HK P9s Safety

[penguin0123]

Does anyone know if P9s has a firing pin block similar to a Sig? I think the way the Sig is setup, if you don't pull the trigger and the hammer falls, the firing pin is locked into place by a key and it won't strike the primer.

Also, when the P9s is decocked, does the hammer rest right on top of the firing pin? On a Sig, the hammer when decocked is actually at "half cock" and is not resting on the pin, so inertia along cannot cause an AD.

I reason I ask is that the P9s safety is horribly difficult to undo. So I'm wondering if it is ok to leave the gun with a round chambered, decocked, safety off.

[9mmepiphany]

The H&K P9 does not have a firing pin block...there is no "key" that blocks movement of the firing pin, it is actually a block of metal that blocks the movement. When the P9 is decocked, the hammer does rest on the head of the firing pin, but the firing pin is shorter than the distance needed to reach the primer and it is a light weight pin.

How are you thinking inertia will affect the P9's firing pin?
Unlike other pistols with hammers, the P9's hammer is enclosed inside the slide, it isn't like you can strike it by hitting the rear of the slide.

You don't have to apply the thumb safety to carry the gun fully loaded. You can just fire the first shot in DA. You can even cock the hammer into SA, by pressing down on the cocking lever. However you should apply the safety before decocking the hammer.

You should carry the pistol with the safety on if you are going to carry the pistol in Condition 1 (cocked-n-locked). I used to do this with mine and just flipped the thumb safety off during the draw.

I'm not sure why you think it is "horribly difficult" to push the thumb safety off on the P9...you just push it off with you thumb. The only difference is you are pushing forward rather than downward on a frame mounted thumb safety. The only slide mounted safety that is easier to disengage than that on the P9 is the one on the Beretta M9

[penguin0123]

Thanks for the info. I guess I'm used to traditional exposed hammers where dropping it on the hammer is a concern. I'm used to the Sig with no external safety and first shot DA; to keep the manual of arms the same, I'll just leave the HK that way was well.

The safety lever bites into my thumb and is darn painful whenever I use it. I've tried flicking it up with my knuckle, and it only works when my thumb is at a very specific spot; else it hurts like crap and the lever won't budge. I wonder if the older European DA pistols with safeties (P38, PP, Makarov, etc) meant the safety to be used only in the decocking. Afterall, they had no Sig-like decocker so the user has to ride the hammer down.

[9mmepiphany]

The safety lever bites into my thumb and is darn painful whenever I use it. I've tried flicking it up with my knuckle, and it only works when my thumb is at a very specific spot; else it hurts like crap and the lever won't budge.

You shouldn't be using your knuckle, just push forward on the tip of the lever with the ball of your thumb.

I must say, I've never had it "bite" my thumb. You're not locking down your thumb are you? Your thumb shouldn't contact the slide at all.

I wonder if the older European DA pistols with safeties (P38, PP, Makarov, etc) meant the safety to be used only in the decocking. Afterall, they had no Sig-like decocker so the user has to ride the hammer down.

Nope they were carried with the hammer lowered and the safety on...that is why they have a red dot on the slide when the lever is in the "Fire" position. The slide mounted combination de-cocker/safety is a much simpler and safer mechanism...because it blocks the hammer/firing pin without needing a Firing Pin Block. If they'd meant it to be used only as a de-cocking lever, they would have spring loaded it to return to off-safe...like on the Beretta "G" models

[penguin0123]

Can you post a picture of how you undo the safety? When I grip the gun, the thumb is parallel to the bore axis and I cannot rotate the ball of thumb into contact with the lever; hence I'm using the knuckle to flick it up. Are you using your support hand thumb?

I'm not having slide bite, I guess just bad wording on my part.

My philosophy is that if I'm dealing with a safety, I want an SA first shot. If I'm dealing with a DA first shot, I don't want a safety. Properly mechanized (as in Sig, Beretta G, Glock, etc), the safety is redundant and only complicates the draw IMO.

[9mmepiphany]

I don't have a picture as someone offered me a price for the P9S (9mm) that I just couldn't refuse. However, I use the same strong thumb position with all my pistols.

This picture shows the thumb in transition, through the area of the thumb safety, to it's final position parallel with the barrel. It is the same positioning I use to swipe down the thumb safety on a 1911



As the thumb brushes pass the safety level on the slide, it pushes it forward and it rotates upward by itself