Adding an external safety to an M&P 9mm?

[Luke E.]

My carry pistol is an M&P 9mm with no external safety, it has the hole in the frame for and external safety though. Does anyone know off hand what is involved/needed to add or convert it over? I'm guessing it's not as simple as adding a selector but hoping it isn't a major ordeal or flat out impossible.

[pops572]

As long as you have the frame cut outs you shoupd have the safety block as well, all you need is the safety, plunger, and spring. 5 minute job if you can find the parts. I just did the swap with a member here last week. He wanted one I didnt, worked well for both of us.

[LawVol]

speedshooterspecialties.com should have the parts you need.

[Luke E.]

As long as you have the frame cut outs you shoupd have the safety block as well, all you need is the safety, plunger, and spring. 5 minute job if you can find the parts. I just did the swap with a member here last week. He wanted one I didnt, worked well for both of us.

The frame has the hole for the lever to go through and has the lil safe/unsafe arrow around it. I'll try and get a pic or 2 put up here so you can see if it looks right to you since you recently dealt with it.

[Luke E.]

speedshooterspecialties.com should have the parts you need.

Thanks, i'll go have a look.

[pops572]

This http://www.speedshooterspecialties.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=103_90_115&products_id=883

and this http://www.speedshooterspecialties.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=103_90_115&products_id=1188

will be all you need.

 And that arrow that you see is most likely the lock hole. I have not seen any frames with an arrow for the safety, unless it is a really new addition.

Edited May 10, 2013 by pops572

[tercel89]

The frame has the hole for the lever to go through and has the lil safe/unsafe arrow around it. I'll try and get a pic or 2 put up here so you can see if it looks right to you since you recently dealt with it.

Yes , try to get some pics of your frame so we can see it and let you know for sure. I have taken a manual safety off of one before and installed one but you may be talking about a different hole. One is for the manual "thumb safety" that is a square cut out. The round one is for the "key lock" safety.

[Luke E.]

Oh. Well I'll have to take another look because what I was looking at was a round hole not square. Not saying the square one isn't there but I never looked into it any further than the round hole. So if there's no square hole I'm outta luck huh?

[pops572]

Oh. Well I'll have to take another look because what I was looking at was a round hole not square. Not saying the square one isn't there but I never looked into it any further than the round hole. So if there's no square hole I'm outta luck huh?

Yes without the square hole you are not going to make that frame a safety one without some serious gunsmithing, unless you can find someone to trade frames with. How old is the gun? Pretty much any made in the last 4 years or so should have the cutouts though.

[Luke E.]

Bought it used so I can't say for sure how old she is. I'll run back into the office and check it out though.

[Luke E.]

Not sure how to post a pic from my phone but I don't have a square hole so it looks like I'm striking out this time. While I would love to swap frames with someone to be able to add the external safety I can't see anyone wanting to swap their newer frame for mine. I guess I could put up a classified ad just in case though. Thanks for the help guys.

[pops572]

Here is a pretty good shot of the two holes, so you can see for sure. It is on the FDE frame, but it shows better than the black one. The pic is a little way down the page. Note the square frame plugs just slightly ahead of the lock hole and back from the slide release.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=GOt2zo1LmJd6-M&tbnid=aAee_XuVG8yXoM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ar15.com%2Farchive%2Ftopic.html%3Fb%3D5%26f%3D16%26t%3D109501&ei=5w6NUai4GIqo8QTd4oGgBg&bvm=bv.46340616,d.eWU&psig=AFQjCNEz4yzTyjYbpczo5OTS6kdb5S4TJQ&ust=1368285268345649

 

And this for a really good look.

http://modernserviceweapons.com/?p=1938

Edited May 10, 2013 by pops572

[Luke E.]

