my shield 45 doesn't have the thumb safety. my wife's shield 9 has the thumb safety. i've put a few thousands round through both. my preference on all striker guns is no thumb safety. the positive on the shield is that the thumb safety is low profile, but to me it could be difficult to disengage under stress.
IMO a striker gun like the shield is already incredibly safe. the "safety" is a function of one's finger. extra switches add nothing except complexity in function and barrier to use. then again I don't appendix carry so perhaps if the muzzle were pointing at my manhood I might feel differently. YMMV.
I can't answer as a I have one of each. I bought my 9mm four years ago when that's all that was available. My new 45 doesn't have one, which is my preference.
Ive always debated this myself...and over the years come to one conclusion...I have ZERO issues with pistols with safeties. I used to on draw just naturally toy(go through the motions) of sweeping off the safety on my Glock 23..even though it doesnt have one..
The one thing I have decided though is I HATE those little stubby after thought safeties on guns like the shield and or even my CC the Ruger SR9c...those are garbage IMO..almost like a after thought...so small that they are more easily missed/not activated when you draw...IMO I will take either a gun with or without a safety..BUT give me a FULL SIZE type safety like for example the ones on the Sig 226 or HK or CZ or Beretta ones that are easily activates and not seemingly a afterthought and too small.....The one on the Shield is of the afterthought variety IMO...id not want one with it on..Ive shot a friends a LOT and still want either a Shield and or Glock 43 or LC9 when I get one for Summer carry they will be WITHOUT the afterthought teeny tiney safety.
The ONLY thing id change on my Ruger SR9c..is either the full removal(or option not to have the safety) or to throw the safety from the Ruger American on there to make it a "real" safety..thats the ONLY thing id change as I love the SR9c...I always run it safety off/down though.
My .45 has one. I think it the perfect size for a safety personally, but ironically I haven't switched it on in a few days to see what all of the hubub is about and I have decided whatever..
Nope. Tried my buddy's 9mm with safety. The little hard to find lever often disengaged itself. It was an afterthought, probably to get into CA. I bought my wife a 9 without safety since she was used to shooting a Glock 43. First time she handled the Shield the G43 became mine. What a great little gun for just over $200 delivered after the rebate. Wish I would have ordered two more from Palmetto's for that price.
I have a 43 and a 9mm Shield with no safety and prefer the Shield. But I purchased mine a year ago before the rebate. Great buy. My preference is for no safety.'
Four shields , three x 45 and one 9mm. All have no safety. Would not change anything. One kahr cw 40 , no safety.. my 1911's all of course have safety's. My sigs have no safety except for the 238 and a pair of 220 carry.
I have two, a 9mm and 40S&W and they both have safeties.
The trigger on the Shield much lighter than the Glock so a safety is not a bad idea. Come to think of it, every other striker fired gun I have has a lighter trigger than the Glock.
If you don't want to use it you don't have to. If you want use it, it is there.
I have one Shield in 40. It's an early one and I think I bought it before they were offered w/o safety. I never would have bought one with safety if I had a choice. Just never carried it enough to sell it or trade it for a no safety version. I plan on selling it since I got my PPS 40.
Ive always debated this myself...and over the years come to one conclusion...I have ZERO issues with pistols with safeties. I used to on draw just naturally toy(go through the motions) of sweeping off the safety on my Glock 23..even though it doesnt have one..
The one thing I have decided though is I HATE those little stubby after thought safeties on guns like the shield and or even my CC the Ruger SR9c...those are garbage IMO..almost like a after thought...so small that they are more easily missed/not activated when you draw...IMO I will take either a gun with or without a safety..BUT give me a FULL SIZE type safety like for example the ones on the Sig 226 or HK or CZ or Beretta ones that are easily activates and not seemingly a afterthought and too small.....The one on the Shield is of the afterthought variety IMO...id not want one with it on..Ive shot a friends a LOT and still want either a Shield and or Glock 43 or LC9 when I get one for Summer carry they will be WITHOUT the afterthought teeny tiney safety.
The ONLY thing id change on my Ruger SR9c..is either the full removal(or option not to have the safety) or to throw the safety from the Ruger American on there to make it a "real" safety..thats the ONLY thing id change as I love the SR9c...I always run it safety off/down though.
More parts to break? I'm more worried that some folks would keep it OFF rather than buy the non-safety model. What happens when the safety gets accidentally swept ON and in an emergency it is unable to fire since that is the way you practice?
The few times I've handled the Shield with a manual safety I've found it hard to switch off and on. Maybe it's my arthritic hands, but the switch is too small and flat for easy operation.
As someone said earlier, the Shield safety seems like an "afterthought" that may have been designed to qualify for places where a safety is required.
OOops! Cowboy, I answered the survey before I read your opening post in which you requested "actual owners only". While I am NOT an "actual owner ", I can assure you that my response and your survey tally would not have changed if I bought a Shield tomorrow.
I think others would have been truthful as well. Had you allowed anybody to answer the survey, it would have been a much broader response and given you more accurate results of the popularity of a thumb safety. (ie; because some folks change their minds over time, while others bought the only available Shield pistol in stock at the discounted price)
Still an interesting survey. Thanks for doing it.
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