Manual Safety on a Self-Defense Handgun

Manual Safety on a Self-Defense Handgun

Sign up for the free PDN newsletter to receive the latest videos, articles, and tips straight from the experts! https://bit.ly/3Dxlzlz

Using a Springfield Armory XD and a Beretta 92 as examples, Rob Pincus defines appropriate manually operated safeties for defensive pistols. When we talk about choosing a self-defense handgun at this point in the evolution of defensive firearms, we recommend that you have a firearm that does not have any manually operated external safeties that require actions that are not already inherent in the process of defending yourself with the firearm.

50 Comments

  1. NotRinn_ on June 22, 2023 at 5:06 am

    I searched this up to make an animation and i feel like my FBI agent is deploying backup



  2. Mark Porter on June 22, 2023 at 5:06 am

    External safety or not? Its a personal choice. I am more comfortable with an external safety that I can easily flick off while drawing my weapon. It’s also a last line of defense against an unauthorized user that somehow gets his hands on my gun. You can say that will never happen but it happens somewhere everyday. You can be the most disciplined gun owner in the world and it can still happen so I am personally more comfortable with an external safety. Just by carrying a gun I have increased my odds of survival in certain situations by leaps and bounds, not having a manually operated safety to deal with changes very little. Hell if bothers you that much just leave the safety off while you carry and flick it on when your not carrying it. Too easy.



  3. Don Thursby on June 22, 2023 at 5:06 am

    Carry the 92 with the manual safety off. There are other internal safeties that will work here. Thank you for your insight and the video. But I’m keeping my 92, considering it a superior design.



  4. Mike Oxlong on June 22, 2023 at 5:08 am

    That Beretta is so sexy.



  5. grady on June 22, 2023 at 5:09 am

    What’s really dangerous is people of questionable creditability advising others on matters concerning their life. Safety or no safety can only be a personal choice. Listening to these video makers can make you a candidate for glock leg.



  6. Tom Mac 🪬EXPANSION2 ON TELEGRAM🪬 on June 22, 2023 at 5:12 am

    I recently ordered this gun from the name above ⬆️⬆️⬆️ and finally got to shoot it today. The 300 grain rounds aren’t that bad but the 500 grain rounds kick it’s a lot of fun to shoot



  7. TheAnonapersons on June 22, 2023 at 5:12 am

    Now I know what to do incase I have to pull it from a serial killer thanks



  8. Lui _54321 on June 22, 2023 at 5:12 am

    So fucken bad. Video is trash.



  9. Anna Mai on June 22, 2023 at 5:13 am

    Came here after tlou



  10. Positively Powerful Possibilities on June 22, 2023 at 5:13 am

    Thank God this guy isn’t absurdly loud or obnoxious. Sick of people yelling out "HEY GUYS! HOW’S IT GOING? DON’T FORGET TO LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE OF ME RANTING ABOUT BULLSHIT!" Simple and straightforward. Thank you.



  11. Humbleprogress on June 22, 2023 at 5:13 am

    I don’t carry a gun, but watched just in case I’m needed to protect or wrestling the bad guy and the gun rolls my way. Would suck not knowing how it operates.



  12. Soundman55 on June 22, 2023 at 5:14 am

    The thing I like about a manual safety is in the event someone grabs your gun, be it an assailant, child or whoever, that they would not be familiar with that weapon and wouldn’t know immediately to disengage the safety which would give you the one or two seconds to react and grab the weapon. If every morning before you leave the house, you unload your weapon and practice drawing 5 consecutive times, disengaging the safety on the draw, your muscle memory will stay fine tuned. Of course you need to train with that weapon constantly to stay proficient. Even under a stressful moment where you might need to pull your weapon, continual practice with that weapon will always give you the edge. Just my humble opinion.



  13. Jeepers Creepers on June 22, 2023 at 5:15 am

    R.i.p gee money



  14. Abigail Saoirse Finnegan on June 22, 2023 at 5:16 am

    I carry the one my old man gave me in grade 7. It’s seen a lot of action….9mm….. safety always off.



