Poll - On your carry gun; Safety or no Safety?

[Jonnin]

Not much in the way of responses --- there are safeties and then there are safeties. Most of the guns I have carried did not need the safety: their first shot (DA/SA guns here) was harder to achieve than a glock and on par with a safetyless DAO pistol. Such guns, the safety is not necessary. I have moved on toward the newer generation of small single action pistols, which have a short and light trigger that is downright dangerous without a safety. Big difference in these guns and relative need for a safety! So now I have to vote yes, becaues my gun choice would be unsafe without it.

[mikegideon]

Not much in the way of responses --- there are safeties and then there are safeties. Most of the guns I have carried did not need the safety: their first shot (DA/SA guns here) was harder to achieve than a glock and on par with a safetyless DAO pistol. Such guns, the safety is not necessary. I have moved on toward the newer generation of small single action pistols, which have a short and light trigger that is downright dangerous without a safety. Big difference in these guns and relative need for a safety! So now I have to vote yes, becaues my gun choice would be unsafe without it.

Yep. I don't have a good enough relationship with the man upstairs to carry a 1911 in Condition 0. It's one of the reasons I prefer striker guns.

[Mdunntn]

Depends on the gun and position of the safety, its not a cut and dry topic. My lcp has no safety and doesn't bother me, my sr9c has a easily turned off thumb safety and I like that its there.

Sent from Behind a Set of Crosshairs

[RobertNashville]

I usually carry a Glock, sometimes a 1911...I'm comfortable with both.

The only safety that can truly prevent an ND is the one between the ears - if you do stupid stuff with your carry weapon, eventually, it won't matter what kind of safety you have or don't have on it.

I didn't answer the poll because I option three is a bit insulting...I don't "fumble" with a safety nor do I sweep my thumb for nothing...I practice enough with both to know what I have to do or not do with the weapon I'm carrying.

Edited October 31, 2012 by RobertNashville

[daddyo]

When I bought my M&P9c a couple or three years ago, it had the manual safety and was a great deal. But a training class confirmed for me that carrying a weapon with a manual safety can get you killed unless you commit yourself to making the safety sweep second nature. I know I could have carried it with the safety disengaged, but I took it to a smith and had the safety removed just to get it out of the way. I like it much better now.

Edited November 1, 2012 by DaddyO

[Volzfan]

I carry a CZ that has a decocker rather than a safety. I don't want to have to deal with a safety in an emergency!

[DaveTN]

Well, the wording of the poll sure doesn’t intend it to be taken seriously does it? “When I carry a gun with a safety I’ll sweep my gun for nothing..â€

Really? That has nothing to do with guns and everything to do with intelligence. Maybe some people shouldn’t carry guns.

I would prefer both a magazine disconnect and a safety option, although sometimes I don’t use it. It’s all application driven.

I have the ability to know what I’m carrying and whether or not I need to deal with a safety. Every rifle I own has a safety and I use them also.

I have probably 10 or 12 different carry guns. Following the logic of this thread; I need to get rid of all except the ones that function the same.

[Guest drv2fst]

I didn't answer the poll because I option three is a bit insulting...I don't "fumble" with a safety nor do I sweep my thumb for nothing...I practice enough with both to know what I have to do or not do with the weapon I'm carrying.

Yes, I tried to keep the thread light by making all of the options a little insulting. Certainly, they reflect my own fears/concerns. When my primary carry is 1911 and I take a Glock to the range, I find myself trying to flip the safety off the first time I draw the Glock. I train for 1911 more than anything else.

Edited November 1, 2012 by drv2fst

[Guest drv2fst]

Well, the wording of the poll sure doesn’t intend it to be taken seriously does it? “When I carry a gun with a safety I’ll sweep my gun for nothing..â€

Really? That has nothing to do with guns and everything to do with intelligence. Maybe some people shouldn’t carry guns.

...

I have probably 10 or 12 different carry guns. Following the logic of this thread; I need to get rid of all except the ones that function the same.

Yes, it's meant to poke fun at us all, but still elicit some honest discussion.

I have struggled many times with trying to keep all my guns with the same manual of operations. I'm obsessive like that about some things. I usually get rid of all my striker fired guns and buy all 1911's then about a year or two later reverse that and go back to all striker fired guns. It's exhausting.

[BigK]

My carry preferences are SA/DA w/ decocker, striker fired, and DAO in that order. None would have an external manual safety.

That being said, I have a couple of guns with external manual safeties, I just don't use the safety when I carry them. I'm with those who say that operator is responsible for that safety of the weapon, not a device.

[Guest ArmaDeFuego]

I dont like external safeties. I do like the grip safety on my XDm however.

[kwe45919]

Carried Glocks for 7 to 8 years now....tried saftey's and fumbled with them to much. I'm not a professional[sup] [/sup]nor to I posses skills to accuratly drive pure muscle memory out of my butt to defend myself. I swear to God I'd "Barney Fife" the friggin' gun if it had an external saftey to deal with now. Like revolvers, I want to draw, point and shoot quickly. I can do that with Glocks and others like them.

