Safety Question
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Smoke
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I carry mine with the safety off. Most of the cops I saw carrying 3rd Gen S&Ws carried them that way..
I carry my M&P9 with no manual safety
at all
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In all cases: safety on. Including when the safety is located at the face of or tip of the trigger.
No such thing, AFAIK, as a "... revolver-type DA ..." in a semi-auto. A revolver action has much more going on than a trigger-press in order to fire; e.g holstered, an appropriately grippy holster will resist the cylinder rotation thus also resisting a holstered discharge. Also, semi-auto designs vary in what a safety and what a trigger each does: as a result, how safe and whether safe at all with a thumb-safety disengaged varies. In some, it's a safety that unblocks the hammer/striker and/or the firing pin.
If the safety is what unblocks hammer/striker/firing pin, the correct answer is: "No".
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SGT ROCK 11B
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The Department I retired from, Policy was OFF. It is a Decocker but other Departments taught it was a Safety.
rockquarry
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I like the safety on my Beretta 92F. If you don't instinctively (no such thing as muscle memory) push the safety off as you point the pistol, you haven't trained with it very much.
AJ
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On a DA/SA Auto with a round in the chamber then the safety is on. If no round in the chamber then the safety is off.
Can the DA pull on a revolver be relied on as a safety? I think no, as I was taught your primary safety is keeping your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target and the decision has been made to use deadly force.
The small pocket autos that I have looked at have no safeties on them. The heavy trigger pull is what I have been told is their idea of a safety.
Can the DA pull on a revolver be relied on as a safety? I think no, as I was taught your primary safety is keeping your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target and the decision has been made to use deadly force.
The small pocket autos that I have looked at have no safeties on them. The heavy trigger pull is what I have been told is their idea of a safety.
My Sig P220 and P228 are DA/SA, but there is no safety. The lever is a de-cocker. The de-cocker is spring-loaded and cannot be left in the de-cock position. The "safety" so to speak is the long trigger stroke for the first shot (i.e. double action ), followup shots require a short stroke (i.e. single action). To me, they're safe to carry with a round in the chamber absent a safety. Not that different than striker-fired guns. For sure, it's tricky to master the long stroke first shot with followups unlike the first one. Some folks say the design makes unintended followup shots more likely. And they're probably right.
rockquarry
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I've been shooting the P226 and P220 for more than twenty-five years. Shoot them enough (I'm not talking about thousands of rounds), you'll master them. I never thought about the alleged "long stroke" being in anyway a handicap. You know what the second trigger pull will be like. Again, it takes some getting used to but not an inordinate amount of familiarity. Excellent and safe pistols, safe enough as they are, without manual safeties.
I carry DA revolvers and semi autos. I think DA revolvers are safe if handled properly, as described above.
For semi-autos, I prefer a a thumb safety, whether striker or hammer fired. I carry these with the thumb safety on. I do not find it hard to remember, or time consuming, to flick the thumb safety off as I bring the pistol up to the target from the holster.
We all make our choices. For me, I will not own a semi auto without a thumb safety as I do not want to confuse myself. I know a lot of safe shooters do not like thumb safeties. That's their choice.
As AJ says above, "...your primary safety is keeping your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target and the decision has been made to use deadly force..."
That is absolutely true.
For semi-autos, I prefer a a thumb safety, whether striker or hammer fired. I carry these with the thumb safety on. I do not find it hard to remember, or time consuming, to flick the thumb safety off as I bring the pistol up to the target from the holster.
We all make our choices. For me, I will not own a semi auto without a thumb safety as I do not want to confuse myself. I know a lot of safe shooters do not like thumb safeties. That's their choice.
As AJ says above, "...your primary safety is keeping your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target and the decision has been made to use deadly force..."
That is absolutely true.
rockquarry
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Good post, Onomea
M59, safety off since new around '81?
S&Walther PPKs, safety off.
The stainless one is carried, blue, for range time fun.
Always a round in the chamber.
Sig P239, no safety and ready to fire.
S&Walther PPKs, safety off.
The stainless one is carried, blue, for range time fun.
Always a round in the chamber.
Sig P239, no safety and ready to fire.
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Yes to all that.
Sigs (with a few exceptions), don't have a manual safety. Some H&K models (USP, for example) have a variant that the "safety" lever is a decock only. Beretta "G" models in the 92 series are a decock-only. CZ makes a couple of decock-only models.
In short, it's what the owner is most comfortable with. As long as the hammer isn't cocked while the gun is in the holster, the firing pin safety is usually enough to cover almost all concerns.
For revolvers, yes, the DA is more than enough for safe carry. LE had nothing but those for close to 70~ years.
Keep in mind, there's absolutely no gun entirely safe from a blathering idiot. At least not one with ammo loaded in it. That's why Barney kept his bullet in his pocket.
In short, keeping one's booger picker OFF the trigger is the best safety there is.
My .o2
rockquarry
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That about covers it; good postYes to all that.
Sigs (with a few exceptions), don't have a manual safety. Some H&K models (USP, for example) have a variant that the "safety" lever is a decock only. Beretta "G" models in the 92 series are a decock-only. CZ makes a couple of decock-only models.
In short, it's what the owner is most comfortable with. As long as the hammer isn't cocked while the gun is in the holster, the firing pin safety is usually enough to cover almost all concerns.
For revolvers, yes, the DA is more than enough for safe carry. LE had nothing but those for close to 70~ years.
Keep in mind, there's absolutely no gun entirely safe from a blathering idiot. At least not one with ammo loaded in it. That's why Barney kept his bullet in his pocket.
In short, keeping one's booger picker OFF the trigger is the best safety there is.
My .o2
^^^^
They must be bowing to,
Chuck Berry?
They must be bowing to,
Chuck Berry?
rockquarry
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Maybe Carl Perkins. The Beatles were probably his biggest fans.^^^^
They must be bowing to,
Chuck Berry?
Doriangray6
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Except for my Beretta 21A mouse-gun all my DA-SA pistols are S&Ws (4566, 4006, and 59 models) with de-cocker safeties so I carry them with a round chambered but de-cocked.
I've practiced moving the de-cock lever into the firing position with my thumb as I unsnap the retention strap and draw the pistol to the point where it is now an automatic thing.
I've practiced moving the de-cock lever into the firing position with my thumb as I unsnap the retention strap and draw the pistol to the point where it is now an automatic thing.
KewlEvilGenius
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Totally agree .. flipping the safety off with my thumb is part of the draw process.
Off.
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A lot of experience and good advice here. Practice, practice, practice.
Please remember that the first generation pistols like the model 39 and 59 do not have firing pin blocks.
Carter
Please remember that the first generation pistols like the model 39 and 59 do not have firing pin blocks.
Carter
I always have my Kimber single action cocked and locked. When I carry my S & W 669 9mm I carry ready no safety as it is indeed double action.
desertcpo66
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My Beretta Tomcat, thumb safety on.
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Yes, it’s safe with the safety off-and faster to shoot
poledorus
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I prefer to own semi-auto pistols equipped with safety catches, and always engage them when carrying. Call it an artifact of training, as well as an abundance of caution. It is not difficult to learn to disengage the safety as one draws and presents, and any time added to the draw is inconsequential for average pistoleros. The key, as several mentioned, is training.
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I like the option to use or not use the manual safety. If it has no manual safety, I prefer to have a grip safety in addition to the toggle trigger. I don't care for the toggle trigger with no additional safety, an example being Glocks.
AJ
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If you are using a SA/DA then in most cases you do not really need to use the safety. I much prefer to use a M1911 for serious workin .45 ACP, the use of the safety is pretty much a necessity.
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