Here is a pretty good shot of the two holes, so you can see for sure. It is on the FDE frame, but it shows better than the black one. The pic is a little way down the page. Note the square frame plugs just slightly ahead of the lock hole and back from the slide release.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=GOt2zo1LmJd6-M&tbnid=aAee_XuVG8yXoM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ar15.com%2Farchive%2Ftopic.html%3Fb%3D5%26f%3D16%26t%3D109501&ei=5w6NUai4GIqo8QTd4oGgBg&bvm=bv.46340616,d.eWU&psig=AFQjCNEz4yzTyjYbpczo5OTS6kdb5S4TJQ&ust=1368285268345649

 

And this for a really good look.

http://modernserviceweapons.com/?p=1938

Well i looked again just to make sure but i have no square hole. I got a little excited about being able to do this but now that excitement has turned into disappointment.  I guess if it ever starts to bother me to much i'll just go buy one with the external safety already in place. But man do i hate buying more guns HA

[pops572]

Just a thought, but you could call S&W customer service and explain the situation, they may have an upgrade service or something that would be cheaper than selling and rebuying. Or maybe their custom shop actually offers the service of cutting the holes and adding a safety? 

Edited May 10, 2013 by pops572

[Luke E.]

Just a thought, but you could call S&W customer service and explain the situation, they may have an upgrade service or something that would be cheaper than selling and rebuying. Or maybe their custom shop actually offers the service of cutting the holes and adding a safety? 

Well it would only be half as much trouble as you thought because i would only buy and not sell. I don't think i could get rid of this one. Calling S&W sounds like a good idea, i didn't think about that. I'll give them a call or email and see what they say.

[Chadastrophic]

You still have a trigger safety. Why pay more for another safety?

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

[Luke E.]

The little flex trigger safety is a joke. You pull the trigger to fire the pistol and you pull the trigger to disengage the safety. Seems like to me that if something happened that would cause the trigger to be depressed that the safety would accomplish nothing. My trigger doesn't know my index finger from anything else. Just a personal preference I guess.

[tercel89]

The little flex trigger safety is a joke. You pull the trigger to fire the pistol and you pull the trigger to disengage the safety. Seems like to me that if something happened that would cause the trigger to be depressed that the safety would accomplish nothing. My trigger doesn't know my index finger from anything else. Just a personal preference I guess.

So the way it is right now is pretty much like a Glock , right ? I have been carrying a Glock 22 on duty as an officer for 16 yrs now  with a full magazine and one round in the chamber and no problems yet . Just keep your finger out of the trigger guard and you are good to go ! Trust me , I mean really trust me , a manual safety will get you hurt or killed while trying to operate it.  :usa: 

[Luke E.]

So the way it is right now is pretty much like a Glock , right ? I have been carrying a Glock 22 on duty as an officer for 16 yrs now with a full magazine and one round in the chamber and no problems yet . Just keep your finger out of the trigger guard and you are good to go ! Trust me , I mean really trust me , a manual safety will get you hurt or killed while trying to operate it. :usa:

I don't put it on the same level as a Glock trigger safety. The Glock setup is actually 2 pieces and is a little better than the M&P setup in my opinion. I'm well aware of how to handle a firearm the correct way and I'm also used to flipping a safety on and off on each of my other firearms. If the M&P external safety weren't so similar to my other firearms I prolly wouldn't even consider it but it is. It doesn't look as though I have the option anyways. Btw I would be very content with the Glock trigger safety if it didn't have a Glock frame wrapped around it. Great guns but feel weird in my hand.

[Chadastrophic]

Maybe take a look at Apex Tactical, they offer a trigger that's more Glock like. They are also close to releasing a more rounded polymer trigger as well, not sure if that will be M&P like or Glock.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

[Luke E.]

Maybe take a look at Apex Tactical, they offer a trigger that's more Glock like. They are also close to releasing a more rounded polymer trigger as well, not sure if that will be M&P like or Glock.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

I'll take a look. It's not a huge deal and I won't lose any sleep over it if it stays the way it is from here on out. The only time that I really thought "hey I should check on that" was when i was driving and had layed my pistol on the console and my dog ( who hates cigarette smoke with a passion) got pretty worked up about our neighbor at the traffic light smoking. She bounced around there and stomped her big paw on the pistol and made me nervous. While I won't make that mistake again it just had me thinking. Edited May 10, 2013 by Luke Edwards