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View Full Version : Can the thumb safety be added to the M&P?



MarshallDodge
08-12-09, 22:15
Just curious. I have a guy that wants to trade me his for a gun that I have but I am not sure that I would like it without the safety. Can it be added in the future?

Ed L.
08-12-09, 22:34
This has come up before. I don't believe that the thumb safety can be added afterwards.

FromMyColdDeadHand
08-13-09, 01:05
I asked the question before here on another thread on the M&P and someone posted that they had called SW and was told that it couldn't be post added to a gun, even though there is hole in the right place. It can be subtracted though, IIRC. It wasn't a thread I started, but was a thread on the gun.

I don't know if that is just marketing or engineering stuff. I'm sure someone here has enough experience and know-how to comment.

Beat Trash
08-13-09, 10:15
I asked the question before here on another thread on the M&P and someone posted that they had called SW and was told that it couldn't be post added to a gun, even though there is hole in the right place. It can be subtracted though, IIRC. It wasn't a thread I started, but was a thread on the gun.

I don't know if that is just marketing or engineering stuff. I'm sure someone here has enough experience and know-how to comment.

I do not know if I am the person referred to, but I have personally called S&W and asked this question. I was told that it can not be done, as different frames are used. I brought this up with one of our Department armors (We have about 1,200 M&P 9mm's in the field, armors were sent to the factory to be trained). He said it could probably be done, but you'd have to cut a notch in the frame, and it'd look like sh*t...

Now magazine safeties are a different story. They can be added or removed. It's a couple of parts to add, and a spacer to remove. About $35 worth of parts to do so.

For what it's worth, I've been carrying an issued M&P for almost 4 years w/o a safety, and have since bought a few personal M&P's w/o the safety. For me, it's a non-issue. Same as owning a Glock. I just ensure I use a holster to cover the trigger guard vs. just sticking a loaded gun into my pants.

C4IGrant
08-13-09, 13:28
You do not want it.

The position it creates for ones thumb is a poor one IMHO.



C4

oldtexan
08-13-09, 20:19
...
The position it creates for ones thumb is a poor one IMHO.



C4

Please elaborate.

C4IGrant
08-13-09, 21:24
Please elaborate.

Sure. If a HG has an external safety on it, you must put your thumb on top of it.

The angle this creates is a poor one IMHO.

C4

Abraxas
08-13-09, 21:26
Just curious. I have a guy that wants to trade me his for a gun that I have but I am not sure that I would like it without the safety. Can it be added in the future?

Why the hell would want one at all?

HD1911
08-13-09, 23:04
Sure. If a HG has an external safety on it, you must put your thumb on top of it.

The angle this creates is a poor one IMHO.

C4

So i take it that the general consensus is No Safety with the M&P??? Considering buying one, that's the reason I ask...forgive my ignorance and lack of searching :D

C4IGrant
08-14-09, 09:08
So i take it that the general consensus is No Safety with the M&P??? Considering buying one, that's the reason I ask...forgive my ignorance and lack of searching :D

Correct.

As a 1911 guy, I have ZERO issues with external TS's, but unless you have really long thumbs, the TS on the M&P is at a poor angle and uncomfortable to shoot IMHO.


C4

oldtexan
08-14-09, 12:42
Sure. If a HG has an external safety on it, you must put your thumb on top of it.

The angle this creates is a poor one IMHO.

C4

Thanks.

HD1911
08-14-09, 16:00
Correct.

As a 1911 guy, I have ZERO issues with external TS's, but unless you have really long thumbs, the TS on the M&P is at a poor angle and uncomfortable to shoot IMHO.


C4

Thank you kind sir.

John_Wayne777
08-14-09, 19:12
As much as it pains me to agree with Grant, I'll have to second his sentiments about the M&P manual safety. It's 1911-esque, which is good....but the placement of the safety isn't exactly like a 1911's, which is bad.

While it's a valiant effort on the part of S&W, I personally don't find it to be nearly as user friendly as the 1911 safety. It interfered with my ability to operate the slide release with my strong hand. If they would move it back more to the rear of the frame it would be better, IMO.

87GN
08-14-09, 19:48
Seconding what was said, the thumb safety was put in the wrong location.

Plus, the pistol was designed without it. Follow the four rules and you'll be fine.

HD1911
08-15-09, 09:01
Seconding what was said, the thumb safety was put in the wrong location.

Plus, the pistol was designed without it. Follow the four rules and you'll be fine.

Sorry, but I must ask, what are these four rules? My Search-Fu is weak, indeed.

Thanks

Gutshot John
08-15-09, 09:33
Sorry, but I must ask, what are these four rules? My Search-Fu is weak, indeed.

Thanks

1. Treat every gun as if it were loaded.

2. Never point a gun at anything you don't want to destroy.

3. Always keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot.

4. Always be sure of your target and what lies beyond.

HD1911
08-15-09, 09:45
1. Treat every gun as if it were loaded.

2. Never point a gun at anything you don't want to destroy.

3. Always keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot.

4. Always be sure of your target and what lies beyond.


Thanks.

MarshallDodge
08-16-09, 10:26
Thanks guys for all of the responses.

