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How to Choose A Handgun with a Safety

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Table of Contents

There was a time when a manual safety was a part of nearly every self-loading pistol on the market. Revolvers, with their heavy double-action triggers, were generally considered not to need them, but for semi-automatic handguns, they were nearly mandatory. 

Then Glock hit the market, with their partially-cocked striker and Safe-Action firing system, and slick, safety-less pistols quickly became the standard. Today, modern striker-fired pistols with manual safeties are few and far between compared to their safety-less brethren, while hammer-fired pistols frequently have manual safeties, particularly when single-action only. 

Still, the rationale for a manual safety holds as much water now as it did all the way back in the heyday of the 1911. When you carry a pistol daily—possibly pointed at a major blood vessel, in the case of appendix carry—you may find you prefer the peace of mind a manual safety offers. 

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Understanding Handgun Safety Features 

Handgun safeties come in a variety of different types and styles. Every modern handgun has at least one, although you may not know it from a simple cursory examination. Many safeties are invisible, contained entirely within the inner workings of the pistol and requiring no deliberate user input to actuate. 

Drop safeties are one such internal safety. These mechanisms usually involve some sort of block that sits between the firing pin or hammer and the cartridge, preventing the former from striking the latter. When the trigger is depressed, the block is shifted out of the way, allowing the striker or hammer to ignite the round. This system serves to prevent the firearm from going off accidentally from being dropped, bumped, or in any other way subjected to force that could move the hammer or striker. 

However, these types of safeties do nothing to prevent unintended activation should the trigger be pulled. 

Other safeties are external, but not considered to be truly manual, such as Glock’s eternally-popular trigger safety. This thin blade is built into the trigger and prevents rearward travel unless depressed, greatly reducing the possibility of the trigger being bumped or jarred and thereby setting off the firearm. 

But, as with internal safeties, it is still possible for a firearm with a trigger safety to be unintentionally fired if something depresses both the safety and the trigger. This occurs most commonly when reholstering without taking care to clear the firearm’s path of obstructions, usually a loose bit of clothing or an unsecured thumb strap. 

The grip safety popularized by the 1911 and currently employed by Springfield Armory’s XD series of handguns is another type of non-manual external safety. This lever is built into the rear of the firearm’s grip and is depressed by the user upon acquiring a proper grip. Like trigger safeties, grip safeties are actuated automatically, and require no special conscious action. Similarly, they are also not a total cure for negligent discharge. 

The last type of safety is the manual safety, which typically consists of a lever or button that must be manually and deliberately actuated with the thumb or trigger finger to disengage it and make the pistol ready to fire. 

These types of safeties are quite common on older firearms, but are a rare sight on modern striker-fired pistols, largely due to the popularity of Glock pistols and their omission of a manual safety. 

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Carrying Concealed With a Manual Safety 

These days, it’s not uncommon for concealed carriers to choose handguns with manual safeties for additional peace of mind while handling, holstering, and carrying their firearm. A manual safety can provide an increased sense of confidence that a firearm won’t discharge unintentionally, even if bumped or obstructed while reholstering. 

However, it’s important to not allow that confidence to become complacency or recklessness. A manual safety is not a guarantee against a negligent discharge, nor is it a substitute for proper gun handling procedures. 

Regardless of whether or not your firearm is equipped with a manual safety, you should always follow the four rules of gun safety. In the case of pistols specifically, it is essential that you keep your finger off of the trigger and out of the trigger guard while manipulating the firearm, such as when chambering a round, and that you ensure your holster and the path of the firearm to it are clear of obstructions when reholstering. 

While a manual safety would, in theory, prevent a negligent discharge even if the trigger was impacted during holstering or handling if properly engaged, it is not uncommon for safeties to become unintentionally disengaged. Furthermore, like any machine, safeties can fail. 

