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part-time shooter
03-27-2011, 06:58 PM
I've got a problem that's been plaguing me for a bit that I thought I'd be able to resolve with dry fire practice but so far I'm still having issues with it.

I'm shooting an M&P with a thumb safety and unlike the 1911 who's safety is completely locked out when the slide is locked back the M&P's safety can be engaged at damned near anytime you please. At first I thought this was a great thing because you can load and unload with the safety engaged etc. I'm not such a huge fan at the moment though.

I'm having an issue re-engaging the safety during my reloads, when I roll the gun up to hit the release with my right thumb I take it off the thumb safety. I think I'm catching it with my thumb on the way back up to rest on top of the safety and engaging it as I'm pushing the gun back towards my target. I think, I don't do it going slow, only when I'm trying to swap in a new mag as fast as possible, not uncontrolable fast but fast enough that I'm causing myself this issue. It's possible I'm doing it when I'm dropping the slide with the release with my right thumb, I find that's faster than my off hand thumb, for me.

I'm thinking it's just sloppy handling that the 1911 has always allowed me to get away with, like a fairly sloppy trigger press, the 1911 doesn't care so much but the M&P does. I fixed the trigger press with hours of dry fire and a few hundred live rounds but I'm not able to fix this problem so far.

Has anyone else suffered from this issue? and solved it? am I just being sloppy with my thumb as I reacquire my firing grip or is there somthing I'm doing wrong at a more fundamental level. I've always rode the thumb safety on a 1911 and I do with the M&P as well. Is this totally incorrect? It causes me fits when shooting a Sig as I tend to ride the slide release from habit but that's not relevant to the M&P.

Any insight will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

SLG
03-27-2011, 07:05 PM
You said that you ride the safety of a 1911, and now the M&P. After you reload, don't you then put your thumb back on top of the safety? If so, can't you disengage it as you press out?

With the Sig, you have to learn to kick your right thumb further to the left, so instead of pointing down the barrel, it is pointing about 45 degrees to the left.

BCL
03-27-2011, 07:07 PM
Ive never encountered the issue as i ride my right hand thumb on the thumb safety.

Do you do the same? Or do you put your strong-hand thumb somewhere else?

Sent from my Thunderbolt using Tapatalk

part-time shooter
03-27-2011, 08:01 PM
I do still ride the safety on the M&P but the problem isn't consistent. I catch myself at full extension with the safety on at random, but it's always after a reload that it happens. Yes with my thumb sitting on the engaged safety, I don't maintain downward pressure on it I guess. Maybe I should mash it as I press it out again, I normally disengage it at the "top" of my draw just before the press out.

I was thinking of working on using my support hand to hit the slide release instead of my right thumb. The more I try to recreate the issue moving slowly the more I think it's being caused by my use of my right thumb to drop the slide on the new mag. The safety is trapped between my thumb and the frame as I reach for the release and I'm probably pulling the safety back into SAFE as I pull my thumb back into position on the grip. I'm doing something stupid like that and just not catching it.

DocGKR
03-28-2011, 02:09 AM
-- Keep your thumb on top of the safety

-- Modify the safety to ensure more positive function

Rocket20_Ginsu
04-01-2011, 10:17 PM
here is a method you can use to make your safety more positive like a 1911:

http://mp-pistol.com/boards/index.php?showtopic=26004&st=0&p=260473&#entry260473

all it takes is a small file and a little bit of time. I really liked the difference.

GU

MechEng
04-04-2011, 08:39 AM
here is a method you can use to make your safety more positive like a 1911:

http://mp-pistol.com/boards/index.php?showtopic=26004&st=0&p=260473&#entry260473

all it takes is a small file and a little bit of time. I really liked the difference.

GU

I’ve used this method, on both the lower and upper notch (ON safe & OFF safe notch) of my M&P’s, to give a slightly firmer feel. At first I only firmed up the OFF safe notch but felt the safety flipped ON too easily so I slightly firmed up the ON safe notch as well. The key here is to go slow and don’t remove too much. You can always make it firmer but you can’t make it less firm if you go too far. Another way to put it, you can always remove more metal but you can’t put it back. Since you mentioned that you DO ride the safety and the problem appears random, this might help if your safety flicks ON to easy.

part-time shooter
04-04-2011, 03:31 PM
Thanks Rocket, Mech

I'll give that a try, the safety on the two M&P 45s I have are both very easy to flip on and off, I'll see if this works for them. I prefer a nice solid "click" in both directions.