Safeties - How do we (or not) adapt to them?

[dustyvarmint]

After IDPA SOing for awhile I notice some people who shoot a variety of guns inevitably do not disengage the thumb safety as they engage the stage and then must consciously do so to engage the stage. I only have non-thumb-safety center-fire pistols so I don't know how I'd do with this in IDPA or extremis.

However, from a hunting perspective, whether the safety is on the forward trigger guard (870), on top of the receiver (Mossberg) or cross-hammer (Marlin lever) I've always adapted very quickly. It should be noted that I have very poor reflexes and it had been 25-plus years since I'd bird hunted with an 870 (that I had to borrow when I had a self-inflicted malf on my Mossberg). I say that not for show, but to note that I would be the last person that I'd think would successfully adapt to various safeties.

How do we (or not) adapt to the safeties? What is the science, if anyone has some to share.

happy shooting,

PS. I searched for a similar topic, first, but found nothing I thought was applicable in the 7 pages returned.

[SecondsCount]

....some people who shoot a variety of guns....

That would be the biggest issue that I see. Stress will magnify the lack of training or practice with a particular firearm.

I find it best to practice engaging and disengaging the safety when going on and off target. If possible on guns like a 1911, I try to ride the safety when shooting.

[AtomicToaster]

This thread, while mostly about decocking, is relevant to your question:

http://pistol-forum.com/showthread.p...-Safe-a-Pistol

Edit: fixed link

[Tamara]

How do we (or not) adapt to the safeties?

Years of 1911 shooting has me putting my thumb atop the safety as a matter of acquiring my grip on the gun, and shooting with the thumb bearing down on the safety.

(Under the "shooting a variety of guns" column, that habit has caused problems when shooting borrowed HKs by turning them into DA/DA action instead of DA/SA. )

[GardoneVT]

I don't know about the science. What I can say is this- before my unpleasent encounter with a bad guy in a parking lot last year , I used to think the people wailing about safeties being a liability for self defense were naysaying keyboard jockies.

Afterwards, I realized that sugar can turn to sludge with a quickness that defies language to explain. Nowadays I only carry guns which are ready to fire in the holster.Because , frankly, I'll be lucky if I catch the attack fast enough just to get the pistol out of the holster . Flipping levers might only take a moment, but that's a moment I didn't have before and might not get again.

[Tamara]

If you're taking a moment to operate the safety, like it's the fifth count of your four count drawstroke or something, you're doing it wrong.

[NETim]

I just don't know. I am far from an expert on this stuff. I've never had to engage anyone with any kind of handgun. But the safety is off before the 1911 is leveled and on its way out on the draw stroke.

[GardoneVT]

I just don't know. I am far from an expert on this stuff. I've never had to engage anyone with any kind of handgun. But the safety is off before the 1911 is leveled and on its way out on the draw stroke.

I mean no snideness in saying the following, but I have to ask : what happens if the bad guy commences hostilities BEFORE your own weapon is leveled?

[DocGKR]

I prefer having a manual safety on a pistol, particularly those used for uniformed LE use, as I have twice seen officers' lives potentially saved when another person gained control of an officer's pistol, but the engaged manual safety prevented the weapon from firing. I don't like to think about the outcome if the pistols involved had been a Glock, Sig, XD, revolver, etc... A manual safety can also be an advantage when holstering (ex. AIWB) and doing administrative tasks. My safety comes off as the pistol goes on target--whether that is in a compressed retention position or with the pistol normally extended.

[NETim]

I mean no snideness in saying the following, but I have to ask : what happens if the bad guy commences hostilities BEFORE your own weapon is leveled?

No problem. I can see no difference in practice. A Glock wouldn't be leveled and on target at that point either. "Snicking" off the safety occurs shortly after acquiring the grip and is a simultaneous part of the process, not an additional step.