  15. Tyler Stanley on June 22, 2023 at 5:21 am

    All the other safeties that aren’t manual aren’t safeties at all. If you pull the trigger and the gun shoots that not a safety lol



  16. Peter Kracht on June 22, 2023 at 5:22 am

    Stop whining. If you don’t like safeties for a carry gun, but like Berettas, just carry the 92 in the decocked mode. And then you’re not carrying a POS like the XD.



  17. KENNETH MERTES on June 22, 2023 at 5:23 am

    Love my XDS9!!!



  18. alloneword154 on June 22, 2023 at 5:25 am

    I feel like if someone is wrestling you for your gun you won’t be able to secure the back of the grip while pushing the trigger



  19. marcullus G on June 22, 2023 at 5:28 am

    Thank you so much for your tip, it was most helpful.



  20. thatoneguy nobodylikes on June 22, 2023 at 5:29 am

    extra step my ass. practice enough and your thumb can disengage that safety before it even comes out one your draw. just showed that to a glock fan boy at the range.
    And if your too stressed to be able to disengage a safety on your own handgun why is it okay to go buy one with no safety.just go complete panic mode and empty that 17 rnd mag in the general direction of guy with a butterknife.



  21. STARBWOY GAMING & MORE on June 22, 2023 at 5:30 am

    Nice video so I am thinking to get a glock 19 but someone say it doesn’t have safety



  22. Jhon Axel on June 22, 2023 at 5:31 am

    I’II always be grateful to Darklurd on telegram he’s the best in existence



  23. Albert Snow on June 22, 2023 at 5:32 am

    The reason for the manual safety is to keep you from shooting yourself. Only a fool thinks the trigger safety is a safety. Anything that gets to that trigger deactivates it. In 32 years of EMS I have seen several self inflicted gsw from a gun like a Glock. Usually by putting it back in it’s holster or a pocket! The grip safety in this case helps only marginally as your hand operated it automatically. If you are bent on carrying a Glock style you should also carry a tourniquet! A manual safety gun only requires training to operate safely and efficiently. If you don’t train and still want a gun get a revolver!



  24. Anthony G on June 22, 2023 at 5:33 am

    You can always not use the manual safety, even if you have one



  25. Pethello on June 22, 2023 at 5:34 am

    Pistol with manual (external) safety is also APPROPRIATE for self-defense gun! If one is well trained (and practices regularly) with a pistol with manual safety, then is it very appropriate for him.



  26. Spartan J on June 22, 2023 at 5:35 am

    I’ve got to add I saw the vid with the guy who holstered his glock appendix carry.then bent over forward and blew one of his personal items off .there have been more negligent discharges from GLOCKS than any other auto loader.police ready rooms included .worried about an extra step what to the hospital or worce. For 44 years I’ve carried a Colt Series 70 .45 combat commander with out a hitch.wouldnt carry any other way condition 1.Ive seen 6 or 8 NG’S none of the autos had safeties. Alk the talk is talk.



  27. Shaanan Walsh on June 22, 2023 at 5:36 am

    Love how he picks the gun with the worst designed safety ever.



  28. Jeremy on June 22, 2023 at 5:36 am

    True story, manual safety saved my life once. I was doing a security detail in Afghanistan. I had a Beretta M9 like the 92 in this video in a drop holster on my leg. I was speaking with an Afghan local and I was not paying attention to my sidearm. A young man snatched the pistol from my holster and drew down on me and pulled the trigger, but the gun did not fire because the safety was engaged. So I still carry a 92 with the safety engaged.



  29. Death Larsen on June 22, 2023 at 5:39 am

    Bc you’re in so many wild west fire fights you can’t do an "extra step"



  30. lott nio on June 22, 2023 at 5:40 am

    It is a trade off between safety and being efficient. When it comes to self defence, and practice of it, one often chooses efficiency over safety. It is better to be sorry than safe. Accidents happen but that is life. People know that guns are dangerous and people take the risk of injury when they are near guns. People who do it for sport may follow stricter rules but when one practices for real safety is pretty much the last concern.



