XD Grip Safety

The logic I've heard about this is that a 1911, when "cocked and locked," is far less (inherently) safe than a modern striker gun with all its internal passive safety mechanisms. Therefore the grip safety adds a measure of safety to a cocked 1911, but is superfluous on a striker gun.

Personally I like the grip safety on my XD. It renders the gun incapable of firing if the trigger were to be accidentally depressed when holstering, etc.
 
The grip safety makes a heck of a lot more sense to me than the trigger safety on most every striker fired gun these days. If something gets caught on the trigger of a Glock, M&P, etc., it can still easy discharge.
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The tab on the trigger is to prevent the trigger bar from moving completely to the rear from momentum if the pistol were dropped. While it can prevent some snagging to an extent, that's not it's real purpose.
 
It's a potential failure point that's totally unnecessary if you know how to be safe with a handgun
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If you never touch the trigger or never drop the gun, I suppose all safeties are superfluous "potential failure points". But then, we're all human aren't we and all subject to making errors; ergo, the reason for having some type of a safety on any gun-even if we "know how to be safe with a handgun".
 
You're right. We are all human and make errors. That's why we have the 4 rules of gun safety and follow them. That way we don't have to ask a firearm to do our jobs for us at the risk of the firearm not working at all when we need it.
 
Safeties on a gun isn't asking any firearm to "do our jobs for us"; it's simply a concession that none of us are perfect. If we were, safeties would be just teats on a boar hog. But then, to err is human...
 
As a service type firearm, the XD and its grip safety give it an additional level of safety. I personally like the XD and the level of safety it provides. For those who don't like the grip safety, there are abundant choices of firearms that do not have one.
 
ShootistPRS, most modern revolvers come with some kind of a hammer safety. Are you saying that you'd rather semi-autos come with no safeties?
 
ShootistPRS....The Ruger P Series decockers (P90DC. P97DC, etc.) these DA/SA auto pistols have no safeties, only ambidextrous decocking levers. They are long out of production

In today's world of loaded chamber indicators, cocking indicators, mag disconnects, billboard barrel warnings, key locks, etc., its a wonder ALL handguns don't have grip safeties too.
 
My only complaint with the grip safety on my XDM is that it has to be depressed for the slide to rack. Not really an issue, just a minor irritant.
 
My only complaint with the grip safety on my XDM is that it has to be depressed for the slide to rack. Not really an issue, just a minor irritant.
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Likewise.

But, some people see that as a huge ("yuuuuge!") problem and dangerous.

We gunnies tend to fret over the tinniest thing.
 
I used to have an XD and had no problem with the grip safety. I did find it useful that while holstering the gun I could relax my grip and know that the gun wouldn't fire should I carelessly catch my clothing in the holster etc.

I have since switched to carrying my SIG 226 and the hammer replaces that function with my thumb on it while holstering.

Most of the criticism of the grip safety is from guys running esoteric malfunction drills during training classes and "proving" grip safeties are "bad".

There are plenty of people who have zero issues with the grip safety and it's really a matter of taste. In the end, I let my XD go because I didn't like the abrasive grips and the trigger biting my finger all the time. My 226 is 1000% better IMO.
 
dgludwig,
My Ruger Security-Six has a transfer bar safety but it doesn't keep me from pulling the trigger. My CZ 75B comes with a safety but it can only be used when the hammer is cocked so with the hammer down on a loaded chamber the gun functions just like my revolvers. I would never say that guns should not have safeties. I liked the grip safety on my 1911 but I didn't carry it for SD. I couldn't keep a round in the chamber with the hammer down without having to cock the hammer.

JJ45,
In todays world it seems a wonder that guns are allowed at all. I dislike "decocking" levers even more than manual safeties. I don't have anything against other people using them I just prefer a hammer down on a loaded chamber and a double action trigger to fire it with. Just my personal preference.
 
dgludwig,
My Ruger Security-Six has a transfer bar safety
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It's a safety. I was responding to your claim that "not one of my revolvers has a safety". As I said, most modern revolvers do. Too, the long and relatively heavy double-action trigger pull on a typical da revolver serves to help prevent inadvertent and unintended (negligent) hammer falls.
 
Well, I can't argue that it is a safety, only that it does not keep the operator from pulling the trigger. My brother has a revolver that has a mechanical hammer block safety. You flip it up and if you pull the trigger the hammer is stopped by the safety. You have to cock the hammer to release the safety.
The DA trigger pull is longer and a little heavier but has lost a lot of its pull weight over the years. My CZ 75B has little difference in trigger pull length between SA and DA but is just a bit heavier in DA. In reality, when popping the falling plates I don't notice the heavier pull of either gun in DA. I guess I'm too locked in on hitting the target and seeing the next one.
Safeties are a backup to having the skill and habits of safe gun handling. I don't want them outlawed or anything close to that. I just don't use them myself.
 
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