Shield: Thumb Safety Or No Thumb Safety?

[rowdy115]

Go with what you are used to. I don't own any guns with manual safeties. So, when I bought my Shield, I got the one without the safety. I like to keep all my carry guns similar in function so under stress they all work the same way.

 

[fjweems3]

No Safety for me

My department trains us to carry with the safety disengaged, if our backup has one. In the old days when we provided our own weapons, we were told not to use external safties. I carry my Shield in a pocket holster, nothing else in the pocket.

 

[OXGNMAN89]

NO SAFETY.

A 442 and recently a .40 Shield No-Safety model are my primary carry. I personally could never master drawing a pistol and disengaging an external safety in a simulated stressful situation. I just want to be able to draw and fire without any sort of delay. My life my depend on it.

 

[kbm6893]

Personally I do not like external safeties on defensive hand guns. Simpler the better in a high stress situation Im sure others will disagree with me.

Safeties prevent accidental or negligent discharges. There is no debating this. Do they prevent ALL of them? Course not. But the sure lessen the chances of them.

How many of us have actually USED a firearm in a defensive encounter? Every time this topic gets brought up I always hear the "safeties can get you killed". First of all, if you practice drawing and disengaging a safety, the move is intuitive and automatic. I draw and unsafe my LC9-S probably 100 times a night. Sometimes I just put it down on the nightstand and do it. Takes less than 10 minutes. I don't even think about it. Most ND's happen during routine gun handling. I can find plenty of cases where a safety prevented an accident. Can't find any that it caused one.

Finally, on a striker fired weapon without a hammer to rest my thumb on, I wouldn't even consider a gun with no manual safety. The trigger on the LC9-S is scary light. The no safety version of that gun is crazy in my mind.

I had a shield once. Nice gun, but the safety was a tad too slim. The LC9-S safety has a little shelf that my finger found easier to manipulate. I also like the mag disconnect on it.

 

[Retiredguns]

The trigger on the LC9-S is scary light. The no safety version of that gun is crazy in my mind.

I found this out while handling pistols last week. Seems to me that while many folks love a hair trigger, this no safety, striker fired Ruger is flat out dangerous. Felt like a 3-4lb pull to me.

 

[Donn]

When I got my Shield, thumb safeties were all S&W made. I normally leave it disengaged, but years with a 1911 taught me to always sweep with my thumb regardless what auto pistol I'm carrying.

 

[MyDads38]

I got the non safety and regret it. If you slide the gun in the front pants pocket with a loaded chamber, you have a round waiting to go off pointed at you. You reach in the pocket in a hurry and pull the gun out and the trigger gets pulled before you clear your pants...boom, you just shot yourself. And if you think it can't happen, check out Youtube for the number of times cops have shot themselves with a Glock coming out of a holster. I prefer a safety.

I personally would not/do not carry any firearm in a pants pocket-safety or not. I know this has been discussed in other threads/posts, and is personal preference for the individual. I don't, just my preference.

Secondly, in cases of Accidental/Negligent Discharges; the Trigger Finger was some where it SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN! If you draw a weapon-from a pocket or a holster-and your finger is on the trigger, you are probably going to shoot yourself! At that point, it's too late.

Proper and consistent training is the key to safe gun handling/use. If you don't train properly, if you don't train enough to build muscle memory; there will be more of a chance of an AD/ND and someone being hurt (or worse) in the process.

It takes more than just buying a handgun and firing it a few times to think you are ready to carry for a SD/PP situation. Training-correctly and consistently-is key for use of any firearm; whether informal plinking or CC use. Whether the gun has a safety or not. Sorry for the rant.....

 

[USAF385]

Whatever floats your boat.

You can always not use a safety that you do have, but can't use a safety you don't have.

 

[Roccaas]

Buy an Apex trigger, now you have a safety.

 

[b.guggenmos]

Lefty Here

No safety but unless I missed it I am the first left handed person to respond. The thumb safety on a shield just does not work for us lefties if you have to disengage it.

 

[M&PGunSlinger]

I agree with RobzGuns. I disengage the safety when the gun is holstered so it's ready to go if needed. The safety lever is small enough and stiff enough it will not be re-engaged by accident. When I'm not carrying the gun, I engage the safety for that added bit of comfort.

Bottom line (from my perspective): You don't need it, but you may well find there are times you like having it. If you choose to carry the gun with the safety engaged, practice with it regularly to make sure you can disengage it under pressure, it doesn't fall under the thumb like a lot of other safety levers do.

This. I do the exact same thing. I've never been a fan of TS but I kinda like the one on the shield, small and stiff.

 

[pushpullpete]

b.guggenmos, hahaha, there are more of us than you think.
Sorry OP, personal preference but for me NTS.

 

[DRJD]

Although I don't have much time with my new shield, I bought one with the TS. Seems like as long as I train with what I carry (weapon and ammo) I will be conditioned to switch the TS off.

This is absolutely the correct and all encompassing statement.
Whatever you train with is directly what you should be comfortable using/carrying.
Cannot be better stated.

 

[only2hands]

I just bought a new Shield 9mm today, and opted for the TS. I just feel better about it. There really is no right or wrong answer. I just know I'll need to train with it so it becomes 2nd nature.

 

[Stu Honea]

I actually like the safety on a small pistol like the Shield for administrative handling,loading,unloading,etc. But when it goes in the holster the safety comes off.

 

[alleycat7002]

Works for me

 

[Elliot45]

I chose to purchase the 9mm Shield without the thumb safety for two reasons. The first one was that I wanted to make sure I was purchasing a newer manufacturered model and since S&W released the one without the thumb safety only recently, I was assured of getting a Shield that would have any upgraded features. Second, and more importantly for me, if I pull the Shield out in a self defense situation, I don't want to have to worry about releasing the safety. Obviously, that is the thought that Glock had when they developed their first models as law & enforcement wanted a replacement for revolvers and that may be one of the reasons they won the government contracts. So those are my thoughts. Regards, Elliot45

 

[trobinson017]

I've been checking this thread since I decided to get a Shield 9mm for CC. The only pistol I have now (and for the past 20 yrs) is a Ruger P90 with a TS. But that safety is down for safe, up for fire, opposite the Shield. So I've decided to go with NS for the Shield. The chance of confusion at the moment of truth swayed me. So thanks everyone for your opinions and advice!

 

[Deadbug]

When I bought my Shield, I really struggled with this decision. I went back and forth in my mind many times...TS or...NTS...back to TS, then NTS then TS.

Because of the slim recessed design of the Shield's thumb safety, I decided to go with the TS version (that way I could essentially carry either way) as others have said. However, when I went to the counter of the LGS/Range to do the transaction, all they had in inventory was the NTS version.

So, I wound up with the NTS--and am glad it worked out that way. I am totally comfortable conducting all operations perfectly and safely without having to think about and mess with the TS. My safety is, as many have said--between my ears; My finger never, ever gets inside the trigger guard until ready to shoot--always placed parallel to and just below the slide. Most importantly, if I ever have to engage a threat, I don't have to do anything but bring the pistol up and pull the trigger.

It is a personal decision that really depends on the shooter and additional factors (other handguns owned, experience and training). But the design of the Shield makes the decision not really that difficult either way. I love my NTS Shield--end of story.

 

[Jaysq]

I like the safety! I turn it on to holster and then turn it off. I like to have it on to handle the gun or pocket carry.

It is an option to use or not use that you will not have if you get one without a safety.