: utilize safety when holstering and unholstering. Once holstered, safety is off. Normal (casual/daily) unholstering, safety is engaged prior to.
Train with blue gun (3 draws) morning and night w/o safety being "swept" or disengaged. So when I'm holstered, it's hot and in the highly unlikely event I ever need to draw, I'm ready.
In summary - in all normal instances the safety is on when the weapon is out of the holster and off once safely holstered.
Train with blue gun (3 draws) morning and night w/o safety being "swept" or disengaged. So when I'm holstered, it's hot and in the highly unlikely event I ever need to draw, I'm ready.
In summary - in all normal instances the safety is on when the weapon is out of the holster and off once safely holstered.
A Few seconds later and the fight (yours) may be over
If it is going to take you a few seconds to sweep a safety, you need some more practice.
If it is going to take you a few seconds to sweep a safety, you need some more practice.
JackRipper
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I hate safeties on a self defense gun. My current carry guns are a Glock 19, M&P compact and a Shield. My Shield has a safety but I never use it. The safety version was the only one I can find so that's why I bought it. If I can find another one for the same price without a safety, I would buy it in a heartbeat.
I have a shield with the thumb safety as well. Never bothered me. Mostly I just leave it off. Thing is its so small and is quite stiff that I have never worried about it accidentally engaging. In any case if I wanted to use it i can disengage it with a little more effort with my shooting hand, but it takes my other hand to re-engaging it because of its stiffness.
On the other hand I have an m&p 9c with a thumb safety I would never trust. It is larger and can be engaged/disengaged way too easily, just by brushing it against anything. I like the idea of having a safety but I would much rather have the shields safety on the compact or none at all.
On the other hand I have an m&p 9c with a thumb safety I would never trust. It is larger and can be engaged/disengaged way too easily, just by brushing it against anything. I like the idea of having a safety but I would much rather have the shields safety on the compact or none at all.
revngr78
Member
All 3 of my S&W's have safety's. I had the option to get with out but for me when i store them unloaded with a trigger lock i like the safety as just another way to neuter it so to say..lol 
joeb1
US Veteran
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Sent from my SM-T813 using Tapatalk
ThrowinRocks
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As a lefty there's NO good reason for me to buy one with a safety because it's impossible to reach left handed. I don't own any handguns with a safety.
As others have stated. Practice, practice, practice and Finger off the trigger.
As others have stated. Practice, practice, practice and Finger off the trigger.
I'm young enough that I've pretty much always had a 1911 style safy on my pistols. Always usd safeties on rifles and shotguns as well. I'm training my kids on a ruger 22/45 mk III to always keep that safety engaged no matter what.
For a short while more than 10 years ago I used to iwb carry a glock about 5 oclock in a holster with enclosed loops and had to sometimetimes stow the pistol in my car. I got my tshirt stuck in the trigger once struggling with reholstering in the car. Didn't go off but I had enough of that. Carrying in front of the hip now makes reholstering a bit easier, but its dirt simple to buy a good weapon with a manual safety.
For a short while more than 10 years ago I used to iwb carry a glock about 5 oclock in a holster with enclosed loops and had to sometimetimes stow the pistol in my car. I got my tshirt stuck in the trigger once struggling with reholstering in the car. Didn't go off but I had enough of that. Carrying in front of the hip now makes reholstering a bit easier, but its dirt simple to buy a good weapon with a manual safety.
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ThrowinRocks
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It's also dirt simple not to reholster while sitting in a vehicle but clearing your holster is just as simple.
If you think nobody has never had an ND with a gun that has a safety then your fooling yourself.
If you think nobody has never had an ND with a gun that has a safety then your fooling yourself.
Statistics are statistics. Of course people have ND sometimes with weapons with safeties, however statistically the number is dramatically lower if you do have a safety as long as its operated properly. Having a clip on holster or easy to remove holster helps a lot too as most holsters are part of the safety system as well.
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If your gun has a safety then don't just ignore it, use it, use it every time, or completely remove it from the gun!
Ignoring it can REALLY bite you in an emergency situation.
If you don't continually train to swipe the safety off every time then one day you will draw that gun & it won't fire when the trigger is pulled as the safety could get inadvertently pushed to on.
It won't even cross your mind to take the safety off in a stressful situation as you haven't trained yourself to do that. (by the time you figure it out you probably won't need a functional gun by then)
I suppose the good part is that your next of kin will inherit a gun with a working safety.
Bkreutz
US Veteran
SwflG17Guy
Member
But we havent figured out who is right yet!!
