Which is the safest autoloader when round loaded in chamber?

[smalls]

The S&W Sigma. With a trigger pull like that, no one "accidentally" pulls it back.
You either did, or didn't.

I'm not trying to bash anyone, but if you have to worry about having a gun that you can't accidentally discharge, you probably shouldn't be carrying a loaded firearm.

 

[marv]

DA/SA with decocker and no safety or DAO with of without safety.

 

[loneviking]

DA/SA with decocker and slide mounted safety. Beretta has models that qualify for this, along with a lot of the 2nd and 3rd gen. S&Ws, some of the Browning models...Sigs which have a decocker but no safety, just a heavy trigger. BTW, all of these have hammers, which make reholstering very safe. Just put your thumb behind the hammer when reholstering and there's no way the hammer is going to come back far enough for the gun to fire. If the hammer does begin to move back, you'll know it and can then stop to see why. Thinking about the safety of various operating systems is a very good idea!

 

[777TRUTH]

In terms of avoiding an accidental discharge of a carry gun, I feel that a DA/SA pistol with a safety on it is the safest possible combination.

^^^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

It works for me but it may not for others.

 

[Winkman822]

Honestly, I'd say a DA/SA pistol carried in DA first round or an SAO with the manual safety engaged (i.e. cocked and locked). Personally, I'm of the opinion that a manual safety is not necessary for a DA/SA pistol.

Insofar as Glocks, M&P's annd the like, I'd say they're perfectly safe as well so long as 1) a good holster that covers the trigger guard completely is used, and 2) the user ensures that there is no foreign object in the holster that could cause the weapon to discharge while re-holstering.

I, for one, prefer my trusty Wilson Combat 1911 carried round chambered, full magazine, cocked and locked...and no it don't have no stinkin Series 80 firing pin block.

 

[sargents1]

Dear THR,
In your opinion, which is the safest semi-auto pistol when carrying round in the chamber?

When selecting your choice, it will be appreciated if you can tell us about that particular weapon's safety mechanisms.

Thanks

Hmm, well as others have stated, almost any gun manufactured in the last 50years or so is going to be quite safe - IF carried by someone who has their act together.

There are a lot of factors, but the biggest are:
- Proper holster. One that covers the trigger guard completely.
- Proper clothing, belt and mode of carry.
- Properly sized gun for the operator.
The most important is the one most people would expect:
- Properly trained person doing the carrying who is intimately familiar with their weapon and all of its features as well as all the particulars of their chosen carry rig.

It sounds like you were trying to get an idea of which gun has the best combination of automatic and manual safety devices.

I would say that something like a Ruger SR9/40 which has the usual Glock type automatic trigger safety as well as a manual switch safety would be one answer.

A Smith and Wesson M&P with the manual safety option would fit the same criteria.



Both of those guns have firing pin blocks and auto trigger safeties (a la Glock) and can be carried with a round in the chamber and the manual safety disengaged. They have the usual Striker-fired (hybrid of DA and SA) trigger pull that is about 5-6lbs. They are drop safe without the manual safety engaged. And of course they have the manual safety that completely deactivates the gun.

The Ruger also has a magazine disconnect safety that deactivates the gun when the magazine is removed. I personally dislike that feature because of the fact that the gun is useless if the magazine is lost or damaged....such as if you were in a life-or-death-gunfight and in a semi-panic and accidentally dropped your magazine and stepped on it. Other folks like the mag-disconnect because of the perceived additional safety when handling/cleaning the gun.

Beretta, CZ, Taurus and others all make DA/SA guns with manual safeties that operate very similarly to the Ruger and S&W.

This is a very basic answer to a complicated question. There are Lots of right answers to the basic question of "how to carry safely". To get a comprehensive answer you have some extensive research to do.

Truly, the safest gun is the one handled properly in accordance with gun safety rules by a competent person.

 

[Zerodefect]

The cool thing about the Ruger and M&P is that you can reholster with the safety on, then turn the safety off once it's in there. Piece of mind reholstering, but still fast draws.

Keep in mind that a 1911 draws as fast with the safety as without, its part of my grip. My grip firms up as I rotate the gun forward and that flicks the safety off. It's the only pistol that I'm OK with the idea of turning the safety of during a draw.

