Give me a polymer pistol with no safety...and I'll be happy.

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StrikeFire83

StrikeFire83

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Got a chance to shoot a S&W M&P Compact today. I loved it. Can't say I liked it more than my Glocks or XDm, but I really liked it and was hitting quite well with it. I'm beginning to think that my brain is just set up to shoot striker-fired pistols with no safeties.

There was a nice S&W 1911 there as well with a "tuned" 3LB trigger ... comparatively, I shot it like poop.
 
I prefer the m&p series to the glocks and xds. My m&p 9 is the most comfortable 9mm i have ever shot. Fits me like a glove. Striker fired guns are nice, but traditional hammer guns are just as good in my opinion.
 
What is the aversion with a safety? Just because you have one you don't have to use it. My SR9C has a safety that takes some effort to engage but no effort to sweep off. It seems unlikely that you would ever accidently engage the safety but I suppose anythings possible. Also my 9c has over 3000 rounds through with 0 malfunctions.
 
my BIL has an M&P .45acp and it just feels really good.. the grip feels great, i like the thumb safety, i like the shape/feel of the slide.. the stock sights are nice.. it has a nice weight to it, nice balance..

now, the problems i have with it.. the trigger.. the magazine capacity.. the mag disconnect.. the take down lever.. the safety billboards on the slide..

i really dislike the trigger.. really dislike it..

the funny part is, i bought his XD .45acp because he didn't like the trigger on it.. (he put 150 rounds through it and had it for 2 weeks, in total) he used the money to get the M&P, which he more than happy with..

i'm quite happy with my XD, although the M&P's feel is much sexier..

i dislike Glock for various reasons.. it's mostly the ergonomics of the grip..
 
It's kinda funny. I have a 1911. I love it and love shooting it. I definitely prefer steel guns over plastic. The heft. Recoil management thru weight. Just a lot of fun to shoot. Conversely I don't like the feel of plastic guns. They feel... cheap. They aren't nice to look at either (IMHO).

Now, ask me which one I shoot better.

C
 
You can have them I prefer to be able to reholster safely without having to divert my eyes so that I can watch the gun into the holster.
 
What is the aversion with a safety? Just because you have one you don't have to use it. My SR9C has a safety that takes some effort to engage but no effort to sweep off. It seems unlikely that you would ever accidently engage the safety but I suppose anythings possible.
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"Anythings possible" is the exact reason its a problem. Just like all guns are to be treated as loaded, when you need a gun to shoot, all safeties should be considered as on until verified disengaged. That means that even if you never ever ever ever apply it, if you carry a gun with a safety, flicking off the safety needs to be part of your draw. That's more stuff to worry about.

I get that some people like them, and that's fine. I just don't think "just don't use it if you don't want to" is sufficient for the people who don't like the safety. For my carry gun, I don't just want a safety flipped off - I don't want a safety on the gun period. Smart manufacturers (like S&W) are wise to that and just make the safety a component that can either be there or not.
 
Its all about personal preferance. I personally don't like stiker fired. I've had them and shot them pretty well but I like seing the hammer and being able to decock the hammer for carry purposes. As far as safeties, I generally like them because even though I keep all weapons in a safe unless they are on me, I have little ones at home and having a safety engaged also just makes more sense. Now of my 2 carry weapons one (s&w 6904) goes chambered with safety on the other (cz rami) goes chambered with hammer up since safety on that one only engages with hammer down (not a fan of cocked and locked personally). To each his own :)
 
I really like my 9c no problems in 4 years so far. I'm thinking a 45 fullsize m&p may be my next pistol.
 
Sig P250 is another option. I have the subcompact and I like it very much. Long reset on the trigger though.
 
H&K P30/HK45 with an LEM trigger. No safety, but you can keep your thumb on the hammer when holstering. Best of both worlds, in my opinion. I'd be a little wary of AIWB carry without some sort of tactile way of ensuring nothing snags.
 
I have a 1911. I love it and love shooting it. I definitely prefer steel guns over plastic. The heft. Recoil management thru weight. Just a lot of fun to shoot. Conversely I don't like the feel of plastic guns. They feel... cheap.
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Some plastic guns feel "cheap" (Glocks, M&Ps, most Rugers, and all Kel-Tecs).

But some are quite nicely finished and feel anything-but-cheap (Walther P99 & PPQ, most H&Ks).

