handgun/safety?? Am I overthinking this?

[Bob-WY]

Thanks to all the previous help on this site for picking my first handgun. We have narrowed down to a few and will be visiting a range to actually shoot some.

One thing that suprised me however is the lack of an external safety. Maybe I am over thinking, and I understand the internal safety process etc. but am "stuck" on no thumb safety on many of the guns. I know the logic, if your finger isn't on the trigger, it won't shoot, etc, but my brain is struggling to wrap my head around it. Am I over thinking this?

We have found a couple models with external/thumb safety, but some of the ones that feel best in our hand we can't find with an external safety

 

[Potsie]

I’m no expert, but ya, you probably are overthinking it. Back when I took hunters Ed, in the class the definition of a safety was “a mechanical device that can and will fail.” Period. That’s it.

Absolutely, the first safety is keeping your booger hook off the pew pew button.

This is all relative though, at least for me. I don’t carry concealed, and when I do carry in the woods it’s a revolver. All pistols in my house are loaded, but also locked away.

What’s your intended use?

 

[TOGIE]

none of my three handguns have a safety.

when i concealed more often i really appreciated that feature honestly.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

I personally fall in the camp of never carrying hot, and basically never using any safety. If that strategy costs me a second of response in a hunting or personal defense situation that's a tradeoff I'm willing to make. I know that's not how everyone feels and it doesn't meet every situational need, just how I do it.

 

[jejack26]

So I completely understand. I still struggle with it. Guns I compete with, no safety. I went to double action for guns that I carry, although ty he first round will be just a noise maker. Trying to compete with guns that had a safety made me understand the down side of having it present.

Kind of goes right along with, do you keep a round in the chamber or not.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Most of the striker fired pistols have some kind of trigger safety, i.e. the Glock or S& M&P hinged trigger. My double action revolvers don't have a safety, a lot of my automatics do, but I like them. Still, my main carry auto is a M&P 40 with only the trigger safety. The holster covers the trigger, and the strap keeps the action from cycling. My concealed carry is Sig P938 with ambi-safety. I have not noticed any issue with it, and it allows me to carry in condition 1.

 

[Deleted member 18333]

Funny you mention this I was just thinking much the same. This year I will be spending considerably more time in Grizz country and have considered getting a handgun to run along with spray. I have little experience with handguns, other than the 9mm my wife recently won at a banquet. I am thinking of a Glock 10mm over a revolver. I am assuming that most if not all who carry a slide action for bear carry with one in the chamber. Am I assuming correctly?

I am largely in the same camp as @SnowyMountaineer in that I never carry a rifle with one in the chamber. Doing so with a handgun feels off to me. Am I missing something in the mechanics of the whole thing that is significantly different than a rifle? I suppose I could just get a revolver and carry on an empty chamber if I cant get passed this?

 

[Johnny Bravo]

It's not that you are over thinking it, it's that you are letting a bunch of people in a forum make decisions for you based on their comments. You really should know how you feel and go with that. That being said, when I hunt with a shotgun, I have one in the chamber and use the safety, when I hunt with a rifle it's 50/50, sometimes one in the chamber and use the safety and sometimes no round chambered, but I still use the safety. When I carry a pistol I always have one in the chamber...my pocket gun in a 380 double action and my 9 and 40 have no manual safety. It's really up to you.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

It is not a perfect solution, but the primary safety on a handgun is your holster; which covers your trigger preventing it from being accidently actuated. If you just had a handguns bouncing around in your center console or the lid of your backpack, that would be pretty bad ju-ju, but a handgun in a holster is pretty safe....

That said, reholstering is something that should be done with care, and is why I would never use a thumb snap holster. That leather tab has just the wrong memory to sneak inside your trigger guard and fire the weapon while it is being jammed back in the holster. I have witness a couple of LEOs have NDs from this very issue...

 

[Dan O]

Sounds to me like you need to keep it simple. You say this is your first handgun. My experience as a firearms instructor for many years tells me you should go with a revolver that meets your needs. Learn how to shoot it on the range. Maybe get some instruction to begin with. That might cost you a few bucks in the beginning but will pay for itself in the end. Get a good well-built holster that fits your revolver and break it in. For duty use I would draw my handgun 200 times from a fully secured holster before relying on it for daily carry. I feel the same applies to any holster you're going to use for self defense.
You do not need to carry a revolver on a empty chamber unless it is a 3 screw Ruger Blackhawk or Colt single action. On a semi-auto it is personal preference, S&W and Glock are safe pistols with just the hinged trigger. Thousands of LEO's rely on them everyday with out issue. It's your choice what ever your comfortable with.
Go with the revolver and learn how to shoot and handle it safely. Don't rely on high capacity to safe your ass. That breeds the spray and pray mentality and bad habits that are hard to break.
Good luck,
Dan

 

[WestKyHunt]

Absolutely, the first safety is keeping your booger hook off the pew pew button.

X2

Also there are options with grip safetys, my Springfield Mod.2 has one and I like it

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

X2

Also there are options with grip safetys, my Springfield Mod.2 has one and I like it

In case anyone was wondering, that scene in Blackhawk Down was made up Hollywood bullshit. Delta does in fact use safeties, and would judge harshly anyone who doesn't....

