safety.... like them or not?

I just acquired a Shield this past weekend and it has a safety lever in addition to the trigger safety. I am and probably will remain a wheelguner and have been carrying a S&W 686 SSR in a Maxpedition Jumbo S-Type Versipack as my GIT Bag. There are times, more formal in nature, when this bag is not practical or feasible thus I added the shield to my battery.
I have trained and carried various 1911's when issued one and accustomed to the safety and comfortable with it. The 1911 never said "I'm home" in my hand the way a Smith revolver does so I never bought one of my own.
I then handled a High Power carried by an Aussie I served with and It did say take me home. After I left the service and as soon as the HP was offered in 40S&W I brought one home. I never felt comfortable carrying it in a scabbard holster cocked and locked without the grip safety as a fail safe since on several occasions the ambi-safety was moved to the fire position by brushing against something. I added the SFS system to mine and carry it on safe since the motion I learned with the 1911 readies the HP for immediate use.
I have always chuckled to myself when folks seem appalled that none of my revolvers have a safety lever. I have always been comfortable with the "safety" of the S&W trigger actuated hammer block or Ruger's transfer bar.
Now we have the Glock and everyone else's version of striker fired pistols with a trigger controlled safety. The shield has both and I am comfortable either way.
Sorry if It seems I am on a soapbox or for composing this novella length post but I am known over in the revolver section for being wordy. THE PRIMARY & MOST IMPORTANT SAFETY LIES BETWEEN YOUR EARS!
 
Just joined the forum and bought my 9 shield in mass Friday.I selected mine with the safety.The gun shop had both in stock.My reasoning was i kinda of like the look of the gun better with it.I like the option to be able to put a safety on.If i have it off what is the difference on a draw i have as much chance of winning the lottery as it mistakingly coming on.Carrying it loaded with safety on if someone was to struggle with me to get it.There would be much less chance of them fireing it.And last i look at it as a option and really a moot point as it can simply be left off my choice
 
It depends on the trigger type and pull length . We have 3 m&p's , 2 with stock length pulls and no external safety , one with a short fss straight trigger kit and with a safety . My 1911 does not have a shorter pull .
 
I have never had an issue with a safety lever. I have some guns with them and some without. You simply have to learn the guns. Your muscles will know what to do when the time comes if they are feeling something familiar. I am convinced that safety comes from training and practice. I'm sure we can all close out eyes, pick up a gun, and know in an instant what it is. If we can't identify it, we better pick it up more often.
 
I bought a shield last week and chose the safety. I have children and I will not carry a round in the chamber when I am with them unless I have a safety. Sweeping the safety when drawing is pretty easy
 
Depends on the firearm. I have a couple of 1911s and an M9A1 so I'm not manual safety-phobic.

None of my strikers have one, including my Shield.
 
Well, when I got my shield, they didn't offer the no safety so mine has it. When I first started carrying it, I always kept it off, but when practicing, I'd put it on so I had to practice sweeping it off on draw. Now I usually leave it on because I sweep it off whether it's on or not, so why not?

If I had to choose, and they were the same price, I'd probably still pick the safety, but for no particular reason. I was comfortable, after reading several threads on here about it, carrying without the safety on.
 
I have a Shield9 with a safety.. Only because I bought before the no TS Shields came out.. I do use it when pocket carrying, otherwise it's off.. I just bought a 45c FDE.. It came with a TS.. it didn't stay on there long.. It flip up on me twice while carrying OWB.. I removed the TS and got the frame plugs from S&W free of charge.. I guess my opinion is I don't like TS on my carry guns..
 
I.plan to order a shield this week with a safety . I like the option for certain situations .
 
I like a thumb safety, particularly for re-holstering. I have a thumb safety on my FS 9mm, 9c and FS M&P 22. I also have a 9mm Shield with a safety. I guess I got used to the thumb safety as I have a few 1911s. It has gotten completely transparent with me. I re-holster and automatically click the thumb safety up as I move toward the holster. I also feel a lot more comfortable carrying the Shield in my jacket pocket, or IWB with the safety on. Since I'm left handed, I practice clicking the safety off on the Shield when I draw.

I know some people seem to really dislike safeties? But I find them to be transparent once you train yourself to use them.
 
Don't like safeties as it is a mechanical device that could fail or be accidentally switched on/off in the heat of the moment. That and I personally just prefer being able to draw and start firing.

As long as you keep your booger hook off the trigger until ready to fire, you have nothing to worry about.
 
As many have stated above, I have striker fired and hammer fired pistols. Safety and non-safety. I practice enough with them that I am comfortable with both.
 
Twas_Sovereign said:
Don't like safeties as it is a mechanical device that could fail or be accidentally switched on/off in the heat of the moment. That and I personally just prefer being able to draw and start firing.

