To "Safety" or not?

[Unobtanium]

This thread ran in the Rifle/Carbine section, and I am curious how it translates to the shotgun, and why. I was always taught that with a pistol, you do not use the safety routinely, as you have your finger off of the trigger and are conscious of what you are doing with the weapon, OR you have it in a holster that occludes the trigger.

The carbine goes on a sling, and the trigger is not occluded, along with the fact that the safety doesn't cost anything time/ergonomics wise to activate/deactivate, so the safety is used when off target for ANY reason.

The shotgun seems to be the worst of both worlds, here. The weapon is slung/trigger is not occluded when not in use, AND with most shotguns, it is (impossible?) to rapidly employ the safety and then deactivate it (say, for loading).

I have not taken any shotgun courses, but I have, personally, been treating the shotgun like a pistol, except "holster" = slung/safety on.

Am I right? Am I wrong? How can I be a better shooter? Thanks!

[peterb]

With a Mossberg with a tang safety, safety on/off is fast if you are using a conventional stock. I try to safety on whenever there's not a target, or at least whenever I lower the muzzle or the shotgun comes off my shoulder.

I changed the safety button for better grip, especially with gloves.

Using a pistol-grip stock with a tang safety is an ergonomic disaster.

I don't have enough experience with an 870-style crossbolt safety to know how to run one well.

[JHC]

It might be two years now that we had a post on this topic that linked to the story of the young man in Texas that nearly lost his leg from apparently failing to safe this pistol gripped Mossberg 500.

In summary, he detected someone breaking into his truck outside. He stepped out with this shotgun and racked a round into the chamber and the their surrendered. His pistol gripped shottie was on some sort of single point sling.

He let the shotgun go to use both his hands on his phone to call 911 and when the shotgun descended on the sling it fired a load of OO buck into his left (IIRC) shin! I think it was presumed he hadn't safed it and the trigger hooked on something as the shotgun was lowered.

The thief helped him get into his bathtub before fleeing and he TQ'd himself and EMS showed up.

I don't have a sling on my 870 I keep with it's 18.5" barrel (full stock). My plan is to keep it in my hands. Should I have to use it, I will until it's empty and then I'll chuck it and go to a pistol. I don't believe I'll every be hanging it in front of me on any sort of sling. I might two point sling it for hunting someday I suppose.

But bottom line, I would treat it just like an AR or a 1911 with regards to the safety. Back on if not immediately shooting.

[Unobtanium]

It might be two years now that we had a post on this topic that linked to the story of the young man in Texas that nearly lost his leg from apparently failing to safe this pistol gripped Mossberg 500.

In summary, he detected someone breaking into his truck outside. He stepped out with this shotgun and racked a round into the chamber and the their surrendered. His pistol gripped shottie was on some sort of single point sling.

He let the shotgun go to use both his hands on his phone to call 911 and when the shotgun descended on the sling it fired a load of OO buck into his left (IIRC) shin! I think it was presumed he hadn't safed it and the trigger hooked on something as the shotgun was lowered.

The thief helped him get into his bathtub before fleeing and he TQ'd himself and EMS showed up.

I don't have a sling on my 870 I keep with it's 18.5" barrel (full stock). My plan is to keep it in my hands. Should I have to use it, I will until it's empty and then I'll chuck it and go to a pistol. I don't believe I'll every be hanging it in front of me on any sort of sling. I might two point sling it for hunting someday I suppose.

But bottom line, I would treat it just like an AR or a 1911 with regards to the safety. Back on if not immediately shooting.

My carbine goes on safe as soon as it leaves the target. That would be rather difficult with a cross-bolt style safety on a shotgun, however, my method would have prevented the above accident (safety on when "holstered" aka "slung").

Maybe I am doing it wrong?
Maybe a second or two is just the time you need to burn to be sure you are safe, and it should be done.

Props to the perp though, I mean, really.

[JHC]

My carbine goes on safe as soon as it leaves the target. That would be rather difficult with a cross-bolt style safety on a shotgun, however, my method would have prevented the above accident (safety on when "holstered" aka "slung").

Maybe I am doing it wrong?
Maybe a second or two is just the time you need to burn to be sure you are safe, and it should be done.

Props to the perp though, I mean, really.

I grew up hunting with 870's so I find it pretty easy for my dominant hand middle finger to put the safety back on by rotating my wrist under the grip portion of the stock, which tends to pull the trigger finger out of the trigger guard. It's not snick snick like an AR by any means.

[GJM]

To discuss this, it would be helpful to know how you are using the shotgun — hunting, defense, or something else. As a general rule with the shotgun, when the chamber is loaded, I keep it in my hands, and when slung it is condition 3.

[Unobtanium]

To discuss this, it would be helpful to know how you are using the shotgun — hunting, defense, or something else. As a general rule with the shotgun, when the chamber is loaded, I keep it in my hands, and when slung it is condition 3.

Hunting, I keep the chamber empty until I am in position (stand, whatever), and then chamber a round and safe the weapon/safe the weapon and chamber a round ( depends on the SG).

My context is mainly regarding a shotgun course, such as the one Magpul puts on/put on a while back. I do not recall them discussing it in the DVD's. I have zero formal training on a shotgun.

[BehindBlueI's]

This thread ran in the Rifle/Carbine section, and I am curious how it translates to the shotgun, and why. I was always taught that with a pistol, you do not use the safety routinely, as you have your finger off of the trigger and are conscious of what you are doing with the weapon, OR you have it in a holster that occludes the trigger.

The carbine goes on a sling, and the trigger is not occluded, along with the fact that the safety doesn't cost anything time/ergonomics wise to activate/deactivate, so the safety is used when off target for ANY reason.

The shotgun seems to be the worst of both worlds, here. The weapon is slung/trigger is not occluded when not in use, AND with most shotguns, it is (impossible?) to rapidly employ the safety and then deactivate it (say, for loading).

I have not taken any shotgun courses, but I have, personally, been treating the shotgun like a pistol, except "holster" = slung/safety on.

Am I right? Am I wrong? How can I be a better shooter? Thanks!

The only shotguns I've used extensively are the Mossberg 500 and Remington 870. I find both very quick to take the safety off. I am now all Remington, just because I have one for work and I don't like to have multiple sets of controls so I standardize, but I do like the top mounted safety on the Mossberg. It is a bit slower to re-safe the 870, as you have to contort your wrist a bit to get to the other side of the trigger guard, but we are taught to safe it before moving around cover, etc.

[psalms144.1]

I've also never had any issue with manipulating the safety on either an 870 or Mossy; likewise any of the Benelli's I've ever owned or shot. I treat a shotgun just like any other long gun - safety is ON until I'm ready to fire. If I need to move, reload, transition, whatever, safety ON first.

[NH Shooter]

My understanding is that most shotgun safeties only block the trigger. If so, could the incident described by JHC have been caused by the jolt of the SG coming to a sudden stop at the end of a single point sling, like dropping the SG on its butt plate?

I have to think that a chambered round in a SG requires greater care than in an AR, even with the safety on....