Safety off while CC

[acdodd]

I have been carrying my Sig P938 in a Crossbreed mini tuck IWB holster for only a couple of weeks.:
Today when I got home I took the holster off with the gun still in it and discovered the safety was disengaged.
I know for a 100% certain fact that it was engaged when I holstered the gun.
I put the safety on then racked the slide to load a round in the chamber.
I drove about 50 miles to visit relatives, stopped for lunch and drove home.
I make an effort to keep my hands off my gun when carrying.
I have no idea how the safety got off and it has me spooked.
The trigger was covered so it wasn't going to go off but having a 1911 style pistol cocked and loaded with the safety off is not something I am comfortable with.
Any ideas on how this could have happened? Seat belt maybe?
Have any one of you had it happen.
Even tho I don't like to I am going to carry it without a round in the chamber for a while to see if it happens again.

 

[guyfromohio]

Ambi safety? That's likely it. If not a lefty, find a way to remove it.

 

[X-Rap]

I had a Bianchi Pistol Pocket IWB. I believe it was an popular early design of IWB but I once found the safety flicked off on a 1911, that was it for that holster.
It didn't have an ambidextrous safety.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Tirod]

Ambi safety gets blamed a lot, as do weak detents. The reality is that it got brushed up against something and pushed hard enough to move to fire.

I was shopping yesterday and caught myself tapping the gun in an IWB holster against the handle of a shopping cart. It's a Kahr CW380 with no safety at all, just their superlative and slightly long trigger pull. But if it had been my SIG P938 - like you, who knows if that was enough?

Seat belts and buckles are one prime source of flipping off safeties, much less the issue of getting a holstered gun out from under them if you need it.

I have carried other guns in full flap military holsters and found them to flip off the safety - a 1911 and an M9. I was working in a much more energetic situation and getting the gun out to check was considered something you needed to do periodically. CCW doesn't lend itself to many opportunities.

The major difference between a SA with safety off and a DA with no safety is literally a fraction of an inch in trigger travel. Since trigger movement with a SA is much more critical, it goes to the SA needing a holster that prevents any contact with it at all - and that quickly eliminates the softer holsters made with fabric or suede, something we commonly do with DA guns. And yet, it's just a fraction of an inch different.

The positive side of the coin is that firearms rarely if ever go off just sitting in a holster. It's when we handle them that a mishap occurs. And it a lot of cases its a DA, too. Getting pushed into a holster or because someone gets their finger in the trigger guard too soon in the draw. I would worry less about finding the safety off a SA than what happens when you do need to use it and you are in a rush to get your finger on the trigger. The better path of steps is to draw, flip off safety while coming up past 45 degrees, then finger on trigger when sighting.

Again, guns rarely go off holstered, it's when you grip them and attempt to when real issues come up. Which makes me think about how carelessly I do holster my Kahr in that suede IWB taking it out of the gun safe . . .

 

[guyfromohio]

In a right handed holster, the ambi isn't covered and can catch on things. Not intern dribble....my experience.

 

[AK103K]

I had a Bianchi Pistol Pocket IWB. I believe it was an popular early design of IWB but I once found the safety flicked off on a 1911, that was it for that holster.

That was one of my first holsters as well, and had the same issue. I solved that, by cutting the strap off. That was also one of the last holsters I used that had a retaining strap.

I carried a number of 1911's for about 25 years, and regularly found the safety off at the end of the day. I carried stock Colts too, and no ambi safety.

Ive always lead a pretty active lifestyle, both work and play, and regardless of holster make/type, it always occurred. As long as the gun is in a holster, its really no big deal.

 

[drband]

Your P938 has a stiff trigger pull. If it's holstered, it won't go off. Mine rides in a kydex pocket holster-- both sides of the safety are protected. (Alabamaholster.com)
Not sure you'll find a belt holster that does that.
I've read of people replacing the p938 ambi safety with the single side p238 safety with no mods if you're interested. Should be simple to do. Good luck to you!

 

[Acera]

Thinking it's a 1911 pistol is your first mistake.

It looks similar to a 1911, but it is not as it's missing a key component (among other internal differences). The 1911 has a grip safety, that is one of the things that makes that particular pistol safer to carry 'cocked and locked'.

Because they have not made it a true 1911 design and left off that important safety device a lot more care must be taken.



.

 

[PowerG]

I've carried a 1911 for about 20 years, it's happened several times.

 

[.308 Norma]

Thinking it's a 1911 pistol is your first mistake.

It looks similar to a 1911, but it is not as it's missing a key component (among other internal differences). The 1911 has a grip safety, that is one of the things that makes that particular pistol safer to carry 'cocked and locked'.

Because they have not made it a true 1911 design and left off that important safety device a lot more care must be taken.



.

So that's what the deal is. Thank's for clearing that up Acera.

I still don't know what a Sig P938 is, but I know I could not rack the slide on the 1911s I've had (including the one I have now) with the safety engaged.
So when the OP wrote that he "put the safety on then racked the slide to load a round in the chamber" I was thoroughly confused.

I can't remember any of my 1911s ever being clicked off "safe" accidentally. Nevertheless, I wouldn't feel comfortable carrying a 1911 "cocked and locked" without a grip safety too.

