M&P45 Thumb Safety Or Not,Plus Other ?

[RONK]

Hi,I'm thinking about an M&P45 and would like to know what your opinions are of the thumb safety or no safety is, please?How does the M&P stack up against the Glock 21SF and the HK45?Thanks for the help.
RONK

[jumpthestack]

It's just personal preference. I think a thumb safety is a good thing if you're trained to instinctively disengage it at the right time.

If you're not sure what you want, getting the thumb safety model and just taking the thumb safety out is relatively easy. It's not easy to add a thumb safety to the non-thumb-safety model.

Check out the article "Battle of the plastic .45s" by Hilton Yam for a comparison of some of the guns you mentioned.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:dhJhpIAyoSQJ:hkpro.com/forum/showthread.php%3F95530-Battle-of-the-Plastic-.45-s-A-Review-by-Hilton-Yam+hilton+yam+battle+of+the+plastic

[Seraph]

I like the thumb safety on the M&P. Coming from 1911's, I find it perfectly natural to snick off the safety, as part of the presentation. When I ordered my M&P 9 w/ thumb safety, from G&R Tactical, I also ordered the little black plastic frame plugs, for plugging the holes where the safety comes out of the frame, in case I found I wanted to remove the safety. I like it just fine, and the little black frame plugs remain in my parts tray.

I just ordered an M&P 9C from G&R Tactical, again with the thumb safety. When soon I order up an M&P 45, I will again go with the thumb safety. There's just no drawback to the thumb safety for me, and I like the added margin of safety it gives when reholstering, and junk like that.

[Magsz]

The only downside to ordering a gun with the safety is that Randy currently doesnt have a RAM unit that will work in the gun.

Other than that, if you dont like the safety simply remove it and call it a day.

I personally dig the safeties on the M&P's.

[RONK]

Magsz,sir,what is a RAM?
RONK

[Magsz]

www.apextactical.com

Reset Assist Mechanism.

The unit is designed to sit in the frame lock hole on the sear housing.

The Safety equipped guns have different sear housings which currently prevent the use of this device (the RAM).

Randy over at Apex Tactical is however working on a RAM unit that will work in the Thumb safety sear housings but i dont think hes said when they will be available.

[RONK]

Thank you.
RONK

[mikebenedict]

I had a M&P 45C with the thumb safety and I did not like it much at all. I found it not to have a positive engagement. I carried the pistol quite a bit and found that the safety had moved off safe all the time. So I took the thumb safety out and replaced it with two little frame filler plugs that I got from Smith and Wesson

Mike

[RancidSumo]

I started a thread on this a while back that may be useful to you in regards to the thumb safety-

http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=55733

I opted to go with the TS and then eventually took it off.

Unfortunately, I cannot help with the other part as I haven't shot a G21 or a HK45 although the HK45C is high on my list of "need to own" pistols.

[DocGKR]

I was issued, used, or carried a 1911 daily from when I was commissioned in 1986 to January 2011. Last month my 1911's were retired in favor of M&P45's w/ambi-safeties and Apex duty kits. As much as I love 1911's, the M&P is a better duty weapon and is much easier to service. Coming from a 1911 background, I strongly prefer the M&P's w/ambi-safety.

The current best.45 ACP service pistols are the M&P45, HK45, and possibly G21sf.

[Seraph]

The point made, above, about the accidental disengagement of a pistol's thumb safety while the pistol is holstered, is a good one. I've never had the problem, myself, but would find it very annoying, if I did. I'd still have a pistol that's as safe as the safety-less model, but I would be annoyed.

I've fairly eliminated the possibility of that problem, with the Kydex holsters I make for M&P's. The molding of the body shield captures the thumb safety lever in the "SAFE" position, such that it would require considerable and intentional effort to snick it off (and then the holster tends to snick it right back on). Moreover, the holster will flick the safety on, upon holstering the pistol, in case the user forgets to, but WON'T unsafe the pistol upon drawing.


Here, the thumb safety is just entering the body shield of the holster, and is already a bit more than half engaged. At this point, the trigger hasn't entered the holster yet.
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g111/Trisagion/ThumbSafety_01_web.jpg

After about another 1/4" travel into the holster, the thumb safety is now fully engaged. At this point, the trigger is just now entering the holster.
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g111/Trisagion/ThumbSafety_02_web.jpg

The pistol is fully seated in the holster, and the thumb safety is positively captured in the "SAFE" position, by the molding of the Kydex.
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g111/Trisagion/ThumbSafety_03_web.jpg

[RONK]

Thanks for the help.I ordered an M&P thumb safety in earth colored frame.I did consider the HK45 but HK to me has such poor customer service and after reading that Larry Vickers thought a lot of the M&P and not of the Glock I decided to try it.Thanks.
RONK

[RancidSumo]

Thanks for the help.I ordered an M&P thumb safety in earth colored frame.I did consider the HK45 but HK to me has such poor customer service and after reading that Larry Vickers thought a lot of the M&P and not of the Glock I decided to try it.Thanks.
RONK

I think you will be happy with your M&P but I don't think that there was any real reason to write off the HK. To me, the only reason to get the M&P over the HK is cost. Like I said though, I bet the M&P will serve you well and I definitely like it more than the Glock 21.

[RONK]

I think you will be happy with your M&P but I don't think that there was any real reason to write off the HK. To me, the only reason to get the M&P over the HK is cost. Like I said though, I bet the M&P will serve you well and I definitely like it more than the Glock 21.

Do you think that the cost of the HK is warranted over the M&P?
RONK

[RancidSumo]

I don't have an HK so I can't say for sure. If the money was not an issue to me though, I would buy the HK. Since I am a college student, money is an issue and I bought an M&P and have been very happy with it.

[Watrdawg]

Even though I came over from a 1911 with Ambi Safeties I purchased the M&P 45 Mid without the safety. Decided no real need to worry about it. Even though I carried a 1911 for 5 years or so, which isn't really that long, the transition wasn't difficult at all. I'm going to purchase another 45 Mid soon and have gone back and forth about getting this next one with a safety but end asking myself why. I'll stay W/O the thumb safety so that I don't have a confusion between the two.

[DocGKR]

I chose the M&P45 over the HK, as among other things, I prefer the trigger pull on the M&P45 compared to the HK45 and the M&P is a much easier pistol to service. If I ever was going to go with an .45 ACP HK, it would be the HK45c.