XD Grip Safety

[mousegunner]

The XD and the XDM look like really great pistols. I would like to get one. But I have a serious question. Wouldn't it be a better gun WITHOUT the "grip safety?" Pull the trigger, and it goes bang, even if you don't have a perfect grip on it. Wouldn't that be better for a defensive firearm that might be used in the heat and franticness of the moment? I would be tempted to tape it down permanently.

Edited January 3, 2009 by mousegunner
clarification

[NuTcAsE]

You wouldn't tape down the grip safety on a 1911 would you?

[Guest abailey362]

x2.......same concept as the 1911. when using an xd, you can't even tell it's there.

if only plaxico burress had an xd instead of a glock it wouldn;t have went off in his sweat pants lol

[Guest flyfishtn]

If you are gripping the gun either weak or strong hand, the safety on the grip is engaged. Never had an issue.

[Guest db99wj]

And it is not like it is an extra movement or anything to push it in. If you grab the grip and put your finger in the trigger guard, the safety will depress. I practice draw and fire when I shoot at the range and I don't always get that perfect grip, but it goes bang. When I reholster, my thumb goes on top of the rear sites which allows the grip safety not be depressed and it will not shoot. (This technique is something that Mars and I advocated and spoke about often). So in short, if you grip it, you can shoot. It helps in those other movements that you do with your gun when you are not shooting.

[NuTcAsE]

Didn't mean to be a smart a** there, but I think you're thinkin what I was. It looks like it sticks way out, but it really isn't a problem at all, you don't even know it's there.

[Guest Chuck McDaniel]

Mousegunner,

The only problem with pinning the grip safety on an XD is that, internally, it is a true single action. So, when you rack the slide, the striker is fully cocked (unlike a Glock which is somewhere around 60%). If it's in the right kind of hard-sided holster, I wouldn't mind banding or taping the grip safety down. I have seen people bobble their grip on the draw, while on the move, and fail to deactivate it; and, I have done it myself. That said, the grip safety is big enough and pretty easy to deactivate (pretty bobble free).

[jay1313g]

To each his own but that's what I like about the XD. Had a Glock but never was 100% comfortable. I was always worried about a ND when reholstering. I reholster something like db99wj, making sure the grip safety is not depressed and I feel much better. I also like the trigger on the XD much better than the Glock. Just my opinion though.

[Guest Bronker]

To each his own but that's what I like about the XD. Had a Glock but never was 100% comfortable. I was always worried about a ND when reholstering. I reholster something like db99wj, making sure the grip safety is not depressed and I feel much better. I also like the trigger on the XD much better than the Glock. Just my opinion though.

+1. That's exactly like I do it as well. I only even consider the grip safety when I am reholstering it.

And really, I don't know how I could even have enough control of the gun to make a shot WITHOUT having enough of a hold on the grip to depress the grip safety.

The grip safety is one of the top two things I favor over all other polymer pistols (the other being the trigger).

Just my two pennies.

[Oh Shoot]

Yup, IWB reholstering is stress free.

There may be Glock Butt, but no XD Xass.

- OS

[strickj]

Hey Mouse,you can play with my XD one day if you'd like

[mousegunner]

thanks for the offer!

Mister Browning originally meant his 1911 to have NO GRIP SAFETY, but the army insisted, so that's why is is there. Wayne Novak has designed an add on for your 1911 to eliminate the grip safety. (A rubber band might work for less money!) Here's his info...

http://www.novaksights.com/what's_new.htm#NOVAK_ONE_PIECE_BACK_STRAP_ANSWER

[CatsEye]

Does the grip safety improve the safety of the gun? Who knows. What I do know is that you never know its there while shooting. The spring on it is very light so any normal shooting grip presses the safety.

[analog_kidd]

I did have an occurance one time where I didn't grip my XD quite right and it wouldn't go bang. I was at the range and practicing drawing and shooting from concealed under a shirt.

However, I looked at it as a good thing. It made me evaluate my draw, and I found that I was doing some things seriously wrong. Now that I have made some corrections, I've not had any more problems.

I will say though, that when you pull the trigger and the gun does not go bang, it is very disorienting. You sit there looking at it wondering what is going on. Now, it is burned into my brain that if it doesn't fire, check my grip. It's kind of like one of those classes where they make you turn around and someone does something to disable your gun, and you have to figure out what it is.

[Smith]

Mousegunner,

The only problem with pinning the grip safety on an XD is that, internally, it is a true single action. So, when you rack the slide, the striker is fully cocked (unlike a Glock which is somewhere around 60%). If it's in the right kind of hard-sided holster, I wouldn't mind banding or taping the grip safety down. I have seen people bobble their grip on the draw, while on the move, and fail to deactivate it; and, I have done it myself. That said, the grip safety is big enough and pretty easy to deactivate (pretty bobble free).

Actually it is not. You can remove the GS. Just do a search over on XDtalk.com as several guys have done it with no problems.

[DWARREN123]

You would have to try not to activate the grip safety if gripping in firing mode. To me almost impossible not to activate it.

[Guest GUTTERbOY]

I will say though, that when you pull the trigger and the gun does not go bang, it is very disorienting. You sit there looking at it wondering what is going on. Now, it is burned into my brain that if it doesn't fire, check my grip. It's kind of like one of those classes where they make you turn around and someone does something to disable your gun, and you have to figure out what it is.

It is disorienting. When I was in NC, I took the permit course there with my roommate. At the time, the only pistol he owned was a .44 Redhawk, so I offered to let him shoot my Ruger P94, while I shot my XD. After we'd run the course of fire for a grade, we all had the opportunity to go again if we wanted. So Dan and I swapped pistols and went for round 2. Problem was, after recently running the course with the XD, my brain was not ready to process a manual safety.

Two shots from the low ready!

Ready on the right!

Ready on the left!

Line is ready... watch your targets... FIRE!

CLICK

wtf?!??! oh, safety, duh.

That was a moment of sheer confusion for me.

[Guest db99wj]

My first thoughts is Tap and rack slide, then fire, repeat if necessary. If the slide is stuck shut(empty gets caught in the chamber with slide closed and locked), grab top of slide with left hand, and hit the grip, where the grip safety is gently then harder, harder, until the stuck case comes free. Then rack for good measure, fire.

I learned tap and rack way back when to deal with misfires and the other method in a street class that I have taken where we were shooting with empty's mixed in to simulate misfires, ie tap and rack drills, when this happend, I didn't know what to do when it happened. The instructor had mentioned it and demonstrated the technique. It did it on me later, the technique works. I have had to do it one more time when I practiced with empty's. I like snap caps better because my XD hates empty shell casings in it.