Still, a manual safety can provide some additional peace of mind, particularly if you carry your firearm in a position that points it in the vicinity of your femoral artery—as appendix carry does. A manual safety adds an additional layer of prevention, making it that much harder to have a negligent discharge. 

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Common Questions and Concerns 

Let’s take a moment to answer some of the most common questions surrounding concealed carry with a pistol equipped with a manual safety. 

Should You Have a Manual Safety on Your Pistol? 

If you want one, then yes. Manual safeties are not inherently bad or good; they are a tool that is useful for some people and not for others. If you are used to using a pistol with a manual safety or prefer the security that comes with them, then by all means, choose a pistol equipped with one. 

Should You Carry With the Safety On? 

If your pistol is equipped with a manual safety, then you should carry it with the safety engaged. Some pistols with manual safeties feature lighter-than-average trigger pulls, which can be more easily actuated by an obstruction such as a loose fold of clothing. The manual safety counterbalances this risk, but only if used properly. 

Additionally, if you carry a firearm without the safety engaged, it’s easy to get used to drawing and firing without having to disengage the safety. This presents a potential risk of safety becoming accidentally engaged, possibly by rubbing against the carrier’s body. Should it then be needed for personal defense, the user would likely not reflexively disengage the safety or think to do it consciously, potentially endangering them. 

Practicing and carrying with the safety already disengaged builds a habit that could prove dangerous should the firearm ever be needed for self-defense. 

Pros and Cons of A Manual Safety on a Carry Pistol 

The pros are as mentioned above: increased peace of mind that the firearm is securely stowed and won’t unintentionally fire even if the trigger is bumped, and a reduced chance of negligent discharge if used properly. 

The primary drawback to a manual safety is that it creates an additional point of failure, both mechanically and in training. A manual safety requires additional parts to be installed in a firearm, making it marginally more complex than it would otherwise be. Certain users feel that each additional part creates another potential opportunity for malfunction. 

Inarguably, though, a manual safety creates an additional opportunity for training failure. In addition to grip, draw stroke, sight picture, and the many other factors that go into a quick and accurate shot, users now must also remember to disengage their safety before firing. 

While actuating a safety can easily become second nature with enough practice, it does require diligent training to use quickly and reliably. It’s not at all uncommon for new competitors with handguns with manual safeties to forget to disengage them after drawing their firearm at the beginning of a stage, leading to a delayed first shot, and there is no reason to believe that self-defense would be any different. 

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Popular 9mm Handguns with a Manual Safety 

While safeties are somewhat out of vogue in modern handgun design, there is sufficient demand for them that the free market has a substantial number of options available. Below we’ll take a look at some of the most popular makes and models. 

Sig Sauer

Sig Sauer makes a considerable array of safety-equipped pistols. The most iconic is the venerable P226, which can trace its lineage back to the early 1980s. The P226 is a classic of the era, a steel-framed, hammer-fired, double-single action, high-capacity 9mm: one of the original wonder-nines. 

While the original P226 featured a decocker in lieu of a safety, modern SAO variants are now available with manual safeties installed. Often favored for its excellent ergonomics and legendary reliability, the P226 has been fielded by police and military units, including the U.S. Navy S.E.A.L.s in its MK25 configuration. 

While the P226 is an excellent pistol, its size and weight can make it a bit much for concealed carry for some users. Luckily, Sig offers plenty of other safety-equipped firearms in all sizes. 

A mid-sized striker-fired option is available in the M18, a gun first developed for military handgun trials. The M18 is equipped with a traditional thumb safety and comes from the factory with an optic-cut slide, making it a strong contender for a modern carry gun. The 3.9″ barrel lends itself well to appendix carry and the modular frame and fire control unit system allow users to customize the grip dimensions to their liking. 

Last, but far from least, Sig makes the P365 series of handguns. These ever-popular carry pistols took the market by storm upon being introduced in 2018, rapidly becoming one of the most carried guns on the market. Models range from the full-size, if rather thin, X-Macro to the sub-compact P365 original model. 