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

So that's what the deal is. Thank's for clearing that up Acera.

I still don't know what a Sig P938 is, but I know I could not rack the slide on the 1911s I've had (including the one I have now) with the safety engaged.
So when the OP wrote that he "put the safety on then racked the slide to load a round in the chamber" I was thoroughly confused.

I can't remember any of my 1911s ever being clicked off "safe" accidentally. Nevertheless, I wouldn't feel comfortable carrying a 1911 "cocked and locked" without a grip safety too.

I was thinking the same thing. Even my little cheap worthless striker fired Taurus with a thumb safety can not be racked with the safety on.

Never handled any semi with a thumb safety that could be racked with the safety engaged.

 

[the Real Alpo]

Really? You need to handle a Beretta 92 or 96. Or a Walther PP or PPK.

Possibly all DA autos with slide-mounted safeties, but since I own all four of those, I know they will.

 

[.308 Norma]

Really? You need to handle a Beretta 92 or 96. Or a Walther PP or PPK.


I SPECIFIED 1911s - NOT Beretta 92s, 96s, Walthers or any other semi-autos. I don't need to handle ANY semi-auto to know what I said about the 1911s I've had (have) is true - you CAN'T rack the slide to put a round in the chamber with the safety on.

 

[acdodd]

OK just to clear things up.
I never said it was a 1911.
I have a 1911 and I know it's not the same gun.
It is styled like a 1911.
Sig web site uses the term inspired I guess that was my error.
You can rack the slide with the safety on and load a round unlike a 1911.
It has an ambidextrous safety and I think that is why it was able to become disengaged. Maybe my seat belt pushed the lever down.
I'll keep an eye on it.
I have no problem carrying it in C1 but when I found the safety was off it made me think about it.
So I hope that clears things up for you.
Thanks to those that had helpful ideas.
http://www.sigsauer.com/CatalogProductDetails/p938-brg.aspx

 

[the Real Alpo]

308 Norma, I was responding to the post directly above mine, where he says, "Never handled ANY SEMI with a thumb safety that could be racked with the safety engaged".

Not to you and your "1911concern". Good Ol' Boy and his "any semi".

 

[.308 Norma]

Thanks acdodd and the Real Alpo.

I apologize for flying off the handle.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

The flaw in that holster, and in many others, is that the back leather is too skimpy. It should prevent the gun from touching your body AND there should be a "cam" sewed on the backing which engages the safety and keeps it on safe.

I make my own holsters and that's how I make them. In fact, I test them by shoving the unloaded gun into the holster cocked but unlocked. When I pull it out, the safety should be in the locked position -- forced there by the cam.

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

308 Norma, I was responding to the post directly above mine, where he says, "Never handled ANY SEMI with a thumb safety that could be racked with the safety engaged".

Not to you and your "1911concern". Good Ol' Boy and his "any semi".

I never said I'd handled every gun under the sun.

With a slide mounted safety I can see how that'd make sense.

Thanks for the education.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

There could be one or more contributing factors to this problem, and a few here have touched on some.

For example, someone earlier mentioned the strength of your safety's detent.

Is your holster made specifically for your gun? A "generic" holster may allow for some movements that might be contributing to this problem, whereas a holster specifically built for your gun won't.

Holsters aren't all equal, either. Some are better designed than others, some carry and wear differently. It makes a difference. So a different holster MAY be called for.

Believe it or not, some people unconsciously handle their holstered gun. This could be caused by a variety of reasons. New people to carrying a firearm often touch their firearm more than those who have carried longer. It may be an issue of nervousness, checking to see that it's still concealed properly, "hitching" it into place (perhaps because their method of carry causes it to slip a little), or whatever. Some people simply do not realize they're doing it...or doing it to the extent they actually are.

Sometimes an external factor contributes to a problem like this. If so, then the method of carry REALLY needs to be examined because a seatbelt (for example) should not be causing this.

And, despite your certainty otherwise, it could be that you disengaged the safety yourself. It happens.

Remember...it may not be a single issue at cause. It could be more than one thing which contributes to this.

 

[MICHAEL T]

Colt Mustangs can rack slide with safety on also. SIG is pretty much a copy of the Mustang Its really not a big deal .
Some people like idea of safety on then chamber a round .

 

[MyGreenGuns]

I have had this happen while carrying my 1911 at least one time. I replaced the spring that holds the safety and have not had the issue again.
I can replicate the problem by pulling sideways on the strap of my holster.
I am not really concerned. The trigger is covered.

 

[Hydraulic Jack]

I am not concerned about my 1911 doing this because of the grip safety as noted above. Double action semi-autos with safeties it's a debate between condition 1 and 2. I may carry around a gun with the safety on in condition 2 to see if I can jar it off for a while before carrying it condition 1.

 

[toivo]

Others have said it: ambi safety with an IWB leaves the safety uncovered and peeking up over your belt. Any number of things could come in contact with it during everyday activity.

 

[alexander45]

Alot of modern holsters have groves or cams built into the holster ti prevent this I suggest finding one of those

 

[W.E.G.]

Glad there was no unhappy ending.

Stuff happens.

Less stuff happens when you keep your finger off the trigger until it's time to shoot.

I carry revolvers, Glocks, and crunchentickers (manual lever never ever engaged).