As long as you keep your booger hook off the trigger until ready to fire, you have nothing to worry about.
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more. If everyone would just kept their trigger finger in their nose, where in belongs, there would be a lot less accidents.:D
 
I don't need them on my revolvers nor do I feel I need them on my semi-automatics. There are too many documented cases of folks either forgetting to disengage the safety or simply failing to get it disengaged in defense situations for me to think they are a good idea. You can train and practice disengaging it at home and at the range, but actual violence happens suddenly, is sloppy and nothing like what happens in sterile range time or staged training. The shortcomings of external manual safeties has also been demonstrated during Force on Force training as well. SUAREZ INTERNATIONAL BLOG - How A 1911 Can Get You Killed
 
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2 to 1 in favor of Safety

Looks like we are running about 2 to 1 in favor of a manual safety. I guess that decides it - most people prefer a safety.
 
When I was researching the Shield I watched a video on YouTube in which the videographer inadvertently engaged the safety on his Shield while he was showing it at different angles and didn't realize it.
I don't think that only happens in YouTube videos. A safety is a mechanical device and mechanical devices malfunction .
I've had to draw a gun exactly one time in self defense in my life and that one time was enough to convince me that I don't want to have to add any unnecessary steps (AKA opportunities to screw up) to the process.

It's your life and your choice. You make the decision and you live with the consequences
 
I like a thumb safety, that's just me. Except maybe on something like a Kahr, or one of the DAO Smith flavors of the month a few years back. I would prefer that the safety levers on my 45c were a little less obtrusive. They look like canoe paddles hanging out there.

To those who don't like a safety, all I can say is with the safety installed, you have the option not to use it.
 
Yes, Very Light Trigger

JohnSW said:
Ruger LC9s Pro (Hickok45)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2bBSHxk-Oc

A very light trigger, and no thumb safety. :eek:

(Mentioned around 8:25 in the video.)
Click to expand...

I looked at the Ruger LC9s last week. The trigger take up was
long and very, very smooth___then the striker fired with absolutely no more than a three pound__or less pull! Way
too light of a trigger. It was an exceptional pistol otherwise.
The Pro is supposed to be exactly the same without a MS.
That may be a serious flaw.
 
Hello all, I'm new here & have a question to pose. I am by my own description older than dirt & was taught that the ONLY safety was, as written by Toasted, the grey matter between your ears. Now the question. How does your age figure in with your like/dislike for external safeties ? Personally, I live quite well without them.
 
Wouldn't own a semi without one, other than the duty Glock and 5946 I was once issued. Don't see the downside. The thinking of "my safety is between my ears" is a joke. people make mistakes. Professional shooter do. A safety doesn't totally prevent that, but it makes it less of a possibility. And since routine gun handling ND's are FAR more likely to happen than a self defense shooting, i prefer them.

And with very little time (like 5 minutes a night), drawing and flicking off safe are as automatic as pressing the brake before shifting into gear.

I carry a Ruger LC9-s with a safety. Home gun is a Ruger Sr-9. Both with safety and mag disconnect. Love them both. I wish the M&P came in a CA compliant model with the safety, mag disconnect, and LCI. Might have gotten those. But I gotta admit I am super laser accurate with the SR-9. Soda can at 15 yards doesn't stand a chance. And the LC9-S is smaller than the Shield (that I once owned).
 
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It depends on the gun...

On my rifles/shotguns I like the safety, makes stopping and changing positions sort of safe and gives one last step to preparing to fire. However for pistols especially when carrying I do not like safety's at all. I simply do not keep a round in the chamber. I have trained many times to simply cock the gun as I remove from the holster and raise to aim it, almost like one smooth motion. I can out fire friends who like their safety's. If I holster it again without shooting I remove the round put it back in the mag and holster the gun. None of the pistols of mine have safety's and I would prefer not to buy any with it. I do think though a safety with my MP 38SP revolver would be great because it is always loaded, but I do not carry that gun either... I think it totally comes down to training, training, training and either type is just fine.
 
adam6979 said:
I simply do not keep a round in the chamber.

I can out fire friends who like their safety's.
Click to expand...
I wish you lived closer. I sure would like to see that. You know the thumb safety doesn't slow a shooter down at all, but racking the slide does. So, being able to shoot faster, by drawing from the holster and racking the slide before firing, than someone who only has to present the gun and fire, is quite a feat.

You are very fast.
 
I'm weird. I prefer no safety on a compact carry gun and a thumb safety on a full size pistol. Maybe because I consider the full size more of a range gun...
 
Having first owned SW99's with no external safeties, I really like having one on my Shield. Just never let an external safety let complacency enter your mindset.
 
scattershot said:
To those who don't like a safety, all I can say is with the safety installed, you have the option not to use it.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't it just suck to get into the habit of not using it then engage it by accident and not know the safety was engaged if you had to use the gun :eek:
 
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