M&P holsters- thumb safety security?

[Hstanton1]

Any leads on M&P AIWB holsters that will force the manual safety on upon insertion, and not allow the safety to be swept off while in the holster?

This is a feature that seems most common on 1911 holsters, and is less of a worry with striker fired guns, but I’m interested to know if the TS blocking on any of the major kydex benders accomplishes this.

[98z28]

It’s been long enough since I’ve had an M&P that I don’t have a list of makers who purpose-build this feature in. I do recall adding this feature to existing holsters with a heat gun (hair dryer also works, it just ales longer). Carefully heat the kydex until it is just pliant, insert the gun with the safety on and mold the safety channel as you like. Hold it while it cools (just a matter of seconds). You’ll want gloves.

Not the most sophisticated solution, but it is a solution if you already have the holster or like a particular holster that doesn’t offer this feature.

[APS-PF]

I believe JM Custom Kydex has that function if you get the full guard?

[frozentundra]

I believe JM Custom Kydex has that function if you get the full guard?

I don't think this is the case.



I re-molded a VERY old JM Custom to do exactly what the OP is talking about long ago. You can see the difference in the geometry. If I put the 9c in the new JM, it will allow for holstering with the safety off, and it doesn't stop the safety from being deactivated while in the holster. Keep in mind the 9c isn't wearing a light, and so doesn't have positive retention, but I don't see how the geometry would change.

I inquired about this when ordering my latest M&P JM Custom Light Bearing holster. This was part of the response:
" the full guard will not reliably lock the safety into place, and for that gun I would suggest you not trap the safety on. If you choose the w/ safety version, it will be covered on the body side. Yes it will work just fine with a non safety version. We have an enigma compatible option in the drop down menus. Thanks"

I'm not sure why they don't recommend it, because I really like the holster I re-molded. That being said, JM Custom probably knows what they're doing better than I do, so you'd probably want to ask there.

NOTE: I have noticed that, when allowing my modified holster to self-activate the safety, if I depress the trigger just slightly to impersonate a foreign object (finger/clothes/etc.), the safety will not fully mechanically engage if the trigger is not fully forward. UNLOAD your gun thee times, and then play with this to see what I mean. If the trigger starts moving before the safety FULLY engages, the gun will still fire because the safety isn't allowed to mechanically engage. I like the safety being turned on and locked, but I don't think it's likely to prevent a discharge if one forgets to manually engage the safety and a foreign object gets the trigger moving before the safety is fully engaged, which seems quite likely to me in this scenario.

I hope that made sense.

The gun with the smooth slide cover plate is a 9mm 2.0 compact, and the textured plate is on an original m&p9c. I plan on adding a safety to the 2.0, so I bought a holster accordingly (JM Custom IWB 3 Light Bearing for TLR-8AG).

Top picture is old re-molded holster and bottom is new factory JM configuration. In the side-by-side, the unmodified factory holster is on the 2.0 compact with the smooth slide plate. Sorry for the funny orientation of pictures.

The safety is in the on position in the top picture and in the off position on the bottom picture.

[frozentundra]

Now that I think about it, I'm not sure if the older, re-molded holster I pictured is from JM or Custom Carry Concepts.

Too long ago and brain too mushy.

[Hstanton1]

I don't think this is the case.



I re-molded a VERY old JM Custom to do exactly what the OP is talking about long ago. You can see the difference in the geometry. If I put the 9c in the new JM, it will allow for holstering with the safety off, and it doesn't stop the safety from being deactivated while in the holster. Keep in mind the 9c isn't wearing a light, and so doesn't have positive retention, but I don't see how the geometry would change.

I inquired about this when ordering my latest M&P JM Custom Light Bearing holster. This was part of the response:
" the full guard will not reliably lock the safety into place, and for that gun I would suggest you not trap the safety on. If you choose the w/ safety version, it will be covered on the body side. Yes it will work just fine with a non safety version. We have an enigma compatible option in the drop down menus. Thanks"

I'm not sure why they don't recommend it, because I really like the holster I re-molded. That being said, JM Custom probably knows what they're doing better than I do, so you'd probably want to ask there.

NOTE: I have noticed that, when allowing my modified holster to self-activate the safety, if I depress the trigger just slightly to impersonate a foreign object (finger/clothes/etc.), the safety will not fully mechanically engage if the trigger is not fully forward. UNLOAD your gun thee times, and then play with this to see what I mean. If the trigger starts moving before the safety FULLY engages, the gun will still fire because the safety isn't allowed to mechanically engage. I like the safety being turned on and locked, but I don't think it's likely to prevent a discharge if one forgets to manually engage the safety and a foreign object gets the trigger moving before the safety is fully engaged, which seems quite likely to me in this scenario.

I hope that made sense.

The gun with the smooth slide cover plate is a 9mm 2.0 compact, and the textured plate is on an original m&p9c. I plan on adding a safety to the 2.0, so I bought a holster accordingly (JM Custom IWB 3 Light Bearing for TLR-8AG).

Top picture is old re-molded holster and bottom is new factory JM configuration. In the side-by-side, the unmodified factory holster is on the 2.0 compact with the smooth slide plate. Sorry for the funny orientation of pictures.

The safety is in the on position in the top picture and in the off position on the bottom picture.

I hadn’t considered any potential issues with molding the holster like that, but I suppose since it’s a stamped part instead of a milled or MIM one it’s possible that one paddle could get bent pretty badly if the other is trapped by the holster?

Or maybe the forces associated with the holster “safeing” the gun repeatedly are bad for the lever somehow.

Either way, that advice coming from Tony is something to pay attention to. Thanks.

[whomever]

We have a JMCK where a crease is molded into the guard for the safety. But there is enough clearance for the safety to switch off or on with no more than the usual pressure.

[Elwin]

I think it’s important to distinguish between wanting your holster to activate the safety and wanting it to trap the safety after you insert a safed gun. The former is, for reasons stated above and others, bad gun handling practice if it’s your plan to just let the holster run the safety for you. Not saying anyone in this thread is endorsing that, but some people do, because Tony has mentioned to me in correspondence about 1911 holsters that people going “Sweet, I don’t have to remember to activate the safety!” is why he doesn’t offer safety retention as a standard feature on 1911 holsters. My understanding as of last time I ordered from him is that he does still offer it as a custom option on 1911 holsters if you make clear when requesting it that you aren’t one of those people, and I have 1911 holsters from him that trap the safety.

If he won’t recommend it for M&Ps specifically, I’d have to agree that potential damage to the less robust safety lever may be a good guess as to why.

[MandoWookie]

We have a JMCK where a crease is molded into the guard for the safety. But there is enough clearance for the safety to switch off or on with no more than the usual pressure.

That's odd. I will have to double check, but the JMCK holster I have for my M&P9c doesn't allow the safety to be deactivated once holstered.

I dont know if it activates it upon bolstering because I have never tried, I was just concerned that it would be swept off in the holster like was the case with prior holsters I had used.

[FreedomFries]

JMCK AIWB 2.0 ordered 12/2019. Mine flips the safety on if the gun is inserted with safety off and retains it in the on position. To get the safety to disengage would require a great enough amount of force to flex the sweat guard.