I would but M&Ps into the second group, but all the plastic mold flashing and and poor "cottage cheese" grip texture is a real turn-off for me.
 
I'd be a little wary of AIWB carry without some sort of tactile way of ensuring nothing snags.
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Simple solution is that I just put the gun in the holster while the holster is off the body, then attach the whole rig. I don't bother with that routine for OWB kydex but it makes putting a gun into a leather IWB holster safer. Once its holstered and on the body there's nothing to worry about.
 
What is the aversion with a safety?
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"Anythings possible" is the exact reason its a problem. Just like all guns are to be treated as loaded, when you need a gun to shoot, all safeties should be considered as on until verified disengaged. That means that even if you never ever ever ever apply it, if you carry a gun with a safety, flicking off the safety needs to be part of your draw. That's more stuff to worry about.

I get that some people like them, and that's fine. I just don't think "just don't use it if you don't want to" is sufficient for the people who don't like the safety. For my carry gun, I don't just want a safety flipped off - I don't want a safety on the gun period. Smart manufacturers (like S&W) are wise to that and just make the safety a component that can either be there or not.
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mgmorden pretty much hit the nail on the head. I don't like safeties for all of the reasons that he just described. For me, the paramount reason to NOT have a safety on my pistols is that I don't need one. Period. I've been shooting and handling pistols for almost 8 years now, and I've never had a ND. The whole "don't put your finger on the trigger until you're ready to fire" rule has served me well. Also, the "advantages" of re-holstering a pistol with a safety are irrelevant to ME. I don't give a wiff about reholster speed...draw and presentment and firing speed are what matter to me and NOT having to flip a no/no switch in order to make my weapon operational is just "one less thing" to worry about.

Also I didn't know that S&W offered non-Shield M&P's with a safety, but good for them. More options lead to more sales, I reckon.
 
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Okay, so what's the point of that?
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There's a lot of reasons a person might want to reholster without looking down at the holster. The most obvious would be right after a shooting I sure don't want to be still holding my gun when the cops arrive and I sure don't want his buddie to come around the corner while I'm watching my gun so I'm sure I don't shoot my leg. So I'd sure like the ability to get the gun holstered with one hand without looking.
 
I loved my M&P. the grip, the trigger, the ergos. And I hate my glock 26. Grip feels wrong and the trigger is not bad but not great. The thing is I can out shoot my full sized M&P w/ the Glock 26. Plus it's easier to carry. Hate to say it but Glock wins again.
 
I much prefer the passive safeties of Glocks et al. I will say that leather holsters make me take my eyes off what I am doing besides holstering my gun. That said, my primary reason for the holster is good retention and fast draw. I don't really care how long it takes to put the gun back.

I do have a couple of Kydex holsters that I can holster my glocks without issue or looking at them. The gun only fits in the "right" way and the kydex doesn't fold or bunch over like leather. As a long time leather bender, I think making the move to dabbling in Kydex is in my very near future. Not very sexy or stylish, but nothing is sexy or stylish about a Glock either:neener:
 
Strikefire, I'm different in that I shoot my 1911's way better than my Glocks. This comment is not in infer that either type of gun is better than the other. Some people have set preferences and no amouunt of convincing will move them an inch. I tend to like the vast majority of guns and do see certain benefits to each. Blonds, brunettes, redheads..... hey if its fine its all good to me.

Oh by the way, I do like the safety feature on my 1911 but darn if my CCW gun (Glock 27) is fine with me without a safety. That little finger thingy is not a safety in my world.
 
right after a shooting I sure don't want to be still holding my gun when the cops arrive and I sure don't want his buddie to come around the corner while I'm watching my gun so I'm sure I don't shoot my leg. So I'd sure like the ability to get the gun holstered with one hand without looking.
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I mean if that's a feature that moves you, then by all means select for it. I think it takes me maybe 2 seconds to re-holster my Glock 17 when carrying in a Galco outside the waistband high ride holster...but you are right, it does take two hands (pinch the leather open with free hand) and I do have to look.
 
Robert101: I'm a big believer in not fighting what works for you. I like guns period, and I'll happily shoot 1911s all day and enjoy doing it. I'm just better with and carry Glocks (and maybe an XDm should she prove herself).
 
^ I prefer striker-fired, but I put about 5K flawless rounds through a CZ-75B (sold to fund my Xdm-45 Compact). I dig CZ products, they're high quality, I just found others I liked more.
 
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