M&P Shield 9 safety

[Clickjack]

Sorry if this is the wrong forum, and I'm sorry if this is a very dumb question...but for context: I have carried Glocks professionally. and I have carried Glocks Concealed. I'm very comfortable with a Glock. I picked up a California version of the M&P Shield 9. The safety has me weirded out. It's not big enough to ride like a 1911, and the idea of disengaging this safety in a hurry...

Do y'all use the safety? My brother's non-Ca shield doesn't even have it, is this version "less-safe" to carry with out that rear safety engaged?

Don't drag me, I haven't even carried the gun. I currently plan to carry with the safety on. I'm Just asking for information.

[dsrtne1]

I carried a Shield with the safety off. No issues with that at all. I also was more comfortable with Glocks and struggled a little bit with the safety on the Shield. It's not any less safe than the Shield offered in other states without the manual safety.

[SB1942]

Mine has the safety. Never use it. Never have had any issues.

[9Cal_OC]

I had a CA Shield and never used the safety.
Eventually sold it and got an off-roster version without the safety. However, I hated the mag disconnnect more.

Like you, I train and carry with Glocks and sometimes add in the Shield in my rotation. The only safety is what’s between your ears and trigger finger discipline.

[Skip_Dog]

I carried it both with the safety on and off for a few years. I now carry with it on all the time. My muscle memory now allows me to take it off when I draw with out affecting my grip. If I had the option to buy one for regular price that did not have a safety, I would.
My .02 cents.

[gdun]

I'm about a tenth of a second slower draw to first shot with the safety on. I figure I'll carry it a lot more than I'll shoot it, so it stays on for me. I did remove my mag disconnect and I use magguts +2 spring and baseplate. I'm pretty sure you can also remove the safety completely

[TonyMang_89]

Just leave it off, no issues.

[Jlmuncie]

Originally Posted by gdun

I'm about a tenth of a second slower draw to first shot with the safety on. I figure I'll carry it a lot more than I'll shoot it, so it stays on for me. I did remove my mag disconnect and I use magguts +2 spring and baseplate. I'm pretty sure you can also remove the safety completely

My IA advised that removing or modifying either safety is not allowed, SB County.

[Clickjack]

Originally Posted by Jlmuncie

My IA advised that removing or modifying either safety is not allowed, SB County.

I had a concealed permit in Texas for years and they always told us not to modify the gun, as it will be used against you in court if you had to shoot someone.

Btw so much nicer to just Cary what you want. Guns weren’t listed on the card. Just weather you were approved for a revolver or semi autos and revolvers (if you tested with a revolver you had to service to stick with a revolver)

[Sccafire]

Originally Posted by Clickjack

I had a concealed permit in Texas for years

Texas is going "Constitutional Carry" shortly.

[Donny1]

I don't want to think about anything if I have to pull it, I just want to know it's ready to go without thought.

My rule is when it goes in the holster the safety goes OFF! Inside the house if I need to pull it out of the holster I will put the safety on, like if I'm stuffing behind a couch cushion, cupboard or something. Don't worry, no kids here.

I mostly carry the Shield and it stays in the holster almost 100% of the time. No need to be taking it in and out all the time, just more chances for something to go wrong.

BTW with a Striker Safety, Trigger Safety, it's just as safe as any semi auto.

[Dopefkr]

In a holster i leave the safety off. With the techna clip i have on the shield i always use the safety. I do miss sometimes trying to disengage the safety so i dont really like carrying it that way

[tawadc95]

I’m left handed for one and secondly, the design of the safety lever makes it worthless in a defensive use even for righties.
A good holster and careful reholstering habits make it perfectly safe to carry with the safety off imho.

[Sespe]

Agree to the above. I've carried my Shield over 4 years now, and have never engaged the safety. I carry lefty in a kydex holster with clip. Movement from belt to lockbox and back is always done with the entire holster, so no problems there.

[CessnaDriver]

I think if you carry with it off, no harm in sweeping down on it anyways upon draw to be sure.

[CaliforniaCowboy]

I have the shield, it is my daily carry, I use it at the range often. I do use safety. I do keep one in the chamber.

I find the safety very easy to use and flicking the safety from safe to fire as I raise the gun is automatic, just muscle memory because I train with it all the time. Every time my fingers wrap around the grip my thumb hits and drops the safety, even if the safety is set to fire, It is as natural as making a fist before striking a target, I do not think I have ever missed or failed to drop the safety.

If I am in a drive-through and someone sketchy is near or walking through a parking lot at night, pumping gas I sometimes will flick the safety to fire (before getting out of the car) but otherwise, I do have the safety on safe when sitting.

I do not mind leaving the safety on fire if I am standing or walking around but when sitting in the car, where I wear it, the barrel is pointed directly into my thigh so I like to have the safety on just as a precaution.

I have though found that once in a while the safety will go from safe to fire on its own while in my holster. I guess just from movement, sitting, etc, there is enough rubbing against the leather between me and the gun that it sometimes flips the safety, I do not know if anyone else might have experienced the same.

[bergmen]

I use the safety when holstering and flick it off once holstered. I also use the safety when handing a loaded gun to another shooter or if I need to set down a loaded gun on the table. No different than any other firearm I have with a safety (long guns mostly).

Dan

[gdun]

Originally Posted by Jlmuncie

My IA advised that removing or modifying either safety is not allowed, SB County.

My IA doesn't say anything about modifications but should you even care? No one is ever going to inspect the safeties on your carry

[wpod]

My Wife carried her Shield with the safety off.
I removed the safety from my Beretta PX4, converting it from an 'F' model (safety/decocker) to a 'G' (decker only)

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[23 Blast]

Not only is the safety on, but the magazine is out, (empty) and the rounds are cased in a scotch-taped box, in a separate lockbox, and as an extra precaution - I removed the slide from the frame.

Hopefully no chance of a ND!

I use the safety. Since my main shooting guns when I first got into pistols were 1911s, flicking thesafety on/off is part of my muscle memory.

Had I gotten started with Glocks instead, then using a safety might not be as intuitive. I think you're fine either way.

[bergmen]

Way before I was in a position to carry a concealed weapon for personal defense, I walked the fields for decades hunting large and small game.

Always with the firearms loaded (rifle or shotgun) and with the safety on. Bring the arm up to the shoulder while flicking off the safety, SOP since I was 13 years old. It never was a big deal then and shouldn't be a big deal now with defensive firearms but everyone should do what they are comfortable with.

Dan