Magazine safety's..Yea or Nay?

Glad I carry a glock and not something with a mag safety. I would rather be able to use the one round then have a club in my hand.
 
Mag safeties are a PITA for IPSC or range work.

However, if LEOs need them , why not. I'm not an LEO so won't comment.

Another reason S&W puts them in is because Kalifornia has mandated them on all new semi-auto pistols sold in the state. What annoys me is that there's a tendency for manufacturers to add these things to all products sold - for laibility reasons.
 
... Added as a safety feature. IE Without the magazine the gun won't fire. Down side, often because of the mechanical linkage, it makes the trigger pull a little heavier and perhaps not as "crisp". From a Policing perspective, they do offer the quick and easy means to disable/render safe the issue pistol, the classic example would be dealing with a Mental patient at the Hospital. Gun can be bought back into operation without having to rack a round by simply re-inserting the magazine. The Officers greatest threat /danger come from his or her own gun being used against them, and the magazine safety does offer a means to quickly disable the gun. Chances of needling it are slim, if proper "gun retention" and "protection" skills are adhered to. Useful to the "average" gun owner, perhaps debatable, but clearly the idea has stood the test of time ! .... David K.

I use this frequently for the exact above scenario. Also if wrestling with someone for the firearm you can render it inoperable by going for the mag release, especially since the mags drop free.

It's an added chance if something goes terribly wrong. For that purpose only I like it. But not on my personal pistols. ;)
 
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There's a simple answer for your "solution". Pistol beside the bed, mag in pocket. Insert mag then rack slide. Why do people insist on having a mechanical safety device?? Oh right, it was mentioned previously in this thread. POOR GUN HANDLING SKILLS.

One more thing. Its a magazine, not a clip. A little less hollywood and a lot more reality.

TDC

I'm not insisting on anything. I simply pointed out that it's a neat feature for someone to be able to simply put in or take out the MAGAZINE instead of having to additionally rack the slide to empty the chamber(fumble for your bullet and reinsert it back into the magazine) and then later reinsert the magazine and rack the slide. This for the fellow who needs to do this often is more tedious than simply removing and then later re-inserting a magazine.

If you canot acknowledge this, then your just being obstinate. Personally, I really don't care one way or the other, with or without.


Also as a little side bar, where as I agree with you on the word magazine being the correct more appropriate defintion,
it's also been debated long and hard here, clip and magazine are used interchangeably by the whole freaken industry. So please don't be so almighty and pompous with your "hollywood" remark and pretend to know how someone is thinking. You're just a mere mortal like the rest of us.
 
Woodsman,

You're right. We're all entitled to our opinions. However, justifying a tool/feature with bogus scenarios amounts to BS.

Maybe its just me but everytime I remove the magazine, I clear the pistol by racking the slide and performing a physical/tactile and visual check of the chamber and feedpath. Why would I change that routine if I decided to leave my pistol unattended with a round chambered and rely on a mechanical safety to prevent ND's?

The reverse is true when loading. Every time a magazine is inserted. The slide is cycled/racked to ensure a loaded firearm. Again, why try to learn a new process(insert magazine without cycling the slide) when my instinct and trained response is to cycle the action every time a magazine is inserted?

If removing your magazine and cycling the slide(or not) is something you do frequently. I can see where the added benefit of a magazine disconnect comes into play. Its a tool for the lazy. As I stated above, if you remove your magazine and clear your firearm every time and thus cycle the slide when you reinsert your magazine to chamber that first round again. You're only reinforcing positive handling skills and positive safe handling.

I see magazine disconnects as an excuse for poor training, or lack of. The mechanics behind it are intersting. There's not a lot of room inside a pistol. To incorporate such a unique device is quite remarkable.

As far as magazines go. The proper name/term is magazine. It's becoming socially acceptable to smoke dope, but that doesn't mean we should embrace it. I've said it before, if you want to be taken seriously, the use of proper nomenclature is a must.

TDC
 
The problem with magazine disconnects that I see is that it leads to poor handling skills and complacency when it comes to proving a firearm safe or used as an excuse for poor handling skills. How often do the people here who uses firearms with magazine disconncects verify they are working as part of their maintenance/cleaning routine? In the scenarios described in this thread I can see it 'useful' but............
 
Down side, often because of the mechanical linkage, it makes the trigger pull a little heavier and perhaps not as "crisp".

My S&W model 41 target pistol trigger is as good as they come. I don't mind the mag safety on a target gun but I'd never want one for protection of life.

Take the clip out in a situation that you absolutely don't want to use it and just insert when you do. Goes from ultra safe to providing protection in an instant.

Relying on a mag safety with a round in the chamber is NOT ULTRA SAFE. Ultra stupid is more like it (the practice not the poster). No safety is a substitution for safe gun handling.
 
.... Well, guess someone has to be the "Dissenter" ! The disconnect has a practical use for Police, in as much, as if one wants to render the pistol safe, yet retain it in the holster ( IE dealing with a "Nut Case' ) it's easy to press the button and either remove the mag. or leave it in place. Potentially, handy in a "roll around in the dirt" situation to ! .... David K.

I'd rather take my chances with my Level III holster.
 
My S&W model 41 target pistol trigger is as good as they come. I don't mind the mag safety on a target gun but I'd never want one for protection of life.



Relying on a mag safety with a round in the chamber is NOT ULTRA SAFE. Ultra stupid is more like it (the practice not the poster). No safety is a substitution for safe gun handling.

Agreed. There is no subsitute for safe gun handling. I've gone on some "walks" years ago with my young kids at the time (they're almost all grown up now!) I used to carry a single shot 16 gauge with the chamber open because it was the safest and surest way of carrying it. A safety wasn't safe enough for me then either...but I digress.
 
On a side note. It is interesting to see that only S&W offers magazine disconnects on their firearms. I don't believe any other manufacturer has ever offered such a device.

TDC


My Ruger KP345 used to have one too. Fairly simple mod. If you don't like it, get rid of it. Just make sure if you hand your gun off, you let him know there's no mag disconnect.

-kelly
 
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