 

[Master Blaster]

Never rely on a mechanical device for safety.
Safety is equal to training. Any modern firearm is safe if it is handled properly.

 

[TonyT]

Personally, I prefer a semi auto without an external hammer or external safeties such as S&W99/Walther P99, S&W M&P, Glock or Kahr. I carried a Glock-36 for several years before finally opting for pocket carry of a Kahr PM-9.

 

[TonyT]

Personally, I prefer a semi auto without an external hammer or external safeties such as S&W99/Walther P99, S&W M&P, Glock or Kahr. They all have mechanisms which insure that the striker will not fall unless you pull the trigger. I carried a Glock-36 for several years before finally opting for pocket carry of a Kahr PM-9.

 

[Zerodefect]

Never rely on a mechanical device for safety.
Safety is equal to training. Any modern firearm is safe if it is handled properly.

There's nothing safe about the speed reholster used when transitioning back to rifle.

It's an educated risk. Done right, it's relatively safe, and about 2 seconds slower with a Glock compared to a manual safety gun.

 

[brnmuenchow]

Remove the human element: Beretta 92 or Sig Sauer P226.

 

[GLOOB]

Deleted.

 

[RickMD]

Carrying a DA/SA auto with exposed hammer and de-cocker is no different than carrying a double action revolver. They're designed to be carried with one in the chamber, hammer down, and the safety off. Ever noticed that there's no safety on a revolver? That long, double action trigger is the safety.

 

[surjimmy]

H&k p7

 

[ResidentFarmer]

Hmm, let's see, the one without your finger on the trigger.

 

[trex1310]

Hmm, let's see, the one without your finger on the trigger.

You nailed it.


The Glock Safety

 

[Tomcat47]

I like the "safe action" pistols in general but see them as being very unsafe except for the Springfield XD with the grip safety.

XD made me look at a striker fired safe action pistol....no interest at all until then!

My brother has the XDm and I love it!

I am currently waiting on XDs to start shipping....Anyone seen a price point for them yet?

 

[marklmurray]

H&K P7 has come up a couple times already and that's my vote, too. It goes from paperweight to deadly tool and back to paperweight with a squeeze of the grip. A great design.

 

[wrs840]

Beretta 92 or S&W 3rd gen style safety-decocker protocol is the safest IMO.

...But I carry a striker-fired no-safety "plastic" pistol almost every day.

 

[Fremmer]

Any semi carried empty chamber with a loaded mag would trump all the other options, it is the same concept of a feature that renders the gun inoperable.

But i guess a decocker can be a good thing, and I think the 1911 has quite a few carry options (half cock etc.).

 

[P7]

Hk p7

 

[coalman]

Beretta 92fs and those like it are the "safest" in terms of being the most forgiving of poor gun handling as the hammer cannot contact FP with safety on, even if the trigger is pulled. This same design can be the least "safe" IMO in high stress as you can forget to take the safety off.

Holstered guns are equally safe. Triggers fire loaded guns. Bullets go the direction the gun is pointed. IMO, pay more attention to these considerations.

 

[alienbogey]

Hk p7

 

[Jim Watson]

Agree that about any modern design auto in good condition is mechanically safe, it won't fire unless the trigger is pulled with any manual safety disengaged.

After that, it gets more complicated. The more external safeties, the more training and practice it takes.
As said, the frequently touted Beretta 92 will very often engage the Waltherish decocker/safety as you rack the slide. Now the question becomes, do you unlock before you holster and depend on the DA start to avoid an AD or do you leave your dingus down, disengage it on the draw and then undertake the DA pull?
OK, are you then ready to repeat the process after you reload under stress?

Other types have their own little problems. Ever holster a Sig-Sauer without stroking the decocking lever? I have.

And the P7. I was taught to acquire a firing grip on the pistol in the holster. That gives you a cocked gun with 3 lb trigger when pulling the H&K. Keep track of that forefinger.
I could only manage it by shooting P7 and nothing but. A dozen rounds out of a different action type got me into some very strange behavior with the squeezecocker. I sold it, not being willing to devote my life to it.