XD9 grip safety vs glock 19

[analog_kidd]

I was originally attracted to the XD because of the grip safety, since I have grandkids that come over frequently. But it really came down to it just felt better in my hand.

One feature of the grip safety I didn't realize till after I bought it, if you holster it by moving your thumb from the grip to the back of the slide and use your thumb to push the gun down into the holster, the grip safety automatically becomes disengaged. Use this method to reholster, and it reduced the chance of a ND. Of course as has already been mentioned, one needs to always be contientious about handling their firearm anyway, but one more piece of added safety never hurts.

I will say also, that you need to practice drawing it from the holster and shooting it as if it were a real life situation. I was practicing drawing from underneath a cover shirt and firing at my range one day, and the gun did not go bang as expected. I looked at my grip, and the grip saftety was not engaged. In my haste to draw, I didn't have a good, solid grip. It was a real eye-opener for me. Not a problem now, I practice and develop muscle memory, but just be aware that in a real world situation, when you are scared and your hands are not working properly, this is the kind of thing that can happen.

If you do decide to practice drawing and firing, do it at home first, with a gun that has been unloaded (twice, and by two seperate people ) and dry firing in a safe direction. Then make sure it is ok to practice with live ammo at your range, and OK with others that may be there.

[Oh Shoot]

...I was practicing drawing from underneath a cover shirt and firing at my range one day, and the gun did not go bang as expected. I looked at my grip, and the grip saftety was not engaged. In my haste to draw, I didn't have a good, solid grip. ..

I've not found a way to actually pull the trigger and NOT have the grip safety depressed. Would take a very contrived grip on my part to do it. Maybe if I had larger hands I could make it fail.

No diff from a 1911.

- OS

Edited July 10, 2009 by OhShoot

[Guest AeroEngrSoftDevMBA]

This isn't intended to offend anyone, and is in no way meant as a personal attack on anyone else.

If you need a grip safety to prevent discharging your gun into your leg, you need to pay more attention to what you are doing. There is no such thing as an accidental discharge. If you are aware of what you are doing, and remain mindful of how things will interact with your gun it is impossible for it to go off unless you actually want it to.

You don't mean to offend anyone. That's fine. But still I need to clarify my original point.

I always pay attention to what I'm doing. But I accept that I am human and human's make mistakes. So while I can sit here now an pontificate on how safety conscious I am, there may come a time when (for whatever reason) I may be distracted while holstering my weapon. I can't think of a situation now. I don't think it will ever happen. But I just don't know for sure. So for ME I like having that extra little bit of reassurance that the grip safety provides.

[Oh Shoot]

You don't mean to offend anyone. That's fine. But still I need to clarify my original point.

I always pay attention to what I'm doing. But I accept that I am human and human's make mistakes. So while I can sit here now an pontificate on how safety conscious I am, there may come a time when (for whatever reason) I may be distracted while holstering my weapon. I can't think of a situation now. I don't think it will ever happen. But I just don't know for sure. So for ME I like having that extra little bit of reassurance that the grip safety provides.

Exactly how I feel about the grip safety, too, well stated.

Besides, if John Moses Browning got the word from on high to put it in there, who am I to disagree?

- OS

[Guest momuzyk]

Thanks everyone for all of the input, I really do appreciate. I have an XD9 & found a glock 19 used. I'll shoot both, clean them, wear them, etc and figure out which one I really like. Im going to take my HCP class next week!

Thanks,

[Smith]

Exactly how I feel about the grip safety, too, well stated.

Besides, if John Moses Browning got the word from on high to put it in there, who am I to disagree?

- OS

Of course he did right the wrong on the perfected 1911..... the Hi-Power!

[Oh Shoot]

Exactly how I feel about the grip safety, too, well stated.

Besides, if John Moses Browning got the word from on high to put it in there, who am I to disagree?

- OS

Of course he did right the wrong on the perfected 1911..... the Hi-Power!

Careful man...better to be a Socialist Satanist than to diss JMB in this forum!

- OS

[Smith]

Careful man...better to be a Socialist Satanist than to diss JMB in this forum!

- OS

I don't think you can diss someone with the same person.

[cadillacdude1975]

Springfield did the homework on the ergonomics of the XD platform. the backstrap area of the XD is far superior to that of a Glock IMHO. and that is coming from a Glock owner.

[Guest Micromancer]

You don't mean to offend anyone. That's fine. But still I need to clarify my original point.

I always pay attention to what I'm doing. But I accept that I am human and human's make mistakes. So while I can sit here now an pontificate on how safety conscious I am, there may come a time when (for whatever reason) I may be distracted while holstering my weapon. I can't think of a situation now. I don't think it will ever happen. But I just don't know for sure. So for ME I like having that extra little bit of reassurance that the grip safety provides.

I can completely see your point, and can appreciate your point of view. My only real dissent comes from putting enough stock in trigger discipline and focus to know I won't be distracted by something. Especially to the point where it would require equipment that is statistically more likely to cause a negligent discharge.

To me, "I have a grip safety, I'll be OK." is entirely too much like "yeah, I'm sure I cleared the chamber." It invites laziness and increases the comfort zone past safe conditions promoting the chances of harm. To myself and those around me. I'm totally not bashing you at all for your point of view - just saying that it doesn't work for me.

[Guest 3pugguy]

I can completely see your point, and can appreciate your point of view. My only real dissent comes from putting enough stock in trigger discipline and focus to know I won't be distracted by something. Especially to the point where it would require equipment that is statistically more likely to cause a negligent discharge.

To me, "I have a grip safety, I'll be OK." is entirely too much like "yeah, I'm sure I cleared the chamber." It invites laziness and increases the comfort zone past safe conditions promoting the chances of harm. To myself and those around me. I'm totally not bashing you at all for your point of view - just saying that it doesn't work for me.

+1

[Spiffy]

Sounds like a "training issue". I was trained as a small child what would happen if I touched a gun without Dad being present. Let's just say I took my father at his word about how my back side would feel if I was ever foolish enough to touch a gun alone.

[Guest icehead]

Sounds like a "training issue". I was trained as a small child what would happen if I touched a gun without Dad being present. Let's just say I took my father at his word about how my back side would feel if I was ever foolish enough to touch a gun alone.

LOL! Must have went to the same training I did! The XD back strap safety to me is another thing that can go wrong with a firearm. The XD fits my hand better but the Glock is MORON simple...don't touch it, it won't bite. Don't have to worry about hand placement. Well, I guess you got to worry about limp wristing, but you can put the NY trigger on it and that is about 7-8lbs from what I hear. Thats alot of pressure for a child to pull.