What's wrong with grip safeties ?
- geezer
- New to ArizonaShooting.org
- Posts: 18
- Joined: June 12th, 2019, 9:20 am
- Reputation: 0
- Location: Prescott
What's wrong with grip safeties ?
Had em on Springfield XD's, 1911's, with no downsides that I could determine, so why aren't they more common ?
- kenpoprofessor
- ArizonaShooting.org Member
- Posts: 2044
- Joined: July 22nd, 2018, 4:10 am
- Reputation: 3
- Location: Phoenix
Re: What's wrong with grip safeties ?
For me, I'm a CQC guy, and it's an impediment to bang. If you're in any sort of struggle in close quarters, and have a hard time drawing your weapon, or retaining it, that grip safety may be the cause of your death. I disabled the grip safety on my XD, with a friggin' dremel, love the gun now. Glock produced a handgun that is satisfactory for CQC, even if you don't have full retention or grip, it'll still get at least one bang. Same thing for the Shield Plus I normally carry. Otherwise, there's nothing whatsoever wrong with them, in fact, the XDs are excellent for teaching new shooters to properly grip the weapon. If you're just target shooting or need to use it at more than a couple of yards, you're also fine, but, that may not be the situation.
I have the same disdain for external safeties and magazine disconnects for similar reasons. Mind you, I carry a blade on the other side of my appendix carry, I can draw with either hand. My pistol may not be the most effective weapon in that range because I can't determine exactly where the barrel is pointed, but I know where blade is. That being said, I own guns with those attributes, and I've disabled the mag disconnects on most of them. They will never be carried by me.
Have a great, gun carryin', Kenpo day
Clyde
I have the same disdain for external safeties and magazine disconnects for similar reasons. Mind you, I carry a blade on the other side of my appendix carry, I can draw with either hand. My pistol may not be the most effective weapon in that range because I can't determine exactly where the barrel is pointed, but I know where blade is. That being said, I own guns with those attributes, and I've disabled the mag disconnects on most of them. They will never be carried by me.
Have a great, gun carryin', Kenpo day
Clyde
Last edited by kenpoprofessor on April 12th, 2024, 6:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- WhiteDragon
- ArizonaShooting.org Member
- Posts: 88
- Joined: July 21st, 2018, 2:45 pm
- Reputation: 1
- Location: Buckeye
- Contact:
Re: What's wrong with grip safeties ?
What Clyde and I'll add that my grip is so high on the tang that I tend to push the beaver tail safeties upwards and sometimes the safety. I rarely carry 1911 (in 9mm) for that reason. Love the platform, they're elegant weapons and great for teaching basics, but not for my carry.
- blasternaz
- ArizonaShooting.org Member
- Posts: 337
- Joined: December 3rd, 2021, 4:57 pm
- Reputation: 4
- Location: Phoenix
Re: What's wrong with grip safeties ?
Old Browning1903/10's used to come with a pin to deactivate the grip safety. wish I could find one for mine. Silly bugger needs a lower grip then I've spent over 60 years developing....
- smithers599
- ArizonaShooting.org Member
- Posts: 4422
- Joined: June 29th, 2018, 6:58 am
- Reputation: 23
- Location: East side
Re: What's wrong with grip safeties ?
Couple months ago, we had a stage that required transfer to weak hand. Guy with XD did not get a solid grip on the transfer and was unable to fire his pistol.
- kenpoprofessor
- ArizonaShooting.org Member
- Posts: 2044
- Joined: July 22nd, 2018, 4:10 am
- Reputation: 3
- Location: Phoenix
Re: What's wrong with grip safeties ?
smithers599 wrote: ↑April 12th, 2024, 7:14 pm Couple months ago, we had a stage that required transfer to weak hand. Guy with XD did not get a solid grip on the transfer and was unable to fire his pistol.
And proves exactly what I was writing about. Thank you.
Have a great, gun carryin', Kenpo day
Clyde
- Noshoot
- ArizonaShooting.org Member
- Posts: 477
- Joined: May 18th, 2018, 3:08 am
- Reputation: 9
- Location: Chandler
Re: What's wrong with grip safeties ?
Looks exactly like my grip, and I have the same issues.WhiteDragon wrote: ↑April 12th, 2024, 6:08 pm What Clyde and I'll add that my grip is so high on the tang that I tend to push the beaver tail safeties upwards and sometimes the safety. I rarely carry 1911 (in 9mm) for that reason. Love the platform, they're elegant weapons and great for teaching basics, but not for my carry.
I only use 1911’s for shooting comp now, and do the shock buffer pinning trick to keep my GS depressed.
For carry it’s a BHP, M&P, Shield, or Glock.