 

[Willy Dee]

Sounds to me like you need to keep it simple. You say this is your first handgun. My experience as a firearms instructor for many years tells me you should go with a revolver that meets your needs. Learn how to shoot it on the range. Maybe get some instruction to begin with. That might cost you a few bucks in the beginning but will pay for itself in the end. Get a good well-built holster that fits your revolver and break it in. For duty use I would draw my handgun 200 times from a fully secured holster before relying on it for daily carry. I feel the same applies to any holster you're going to use for self defense.
You do not need to carry a revolver on a empty chamber unless it is a 3 screw Ruger Blackhawk or Colt single action. On a semi-auto it is personal preference, S&W and Glock are safe pistols with just the hinged trigger. Thousands of LEO's rely on them everyday with out issue. It's your choice what ever your comfortable with.
Go with the revolver and learn how to shoot and handle it safely. Don't rely on high capacity to safe your ass. That breeds the spray and pray mentality and bad habits that are hard to break.
Good luck,
Dan

Hard to beat a revolver. Despite shooting competitively with Glocks, I still primarily carry a revolver (k6s with Buffalo Bore 38+ p 158 gn swchp). Revolvers also seem to hold value a little better and can usually double as a woods gun (357 and above).

 

[BucksnDucks]

Sounds to me like you need to keep it simple. You say this is your first handgun. My experience as a firearms instructor for many years tells me you should go with a revolver that meets your needs. Learn how to shoot it on the range. Maybe get some instruction to begin with. That might cost you a few bucks in the beginning but will pay for itself in the end. Get a good well-built holster that fits your revolver and break it in. For duty use I would draw my handgun 200 times from a fully secured holster before relying on it for daily carry. I feel the same applies to any holster you're going to use for self defense.
You do not need to carry a revolver on a empty chamber unless it is a 3 screw Ruger Blackhawk or Colt single action. On a semi-auto it is personal preference, S&W and Glock are safe pistols with just the hinged trigger. Thousands of LEO's rely on them everyday with out issue. It's your choice what ever your comfortable with.
Go with the revolver and learn how to shoot and handle it safely. Don't rely on high capacity to safe your ass. That breeds the spray and pray mentality and bad habits that are hard to break.
Good luck,
Dan

Dan beat me to it. I agree with all the above.
I started carrying years ago and felt some apprehension. After years of only rifles and shotguns it felt very uncomfortable to think about being "locked and loaded" without a safety. This appears to go against all the gun safety learned through hunting. As mentioned, the holster acts as the "safety" or "safe carry"
Lots of good thoughts above.
my $.02

• Holsters make a difference, find one you like that works for you
• Highly suggest profession instruction to start
• Practice, train, dry fire draw often
• Trigger finger discipline is paramount-"keep the booger hook off the bang switch" until ready to shoot
• consider revolver for peace of mind
• if you go semi, carrying unchambered is an option but for self defense but not ideal (although debated). Sometimes called "Israeli carry"-if so train like the IDF
• Did I mention professional instruction

 

[Scott85]

I would recommend you taking a pistol course from a range or some other trusted instructors and go from there. It would make you more comfortable and might sway your decision on your firearm you've picked.

 

[Dan O]

It is not a perfect solution, but the primary safety on a handgun is your holster; which covers your trigger preventing it from being accidently actuated. If you just had a handguns bouncing around in your center console or the lid of your backpack, that would be pretty bad ju-ju, but a handgun in a holster is pretty safe....

That said, reholstering is something that should be done with care, and is why I would never use a thumb snap holster. That leather tab has just the wrong memory to sneak inside your trigger guard and fire the weapon while it is being jammed back in the holster. I have witness a couple of LEOs have NDs from this very issue...

The biggest cause of a accidental discharge while holstering is the user does not remove their finger from the trigger. That presses the trigger when the handgun is fully seated in the holster. The thumb break from my experience is not a hazard it is the user who errors. Again when breaking in a holster this creates muscle memory so this does not happen. Most people that have issues is a result of not training correctly.

 

[Scott85]

In case anyone was wondering, that scene in Blackhawk Down was made up Hollywood bullshit. Delta does in fact use safeties, and would judge harshly anyone who doesn't....

Delta uses Glocks.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

Delta uses Glocks.

I am quite familiar, so do the Rangers and SF. Thus my first post re: holsters.

In the post you quoted, I was just referring to the idea that high end shooters subscribe to the idea that "this is my safety, sir". When it comes to rifles, they use it. When it comes to pistols, they holster.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Most of the striker fired pistols have some kind of trigger safety, i.e. the Glock or S& M&P hinged trigger. My double action revolvers don't have a safety, a lot of my automatics do, but I like them. Still, my main carry auto is a M&P 40 with only the trigger safety. The holster covers the trigger, and the strap keeps the action from cycling. My concealed carry is Sig P938 with ambi-safety. I have not noticed any issue with it, and it allows me to carry in condition 1.

I was considering a springfield XD, my only hesitation is that when shooting one I've found you do have to think to engage the trigger safety if your handling is sloppy you can't engage the safety.

Mostly a good thing, but if for instance a grizzly was charging you...

At the very least it made me think, if you're carrying a handgun for protection you need to practice a lot.

 

[88man]

Funny you mention this I was just thinking much the same. This year I will be spending considerably more time in Grizz country and have considered getting a handgun to run along with spray. I have little experience with handguns, other than the 9mm my wife recently won at a banquet. I am thinking of a Glock 10mm over a revolver. I am assuming that most if not all who carry a slide action for bear carry with one in the chamber. Am I assuming correctly?

I am largely in the same camp as @SnowyMountaineer in that I never carry a rifle with one in the chamber. Doing so with a handgun feels off to me. Am I missing something in the mechanics of the whole thing that is significantly different than a rifle? I suppose I could just get a revolver and carry on an empty chamber if I cant get passed this?

A glock 20 in 10mm will be hard to beat. I also have one.
I had the same thoughts and concerns on chamber carry a long time ago but got over it the past 10 years or so.
Just get a good holster that has a good trigger guard/cover and you will be fine.