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Cagemonkey
10-22-13, 21:23
I recently handled a mid size M&P 45 with the manual safety. I thought the safety level felt soft and nondistinctive. I got the feeling the safety could accidentally engage itself if shooting with a high thumb hold. Was wondering what people who own and have shot this variant thought?

Dead Man
10-22-13, 22:14
Tits on a bull, as the saying goes. No need for an external safety on a striker-fired/DAO pistol. It's almost like putting a safety on a revolver. I cannot specifically answer your question, as I have very deliberately not purchased a thumb-safety variant, of the several that I have purchased in the last couple years. Just seems like a big liability to me.

I don't know this, but I suspect the only reason M&P released the external thumb-safety version was to prevent disqualification for not having one by agencies that require it for a service weapon. And to appeal to to XD converts.

rathos
10-22-13, 23:20
never had any issues with it, though I come from shooting 1911s so I ride the safety.

As for the other comment, not sure if its quite "tits on a bull" especially if you decide to carry AIWB or use it as a duty weapon a manual safety is quite useful.

tom frost
10-23-13, 05:25
never had any issues with it, though I come from shooting 1911s so I ride the safety.

As for the other comment, not sure if its quite "tits on a bull" especially if you decide to carry AIWB or use it as a duty weapon a manual safety is quite useful.

^ ^
This

I have never had the safety accidentally disengage, and if you decide you don't like it, the thumb safety can be removed.

Mysteryman
10-23-13, 13:31
never had any issues with it, though I come from shooting 1911s so I ride the safety.

As for the other comment, not sure if its quite "tits on a bull" especially if you decide to carry AIWB or use it as a duty weapon a manual safety is quite useful.

If the pistol rides in a quality holster that covers the trigger and trigger guard, there is no reason for a manual safety. If it leaves the holster, its in action and needs to fire when I depress the trigger.

MM

Joe R.
10-23-13, 14:45
Actually a thumb safety is a good idea for a duty gun. 20-25% of the LEOs killed every year are killed by their own gun or a partner's gun, a thumb safety is one way to help reduce this number. (Yes weapon retention training is the ideal way to deal with this but most agencies only get to the range once a year, and weapon retention training is non-existent after the academy.)

Along with that the M&P in particular is an easy gun to create a very light trigger in, which some shooters do like. The thumb safety allows this w/o the inherent risks of a "light" trigger.

walkin' trails
10-23-13, 16:31
Don't have thumb safeties on my M&Ps but have handled a few that did. They don't have that positive engagement/disengagement of a 1911

Cagemonkey
10-23-13, 19:58
^ ^
This

I have never had the safety accidentally disengage, and if you decide you don't like it, the thumb safety can be removed.I'm concerned about inadvertently engaging the safety due to recoil while shooting.

rathos
10-23-13, 20:46
I think you misunderstand what he is saying. Ride the safety when you fire and this keeps the safety from engaging. He added to that he has never had one disengage on its own so no need to worry there.


I'm concerned about inadvertently engaging the safety due to recoil while shooting.

theblackknight
10-23-13, 21:00
I'm not a fan of the 45 safety.

If you overhand rack, it's in the way on both sides. If you use the slide release, you either have to reflag the thumb, or ride thumb under and risk bumping it back on.

If you are worried about a gun grab,as you should, carry a knife behind your mags and use it. Don't be the guy who tells the story about how he would have been dead if it wasnt for the safety.

tom frost
10-24-13, 05:50
I think you misunderstand what he is saying. Ride the safety when you fire and this keeps the safety from engaging. He added to that he has never had one disengage on its own so no need to worry there.

Exactly what I was trying to say. Thanks Rathos. I prefer to ride the thumb safety while firing, not quite as comfortable on the m&p as a 1911, but it works out well for me. That said, I don't mind the non-thumb safety models either. The magazine safety is the only variation I would actively avoid. Different strokes for different folks.

Redbeardsong
10-24-13, 06:48
I like having the safety on my M&P9. I prefer the additional safety for appendix carry, and my other guns have safeties, so I like the consistency. I shoot with my thumb on the safety. They don't really get in my way when I rack the slide, but maybe I'm just used to it.

The pivot point of the M&P safety is different than on a 1911, so the throw feels slightly different and is not as firm a detent, but it's similar.

m4brian
10-27-13, 20:43
To me its way too easy to flick off.

britishtq
10-27-13, 21:06
I generally don't rely on pistol safeties. They have their place but I feel that they cultivate complacency and bad habits.

If this doesn't help well I don't care lol, it's a solid opinion.

LowSpeed_HighDrag
10-27-13, 21:21
I generally don't rely on pistol safeties. They have their place but I feel that they cultivate complacency and bad habits.

If this doesn't help well I don't care lol, it's a solid opinion.

If someone relies on a safety for anything, they are dead wrong. If they use it as a complimentary tool to good and safe gun handling skills, then it has its place.

loupav
10-27-13, 22:20
While practicing malfunction clearing on my USP 45 V1 which is Safe/decock on the left side for right hand shooter, I have accidentally engaged the safety a few times. I fixed this problem by changing out the "detent" plate to V3 which decock only on the left side.

So yes, the safety can come on.

tom frost
10-28-13, 05:09
While practicing malfunction clearing on my USP 45 V1 which is Safe/decock on the left side for right hand shooter, I have accidentally engaged the safety a few times. I fixed this problem by changing out the "detent" plate to V3 which decock only on the left side.

So yes, the safety can come on.

I believe that the safety setup on your HK is so different than an M&P as to be inapplicable to this specific concern. The M&P's thumb safety is located so that your thumb can ride the safety during firing, which precludes accidental engagement.

loupav
10-28-13, 10:47
I believe that the safety setup on your HK is so different than an M&P as to be inapplicable to this specific concern. The M&P's thumb safety is located so that your thumb can ride the safety during firing, which precludes accidental engagement.

Fair enough. I have never handled a M&P with a thumb safety, so beats me. However I was try to illustrate that flipping the safety while firing can happen, although rare.

Maverick07
10-28-13, 21:11
I had an M&P45 mid with the thumb safety. I shoot thumbs facing forward and found the safety location awkward. Sure enough, when I fired with my thumb below the safety I engaged it a couple times after strings after between 4 and 5 rounds. I ended placing my primary thumb over the safety. The location of the safety was touching the top of where my thumb wanted to ride.

I traded it in on the exact same version without the safety and have not looked back. The safety is too easy too engage and sticks out too far. It might work better if it had a very low profile and was more deliberate to engage. IMHO, a good example of integrating a frame safety in a polymer frame design is the FNS.

azngotskills
10-28-13, 21:49
I personally think that the thumb safety on the M&P is awkward and I tend to inadvertently hit it as times. If I had I choice, I would buy the one without a thumb safety or get something else instead

britishtq
10-29-13, 04:26
If someone relies on a safety for anything, they are dead wrong. If they use it as a complimentary tool to good and safe gun handling skills, then it has its place.

Agreed but I think people eventually trust it too much and that's when people get hurt. Because of negligent gun handling based on a belief that the gun was on "safe" so it could never go off. Even if I know a gun is empty it stays pointed in a safe direction.