- kenpoprofessor
- ArizonaShooting.org Member
- Posts: 2044
- Joined: July 22nd, 2018, 4:10 am
- Reputation: 3
- Location: Phoenix
Re: What's wrong with grip safeties ?
I tell folks, especially 1911 FUDDs, if a grip safety makes you feel safe, it's because you're an idiot taking chances with your life, kinda like carrying without a round in the tube.
Have a great, gun carryin', Kenpo day
Clyde
- kenpoprofessor
- ArizonaShooting.org Member
- Posts: 2044
- Joined: July 22nd, 2018, 4:10 am
- Reputation: 3
- Location: Phoenix
Re: What's wrong with grip safeties ?
Yep, we've had this conversation a few times.WhiteDragon wrote: ↑April 12th, 2024, 6:08 pm What Clyde and I'll add that my grip is so high on the tang that I tend to push the beaver tail safeties upwards and sometimes the safety. I rarely carry 1911 (in 9mm) for that reason. Love the platform, they're elegant weapons and great for teaching basics, but not for my carry.
Have a great, gun carryin', Kenpo day
Clyde
- campinginaz
- ArizonaShooting.org Member
- Posts: 463
- Joined: August 5th, 2022, 10:45 pm
- Reputation: 13
- Location: Arizona
Re: What's wrong with grip safeties ?
I don't think there is anything wrong with them if it's used for plinking etc. For self defense however, what's wrong is there is one more thing that could go wrong.
I personally don't like handguns with a safety if it is for self defense. The only handgun I have with a safety is a .22 and for those that can only handle or afford a .22 they make some without a safety these days.
I personally don't like handguns with a safety if it is for self defense. The only handgun I have with a safety is a .22 and for those that can only handle or afford a .22 they make some without a safety these days.
- kenpoprofessor
- ArizonaShooting.org Member
- Posts: 2044
- Joined: July 22nd, 2018, 4:10 am
- Reputation: 3
- Location: Phoenix
Re: What's wrong with grip safeties ?
As I have explained earlier, an impediment to bang. They're great for target shooting or even teaching new folks, but for SD, I nope out unless I'm in a situation where I don't have a choice.campinginaz wrote: ↑April 13th, 2024, 7:41 am I don't think there is anything wrong with them if it's used for plinking etc. For self defense however, what's wrong is there is one more thing that could go wrong.
I personally don't like handguns with a safety if it is for self defense. The only handgun I have with a safety is a .22 and for those that can only handle or afford a .22 they make some without a safety these days.
Have a great, gun carryin', Kenpo day
Clyde
- knockonit
- ArizonaShooting.org Member
- Posts: 3556
- Joined: May 23rd, 2018, 3:23 pm
- Reputation: 23
- Location: Phoenix,
Re: What's wrong with grip safeties ?
all you pudd wanking fools whine about a grip safety, if you'd not waste yer grip on the wrong tool, yad get it right
glad to explain issue, Rj
glad to explain issue, Rj
- kenpoprofessor
- ArizonaShooting.org Member
- Posts: 2044
- Joined: July 22nd, 2018, 4:10 am
- Reputation: 3
- Location: Phoenix
Re: What's wrong with grip safeties ?
It's the reason I have such a good grip on my pistol, lots of practice
Have a great, gun carryin', Kenpo day
Clyde
- geezer
- New to ArizonaShooting.org
- Posts: 18
- Joined: June 12th, 2019, 9:20 am
- Reputation: 0
- Location: Prescott
Re: What's wrong with grip safeties ?
These kinds of logical explanations are appreciated; I especially can relate to the concept of a student using a grip-safety to test grip technique.
Even after 82 yrs , there's always more to learn
Even after 82 yrs , there's always more to learn
- kenpoprofessor
- ArizonaShooting.org Member
- Posts: 2044
- Joined: July 22nd, 2018, 4:10 am
- Reputation: 3
- Location: Phoenix
Re: What's wrong with grip safeties ?
My first introduction of owning a gun with a grip safety was an XD SC40 I bought from a former member on the other board about 16 years ago. I'd heard all the stories, and my world collapsed when i found out what the grip safety "allows" you to do, and not do. For instance, just cycling the gun as I normally did, I found the grip safety had to be fully engaged to do so. Well, that put me right off. My grandfather was a WW2 vet and had his trusty Colt when I was a kid, so, I thought that'd be cool to have a new gun like his. I shot it a few times and put it away for many years. Then one day a few months back, I decided I really liked that gun over the same sized frame Glock had, 26/27, so, I researched how that grip safety worked on Youtube. 10 minutes later I had it apart, dremeled, and put back together without that annoying thing. It's now in a possible carry rotation now that I've got a proper holster for it.
Have a great, gun carryin', Kenpo day
Clyde