Yes or No for manual safety on concealed carry firearm

[London]

"No" if possible. Manual safeties are usually crutches for those without competence or confidence.

 

[London]

Depends upon the trigger pull and what condition you carry the gun in.

Glock - no need.

1911 C&L yes.

If you are talking about the thumb safety, I disagree. A 1911 can be carried without it activated just fine; there's still the grip safety. I always wondered just what the thumb safety was actually for (aside from seeing people freak out if you don't have it redundantly activated). Finally it occurred to me that it's pretty much just there for safely holstering the gun. Once in the holster I see no point in not disengaging it.

 

[txinvestigator]

The problem with carrying a 1911 with the safety disengaged is once you grip the gun, even as you begin your draw, there is no active safety.

 

[breakingcontact]

"No" if possible. Manual safeties are usually crutches for those without competence or confidence.

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.

 

[London]

This is my safety:

http://tinyurl.com/qgena

 

[txinvestigator]

"No" if possible. Manual safeties are usually crutches for those without competence or confidence.

So is ignorance.

 

[txinvestigator]

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.

There is always one. And that one us usually wrong, like this case.

 

[matefrio]

Modern guns are inherently safe.

The risk of doing something negligent MAY be reduced by adding further steps and fail safes but that's for human error.

Once a threat is clearly identified, how many steps or actions do you want between you and placing a bullet into the intended target?

How risk adverse are you and what style gun do you want to buy?

 

[FlashBang]

"No" if possible. Manual safeties are usually crutches for those without competence or confidence.

Even Crazy Harry says:

 

[London]

Even Crazy Harry says:


View attachment 22117

At least you mastered using that one!

 

[Shorts]

I like a thumb safety. But then again I like carrying a 1911. I don't like non-thumb safety firearms and DA pulls.

Others are the complete opposite.

In conclusion, like TxI said, buy what you want and train with it. Furthermore, both types are perfectly fine and safe. It's all about your familiarity, comfort and preference.

 

[M. Sage]

My opinion on that is, "whatever". Use a good holster and firearm, the risk will be zero. There are more important things to worry about.

 

[majormadmax]

Sorry, but many people carry handguns without manual safeties and there is no evidence to show they are any more unsafe than those with them...

And please don't anyone post up the "Tex" (he's from Illinois) Grebner video where he shoots himself in the leg or the DEA agent who does the same while giving a gun safety demonstration in Orlando. Both were user error and easily avoided.

 

[ShootingTheBull]

And please don't anyone post up the "Tex" (he's from Illinois) Grebner video where he shoots himself in the leg or the DEA agent who does the same while giving a gun safety demonstration in Orlando. Both were user error and easily avoided.

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.

 

[majormadmax]

In that case, then everyone should put a trigger lock on their firearms, keep them unloaded and separate the magazines from the pistol, and locked away in a safe place. That way we can all be perfectly safe!

There is a concept called acceptable risk, which is what those of us who choose to carry handguns without manual safeties accept for the slight advantage given by not having an additional step required to fire the weapon.

By the way, Grebner shot himself with a Kimber 1911, which has a manual safety!

And he wasn't the first person to accidentally shoot themselves with a firearm that had one!

 

[ShootingTheBull]

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

And so therefore, in every case of "accidental discharge", someone pulled a trigger. Ain't no other way for it to "go off". And if they didn't INTEND for it to go off, then that's user error.

All I was saying is -- if you don't trust yourself to execute absolutely perfect and vigilant trigger control at all times, then ... maybe a manual safety would be something you'd appreciate. I got the idea that the O.P. was a new shooter and was a little concerned about this.

As far as Grebner shooting himself with a gun that has a manual safety, then that's just compounding user error on top of user error. Having a gun with a safety, that you don't use, is no different from having a gun with no safety at all.

Again, I'm not advocating that a gun HAS to have a manual safety -- I've got revolvers and Glocks that don't, and I've never ever had an "accidental discharge" with any of them. But I can understand why people might prefer that their carry weapon have one. And if that's what makes 'em happy, who are we to argue?

 

[navyguy]

Jezz, I though we had debated this to death at least 50 times.

Consensus, with a striker fired gun (Glock XP, M&P et al) you don't need a manual safety. 1911, because of it's excellent 4~ trigger and SAO benefits from a manual safety. Other SOA pistols like some of the Sigs, yep manual safety is good. DA/SA pistols, no safety needed. The first trigger pull around 7 lbs on mine is enough to make it very safe... ie, you have to go a long way to accidentally discharge in DA mode.

It boils down to no matter what gun and you need to train with it and understand the limitations. I have absolutely no issue with my G19 carried one in the chamber and ready, but would not with a 1911 with the safety off.

 

[London]

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

99% of what people call an "Accidental discharge" is actually a negligent discharge. There is a big difference.

 

[London]

1911, because of it's excellent 4~ trigger and SAO

Not to derail the thread, but can we as gun owners PLEASE stop using silly, redundant terms like "SAO" and "DA/SA" already?!

 

[pawncop]

Have always believed the only important safety is the four (4) inches between your ears.