M&P thumb safety or not?

Just wish my Shield had at least a strong-side version of the bigger gun's lever - the one on the Shield is too small to use well, so I just ignore it and treat the gun like a Glock.

Yep, this is one thing that needs to change on the Shield.
 
After Today I am Ok With A Thumb Safety

Who is for it or against it? I prefer not to have it.

Ruger Nut:

I realize there is not enough information regarding the accident with the Detroit off duty officer's M&P 40 caliber discharging and killing a young woman at a party allegedly while in a soft IWB holster, but honestly it scares me to the point I am ok with a safety on my Shield.

I pocket conceal in a Desanti and when I sit down the darn gun is pointing horizontal and every time I sit across from someone at work it makes me nervous.

The thumb safety brings me added comfort along with a good pocket holster.


Russ
 
Thumb saftey! But if you decide you dont take it off and sell it to me because im looking for the parts:p
 
IMO on the S&W M&P's " striker fired" I like and would feel safe without a thumb safety.. However.. We are talking M&Ps so I will bring up the Walther made M&P 22 made for Smith & Wesson.. That gun is " internal Hammer fired" I IMO don't feel safe with the gun loaded and chambered when carried with out at least the thumb safety it has engaged.. I would prefer the option to de-cock the hammer also..First shot DA would be nice too. Just my input Hope it helps somehow.. George
 
I prefer them and have made my FS M&P safety click on and off a little more positively by cutting the position notches a little deeper. I ride my thumb up top just like I do my 1911 which is a second nature move, so flicking them off is pure instinct. I hope that someone comes out with an extended type for the Shield one day.
 
The more I've shot mine the more I genuinely like it. I have 2 M&P45 and an M&P9c with the thumb safety and an M&P9 Pro without. I started shooting with a 1911 and it is a great place to ride the thumb; you don't need god-like powers to learn how to quickly sweep the safety off as you make the draw, it's incredibly natural. I complete with my M&P45 and have yet to have an issue or fumble after hundreds of draws and thousands of rounds. +1 to the thumb safety!
 
I prefer to not have a safety on my carry piece. I feel like I'm in control of it at all times and I want it ready the instant I draw it. For my nightstand home protection weapon I have M&P 45 full size with the safety. I just don't like a loaded gun laying around without a safety.
 
Hadn't thought of this in over a year since I got my M&P 40 with only mag disconnect and a key lock (to get other items I liked from available stock). But today on another Forum about the carry condition, I said I had made a mistake by omitting the thumb safety. It was intended as a home defense gun. Indeed it sits in a case withing arm's reach. Until recently I kept it with a round in the chamber and it sits inverted with the magazine pulled out slightly so it is "safe."

Then I started thinking I might want to carry it concealed using a nice IWB holster i bought. It works fine in the holster. It is comfortable while walking, sitting and moving about normally. But it scares me when I draw and when I return it to the holster with the magazine fully inserted and no safety. I am sure that if I did that for many years, I would eventually snag the trigger and shoot my own hip!

So I bought a Ruger that came with a thumb safety without a choice. It uses the same holster. I can live happily with the safety ON during handling and coming off during completion of the draw. Now the M&P is back on home duty.

I may get an M&P 45 some day. I will get a thumb safety.
 
In my 35 year career I have carried just about everything on and off duty. The majority being 1911s. I recently went with a MP45 4 1/2" with thumb safety. It didn't matter if had one or not when I chose my configuration but I decided to try it. Glad I did. I vote yes.
 
I'm not a 1911 guy (yet), but my first pistol, a Browning Buckmark .22, has a manual thumb safety. So does my M&P Shield purchased a few months ago. I now have safety manipulation drilled into the presentation and re-holstering. I intend to buy a full-size M&P in the next year, and it will likely have the manual safety for training continuity. Also, unlike a recent Shield article in one of the Guns magazines (American rifleman or Guns n Ammo...) I find it easy to consistently take the safety off with a swipe of the side of my thumb, and it doesn't require a dedicated motion with a fingertip.

Tommato
 
... Also, unlike a recent Shield article in one of the Guns magazines (American rifleman or Guns n Ammo...) I find it easy to consistently take the safety off with a swipe of the side of my thumb, and it doesn't require a dedicated motion with a fingertip.

Tommato

Yeah, I saw that article too in Guns n Ammo and thought he must have a defective safety. Can swipe mine off easily.
 
Yeah, I saw that article too in Guns n Ammo and thought he must have a defective safety. Can swipe mine off easily.

The 1911 (extended safety) and larger M&Ps are set up so that someone properly trained to shoot the 1911 can't get a firing grip on the gun without releasing the thumb safety. It is hard for me to draw an M&P40 or 1911 from the holster without disengaging the thumb safety. The Shield safety lever is so small that you have to think about it. That is bad when you have years of training and muscle memory built around the 1911 format. Training can overcome this design issue, but one of the reasons I finally feel at home with "tactical tupperware" is that S&W did such a wonderful job of getting the safety right on the larger M&Ps. I would love to see a larger safety lever on the Shield and would gladly pay for a proper version if the aftermarket sees fit to produce one.
 
I think it's great that S&W gives people the option. Like someone said he used it at his bedside and then wanted to carry it and now put it back at his bedside.

Info below is based on that this will probably be my only M&P for a few years for sure (only handgun really except for Buckmark).

I'm torn which way I want to go. I'm 50% leaning towards yes (two weeks ago it probably was 90% no).
However if I got it with it I would take it out immediately. The next gun I get, which will be the M&P9, I want to keep for many many years, which I recently decided (I usually don't keep my guns long at all). I'd like to have the option 5 years or 10 years down the road where I could put it back if I wanted too. For instance to use it to train someone very new to firearms who I thought it'd be better to have a safety for the first few times out.

I am planning on going the G&RTactical route and getting that new custom fit barrel that's producing 1" or under groups to 25 yards. Or the Apex Locking Block if I ever find out the estimated price on it. This one will be my main go to gun at the range and hopefully one or two IDPA or USPSA matches a year doing just a couple stages if they'll allow me to do it starting next year. Physically couldn't do a whole match of USPSA at least since I watched part of one a few weeks ago.

However I have to do research on the Apex Tactical M&P 22 Conversion that will be coming out. I really want to get that and if it won't work with the safety then there's no way I'd get a thumb safety model though as I also am going to go the FSS & Trigger or AEK trigger (plastic if possible) route.

Eventually I think I'll get the M&P9C or Shield since someones got to come out with aftermarket springs for it. Just got reloading stuff with my uncle and going to make sub minor 9 rounds so need 11# or 13# springs for sure. So I'm stuck with the full size M&P for now.

Most likely I'll get the Shield though, I don't know yet if I like the safety or not because last 4 times I've been at the range since it came out they didn't have it in stock. However maybe that Cane & Derby place will make a bigger thumb safety for the Shield since they make a slimmer one for the regular M&P?

Of course saying all that, if I had the money I'd just get like 4-5 M&P's without the safety (with above all goodies of course). However I would purchase one with it in case I take someone to the range who is new to shooting and like I said before it might be safer for a little bit to have the safety. Or someone just visiting and just take that one out for them if they haven't shot a handgun before or..... Granted with proper training even if their new it shouldn't matter, like I've done in the past with my Glock, XDM and M&P without it, but with brand new people you can just have the odds in your favor just a little bit more.
 
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