S&W M&P Thumb Safety Bumped Off

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CommanderCrusty

CommanderCrusty

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So, I really like my new 5” M&P 2.0 with the thumb safety. I intentionally bought it WITH the thumb safety because I WANT the extra safety and because I have carried a 1911 for 10+ years and know what to do with it. The problem is that the soft, ambi-safety has been bumped OFF SAFE three times in less than 10 weeks of carry. This has happened with my super-comfy N82Tactical holster and my high-end The Answer hybrid holster. What to do?
  • Can I switch to a SINGLE SIDE safety like my 1911?
  • Anyone using a thumb break holster like the Aker Flatsider?
  • Can the safety movement be made stiff or more positively on or off?
  • Other ideas or suggestions?
 
CommanderCrusty said:
So, I really like my new 5” M&P 2.0 with the thumb safety.

The problem is that the soft, ambi-safety has been bumped OFF SAFE three times in less than 10 weeks of carry. This has happened with my super-comfy N82Tactical holster and my high-end The Answer hybrid holster. What to do?
  • Anyone using a thumb break holster like the Aker Flatsider?
Click to expand...
This one? https://akerleather.com/holsters/belt-slide-holsters/168/flatsider-xr12.html

If I were to pick a holster that would cause problems with a thumb safety equipped gun, M&P, 1911, or anything, at the top of the list would be a holster like the N82 with a squishy sweat shield, second on the list would be a thumb break holster, and while I have a lot of respect for Tucker and The Answer, a hybrid IWB would be #3 on my list.

I don't know if you can do anything about the thumb safety on the M&P to make is more secure, but I'd get a holster that doesn't put soft material up against the thumb safety. No sweat shield would be much better than a squishy sweat shield and I definitely expect a thumb break holster to cause problems.
 
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Happens to me with my two carry guns with safeties. My holsters are high quality (High Noon, Crossbreed, Zlogonje, Triple K). Happens IWB, OWB, and pocket carry. Happens with full leather, kydex and hydrids. Discussed it many times here. Doesn't happen as much as you've disclosed (so you might want to experiment with different holsters), but happens enough that my draw training includes thumb check of that safety EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
 
TarDevil said:
Happens to me with my two carry guns with safeties. My holsters are high quality (High Noon, Crossbreed, Zlogonje, Triple K). Happens IWB, OWB, and pocket carry. Happens with full leather, kydex and hydrids. Discussed it many times here. Doesn't happen as much as you've disclosed (so you might want to experiment with different holsters), but happens enough that my draw training includes thumb check of that safety EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
Click to expand...

What are your two carry guns?
 
I'll admit, in spite of my above comments, at least in the 1911 world I live in, I generally consider a thumb safety getting switched off/or on while holstered, a thumb safety issue and not a holster issue. However, I don't know enough about the M&P thumb safety to know how secure that safety is.

My 1911 thumb safety, a Colt teardrop, is very low profile, and very secure and positive when in position. No holster is going to move my thumb safety, but I'd expect a less secure design to be affected by a sweat shield or thumb break.
 
The M&P thumb safety is fairly large and not anywhere NEAR as positive as my Colt. That is why I will try the Flatsider next. With the off side safety covered, I’m hopping it will be more protected from the occasional bump.

I do not believe bumping the safety off has anything to do with not using a “decent” holster. The N82Tactical is very well made and costs more than most kydex holsters—and has comfort to match. The Answer costs literally TWICE as much and could reasonably be considered state of the art.

Thank you for your comments.
 
It's not because they are inexpensive or expensive, it is because they have a soft flexible sweat shield that are known to interfere with thumb safeties.

I don't know for sure, but I suspect the guns these holster types were originally designed for are the typical Glock-type striker fired gun with no external safety.
 
JTQ said:
It's not because they are inexpensive or expensive, it is because they have a soft flexible sweat shield that are known to interfere with thumb safeties.

I don't know for sure, but I suspect the guns these holster types were originally designed for are the typical Glock-type striker fired gun with no external safety.
Click to expand...
Except it also happens in my DeSantis pocket holster... with a gun originally designed with a thumb safety.

Bottom line for me, regardless of gun or holster, is do a safety check every time you draw.
 
JTQ said:
You didn't specify which De Santis pocket holster, but I'll assume the Nemesis which is soft sided all around.

https://www.desantisholster.com/carry-styles/pocket/
Click to expand...
Yeah, it's the Nemesis, but the holster itself never touches the safety. So, sweat shield or no, it happens.

Others in this community have vouched this issue has never happened to them and I accept that. But I do use very high quality holsters of varying types (The Nemesis would be the cheapest and lowest quality, by far) and this issue has reared it's head in all modes of carry. Perhaps my particular body is the cause. Who knows...
 
CommanderCrusty said:
I do not believe bumping the safety off has anything to do with not using a “decent” holster. The N82Tactical is very well made and costs more than most kydex holsters—and has comfort to match. The Answer costs literally TWICE as much and could reasonably be considered state of the art.
Click to expand...

A well made piece of junk is still a piece of junk. That soft, squishy backing is what's taking your safety off.

I mean that in itself isn't really problem, people carry M&Ps with no safety and even if you think the safety is on you shouldn't have your finger on the trigger (as I'm sure you know) but it's that holster that's causing the problem.
 
I bought my 2.0 Compact with the thumb safety and I liked it fine except for carrying the gun - it really sticks out in both directions pretty obtrusively. I ended up removing it and installing the frame plugs and the pistol works better for carry now.
 
I've had reasonably good luck with an old school, stiff, all-leather Fist brand holster not letting the safety get bumped off on my M&P.

But, yeah, M&P safeties are pretty "soft."
 
On the regular m&p pistols (9 40 45) there was a way to file the detent location with a jewelers file to create a deeper "seat" for the detent to rest in, making the safety more positive and less likely to come off. A little googling should come up with the how to.
 
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