Before we begin, please ignore the grip being used in the picture. It may work for some, but for most, it's garbage. I'll discuss a much better technique in a future post.
NOW! by the title I'm sure you can tell what we will be discussing today. And if not, wow... just, wow... Safeties on pistols are debated as much as anything else in gun culture. Some love them, some hate them, few are indifferent. It seems that everyone has a reason and stance on the topic. Before we dive too deep into it, I feel that it is important that we make sure that we are all on the same page. Pistols commonly have a few different types of safeties. For our purpose today, we will be discussing external safeties. This, for the most part, will consist of grip safeties (picture 1) and thumb safeties (picture 2).
Grip safeties, as the name suggests, are located along the back side of the grip of a handgun. It must be depressed in order for the gun to fire. Thump safeties are the ones that most people are familiar with. They are meant to be toggled from safe to fire with the thumb when ready to fire and back to safe when done.
Personally, I LOATHE external safeties!!! To me, they are another obstacle that must be overcome in a life or death situation that I do not care to have. If the time comes when you need a pistol to protect your life, or the life of loved ones, a safety could be the difference between life and death. I know it sounds extreme, but so is taking a life. many people say, "It only takes a split second to click the safety off." Well, it takes even less time for a bullet to hit its mark. I don't know about you, but I want all the time I can get. Failure to disengage a safety turns a life saving tool, into one expensive ass club. It may do the job, but I would definitely rather use it for its intended purpose.
I also hear people talk about it's safer to have a safety. A lot! It's actually the number one reason I get. When I was first exposed to firearms, I was taught four rules. Nowhere in there was a safety mentioned. Safety is the responsibility of the user, not the gun. Glock is one of the largest and most well known pistol manufacturers. Their guns have no external safety. The trigger safety is there to make sure that only an intentional press of the trigger is able to discharge the weapon. Similar mechanisms are found on many other pistols as well. For me, that's all I need. I am my safety. If my finger isn't touching the trigger, the gun won't fire. Period.
Of course, this is all personal preference. If you properly train with a safety, it may be no big deal for you. And if your carry weapon has a safety, you definitely NEED to train with it! But for me, on my carry pistol, a safety is another thing that could slow me down. I'm just not willing to even bother with one.
But let me know how you feel. Leave a comment. I want to hear your opinion!