re: Whittaker Guns S&W Shield

quote:

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No offense, VaBamaMan, but you're off base on this one. Neither you nor any other "mere mortal" is gonna reflexively turn that switch off or on when someone attacks you from "out of nowhere." Especially if you carry it in different conditions of readiness at different times.

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I can give my story and why I never use a pistol with a safety for concealed carry. Luckily mine happened in a defensive pistol class and not in a life or death situation. Just out of college using a Star Model B 9mm in my class. I've shot it hundreds of times. I practiced drawing and shooting quite a bit. I was getting into the whole carry thing so I decided to take a practical self defense shooting class using my Star in the class. It had never failed me.

Class focused on using your off hand for defense. Shooting from retention, entering a room without getting your pistol snatched away from you. Practical type stuff. I was called in front of the class to go over shooting from retention. I was a little nervous being in front of the class. I was focusing on doing everything I was taught in the drill. I wanted to do the drill quickly and efficiently. I pushed away from the target with my off hand getting my hand high towards the face so I wouldn't shoot myself in the hand as I drew my pistol smoothly and efficiently against my body in the retention position barrel pointed center mass of the cardboard target. I angled the pistol away from me so the slide wouldn't catch my clothing. I pulled the trigger and.... noting. I forgot to disengage the safety. I had drawn and shot that pistol from condition 1 a thousand times not just life firing but dry firing as well. All it took was one time being a little nervous trying to be quick with my actions and my brain forgot to flick off the safety. A couple of months later I traded in my Star Model B on a Sig P228. I'm glad I learned that lesson the easy and somewhat embarrassing way.

No thumb safety version in 45APC ordered from Whittaker.