Despite its pint-sized appearance, the P365 manages to pack impressive ammo capacity, ranging from 10 rounds in the smallest model to 17 in the largest, with extended capacity baseplates offering the option of even larger numbers. All sizes are available with or without a manual safety, and optic cuts are available for most models as well. 

The P365 is also notable for its integrated slide-comp models, which help to cut felt recoil without adding a significant size, weight, or mechanical complexity. 

Smith and Wesson 

Smith and Wesson might be best known for their revolvers, but they are no slouch when it comes to semi-automatics either. Their M&P series of handguns have become a popular option for both police and civilian users alike, with the latest 2.0 version being particularly noted for its aggressive grip texture, which ensures a secure grip regardless of the presence of sweat or moisture, and their above-average triggers. 

S&W’s M&P 2.0 is available in full-size, compact, and sub-compact variants, all with manual safeties installed. Most models are also available with factory slide cuts for optics compatibility as well. 

Beretta 

Being the oldest continually operating firearm manufacturer in the world, it’s no surprise that Beretta is on our list. The 92-series of handguns, like the P226, is a gun with a long heritage and police and military pedigree. 

The 92 has gone through a number of iterations throughout the years, starting with the original in 1976. Its primary claim to fame is found in the M9 model, which was the primary sidearm for the United States Army for decades. The 92FS also found considerable acclaim with police departments. 

The open slide design and unique combination safety/decocker lever set it apart from other handguns. While Beretta does not offer a subcompact variant, both full-size and compact models are available, as well as optic-ready versions. The aluminum alloy frame helps to reduce weight while maintaining the rigidity and hand feel only possible with metal. 

1911/2011 

1911s have been popular as personal defense pistols nearly since their inception. They are one of the oldest firearm designs still in production and remain as capable now as they were in the early 1900s. While their capacity is limited by their single-stack design, many users favor them for their marked thinness, which some find to reduce printing and make carrying more comfortable. In addition to a standard thumb safety, most iterations of the 1911, including the original, also include a grip safety. 

Owing to its history and popularity, the 1911 is now manufactured by dozens of companies. Springfield Armory, though, is perhaps one of the most popular and best known, even going so far as to introduce a modified design specifically for concealed carry with the EMP. 

The 2011 is an evolution of the original design, with a re-engineered grip and frame system that allows for double-stack magazines to be used, remedying the primary complaint about the original model: the capacity. 

Springfield also offers a double-stack 1911 called the Prodigy, which is available with full-size and compact barrel lengths. 

Heckler and Koch 

HK offers a wealth of manual safety-equipped pistols, though many of them, such as the MK23, would generally be considered too large to be practical for concealed carry. 

The P30 series of handguns, on the other hand, remains quite popular for this use. First designed for police use, the P30 quickly found popularity among civilian and police users alike, often praised for its ergonomics. 

The safety-equipped version is available as a double-single action with a combination safety/decocker reminiscent of Beretta’s 92 series and similar in function. The P30 standard P30 was one of the earlier pistols to combine a compact slide and barrel with a full-size grip, a design now quite popular for appendix carry. It is also available in both a long slide and subcompact version. 

Ruger 

While perhaps less known than some of the other entries on our list, Ruger‘s American line of handguns is certainly no less capable. 

The American is a striker-fired design available with or without a manual safety in compact and full-size models. It offers full ambidexterity, with both the magazine and slide releases being able to be actuated from either side of the firearm, making it an excellent choice for left-handed users. 

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Conclusion 

Manual safeties may have fallen out of fashion in recent years, but that does not make them obsolete. As the saying goes, any gun on your belt is better than one in your safe, so if a manual safety offers the additional confidence users need to feel comfortable carrying, then they should by no means be ignored. 

With any firearm though, proper handling and gun safety practices are essential for responsible ownership, and thorough practice should always be encouraged to ensure proficiency.