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Safety


concrete

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A newbie question but when do flick the safety off. Do you go safety off as soon as the gun clears the holster or upon front sight on target? I have been going safety off upon front sight on target...Just seems safer to me. Don't want to shoot my toes off... and no I don't touch the trigger untill the front sight is on target but ad's can and do happen :blink: What is the right thing to do...if there is a right or wrong way..

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Concrete

if you stay with it you will see and have everything happen. On more than a few times my 2011 fired when the safety was taken off. with out touching the trigger. parts ware , springs fail, If the sear spring does not do its part the 1/2 cock will not catch the hammer when it falls.

Do not take the safety off untill you have the gun clear and the suport hand is on the gun. Some newbies bring the support hand in late and come very close to sweeping the hand.

Jamie Foote

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With training its a moot point since the real safety is not putting your finger on the trigger until you are ready to break the shot. Some put their finger in right after clicking safety 1/2. way through draw some later, some earlier. Dry fire to establish a why that's right for you and practice. I think for a new person before sights are on target but only when muzzle is downrange. It all about being safe at first and then later its sort of a conditioned reflex. Still safe but but no concious thought. That's where you want to be.

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For me on 1911/2011's I take the safety off as soon as the gun clears the holster, my finger is on the trigger as soon as my week hand grips the gun and I start prepping the trigger as soon as the gun is pointed in the direction of the target. Then the shot breaks as soon as the gun is level and the sights/dot is on the target. Or at least that is what I'm trying to do.

Try at your own risk.

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This is an interesting question and something I have always been concerned with.

The thing that feels the most natural to me is to release the safety as the gun comes up about halfway through the draw.

For me, the gun should be ready to fire as I aquire the target with the sights.

I admit I have inadvertantly sent a few rounds downrange before I had solidified my grip with both hands.

However there are some things I do work on for the sake of safety.

I try to keep my trigger finger out of the gun until it is pointed down range.

I don't stand with my feet side by side.

The stong side foot is always back and the weak side foot forward.

The hope is that even if one got away as I was breaking the holster it would go into the ground and not my foot.

Sometimes the stage description dictates where I have to place my feet, but I make an effort to keep my toes behind the muzzle.

This is why I prefer the hands at side start vs. the surrender position.

Starting with hands above shoulders, I once bumped the safety off when the gun was still in the holster.

I remember thinking "this is the part where I blow my foot off".

Tls

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As near as I can remember, (happens on auto pilot) as soon as the muzzle goes to hotizintal.

At least thats the position I practiced for a looooooooooong time ago. I do know it goes off safe sometime after I hit the grip and before I fire the first shot but I have to look to find out where exactly it happens now (probably the same place).

Awww heck I need to practice this part of the draw again I just can't remember maybe "that" is what is slowing me down. :rolleyes:

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For me on 1911/2011's I take the safety off as soon as the gun clears the holster, my finger is on the trigger as soon as my week hand grips the gun and I start prepping the trigger as soon as the gun is pointed in the direction of the target. Then the shot breaks as soon as the gun is level and the sights/dot is on the target A-zone. Or at least that is what I'm trying to do.

Try at your own risk.

Fixed it for you.

What he said above is what I do.

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As soon as the gun clears the holster it is in front of your face. It takes me about .3 of a second to get the gun in front of my face once I start the draw. So, take it off in the instant it makes sense for your skill level and speed. All that really matters is that it is off before you pull the trigger.

Edited by Loves2Shoot
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The best answer I can give is I don't know. I've practiced drawing and firing enough that the safety becomes automatic. When the gun is on the target it is ready to fire. It's only when I do something wrong that I'm aware of taking the safety off.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Safety? What Safety? We don't need no stinkin' safety! Shoot a glock or a production gun and you really don't need no stinkin' safety! :P;):D

Tell that to the Master Class shooter (name and location withheld) who touched off a round before his Glock left his holster cause he got his finger too close to the trigger. Luckily for him the bullet only grazed his leg. He now shoots a 1911 style pistol. Glocks and other "safe" action pistols are the easiest thing for newbie to shoot. That's precisely why they scare me the most as an RO.

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If you take a class on "combat" or defensive shooting, most schools have a 5 step firing stroke that goes as follows:

1. Strong hand on to the gun, fingers gripping the stock, support hand comes flat against the gut.

2. gun is raised up out of the holster. The muzzle needs to be above the top of the holster.

3. Elbow of the strong hand is thrust down. This levels the gun, using the first knuckle of your strong thumb as a pivot point.

4. Hands come together in front of the body. The safety is disengaged during this process and should be off as the hands meet up.

5. Arms are pushed forward. Finger enters the trigger guard at the beginning of this step and slack is taken out of the trigger as your arms extend. This extension is done so you can see your sights in the low part of your vision during most of the step and will be on target once you reach full extension.

Prrrreeessss.....

I learned this way and its what I've always done. YMMV.

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