  31. James Cartwright on June 22, 2023 at 5:40 am

    I’m curious to hear what people have to say about the possibility of a firearm like the xd getting snagged on something while reholstering? Without that external safety you risk the gun discharging and getting a bullet in the leg. I’m new to carrying for self defense so genuinely curious about this safety issue.



  32. 1savd Soul on June 22, 2023 at 5:41 am

    Im confused. I thought safeties were mostly to prevent kids from shooting them. What stops a child from shooting a gun when all they have to do is hold it the way they’ve seen it done on tv? Thank you.



  33. STARBWOY GAMING & MORE on June 22, 2023 at 5:44 am

    Wat do you think?



  34. LongRifle 1 on June 22, 2023 at 5:46 am

    Dont like the grip safety



  35. flobie1kenobi on June 22, 2023 at 5:47 am

    i’m pretty sure if someone gets their finger in between the trigger and the trigger guard with the intent to pull the trigger, they 99% will be pull the trigger. that little extra lever is not going to stop a finger



  36. abigail brome on June 22, 2023 at 5:48 am

    good to know



  37. Tyler Stanley on June 22, 2023 at 5:48 am

    Don’t fucking tell people stuff like this. You’re contributing to accidental firearm discharges that take the lives of the people they were meant to protect. Part of being a responsible and well trained gun owner is knowing you weapon well and being able to quickly use the safety. The safety is because with the safety engaged I can carry a loaded weapon without worrying about an accidental discharge. Without a manual safety there’s literally no way in hell im carrying a loaded weapon that anyone can grab and immediately use or accidentally shoot myself.



  38. John Preston on June 22, 2023 at 5:49 am

    Just in case I stumble upon someone armed and ik if I should or not rush them cause safety on or off



  39. Spartan J on June 22, 2023 at 5:50 am

    Its transparently obvious it’s time to leave the rest of this vid to the critical thinkers.



  40. It's Raining on June 22, 2023 at 5:53 am

    My dad had guns but I have always been scared of them. He should have shown me how to use them – guess he thought I would have a man to take care of me, but _boy_ can I wash the heck out of some dishes. Anyway, I watched a video of a woman who had started online dating and invited a man she met to her home. Some people are so lucky to have never had enough life experiences to give them the feeling they should _never_ to do that. Nevertheless, he ended up being a psychopath and tried to kill her. Somehow he sat his weapon down and she managed to get a hold of it and shot and killed him. She said she did not know how to use guns, but survived it because the safety was *not* on. That thought kept going through my mind over and over. Thanks for this vid!



  41. Kenneth Hillard on June 22, 2023 at 5:54 am

    Do you realize your left hand went across the barrel ?



  42. Dragunov on June 22, 2023 at 5:55 am

    Ah.



  43. Mr. Businessman on June 22, 2023 at 5:56 am

    What’s the brand and number type… I wanna buying one.



  44. Mpdc 9651 on June 22, 2023 at 5:57 am

    I’m all for safeties on guns. I own a m&p shield with a safety on both a physical and visual safety.



  45. gary smallwood on June 22, 2023 at 5:58 am

    I watched this and took all my safeties off all my rifles.



  46. BlueCarbon on June 22, 2023 at 5:59 am

    Is there a safety that will help make it difficult for someone to shoot you with your own gun?



  47. xstugee on June 22, 2023 at 5:59 am

    And…..if you were shooting a 1911??? Enough already…you train with the firearm you carry.



  48. 2 Train on June 22, 2023 at 6:00 am

    Energy



  49. Sam Stone on June 22, 2023 at 6:02 am

    If you don’t like a safety but your gun has one leave it off. End of discussion. If it has a safety practice drawing and flicking safety off simultaneously. I shot IPSC matches for years with a 1911, it should all be automatic. If it isn’t practice 500 times a night till it is automatic.



  50. Nunya bizness on June 22, 2023 at 6:02 am

    If you get used to clicking the safety off when raising the gun up to shoot you really don’t lose any time. Just practice.