I’m going to be getting a M&P pretty soon but noticed that there is the option to have a safety or not. I’m fairly new to this game so I’m not sure what the benefits of each are. Could someone here point me towards what would be the better choice?
Thanks.
If it is just for personal use, then it will be a preference thing. But if it is a Duty weapon then you might check to see if your dept has any requirements. Me personally, I prefer them without.YMMV
The decision will be yours. I’ll give you an example with one of my pistols. My USPC SS 40 has safety. When I carry I keep the safety off. Plus I have a round in the chamber.
Without. I hate the TS on the M&P.
C4
Well that seems to answer that.
I’ve had 3 M&P’s so far, the first one had it, the next two didn’t. I would never go back to the TS. YMMV.
I strongly prefer the M&P with a thumb safety–I view it as one of the advantages of the M&P over the Glock.
The M&P thumb safeties appeal to folks accustomed to the 1911 platform (or BHP). Disengaging the safety will come naturally.
They are added insurance in a gun-grab scenario.
Personally, I do not care for them on my M&P’s.
All of the TS on the M&Ps that I have tried have been mushy as hell and were a pain in the ass. If they could get the TS to feel like a 1911 and have more of a snap and stay engaged more securely then I would go for one with it. Until then I opt for one without.
If you’re unsure, I’d consider buying the thumb safety model. You can always remove it if you decide to, S&W sells the little pieces to fill the holes in the frame. My daily carry M&P is/was a thumb safety model.
Before…
After…
I have three without the TS and an friend has one with the TS.
Personally, I prefer not to have a TS, but my friends gun feels pretty good too. I’d suggest trying both out at the store and get whichever one you are comfortable with.
I’d train to use the TS even when target shooting so it become instinctual.
Gotta agree.
Good advice in my opinion. I have the full size 9mm with the thumb safety. I’ve only shot a few hundred rounds through it thus far and it hasn’t been a hindrance, but I am used to shooting my 1911. On the flip side I do like my Glock 19 without a TS as well and am considering removing the TS on the M&P as I think it might help in a oh shit situation. Buy it with and remove it if you don’t like it, best of both worlds. 
SWATcop1911–It takes just a couple of minutes to make the M&P ambi thumb safety more positive in function, like a 1911. This thread explains how to do the mod: http://mp-pistol.com/boards/index.php?showtopic=26004&st=0&p=260473&#entry260473.
Entirely a personal preference thing. I’ve primarily trained without a thumb safety so I opted for no thumb safety.
For the past several years I have carried weapons with thumb safeties (USP .45, 1911, and USPc 9mm), but when I got my M&P I decided to go without. It’s one less thing to worry about in a high stress situation. Keep that damn finger off the trigger and all is well :), though that shouldn’t make a difference if you use a thumb safety or not. If you have excellent muscle memory that compels you to automatically disengage the safety as you draw/shoot, then a thumb safety model may be more at home to you, but most agree it is completely unnecessary.
If you like to introduce people to shooting, new shooters are probably more comfortable learning on a platform with a manual safety.
What Doc said.
I also prefer a safety if I can have one due to the weapon retention advange it gives me.
If you’re used to the 1911 then get the TS model. If you’re used to a Glock then get the non-TS model.
I prefer a manual safety, and it was one of the main reasons I chose a 9c over a G26. I could live without a safety most of the time, but I’m too squeemish to appendix carry without one.
DocGKR is right…I had a TS on my mid size.45.I did this modifcation, it took about 30 minutes, (I took my time) and the results were indeed much more positive function, like a 1911… The damning thing is… As easy as this mod is,Why dosen’t S&W do this at the factory?? It could’nt be THAT difficult. Anyway, I ended up removing mine and installing the frame plugs to close up the notches in the frame, like it better without the TS…