I've got a fullsize 9mm USP V1 and I was curious if I can somehow switch the orientation of the safety, meaning, instead of UP being safe and DOWN is fire, UP is fire and DOWN is safe. The reason I ask is I'm having a hell of a time trying to trip the slide release with the safety off because it gets in the way of my thumb. I essentially have to reposition my palm, and lose my shooting grip just to hit it. If I have the safety up though, the selector is out of my way and life is good.
Possible to switch safety orientation?
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I use my off hand thumb to do it.
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Remove the safety! Watch the movie Blackhawk Down. Your finger is your safety.
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Exactly.
With a frame mounted safety you must keep your thumb on top of it at all times least it get accidentally safed at the worst time. A down-safe orientation is bad unless you intent to keep your thumb under the lever at all times. Quickest solution is to fit the V3 detent and eliminate the safety entirely. Decock only.
Using the slide stop as a slide release is an inefficient technique that will fail you. It's a fine motor skill used with a small part.
Cycling the slide to close it (or open it or clear stoppages) is covered -- and insisted on -- during Day 1 of any good pistol course. Reach over and cycle it!
Yeah, the best trick shooters and gun games winners may use the slide stop, but neither you nor I are one of those guys. At least I ain't! :wink: Save the slide stop manipulation for those times it's the only way to get the pistol in operation. Even with one hand you can usually cycle the slide on your boot heel, belt or rigid holster.
-- Chuck
Using the slide stop as a slide release is an inefficient technique that will fail you. It's a fine motor skill used with a small part.
Cycling the slide to close it (or open it or clear stoppages) is covered -- and insisted on -- during Day 1 of any good pistol course. Reach over and cycle it!
Yeah, the best trick shooters and gun games winners may use the slide stop, but neither you nor I are one of those guys. At least I ain't! :wink: Save the slide stop manipulation for those times it's the only way to get the pistol in operation. Even with one hand you can usually cycle the slide on your boot heel, belt or rigid holster.
-- Chuck
I'm not looking to do any trick shooting but I am going to start doing IDPA and USPSA and the only pistols I have are 2 USPs. I know speed is the name of the game when it comes to these and after watching quite a few videos of guys in competition and talking with the locals who run it, it seems that everyone uses the slide stop as a release. I understand that in a life or death defensive situation you want the positive engagement which comes from manually working the slide, but I'm talking competition only.
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You obviously can pursue this any way you wish but I wouldn't feel right if I didn't at least encourage you to do some research and explore the benefits of the "sling shot method" for manipulating the slide. In my opinion the benefits far exceed benefits afforded using the slide release. When I S.O. at our IDPA events I get to see everyone's handling skills up close and personal. More often than not you'll see the more experience shooters using the sling shot the slide and the newer shooters will use the slide release. Obviously this isn't true across the board but just a casual observation. We could debate it to death like calibers but it's just something I would encourage you to look into with an open mind.
I shot the P8 when I was in Germany in the Airforce. I actually like the reversed (from usp) orientation of the safety. With the P8, it is designed in such a way that you can grip the pistol normally, and while gripping you can trip the safety into the fire position.
One of the reasons I don't buy HK handguns with a safety is because its reversed from the P8..
One of the reasons I don't buy HK handguns with a safety is because its reversed from the P8..
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