M&P 9mm safety

[thekinetic]

So I went to carry my M&P 9mm in my new holster and thought I would chamber a round and put the safety on, problem is my particular model didn't come with one. So does smith and wesson sell thumb safeties? Or can they even be installed after the fact?

I kind of don't want to carry a piece chambered with no safety, lord knows I don't shoot my foot drawing or placing it in the holster. I also don't imagine carrying a loaded but not chambered pistol being practical.

[Mindflayer]

Jon, practice drawing and keeping your finger straight and OFF the trigger. (Empty, of course.) When you holster, TAKE YOUR TIME, and don't use a holster that collapses.

[thekinetic]

I never put my finger anywhere near the trigger unless I intend to fire. Also the holster is a Fobus evolution roto holster, it doesn't collapse. I'm not too afraid of drawing it and having it go off but I don't want some unknown source inside the holster depressing the trigger when I holster it, and I'm not about to test it.

I just thought mabey they sold a aftermarket thumb safety. I could always buy a different carry piece, it'd be a good excuse to buy another gun.

[Snakester]

You are Exactly right...I have an M&P that my wife and I really love to shoot. I will not use it as my every day carry weapon just beause I am not comfortable with a Chambered Round and no safety. I don't know if an aftermarket safety of some kind can be installed. Good Luck with your M&P.

[thekinetic]

Well I do know that smith and wesson have discontinued the production of "safety-less" M&Ps so mabey I just got an older model. The holster will accommodate most of the full size M&Ps so another in a different caliber such as a .40 is always an option as they are really nice pistols.

[ProShooter]

You have to carry with one in the chamber. You'll never get a shot off in a situation without a round in the chamber.

[M1A4ME]

They have a safety, its in the trigger (similar idea to Glocks and XD/XDM guns).

However, like you, I like the thumb safeties. I "grew up" with a 1911 in my holster or in my hand and I've traveled through Glocks, to XDMs and now t M&Ps. The M&P's I have still do not match up to the 1911 accuracy wise but they do have the ambidextrous thumb safety so it "feels" like my 1911 to a greater extent. Both the M&Ps I've bought (9MM and .40 S&W full size) have the thumb safeties.

I plan to buy an M&P in .22 rimfire for cheaper training and those also have the ambidextrous thumb safeties. Good all over.

[gunderwood]

You have to carry with one in the chamber. You'll never get a shot off in a situation without a round in the chamber.

+1



I wouldn't worry about the lack of a thumb safety unless is a cocked SA. Even then the thumb safety is of questionable practical use when CCing with a holster. It's main value in a light triggered SA pistol is when re-holstering, but don't be stupid and slam the thing in there. Insert it with care and attention.

All these external safeties give the appearance of more safety than they actually provide IMHO. If you're mis-handeling a firearm so as to make a negligent discharged likely, 37 safeties won't prevent that. If it stays in the quality holster while your out and about, it's not going to fire on it's own. Negligence gets you into trouble and no safety can overcome that.

The best safety is to unloaded it, put one of those silly free loop locks on it, lock it in the safe, etc. However, that defeats the point of having a firearm for CC. It's a balanced risk approach that should win out and a multitude of safeties doesn't really change that analysis IMHO.

The only real safety is the combination of your brain, trigger finger and proper handling rules.

[thekinetic]

You know I never could quite understand the concept of having one in the chamber without cocking it. I mean the second you open the chamber via the slide and close it back IT'S COCKED. The only semi-auto I own that isn't like this is my 1911a1 that allows me to place the hammer back in place to be cocked later. My M&P doesn't have that option that I know of but I can go over the manual one more time to be sure.

As for the trigger safety do you mean the brake in the trigger, because I always thought that was more for a smoother pull? I mean all the times I've shot it at the range that's all it's done.

Dag nabbit now yall got me thinking I missed something, I'm going to go over that manual with a fine tooth comb!

[Chasbo00]

The primary passive safety on the M&P and nearly all other striker fired pistols is the firing pin plunger safety. Field strip your M&P and then take a look at the underside of the slide. You will see a silver looking button that's actually a plunger (under the the rear sight dovetail) and next to the firing pin lug. There is spring that keeps this plunger pushed out and away from the slide's underside. This prevents the firing pin from going forward far enough to contact the primer. When you press the trigger, the trigger bar presses this plunger in so that the firing pin can move all the way forward and strike the primer. You can see how this works by using your fingernail to press in the plunger and move the fining pin lug towards the muzzle - you can now see the firing pin protruding. Without depressing the plunger, move the firing pin lug to the rear and then try to move it all the way forward - you won't be able to without the fining pin plunger being manually depressed.

[skeeterss0]

http://mp-pistol.com/smith-wesson-mp-forums.php

Not sure if you are aware of this forum. I've been watching it a while. They seem to be a good bunch. If I remember correctly you can buy the thumb safety and I believe there are Utube videos to show how to install them.

[gunderwood]

You know I never could quite understand the concept of having one in the chamber without cocking it. I mean the second you open the chamber via the slide and close it back IT'S COCKED. The only semi-auto I own that isn't like this is my 1911a1 that allows me to place the hammer back in place to be cocked later. My M&P doesn't have that option that I know of but I can go over the manual one more time to be sure.

The handgun should be ready to fire. Some handguns are DA/SA (e.g. the original P series SIGs) and will fire with the hammer in either position, although the DA trigger is much longer. Some are DA only (DAO) and the hammer is never "cocked." The 1911 is SA and will not fire when the hammer is down and the trigger is pulled.

Regardless of your handguns function, for CC it should be ready to fire. For a 1911, that's chambered and cocked. Your M&P is internally cocked (the striker) when you rack the slide to chamber a round.

As for the trigger safety do you mean the brake in the trigger, because I always thought that was more for a smoother pull? I mean all the times I've shot it at the range that's all it's done.

Most modern semi-auto pistols have a mechanism for pressing that plunger. Given the design of a striker fired handgun, it's more noticeable. This internal "safety" (just good design IMHO) will only let the striker go forward and hit the primer when the trigger is pulled. Depending on the firearm, there are other internal "safeties."

[viroid]

As others have stated, the M&Ps have an internal safety which blocks the firing pin unless the trigger is depressed, which simultaneously disengages the safety and releases the firing pin.

I personally carry an M&P9c everyday with one in the chamber(12+1). I specifically chose the M&P because it was one of the few guns that I could find that had no external safeties which needed to be manipulated. I use an Orion-Concepts' OTB Kydex holster, which completely covers the trigger. My M&P stays in the holster unless it needs to be removed for shooting, cleaning, or to confirm that its loaded before strapping it on every morning.

I hope I never need it.

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[Jakeiscrazy]

Your M&P will never go off unless the trigger is pressed and you trigger will never be pressed while in a quality hostler. No such thing as a holster gremlins.

Boom that simple.

Carry plus one with the confidence that it's a very safe gun. You could drop it for a building onto concrete and it's still not going off. If you break down the gun your see when you move the trigger the trigger bar disengages a firing pin block on the slide. Without the trigger depressed the block is always in place.

You maybe able to find said safety but the gun is better without it. It's very possible that in the event of a emergency you fail is disengage the safety and it cost's you your life. That's a high risk for something that is worthless.

[Mindflayer]

As an aside, when I carry my Shield, I do not use the manual safety. That is, I leave it in the OFF position.