Anyone know if S&W has any plans to put the thumb safety on the 9’s and 40’s?
They already have. Models configured that way have shipped to some foreign (and perhaps domestic, not sure of the exact timing) government agencies. They should be available commercially soon.
I’m pulling some strings trying to get the first manual safety M&P357 off the production line. 
Sweet can’t wait to get one in 9mm.
Hopefully S&W will do a better job with these than they did on my .45. The safety on my pistol required too little presure to deactivate. I sent it to Mr Bowie. Now it is actually useful.
I spoke with Smith about the need for the safety to have a more positive “click” feel to it when I was up there last month. More recent .45’s have been improved over early ones, from what I’ve seen. Some of it is probably luck of the draw, though. FWIW, it’s fairly easy to remove and work on the detent in the sear housing block if you need to.
The M&P product manager came from Colt and is pretty switched on when it comes to manual safeties on handguns. I’m fairly confident the new safeties will meet expectations.
Will S&W be offering to add the manual safety to older M&Ps ? It would be great if they would then everything but my Glocks would have the same manual of arms.
Unfortunately the thumb safety on the M&P is right where I want to put my rather large thumb. Plus since it moves so easily I can accidentally flick it up. Which could be bad under the wrong circumstances.
FWIW the ambi safety on my new M&P45 5" has a positive “click” to it. I’m surprised how accurate it is right out of the box. Still The Performance Center tune would make a good thing great.
I wish I could break mine off on my M&P45. I’m so used to shooting the other M&P’s without the safety, when I shoot the 45, the handling feels weird, but I still love to shoot it.
Then why didn’t you buy one w/o the ambi safety? I wish mine was FDE. The reason I bought the ambi safety model is because it is like my 1911’s.
Try riding your large thumb on-top of the thumb safety (1911 style). This avoids the accidental safety engagement issue while shooting completely. It also helps me avoid riding the slide stop lever while shooting which has always been an issue for me whem shooting M&P’s without the thumb safety.
Grant didn’t have them in stock at the time they first became available and it was the only option on the FDE model with night sites. I got a great deal from him though.
I don’t believe so. When I inquired about the possibility for my test gun they didn’t want to do it. It’s technically possible but you’d need to cut a notch in your polymer frame.
Just to echo and expound upon what nickdrak said, if you’re using a thumb-safety equipped pistol properly there should be no danger of the safety engaging during the firing process. In fact, except for the second it takes to engage the lever to put the gun on safe, your thumg should always be riding the safety lever if the gun is in your hand.
Yeah doesn’t work so well for me with the M&P. That lever is just too small and flexible.
I do ride the thumb safety with 1911’s.
I don’t own an M&P with a manual safety (yet) so I can’t comment on their durability from personal experience.
So are you planning to trade off your 9mm M&P’s for versions with safeties, when they’re available?
The test gun I’m using now is going to Smith for SHOT. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they’ll give it back but they may want to tear it apart to test it. Odds are it will have 75,000 rounds through it at that point (in less than 9 months).
As for what we’re doing when the M&P9 test is over, that will be announced at (or slightly before) SHOT.
The thumb safety is easily removed. You are left with the gap on either side where it moves, but that is it.
I would like a non-ambidextrous safety then I could put some CT laser grips on mine.
My thumb safety moves too easy as well. What exactly needs to be done to the detent?