M&P9 thumb safety is in the way.

[1911-A1]

I discovered over the last few months that I end up accidentally putting the weapon on safe with the thumb of my shooting hand when I use it to drop the slide. This means I have to then go back to switch off the safety before I resume firing. I shoot high thumb riding the safety, like with a 1911.

The only way around this that I can see is to slingshot the slide after reloading, or use the thumb of my support hand to hit the slide stop after inserting the mag. Neither of these options is desirable, since I've always hit the slide stop with my thumb, and I reload all my pistols this way.

Has anyone had this problem? Any suggestions?

[YVK]

I've not had this problem as I am able to keep the thumb over the safety and reach the slide stop. If you can't do this reliably, you may consider re-contouring the safety a bit.

Another option is to engage the safety on purpose, making it a part of reload. I thought about for a different reason, and I am not sure that adding this step (engage/disengage) will add to a time of a slide-lock reload. I haven't tested it with a timer, though.

[1911-A1]

The funny thing is, the much maligned "auto-forward" phenomenon pretty much makes the problem moot, but it's not something I can rely on happening 100% of the time, even though I can always get it to happen on command. Knowing my luck, it won't work when I need it to.