For the wife....

[CC Italian]

We talked about this in another post recently. Nothing wrong with a safety but I never use them when I carry. Why? Jumping frog called it 100%. Many officers even when trained forget to flip the safety when they draw thier weapon real life. All those mentioned are good burk will add the xd because it has the grip safety which is about as much as I like. Sorry for spelling on cell

[TexasGal]

Reholstering where clothes can interfere or in a collapsed holster is the cause of some ADs. If she wants the safety for that reason, she can train to holster with the safety on and then click the safety off after its holstered. Its ready to fire if she has to draw in a defensive situation. Using a holster wirh good retention goes without saying.

[TexasCajun]

Safety vs no-safety is as personal as the type of underwear. So if she's looking for an EDC with a safety, then lots of practice wil be in order. Yes, you can carry with the safety off, but what if clothing snags it on during normal wear? Will she have the presence of mind to flip the safety in a stressful situation??

If she prefers a manual safety because she fears an ND during holstering due to clothing snag, simply holster the gun before putting the whole rig on her person. That way all of the manipulation is done with a holstered weapon and with less chance of hanging the trigger.

[mr surveyor]

If she wants to carry a gun with a safety, I recommend at least 1000 repetitions of drawing, wiping off the safety, and dry firing. One must start implanting muscle memory for taking the handgun off of safe. Otherwise, one runs the risk of needing the gun in a self defense situation, forgetting the safety, pull the trigger but no BANG, and then fumbling around trying to solve the problem.

Anyone who is going to practice dry firing should, in my opinion, unload the gun showing both the chamber and magazine well clear. Place the ammo in a different room. I recommend using snap caps so one can also practice malfunction drills and reloads. Having the dry fire session in a room that contains no live ammo is a good safety practice, in that it build a mental habit that separates the practice session from normal everyday gun handling. I've read of too many cases where someone was sitting in their family room practicing dry fire. Then they reload the gun. A few minutes later, they unthinkingly draw and shoot the television. There needs to be ritual that creates a clear bright mental line to separate the start and end of practice.

If all this emphasis on muscle memory and practice seems like criticism of someone carrying with a safety, it isn't. I carry guns with safeties myself.

THIS^^^If one insists on a handgun with safeties.

Personally, I now carry only DA pistols with no external safety controls or da/sa revolvers... in which case the manual of arms is identical - point/click/bang. When I carried 1911 style s/a pistols the safety sweep was automatic, but when I decided to conceal carry revolvers occassionally (now 90%) it was time to standardize the response needs. That was when I decided d/a pistols (no external safties) were in order. If one has only one carry gun...use it, shoot it, learn it. No matter what you shoot at the range, always finish the range session with at least a magazine or two with the gun you carry. Reflex/Muscle memory.