What's the fuss about slide mounted safety?

[Aguila Blanca]

As to accidentally flipping on the slide mounted safety while
racking the slide, they often are just fumble thumbs.

Their protests, if any, will prove my points.

To the contrary, you just proved their point.

It's a known fact that an adrenalin rush causes a degradation of fine motor skills -- which essentially turns anyone into what you so derisively called "just fumble thumbs." If you have never been in combat and experienced it, good for you. Some us here are veterans and can attest to the validity of the phenomenon.

The fact that a dextrous individual operating a firearm with a slide-mounted safety in the security of a shooting range probably won't accidentally activate the slide-mounted thumb safety doesn't in any way prove that the possibility doesn't exist, or that it's not more likely to occur when racking the slide with a slide-mounted safety than it is with a frame-mounted safety.

The OP didn't ask how many agree or disagree with the reasons why some people don't like slide-mounted safeties, he asked what the reasons are. That's one of the primary reasons, and it remains so whether you agree with it or disagree with it.

 

[jimbob86]

the only complaint I had was on my S&W 659, the screw that held the lever on kept coming loose,

Screws to come loose on a part that is violently moving back and forth faster than the eye can see every time the gun is fired is a design flaw, in my book.

 

[zincwarrior]

Also, it's very easy to accidentally activate the safety while racking it when mounted on the slide.

I put thousands of rounds through a 92 and never had that happen. I guess it theoretically could.

Personally I prefer the thinner safety on a Beretta storm (carry) as I would only use it as a decocker anyway, to a bigger safety though. I'd prefer a frame mounted safety only for the reason that its less annoying to rack the slide-just a personal preference.

 

[James K]

Maybe it is inspired by our politicians, but I wonder why every discussion seems to deteriorate into a battle between two groups, each of which believes fervently that it is correct, right and perfect, and that anyone who disagrees, is not only wrong but evil to boot.

The position of the manual safety, or the decision to omit it entirely, is a design choice, usually influenced by other design choices and sometimes by laws. It is not a matter of evil, stupidity, or whose "saint" put what where. And it seldom is a matter of ease of use; a designer, while concerned about ergonomics, is concerned first with making something work, then with making it easy to use and/or training people to use it.

Jim

 

[JERRYS.]

I like the S&W 3rd gen pistols but I am not a fan of the slide mounted safety in any flavor, hence the wild card.

 

[jr24]

Not a huge fan of the slide safety for a few reasons.

One; Generally the slide mounted safety seems to be part of a SA/DA decocker setup and I just don't feel that with a long DA the safety is needed.

Two; I have shortish thumbs and the safety is neigh unreachable while having or getting a shooting grip.

Not for me, but I don't at all mind the slide mounted decocker.

Just my opinion.

 

[zincwarrior]

Two; I have shortish thumbs and the safety is neigh unreachable while having or getting a shooting grip.

Thats a good point. my wife has small hands and she often has difficulty.