Yes or No for manual safety on concealed carry firearm

[Moe Howard]

Proper handling of firearms is the only true safety. And with that disclaimer I have carried every type of gun at one time or another. Currently all I own or will carry are guns with consistent trigger pulls and no manual safeties, the only guns I have with manual safeties are my 1911's. Even when I carried TDA guns I carried them with the safety off. As for 1911's it is just automatic to drop the safety as it is removed from the holster so for me they are the only exception.

 

[itzpookiie]

A gun can't go off unless that trigger is pulled
If you don't trust yourself or don't have the confidence to control that trigger/firearm then you shouldn't be carrying. Manual safety or not.

That being said, I believe that the reasoning for choosing manual safety or not should not be because of safety precautions.
My reasoning behind the two choices would be whether want to carry with a 4lbs trigger or 6lbs+ double-action trigger.

I probably sound ignorant/arrogant, but that's my reasoning for choosing between the two options.
I trust myself and my gun handling

 

[M. Sage]

Well, isn't that the point? ALL unintended discharges are user error, and all of them could be easily avoided. A gun can't go off by itself -- it has to have its trigger pulled. And if you pull that trigger when it's not pointing in the proper direction, that's where the negligent or unintended discharges happen.

But some guns would prevent that, through the use of safeties. Even though the user may make the same error, the gun wouldn't go off.

If nobody ever made a user error, there wouldn't be any negligent discharges. But this is reality, and it happens, and if you're worried (like the original poster appears to be) that you might make an error, then -- there's nothing wrong with having a safety in place while you learn. But you really should train yourself in proper firearms handling, which would help prevent the possibility of a user error in the first place.

Grebner was a moron who shot himself with a 1911. Manual safety. The DEA agent was a moron who shot himself with a Glock. Passive safety.

The point M was trying to make that the user is the important part of this equation.

 

[M. Sage]

Not sure what you're objecting to -- surely you agree that a gun can't "go off" unless someone pulls the trigger, right?

Untrue. They're rare, but there are mechanical failures. I have a Wolf Gold 7.62x25mm case somewhere around here (might have been lost in the past 3 moves, though) that barely has a scratch on the primer. The bullet is lodged in a wall... No trigger pull. Defective primer got tapped lightly by the breech face and decided to go bang.

And so therefore, in every case of "accidental discharge", someone pulled a trigger.

Those are not accidental discharges. They're negligent discharges. Any time someone has an "oops" moment and their finger is on the bang switch, that was a bad choice, and they were negligent.

Accidental discharges are rare, and are generally mechanical faults. The most common time for them to happen is when you chamber a round. A high primer getting hit right, a firing pin stuck forward or flopping loose on certain guns, worn trigger parts allowing the hammer to follow the slide or bolt forward...

 

[556.45.12]

Here's my opinion for what it's worth: It doesn't really matter either way as long as you're comfortable with it, and train accordingly.

No other posts necessary after this one. I wouldn't carry a 1911 without a safety and I wouldn't carry a revolver with.

 

[London]

The bullet is lodged in a wall... No trigger pull. Defective primer got tapped lightly by the breech face and decided to go bang.

Wow. I never even considered ammo to be a factor in ADs. Thanks for bringing it to my attention; I'll be even more adamant now. A super-sensitive Russian primer- whoda thunk it?!

 

[M. Sage]

Wow. I never even considered ammo to be a factor in ADs. Thanks for bringing it to my attention; I'll be even more adamant now. A super-sensitive Russian primer- whoda thunk it?!

The answer to the dangers of administrative handling (a good number of the guns going off at gun shows are because of the "no carry" signs and people unloading/reloading at the entrance) is a bucket and some play sand. It only takes a couple inches of play sand to stop a bullet. A 5 gallon bucket filled with the stuff will be more than enough, which makes it just right.

 

[Kennydale]

Thought we had a good thread until ^this^.

In my post I mentioned all of the positive advice here. Carry what you'd like, understand the benefits and drawbacks and most importantly...train.

some people just didn't mature past PUBERTY yet. Sorry that comment is directed to London, not the poster of the Quote , I was agreeing with the POSTER'S QUOTE.

 

[TX69]

troll

 

[V-Tach]

We bought a Mauser K98 that had been sporterized at some point in it's life. It fired when taking the safety....off.....

There are a number of reasons for a mechanical failure that will cause an accidental discharge..as Sage states...

If a finger pulls the trigger.....negligent.......

jmho....

Back to the OP....I carry a 1911. It has nothing to do with whether I prefer a thumb safety or not. Carrying the same gun for 15 years. It's the one I like and the one I train with.

 

[Brains]

Umm... has anyone noticed OP disappeared? Forum troll perhaps?

 

[London]

some people just didn't mature past PUBERTY yet. Sorry that comment is directed to London, not the poster of the Quote , I was agreeing with the POSTER'S QUOTE.

Ignore button... ACTIVATE!

 

[Shorts]

Umm... has anyone noticed OP disappeared? Forum troll perhaps?

Nah. The question wasn't out of line for a new shooter.