Use of the safety on Smith and Wesson shield for appendix inside the waist band carry

[Mitchell, Esq.]

What is the consensus on using the safety on the Smith and Wesson shield when carrying it A-IWB?

Are people using it, or just ignoring it in the off position and treating it like a flat glock?

Thank you.

[jetfire]

I treat it like a flat Glock.

[DocGKR]

Don't run a Shield, but do use the safety on my M&P9c's...

[VolGrad]

I treat it like a flat Glock.

This


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[breakingtime91]

I use the thumb saftey on my mp 9c also. I like having a saftey and I think it's a good idea to use it if it's on the gun..

[TTS]

Because of the extremely small safety on the Shield, I always leave it off.

[Mr_White]

Based on the trigger, I'd have no problem with the Shield if they'd manufactured it without the safety. So strictly from the standpoint of safety, I'd have no problem simply ignoring the manual safety and leaving it off all the time.

However, there is a potential problem with practicing to ignore a manual safety, which is that if the safety becomes inadvertently activated and you've practiced ignoring it...might not be a good moment if you have to draw and fire with a quickness. I'm sure that's not always going to happen, and some safeties are a lot harder to move than others.

[TGS]

However, there is a potential problem with practicing to ignore a manual safety, which is that if the safety becomes inadvertently activated and you've practiced ignoring it...might not be a good moment if you have to draw and fire with a quickness. I'm sure that's not always going to happen, and some safeties are a lot harder to move than others.

I was just thinking of this, and whether anyone here has had this happen.

[LittleLebowski]

You can't yank the safety like on the M&Ps?

[DocGKR]

It is much smaller. If I had a Shield, I'd likely leave if off as noted above by other users.

[orionz06]

You can't yank the safety like on the M&Ps?


It can be removed.

[45dotACP]

I'd remove it if possible. I've done the "forget to wipe the safety" after running a glock 34 and leaving my 1911 in the safe. It has made me consider a M&P with a thumb safety just for that reason alone.

[SWAT Lt.]

I like carrying the Shield AIWB. I engage the safety, holster, and then disengage the safety once the gun is in the holster. That way the gun is much safer to holster yet operates no differently than my G19, with no safety to disengage, when I draw.

[JAD]

I'd remove it if possible. I've done the "forget to wipe the safety" after running a glock 34 and leaving my 1911 in the safe. It has made me consider a M&P with a thumb safety just for that reason alone.

I don't wipe safties, I ride them. If you can't ride them, I don't buy the gun. If it doesn't have a thumb safety or a decocker, I don't think I'm going to buy that gun anymore. The more time I spend with my Glock, the less I feel comfortable with it.

[TCinVA]

What is the consensus on using the safety on the Smith and Wesson shield when carrying it A-IWB?

Are people using it, or just ignoring it in the off position and treating it like a flat glock?

Thank you.

In ECQC I evolved to engaging it to reholster, disengaging it right before the gun was fully seated in the holster. Using the safety to basically get through the reholster danger zone and then taking it off since I had trouble disengaging it on the draw.

[Nephrology]

Has anyone ever experienced accidental re-enagement of the safety? This is my primary concern with the Shield and basically the only reason I don't own one yet.

I have one acquaintance that claims he has but he is not the most, er, switched on individual in the world, and so it's possible it was a user error of some nature.

[JV_]

In ECQC I evolved to engaging it to reholster, disengaging it right before the gun was fully seated in the holster. Using the safety to basically get through the reholster danger zone and then taking it off since I had trouble disengaging it on the draw.

I don't know about the internals of the Shield, but are there any risks of a discharge when the safety comes off? I'm thinking about that old Remington 700 recall ...

[WDW]

No, the only way it can fire is by pulling the trigger. The safety merely inhibits rearward movement. The Firing pin safety still has to be depressed.

[SWAT Lt.]

Has anyone ever experienced accidental re-enagement of the safety? This is my primary concern with the Shield and basically the only reason I don't own one yet.

I have one acquaintance that claims he has but he is not the most, er, switched on individual in the world, and so it's possible it was a user error of some nature.

I have shot mine a fair amount, have fired ones belonging to friends, and have been around a few friends firing theirs. I have not experienced, or seen, a Shield safety activated other than intentionally.

[TCinVA]

I don't know about the internals of the Shield, but are there any risks of a discharge when the safety comes off? I'm thinking about that old Remington 700 recall ...

The safety on the M&P pistols simply blocks rearward movement of the trigger, so no worries there.

[Rack]

I've wondered about the reliability of removing the safety or having it fixed in the off position (pinned?). I saw a video of a chap that said his engaged twice and he decided to stop carrying the Shield and it made me realize the potential of that happening. If it wasn't such a small safety, I would just practice disengaging it each time.

[KevinB]

It's easy to remove.

I've debated drilling and tapping mine so its pinned off, mainly as if I remove it, I end up with this empty spot on the frame that I'm not comfortable with.
It's awkward to engage or disengage so I'm not too concerned with the potential (extremely unlikely) for it to switch on accidentally.

[Rich]

If I had a M&P or shield I would use / have the safety and also have a mag disconnect .

I never had a problem with those features

[Smaug]

The only instance of a Shield's safety being inadvertently engaged in-holster that I'm aware of was with a guy who carried his in a fanny pack at the gym.

[Doublea17]

I have not carried my Shield AIWB but have carried it OWB and IWB with safety off and not once has it switched to the safe position by accident or any other reason except for me switching it on. Once I find right AIWB I will probably do what SWAt Lt does holster it with safety on then switch it off

[Rack]

The only instance of a Shield's safety being inadvertently engaged in-holster that I'm aware of was with a guy who carried his in a fanny pack at the gym.

That's the one I saw. I don't know anything about the guy that did the video, just that it made me aware of the potential.

[Beat Trash]

I use the safety as an administrative safety only. I engage it when I holster the gun in a vest holster under my uniform shirt, taking the safety off when the gun is in the holster. The safety is very easy to remove. I had to do so when installing an Apex hard sear in my gun. Debated leaving the safety off of the gun, but in the end I was concerned about the hole allowing junk into the frame.

[HopetonBrown]

I swear I just read somewhere that an LE barcoded version sans safety is coming out.

[KevinB]

I swear I just read somewhere that an LE barcoded version sans safety is coming out.

I got a LE gun - but would buy another if it came without the safety.

[DocGKR]

Take the manual safety off, fill the hole with Marine Tex.

[MGW]

I swear I just read somewhere that an LE barcoded version sans safety is coming out.

Ditto. I can't seem to find where I read it though.

[Up1911Fan]

I treat my Shield like a Glock, no safety.