Any saftey levered gun I've owned in the past years have always ended up as range guns. Don't recall even trying to carry one.....ever since I started with my first Glock, I've never looked back.

[TMF]

[quote name='kwe45919' timestamp='1352522941' post='842944']Carried Glocks for 7 to 8 years now....tried saftey's and fumbled with them to much. I'm not a professional[sup] [/sup]nor to I posses skills to accuratly drive pure muscle memory out of my butt to defend myself. I swear to God I'd "Barney Fife" the friggin' gun if it had an external saftey to deal with now. Like revolvers, I want to draw, point and shoot quickly. I can do that with Glocks and others like them.

Any saftey levered gun I've owned in the past years have always ended up as range guns. Don't recall even trying to carry one.....ever since I started with my first Glock, I've never looked back. [/quote]

Yeah, this is what I'm always bringing up in regard to handguns with safeties. If you can't devote the time to getting the muscle memory down to disengage the safety as you present, it is better to just ditch the safety altogether. Some people can do it. I can switch back between a 1911 and Glock without missing a beat, but it took a lot of pain to get there.

[Guest ThePunisher]

[quote name='Volzfan' timestamp='1351770381' post='837053']
I carry a CZ that has a decocker rather than a safety. I don't want to have to deal with a safety in an emergency!
[/quote]

I also have a CZ and a Walther PPKS with decockers that I carry.

[tennessee01tacoma]

My Sig is a da/sa pistol I feel plenty safe chambered and decocked I practice drawing and taking the first shot with the da trigger pull. I'm just as accurate out to 15 yards either way just working on speed but I known more than likely if I have to draw and.shoot in a hurry there will be no aiming just point and squeeze.

[Will H]

I now carry my Beretta Px4 Storm Subcompact with the safety off, decocked. I put the safety on when holstering it, make sure the weapon is just right, then flip off the safety.

[Guest jkb4c]

I'm a 1911 guy, so you know which one I chose. I didn't choose the weapon for the safety, however. I picked it for the trigger and the safety is just part of that system.

I think either way is fine, as long as you carry the weapon in the condition it was intended to be carried. Like others have said, if you carry a 1911, it is important to develop that muscle memory to click the safety off; at the same time, carrying a striker fired pistol requires more training on the trigger end of things, learning to manage that heavier, longer pull. It's a tradeoff either way.


I do kind of think DA/SA is the worst of both worlds though A trigger than changes as you use it, soundly defeating muscle memory.

Edited November 13, 2012 by jkb4c

[TMF]

[quote name='jkb4c' timestamp='1352832973' post='844903']
I do kind of think DA/SA is the worst of both worlds though A trigger than changes as you use it, soundly defeating muscle memory.[/quote]

This has always been my rationale. Not that it can't be done, and done well by folks that shoot a lot, but I'm too lazy for that. I carry a 1911 for that reason. Same light pull every time.

[Will H]

I can see why some people do not like the DA/SA action, but I am pretty sure if I am in a self defense situation I would not be bothered by trigger pull differences, especially the likely hood of 3 rounds 3 seconds from 3 feet.

[tennessee01tacoma]

[quote name='Will H' timestamp='1352836542' post='844932']
I can see why some people do not like the DA/SA action, but I am pretty sure if I am in a self defense situation I would not be bothered by trigger pull differences, especially the likely hood of 3 rounds 3 seconds from 3 feet.
[/quote]+1 In a sd shooting they're not gonna score you on how tight your grouping is. I practice my draw and I don't have to worry about a safety. As I'm practicing my draw I make sure my grip is consistent and my trigger finger goes right where it needs to be and even though the reset is different after that first shot I have got used to making that next shot quickly.

[TapRackBang20]

I think the options could be worded a little better....

No safety here. I carry with a round in the chamber. All my holsters completely cover the trigger and trigger guard to prevent stuff from getting in there. Follow the 3 rules and you'll be ok

[Guest Broomhead]

I carry an older KT P-11, it has what seems to be a 20lbs, 5 mile long trigger pull. You have to deliberately pull the trigger to fire the gun. That and the safety between my ears are all that I feel I need. I am comfortable carrying with one in the chamber too.

[-Bristol-]

[quote name='luvmyberetta' timestamp='1351631720' post='836173']
One in the chamber, hammer down, no safety. DA/SA
[/quote]


^^^^^^^^^^^^What he said

[chances R]

#3 because I carry several different guns, depending on activity and clothing, or possible encounters. Its kind of funny how the mind works in that I can't recall any operator confusion with the controls of any of my firearms. I have switched shotguns many times from, top mounted tang safties, push button in front or behind trigger guard, to double trigger side by sides to a few target guns without an operating safety. I think it all comes down to between the ears and familiarity with your platforms.

[bubbiesdad]

I usually carry a CZ 75B, cocked and locked. However, if I carry a striker fired handgun, thumb sweeping the safety that isn't there causes no ill effect.