M&P45 with or without a thumb safety

[FullEffect1911]

Well I would like to get an S&W M&P 45 in the near future. Nearer still because of the 2 extra magazine offer from smith. However I am having an issue with deciding whether or not to get it with the thumb safety. I plan on using this for my main CCW.

I am used to double action revolvers and 1911s, so the idea of a relatively light trigger with no external safeties is somewhat foreign to me, however the thumb safety on the M&P feels in the way for my thumbs and I just know it will get in the way for target shooting. This leaves me at somewhat of an impasse.

Any suggestions anyone may make would be appreciated.

 

[geronimo509]

I voted without the thumb safety. I love a 1911 with thumb safety. I dont like a DAO with a thumb safety. IMO go with what you are comfortable with. Also, the less you have to remember when you are in a SD situation the better. With that said, I often carry a 1911, but it is automatic for me to hit the safety. When I carry the Kahr, I can still feel my thumb try and hit it on the draw but there is nothing there and it doesnt slow me down.

 

[Anna's Dad]

I voted "with", but it's just a personal preference.

I completely understand the arguments that it's unnecessary on the M&P platform and just something else you have to think about in a situation where seconds count.

 

[HoosierQ]

That's the thing...the M&P is not DAO even if some may classify it that way. That striker is fully cocked or nearly so. It is not even the half-cock sort of thing going on with the Glock.

Of course all the M&P thumb safety does is block the trigger...but the trigger blocks the striker until pulled etc.

I have the .45 with the thumb safety. I bought a 9c that lacks it. Now I see they make the 9c with the thumb safety and I wish mine did too. That's what gun fever will get you.:banghead:

 

[D-Man]

I vote getting one with the thumb safety as it will act just like a 1911 this way (well, at least just the thumb safety part), and you can grip it the same too.

I had a M&P45 and bought one w/ the thumb safety for this very reason (to match my 1911).

 

[dontshakepandas]

I had one with a thumb safety, but sold it to my dad. I think the gun would have been better off without the. It adds a lot of width to the gun which can be uncomfortable if you are going to carry it. It also makes it so that you can't use the crimson trace laser grips made for the M&P if that is something you are interested in. The safety does not have a positive click in either position. It is really easy to engage or disengage accidentally. That means it could be off when you think it is on, and you could accidentally engage it in a situation where you definitely don't want it on.

If you have a proper holster, it is completely unnecessary. I actually prefer guns that don't have safeties, but I don't have a problem with safeties, and can understand why some people want them. However, this PARTICULAR safety, is just not well done, and the gun is better off without it.

 

[Hanafuda]

Has anyone heard whether Smith will retrofit the safety on M&P's that do not have it? If they did I would consider having it added to my 9mm.

 

[Pizzagunner]

The best argument for the thumb safety on such pistols is that it makes holstering the weapon optional rather than mandatory. For a house gun it makes a lot of sense to have a safety on a M&P so one can stick it naked in a drawer, or under the mattress, or throw it into one's waistband to answer a late night knock at the door.

For a carry gun, the safety doesn't make as much sense except for as an aid to officer safety during a possible weapon retention struggle.

 

[CoRoMo]

How many magazines come with the M&P to begin with?
Bud's recently discounted their M&P9 and the two free mags would be great, greater if two come with the pistol to start out. No safety.

 

[Gunfighter123]

I like a thumb safety on ANY auto pistol.

 

[Landor]

No external safeties for me.

 

[FullEffect1911]

The M&P does have a magazine disconnect safety correct? If so you could just chamber a round, remove the magazine and then holster the weapon to help make sure the trigger doesn't catch on anything it shouldn't, then reinsert the magazine. As long as it's in a holster I can't see anything going wrong short of the striker going haywire, and even then the safety wouldn't help in that case if it just blocks the trigger.

Glad to hear some good debate about this at least, it seems to be making my decision a little bit easier.

 

[mljdeckard]

I would like to think, that I am well-enough experienced that if I pick up a strange gun, and feel that it doesn't have a thumb safety, I just drop it from the plan automatically. 1911? Safety under the thumb. Glock? Don't worry about it. I find that the safeties that annoy me are slide-mounted 'positive safeties, which require you to flick it up out of the non-natural firing position to take it off. A 1911 pulls down into the firing position naturally. I can't recall off the top of my head what kind of option the M&P has.

 

[FullEffect1911]

I can't recall off the top of my head what kind of option the M&P has.

It's frame mounted down to shoot, much like the 1911. The problem I have is that it doesn't seem rugged enough to shoot with a high thumb rest position like a 1911.

 

[D-Man]

The M&P does have a magazine disconnect safety correct?

The M&P line can be ordered either with or without the magazine disconnect safety. Both my M&P45 and M&P9c did not have this safety - you can tell which models don't as it has the warning message under the ejection port that it can be fired without a magazine.

 

[Hostile Amish]

If you are used to a 1911-type pistol, get the TS. If not, don't get it.

 

[jmr40]

For the record I like the idea of having a thumb safety on guns like the Glock and the M&P. I bought one of the first M&P's in 45 I saw specifically to get the safety and did not like it. This safety just does not have the right feel to it. Mine was very easy to move from safe to fire and several times when I owned it the safety would engage or disengage just through normal use. There were times when I tried to fire it and the safety would be in the on position. To repeat, I like the idea, but S&W needs to redesign this safety.

I'm used to the 1911 and never had the same problem with the 1911's I own

 

[Straightarrow]

FullEffect I was in the exact same situation as you are in about a month ago. I have been a long gun shooter all my life and I am used of my firearms having a safety on them. When I just recently took my CCW class it was an eye opening experience for me! Finding out that most handguns don't have a safety was difficult for me. I was looking at the S & W M & P compact 9mm and found one at the gun show with a thumb safety. I was hooked because a safety is second nature to me. I really like mine. PS. S & W told me that a thumb safety cannot be put on a gun that didn't have one installed at the factory and they said that not all M & P's come with a magazine safety & that you cannot get one with both safety features! It's either one or the other! Hope this helps!

 

[Hungry Seagull]

My M&P has no safety, in fact under the firing/eject port on the slide is marked "Capable of being fired with magazine removed."

There appears to be a detent on the trigger itself that probably allows the gun to come out of safety as you pull to fire. Im not exactly sure yet.

No thumb safety anywhere on the gun. At the moment Im one rack away from answering the door, however for CCw, it will be the last rack I make.

 

[10-Ring]

Definitely without

 

[Gary G23]

Purely a matter of personal preference but I like the thumb safety.

 

[SimpleIsGood229]

Judging from what you're telling us, it sounds like you should go sans thumb safety. I sure would. Otherwise, I'd rather take a 1911.

 

[possum]

i don't like manual safties at all that is why i carry xd, glock, kahr etc.

since you are used to it i say go for it, keep everything as close to the same as possible.