No Manual Safety

C

Country Boy

New member
Certain semi-automatic handguns have no manual safeties (SIG, Glock, *&* DAO, etc.). Is this an asset or a liability? On the anti-manual side of the argument, it makes your handgun more like a revolver for the simplicity of operation. During the heat of the moment, it could be easy to forget to switch your gun into "fire", or fumble the safety when your grip isn't the greatest (gloved hands). All you need to do is draw your gun and pull the trigger.
On the pro-manual side of the argument, if your weapon is taken from you, it could take the attacker a few brief seconds to figure out how the safety works, giving you time to respond to the attack before being shot. If you train yourself, you will flip the safety off automatically when you raise the gun, and flip the safety on when you lower the gun. Which side of the argument do you believe in?

Personally, I'm all for having a manual safety on MY handgun. Flipping the safety on/off is automatic now, and I would feel better knowing that it would take an attacker a moment or two to figure it out, giving me time to respond.

As an aside, I read that one of the shooting schools out there had a "battlefield pickup" drill as an activity. All the students in a squad would put their varied handguns on a table, and then one by one, they would be asked to fire an unfamiliar handgun, having to figure out the manual of operations on their own under a time limit. Some had trouble figuring out unfamiliar safeties.
 
i personally prefer guns without manual safeties. i think guns such as Glocks and Sigs are very safe even without a manual safety. there is no way these guns can go off unless the trigger is pulled. i see no reason why you need a safety if you keep your finger outside the trigger guard till the gun is on the target and you are ready to shoot. if you practice drawing and reholstering while making sure your finger is outside the trigger guard then the gun won't ever go off by accident. the arguement of a BG grabing your gun while the safety is on has some merit but probably won't always help you much. if you practice drawing and releasing the manual safety during the draw then by the time the BG grabs your gun the safety is off and it might as well not have the manual safety.

i like knowing that all i have to do when the gun is loaded is draw it and fire. i want to take as few steps as possible so i have less chance of messing up and forgeting something. i would hate to need my handgun and then when i try to shoot it i realize it won't go off because i didn't release the safety and now its too late.
 
I'm with Country Boy on this one. I have no problem carrying my Para-Ordnance P14-45 cocked & locked but feel a little uneasy about have one in the pipe in my Kahr MK9 because it doesn't have a manual safety.
 
If you're most comfortable with a manual safety then by all means use one. If they bother you then stay very far away from them.

I don't like the idea of manual safeties on a firearm with double action capability (except for the occasional de-cocker). My biggest fear is that somehow the safety might accidentaly become engaged... and none of my guns go bang when the safety is on ;). Most all of my carry guns either don't have a manual safety, or I have them disconected by a gunsmith (de-cocker only when possible).

I understand what your saying about having your gun taken and used against you, but I think that if it's gotten that far then mistakes may have been made that have nothing to do with manual safties. A police officer may have to put himself in a situation where that is a possibility, but a fully aware private citizen should not. (IMHO).

I also understand that flipping off the safety becomes "automatic." This is true and happens to most shooters soon after they begin working with a new gun. The true test, however, is how much of your training is truely "automatic" when you find yourself in an adreline pumping, pants wetting, tounge swollowing, motor oil sweating self defense situation. Some people are as cool as Dirty Harry but I'm pretty certain that I'm not (and I've been there before :().

In my humble (and often wrong) opinion, I think that simplicity should be chosen whenever it is an option.
 
KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGER UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO FIRE.

That should be the only saftey needed on handguns used for defense.

bt
 
With training and practice the safety is not an issue.

Best thing about a safety is if a BG gets your gun you MIGHT still have a chance (NY reload LOL).

------------------
"All my ammo is factory ammo"
 
Makes no difference to me. I have guns with and without manual safeties. I just practice proper trigger awareness, and I've never had a problem.
 
The ONLY firearms that need manual safeties are single action pistols! everything else is an accident waiting to happen!

1) If you're wrestling around in wet grass or mud and you're covered with Slop are you SURE your slimy thumb will "flip" that safety? I wouldn't bet my life on it!

2)I guarranty any man that practices drawing and "Flipping" the slide mounted safety No matter how quick and deadly they may be. given the same practice will STILL be faster without having to change his grip to "flip" a safety during his draw.

3) If you're gonna be so stupid as to let the BG get your gun from you. keep your bullet in your breast pocket Barney.
 
Lets assume that we keep our finger off the trigger and outside the trigger guard until we are actually ready to fire our gun. And lets also assume that we practice weapon retention. Do-do still happens. BG could still get the gun. I've heard horror stories of cops who didn't have external safeties on their gun, or kept their DA/SA gun with the safety off and were shot when the BG somehow got the gun. I haven't heard any horror stories of cops who couldn't operate a manual safety quickly enough. Just a few thoughts...
 
I have heard the horror stories you mention, and I've heard horror stories of trained officers failing to operate their weapons properly under stressful or awkward conditions. As you said, Do-Do still happens.

The truth is, there are pros and cons to every gun, caliber, bullet type, carry style and shooting method out there. There is no defined "best" of any of these... it's all about the decisions of the individual. One can only choose the system that they are most comfortable with, and most competent in. If a manual safety makes you more comfortable then please, please, PLEASE use one.

To those whose primary fear is having their own weapon used against them, may I suggest arming yourself with a soft, fluffy pillow ;).
 
In training in law enforcement, most LEO's should know gun retention well enough so the bad guy doesn't get the gun out of the holster to begin with. Most holsters are triple retention now making this feat difficult. Most likely if he does that LEO should be getting his backup gun on his person in a hurry to deal with that problem!

Regarding safeties, you can get used to just about any safety if you train. Its all personal preference.
 
I prefer no manual safety in most instances. However, on a weapon such as my derringer where the hammer rests on a live round, I use it religiously. Also on my MKII when there is one in the pipe. Otherwise, my idea of a perfect safety is a simple decocker.
 
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