The Manual Safety: A Safety Device or a Training Commitment?

Let's talk about something that can create a lot of disagreement among gun owners:

The manual safety.

There are excellent firearms that incorporate manual safeties.

There are also excellent firearms that don't.

My concern isn't that a manual safety exists.

My concern is whether the person carrying that firearm is willing to train with it consistently.

Because once you introduce a manual safety into a defensive firearm, you've introduced another action that the shooter must understand and perform correctly.

And that creates another responsibility.

A Manual Safety Requires Training

A manual safety is a mechanical device.

It doesn't know who is holding the firearm.

It doesn't know whether you've trained once or one hundred times.

It doesn't know whether you practiced last week or six years ago.

It simply does what the firearm was designed to do.

The responsibility belongs to the person carrying it.

If you carry a firearm with a manual safety, you need to know that firearm's safety system extremely well.

You need to know where the safety is.

You need to know how it operates.

You need to consistently practice the manipulation required to place the firearm into its firing condition when appropriate.

And you need to do all of that while maintaining proper trigger-finger discipline and muzzle awareness.

That's not something I believe should be learned once and then forgotten.

One Safety Course Isn't Enough

This is where I have a problem with the way some people approach firearms training.

Someone takes a basic safety course.

They learn the fundamentals.

They receive their certificate.

They purchase a firearm.

And then they may not practice again for months—or even years.

Then they carry that firearm every day.

If that firearm has a manual safety, the problem becomes even more significant.

You've chosen a firearm that requires an additional manipulation, but you're not maintaining proficiency with that manipulation.

In my opinion, that's negligence waiting to happen.

I'm not saying the person is negligent because they own a firearm with a manual safety.

I'm saying the negligence comes when someone chooses a system that requires additional training and then refuses to maintain the skills necessary to operate it properly.

Familiarity Is Not Proficiency

There's another misconception I see:

“I've had this gun for years. I know how to use it.”

Maybe you do.

But when was the last time you actually practiced?

Owning a firearm for ten years doesn't mean you've trained with it for ten years.

There's a huge difference between familiarity and proficiency.

You may know where the safety is.

You may remember how it works.

But defensive firearms training isn't about what you can remember while standing at home.

It's about what you can safely and consistently do when you're under pressure.

That's why repetition matters.

The Problem With Adding Steps

Every additional manipulation creates another task that must be performed correctly.

That's not an argument against manual safeties.

It's an argument for training.

If you choose a firearm with a manual safety, then embrace the responsibility that comes with it.

Train with it.

Practice with it.

Become familiar with it.

Maintain that familiarity.

Don't expect one class to carry you through years of defensive firearm ownership.

Your Equipment Should Match Your Commitment

This is another reason I believe in training before ownership.

Don't buy a firearm simply because somebody told you it's the best gun.

Don't buy something because it looks good.

Don't buy something because your friend carries it.

And don't choose a complicated system that you aren't willing to train with.

Your firearm should match:

Your needs.
Your ability.
Your experience.
Your hand.
Your budget.
And your willingness to train.

If you're not willing to commit to practicing the manual safety, you need to seriously reconsider whether that particular firearm is the right defensive tool for you.

That's not criticism.

That's responsible decision-making.

Safety Is a System

I've always believed that firearms safety is bigger than any single mechanical feature.

A manual safety isn't the entire safety system.

An empty chamber isn't the entire safety system.

A holster isn't the entire safety system.

Training isn't the entire safety system.

They all work together.

The person carrying the firearm is ultimately responsible for understanding how all of those pieces interact.

That's why I teach students to think beyond the firearm itself.

Think about awareness.

Think about avoidance.

Think about de-escalation.

Think about getting away from a dangerous situation whenever possible.

Think about the legal and moral responsibility associated with using deadly force.

And then think about the firearm.

My Bottom Line

I don't have a problem with someone owning a firearm with a manual safety.

I have a problem with someone carrying a firearm with a manual safety without being willing to consistently train with that safety.

If you're going to carry it, know it.

If you're going to depend on it, practice it.

If you're going to carry it for defense, maintain your proficiency.

Because the worst time to discover that you forgot how your firearm operates is when you desperately need to operate it.

A manual safety isn't a problem.

A lack of training is.

And if you're going to choose a defensive firearm that requires an additional manipulation, you need to be willing to make that manipulation part of your regular training.

One class isn't enough.

One qualification isn't enough.

Buying the firearm isn't enough.

Training is an ongoing responsibility.

Train before you carry.

Train after you carry.

And never confuse owning a firearm with being prepared to use one responsibly.