Safeties.

[Joe in PNG]

Everything is a tradeoff.
Traditional Single Action autos with hammers and safeties are easier to shoot well, and are safer to re-holster, BUT one has to take the safety off before it will work

Traditional Double Action autos don't need a safety to work, and still have the hammer for safe re-holstering, BUT one has to train on two different trigger pulls, yadda yadda

Double Action Only autos don't need a safety, don't have two pulls, and have a hammer for safe re-holstering, BUT the trigger is a bit heavy for n00bz

Striker Fired guns have a lighter trigger than DAO, BUT no hammer for safe re-holstering, and may a bit too light and possibly prone to AD's

[mmc45414]

I am primarily focused on the M&P these days, and bought at least three of them with safeties, because I tried Boss, I really tried...
And if somebody did an aftermarket lever that fell under my thumb where all of the 1911 safeties did for all those decades I would go back to it. I mean really, how hard can it be to pick up a 1911, and then pick up an M&P and figure out that the stamping the lever is cast around needed to be bent down instead of up? But my job is not to fight with high guys, I am just out on those mean streets in pursuit of groceries.

I want a properly positioned M&P safety the way others here want the SCD to be reintroduced.

[Erick Gelhaus]

@BehindBlueI's - could you have manipulated the bale or thumb break with that injury? If you could, why wouldn't that have translated to being able to use a thumb safety? If you couldn't have, then would the presence of a thumb safety have mattered?

When my old org was much more 1911 centric, we showed working the safety with the support thumb or gear.

With the exception of about three & a half years carrying a Glock (yes, I still hate myself ), I carried pistols with thumb safeties - 1911a1s and M&Ps - as my primary for pushing 28 years. I've had fingers busted, dislocated, & chunks bitten out of them.

It has been interesting to watch the rise of the Stacattos without the commentary about thumb safeties. Based on commentary from some competitors, I wonder how many are using the thumb safety appropriately?

[TheNewbie]

I am primarilly focused on the M&P these days, and bought at least three of them with safeties, because I tried Boss, I really tried...
And if somebody did an aftermarket lever that fell under my thumb where all of the 1911 safeties did for all those decades I would go back to it. I mean really, how hard can it be to pick up a 1911, and then pick up an M&P and figure out that the stamping the lever is cast around needed to be bend down instead of up? But my job is not to fight with high guys, I am just out on those mean streets in pursuit of groceries.

I want a properly positioned M&P safety the way others here want the SCD to be reintroduced.

You are not the only one.

[HeavyDuty]

The SCD addresses my biggest concern with striker fired pistols - reholstering. For all the other striker guns, I prefer a manual safety for that need. I don’t feel the need to add a safety layer for reholstering with TDA pistols and revolvers since I can thumb down the hammer.

[Joe in PNG]

If I could get a Beretta 92D Centurion that had a direct, low mounted RDS and used the normal sights, that would be the perfect mix for me.

[BehindBlueI's]

@BehindBlueI's - could you have manipulated the bale or thumb break with that injury? If you could, why wouldn't that have translated to being able to use a thumb safety? If you couldn't have, then would the presence of a thumb safety have mattered?

I could get the holster to operate. I could lower the hood with my index finger, and have. My thumb was laid back against my forearm, meaning my grip was also compromised. The break was at the base of my thumb, so imagine not just your thumb is gone from the equation but that big meaty chunk of your palm under it also useless now as you can't roll it toward the rest of your palm either. I maybe could have used gear to flip the safety off or I maybe could have tried it and dropped it instead. That'd have been a bother. Using the other hand was not an option as it was occupied. We can what if it all day. Could I have escaped the entangled fight, made space, etc. Maybe. Could I have fumbled it trying to get it operational and ended up fighting over it? Maybe. But I know that with my Sig or Glock it's not an issue I need to worry about.

[Wonder9]

You know what really grinds my gears? An autistic Austrian who refuses to put a manual safety option on his pistols.... while putting manual safeties on his pistols for large enough contracts.

[BehindBlueI's]

This kind of thinking by you humbles me about my desire for a safety. I would prefer one over nothing, like on a factory Glock, but you make me think that a hammer fired DA/SA or DAO gun really is the way to go.

I trust me to shoot a double action trigger way more than I trust me to be 100% on deactivating a safety. The SCD is the main reason I've stuck with Glock after returning to plain clothes. Without that, I think I'd return to the Sig P2XX pistols. Especially since our approval for optics on carry guns has stalled for some reason.

[JSGlock34]

It has been interesting to watch the rise of the Stacattos without the commentary about thumb safeties. Based on commentary from some competitors, I wonder how many are using the thumb safety appropriately?

I'm not quite sure what started it, but I've noticed a number of recent trainer comments on social media regarding proper use of the Staccato grip safety. They all seem to be addressing a rise in new users pinning the Staccato grip safety with a rubber band or other device.