What mechanical safety designs used on pistols would not qualify for a best list?

[Nom de Forum]

Ambi-thumbsafeties are as much a fashion statement as a needed part. First off few people are unable to manipulate a standard thumbsafety with their left thumb when holding the pistol in the left hand. If I was a lefty I would use an Ambi, but probably remove the left hand side lever to eliminate potential problems.

 

[BCRider]

Well, on a 1911 we can't get rid of the left side safety because that's where the detent is located. But we CAN trim down the left side so it's still useable but very streamlined.

 

[Nom de Forum]

Well, on a 1911 we can't get rid of the left side safety because that's where the detent is located. But we CAN trim down the left side so it's still useable but very streamlined.

Of course, and I perhaps was not clear enough in my explanation. When I was carrying a 1911 on a daily basis I several times found my standard thumbsafety disengaged from body movement so having an extra lever on the right side makes no sense to me as a right hander.

 

[BCRider]

I'm working towards using my 1911's in competition in the next couple of months. So reading that you found your thumb safeties got switched to "Fire" from daily movement sort of fills me with concern. I've made a leather holster with a higher rise on the side next to me in the hope that the added stability will avoid the safety getting flipped off. And of course I holster and stand still for a whopping great 3 to 8 seconds before the timer sounds. So I'm really worried about a whole lot of nothing in my case. But I'd imagine that finding that sort of thing must have bothered you a lot. I know they've got the grip safety as well but still.......

 

[Nom de Forum]

I'm working towards using my 1911's in competition in the next couple of months. So reading that you found your thumb safeties got switched to "Fire" from daily movement sort of fills me with concern. I've made a leather holster with a higher rise on the side next to me in the hope that the added stability will avoid the safety getting flipped off. And of course I holster and stand still for a whopping great 3 to 8 seconds before the timer sounds. So I'm really worried about a whole lot of nothing in my case. But I'd imagine that finding that sort of thing must have bothered you a lot. I know they've got the grip safety as well but still.......

It may have happened from the movements made daily, but it did not happen daily. It happened but infrequently. This was not with a standard thumbsafety, it was with a Hoag-type boat oar size thumbsafety. I really never had much of a problem wiping a standard safety off but like the thumb rest bigger ones provide. Since the pistol is in the holster, the grip safety was functional in case of a drop; it was more a minor annoyance than a real concern and somewhat embarrassing when someone told you your safety was disengaged. Knowing what I know today, but not having the equipment introduced (Glock,etc.) since the 1970s, I would still have no problem believing I could safely carry a 1911, well perhaps having the Series 80 firing pin safety would be a little more reassuring of carrying safely. I don't think anyone should get too worried about the problem, but there is no need to enable the problem with unneeded Ambi safeties. The only Ambi safety I have now is on my KAC SR-15 and I hate it for abrading my trigger finger when in register.

 

[JRH6856]

FWIW, I carried a 1911 in a duty rig for several years and never found the safety disengaged. I'm left handed so it was ambi...and extended. It did have a fairly deep detent (came that way) and engaged solidly.

 

[Nom de Forum]

FWIW, I carried a 1911 in a duty rig for several years and never found the safety disengaged. I'm left handed so it was ambi...and extended. It did have a fairly deep detent (came that way) and engaged solidly.

BCRider.

JRH6856's experience is absolutely believable. As they say YMMV. My car routinely gets gas milage in town way below its specs and often above on the interstate. My 1911 days came to an end in 1991 and perhaps I was a little more clumsy in my youth than JRH6856, but I have seen other people experiencing the same infrequent unintended disengagement issue as me.

 

[Old Fuff]

At one time I had a strong side (right hand) holster that had a tab sewed on the inside that would block the safety in the "on" position when the pistol was holstered in that condition. I even tried to deliberately push it off while the gun was holstered (unloaded of course) and the safety never moved.

 

[JRH6856]

BCRider.

JRH6856's experience is absolutely believable. As they say YMMV. My car routinely gets gas milage in town way below its specs and often above on the interstate. My 1911 days came to an end in 1991 and perhaps I was a little more clumsy in my youth than JRH6856, but I have seen other people experiencing the same infrequent unintended disengagement issue as me.

There are a lot of factors involved with ambi safeties. Which holster you use, which side you wear it on, and were it is positioned. Your body size. What is in the car the gun can rub against. A RH carry can rub on a center console or seat belt buckle. A LH carry is pretty much hanging free except for maybe the seat belt if you aren't careful.

 

[C0untZer0]

Whatever mechanism is in the DoubleTap Defense DoupleTap derringers to keep the firing pin in one chamber from moving forward during recoil from the cartridge in the first chamber being fired:


That would be bad mmmm-kay?

 

[kefefs]

The least practical safety system I've personally used is the DA/SA with a slide-mounted safety/decocker, like in the Walther PP, P38, Beretta 92, and a lot of older S&W pistols. To me it doesn't make sense to carry a DA pistol with the safety on and the pistol decocked. Do one or the other - doing both is redundant and needlessly makes it more difficult to effectively use the weapon. The safety being slide-mounted is just icing on the cake. I hate slide-mounted safeties with a passion; they're awkward to use and can get in the way of racking the pistol.

 

[LightningMan]

Don't know exactly what your asking for but for worst placement for a manual safety on a semi-auto pistol, I'd pick Styer M series pistols. For me if I had it engaged and only had one hand available to shoot it, I'd be screwed. I would have to let go of my shooting grip to dis-engage it. LM

 

[MCgunner]

Oh, yeah. Forgot about the Colt Single Action, that relies on the intelligence of the bearer.

Bob Wright

Chicago would be a safer place if the homies all carried SAAs.

IMHO, the SAFEST guns have no user engaged safeties at all....REVOLVERS. The best have a transfer bar IMHO, though I have a few hammer block safeties.

 

[herrwalther]

The least practical safety system I've personally used is the DA/SA with a slide-mounted safety/decocker, like in the Walther PP, P38, Beretta 92, and a lot of older S&W pistols. To me it doesn't make sense to carry a DA pistol with the safety on and the pistol decocked. Do one or the other - doing both is redundant and needlessly makes it more difficult to effectively use the weapon. The safety being slide-mounted is just icing on the cake. I hate slide-mounted safeties with a passion; they're awkward to use and can get in the way of racking the pistol.

The easy way around that is to use the safety/decocker as just a decocker and not a safety. That is what I did when carrying a Beretta 92. The reasoning I used was if I ever needed to use it, I didn't want to need a second hand or change grip to take off a safety on a Double action trigger pull.