To answer some questions:

Why a thumb safety? I carry a 1911 with a thumb safety so I would like a gun with similar controls. Yes, I know that I am the ultimate safety. ;)

I handled an M&P 9mm with the thumb safety a while back and didn't seem to have an issue with it but I held a M&P 45 the day after I made my initial post and noticed the same thing that Grant mentioned, your thumb has to be higher than is comfortable.

My hopes would be that there would be some after market support for the M&P in the future to improve the location of the thumb safety.

87GN
08-16-09, 10:29
I carry a 1911 too, but have no issues with the striker fired pistols with no external/manual safety. If you want, you can go through the motions of pushing the thumb safety down, pretending it's there. That might make you feel better. ;)

MarshallDodge
08-16-09, 10:39
I carry a 1911 too, but have no issues with the striker fired pistols with no external/manual safety. If you want, you can go through the motions of pushing the thumb safety down, pretending it's there. That might make you feel better. ;)

That may not be a bad idea. I will probably go ahead and make this trade and play with the M&P to see how I like it.

John_Wayne777
08-16-09, 21:01
Thanks.

Allow me to expand on those rules a bit....

If you're carrying a striker fired pistol with a ~ 5.5 pound trigger and no manual safety, be exceptionally careful when you reholster. Don't ever reholster in a hurry. Ensure that your holster and gear doesn't have dangly bits that can work their way into the trigger guard.

HD1911
08-16-09, 21:45
Allow me to expand on those rules a bit....

If you're carrying a striker fired pistol with a ~ 5.5 pound trigger and no manual safety, be exceptionally careful when you reholster. Don't ever reholster in a hurry. Ensure that your holster and gear doesn't have dangly bits that can work their way into the trigger guard.

Roger that, wilco

DacoRoman
08-17-09, 00:14
I also shoot 1911's and a safety less striker design (Glocks), and a standard operating procedure that seems to help is gripping the gun with a high thumb when I unholster, whether it is a 1911 or a Glock. If it is a 1911, then as the thumb settles downward (for example as the gun is being pushed to the target), the thumb sweeps off the 1911's thumb safety and rests there in a high strong thumb/riding the safety/thumbs forward hold, and if it is a Glock, the thumb sweeps nothing off but goes on to rest on top of the base of the weak thumb in a thumbs forward grip, so no loss, no foul either way.

Regarding the M&P, I handled one with the thumb safety, and I didn't think the placement was that horrible (but then again I've carried USP's cocked and locked :D) but the deal breaker for me seemed to be that the safety was so shockingly loose and easy to engage/disengage that it became a liability: I would never trust it, making it totally useless. Therefore had I bought the gun, I would have gotten a pistol without it as I would hate to have the gun sent to Bowie or someone, just to have that safety set right.

FromMyColdDeadHand
08-17-09, 09:20
Regarding the M&P, I handled one with the thumb safety, and I didn't think the placement was that horrible (but then again I've carried USP's cocked and locked :D) but the deal breaker for me seemed to be that the safety was so shockingly loose and easy to engage/disengage that it became a liability: I would never trust it, making it totally useless. Therefore had I bought the gun, I would have gotten a pistol without it as I would hate to have the gun sent to Bowie or someone, just to have that safety set right.

It seems that the tactile clicks of the MP safety varies. I handled one with a similar safety that seemed not to be connected to anything. I mentioned this and someone said that they had one with solid clicks. I think it may be that early ones were mushy and later ones more crisp????

DacoRoman
08-17-09, 10:31
It seems that the tactile clicks of the MP safety varies. I handled one with a similar safety that seemed not to be connected to anything. I mentioned this and someone said that they had one with solid clicks. I think it may be that early ones were mushy and later ones more crisp????

Perhaps that's what it was..I would think that S&W would want to quickly fix this issue as a safety that's loosey goosey is obviously downright dangerous.

I'm wondering though, if one orders directly from S&W, can one specify that a gun with a clearly positive engagement/disengagement safety be provided?

Ed L.
08-17-09, 17:18
I'm wondering though, if one orders directly from S&W, can one specify that a gun with a clearly positive engagement/disengagement safety be provided?

I imagine that the safety comes the way it comes.

I have both an M&P 9mm and a .45 with the thumb safety and both guns work very well and are very comfortable to shoot and manipulate. But I don't seem to be the norm in many respects, so I can't always extrapolate what works with me with what works with other people.

MarshallDodge
08-18-09, 10:24
Allow me to expand on those rules a bit....

If you're carrying a striker fired pistol with a ~ 5.5 pound trigger and no manual safety, be exceptionally careful when you reholster. Don't ever reholster in a hurry. Ensure that your holster and gear doesn't have dangly bits that can work their way into the trigger guard.

This is one of my concerns. I occasionally carry my Kahr which is striker fired and am extra careful with it.

The M&P would not be carried until I spent quite a bit of time with it.

MarshallDodge
08-18-09, 21:02
Well, I picked up the M&P 40 and spent a few minutes shooting it.

Target shot at 21 feet:
http://home.comcast.net/~fun2shoot/MP/mptarget1.jpg

As you can see, I need to spend some time with it because I am consistently doing something wrong. I do the same thing with my Kahr. It has something to do with the way the trigger pivots. Any suggestions on how to fix me would be helpful.

I also had a failure to lock on the first magazine and realized that I was resting my thumb on the slide release. Releasing the slide stop takes considerable effort compared to a 1911. I am sure with time that this will break-in.