A mag safety is a deal-killer for me - at least in a defensive handgun. I don't want a gun that won't fire if I get caught in the middle of a reload, or if I accidentally hit the mag release in a stressful situation.Zebra62 wrote:The M&P does have the little internal lever inside the mag well to pull down rendering the weapon disfunctional. It is part of the take-down procedure. Mag out, lock the slide back, ensure weapon is unloaded, wiggle the tool out of the grip, move the lever down, unlock slide, trip the take down lever, take the slide off. Kinda complex. The Beretta is much easier.
The lever inside the mag well on this one is not intended as a mag safety, I don't think, because it must be physically moved down to render the weapon disfunctional. It is part of the take down procedure. I think it is also there as a safety feature should the waepon be stored for an extended period.Synchronizor wrote:A mag safety is a deal-killer for me - at least in a defensive handgun. I don't want a gun that won't fire if I get caught in the middle of a reload, or if I accidentally hit the mag release in a stressful situation.
I've considered that possibility, but to look at the flip side of the scenario you present; what if you manage to keep control of the gun in a similar struggle? You end up with a paperweight that's no good without a part that dropped to the ground and got kicked God-knows-where during the struggle, and your attacker is free to have another try at you. Presumably a police officer or a well-equipped civilian would have another magazine handy, but grabbing and inserting it would still take time, and a lot of concealed-carriers may not have another magazine on them, or it might be buried in a purse or pocket.BlueSmoke wrote:I'm of the fence as far as magazine safeties go.......
I personally know a police officer that was in a life threatening physical struggle with a suspect who gained control of the officers firearm. Before the suspect got the gun the officer dropped the firearms' magazine and that is what prevented the suspect from killing him. The gun would not fire without a magazine. I believe the firearm was an early generation S&W.
He does not recall choosing to press the mag release....... but it was the right thing to do ...... to save his life.
