A defensive handgun should never have a grip safety or a manual thumb safety as its primary safety.
I have always loved defensive handguns with a thumb safety. They are very useful and eliminate the possibility for a negligent discharge if the handgun is properly holstered. They can also be used to reduce the possibility of negligent discharges when a handgun is holstered. Your trigger finger is the primary safety. In almost every case of negligent discharge, the shooter’s trigger finger was there. This applies to handgun discharges while holstering or moving them. Although there have been a few instances when the trigger guard was activated by the lip of a worn holster, a tie from the bottom of a hoodie, or other objects, these incidents are rare. The trigger finger is the most common culprit. This is why it’s important to make a conscious effort to train your trigger finger. Shooters need to be able to recognize when their trigger finger should be placed on the trigger and when it should be removed. They also need to be able to identify where the trigger finger should be placed when it is not on the trigger. Let’s discuss each situation so you know where your trigger finger should always be. This will help you to significantly reduce the chance of a negligent discharge.
Your finger should not be touching the trigger if you aren’t going to fire a gun. This is the third rule of firearm safety: “Keep your fingers off the trigger until you are looking at the target.” Although this shooter can’t 100% confirm that his sights are on target, he is certain that his handgun is pointed in the right direction. If he intends on shooting, his finger should be on the trigger. However, this is not the correct interpretation of the rule. Sometimes you can engage a target with defensive handguns when you aren’t looking at the sights. Technically, it could be assumed your sights are on target if your handgun is pointed directly at the target. This rule can be interpreted as: Keep your finger off of the trigger until your handgun/firearm points at the target. This means that you should wait until your handgun/firearm is pointed at the target before you put your finger on the trigger when you draw a handgun from your holster. Keep your finger on the trigger until you are satisfied that you can no longer shoot.
This rule should be obvious with the simple restatement Rule 3: “Keep you finger off the trigger until you are on target.” But let’s take a closer look. This shooter might have just finished an engagement, or be in the process. His finger is not pointed at the target by his handgun, so he isn’t shooting. Your finger should be off the trigger whenever you are moving, but not shooting. Your finger should not touch the trigger if you are handling a handgun other than for shooting purposes, such as reloading, cleaning, or clearing a stoppage. What does “Off the Trigger” mean?
Over half a century of teaching handgun shooting to soldiers, police officers, and civilians has taught me that “off-the-trigger” does not mean the same thing for everyone. Some believe that “off the trigger” is when the finger isn’t touching the trigger. Others believe that “off the trigger” is when your finger doesn’t touch the trigger, but it’s still within the trigger guard or resting on the trigger. For firearms safety, “off the Trigger” refers to your finger not touching the trigger but it is still inside the trigger guard. For a long time, this has been the preferred position for “off-the trigger” during training. Firearms safety Rule 3 states that your trigger finger must be kept away from the trigger until your sights are focused on the target. It is acceptable to place your trigger finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target. It does provide a tactile reference point and tactile feel of where your trigger finger should be placed. If you don’t practice good trigger finger discipline, you have a greater chance of a negligent discharge than you have of using your defensive handgun to save yourself. Although manual thumb safetyties and grip safetyties on defensive handguns can be helpful, your trigger finger is the best safety. It’s your trigger finger. Always! Target grids and bullseye sizes can be downloaded in MOA. Get Free Targets
