I have carried a 1911 locked and cocked for duty in the past and am comfortable with that. I have not carried an SAO that does not have a grip safety anywhere other than on the range or hunting. No problems there but every day concealed carry is another world.
I'm considering carrying one of my Sig SAO's for daily carry. I have heard anecdotal information about the safety moving to the fire position while in the holster. I suspect that is a holster issue more than anything but I am seeking information from anyone who has experience in this area. Your wisdom is appreciated.
I've found the safeties on my Sig SAOs to be less likely to become disengaged than most 1911 type pistols I've owned and certainly more secure than my Browning High Power.
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Posts: 10281 | Location: The Free State of Arizona | Registered: June 13, 2007
No Sig SAO experience, but tons of 1911. The posts I've seen over the years dealing with unwanted thumb safety movement (Sig & 1911) have all been ambi safeties. Apparently a thumb safety on the outboard side can be prone to movement.
I'd concur with your suspicion that it's made more likely with certain holster designs.
If it became a problem with a Sig SAO, the outboard safety could be altered to mitigate the likelihood.
I wouldn't be concerned with the lack of a grip safety. If the safety is off during the draw, it won't go bang unless the finger contacts the trigger. With or without a grip safety.
______________________ An expert is one who knows more and more about less and less until he knows absolutely everything about nothing. --Nicholas Murray Butler
Posts: 4670 | Location: Pennsylvania | Registered: June 29, 2006
Originally posted by bobandmikako: I don't have experience with the larger Sig SAO pistols, but I've never had the safety on a P938 move while carrying.
I can report the same for my P238. I don't carry my X5, but its safety lever detents very crisply in both positions.
Serious about crackers
Posts: 9691 | Location: San Diego | Registered: July 26, 2014
The safety on my Legion 226 SAO is significantly stiffer and travels through more distance than any of my 1911s. The trigger, while very good, also has more travel and a heavier weight than most 1911s. Overall, I think it's quite safe to carry.This message has been edited. Last edited by: MNSIG,
Posts: 9096 | Location: The Red part of Minnesota | Registered: October 06, 2002
Originally posted by MNSIG: The safety on my Legion 220 SAO is significantly stiffer and travels through more distance than any of my 1911s. The trigger, while very good, also has more travel and a heavier weight than most 1911s. Overall, I think it's quite safe to carry.
Was that a typo or is there really a P220 SAO Legion?
My P220 Carry SAO and the P938 have never had any issues.
Posts: 2237 | Location: New Hampshire | Registered: February 25, 2007
Any carry holsters I have for SAO guns have some sort of protection for the safety. For my P938, a Ryan Grizzle pocket holster covers and holds the safety in the cocked position. For full sized guns, I insist on a thumb break. I am still waiting for my Andrews Leather holster for my P220-10mm SAO. That will be the full-sized gun I carry.
Posts: 10887 | Location: South Congress AZ | Registered: May 27, 2006
I have a P220 SAO and a P938, have had no issues with the safeties on either one of them, and the 938 is pocket carried in a Remora holster most of the time.
Posts: 2585 | Location: North Dakota | Registered: August 17, 2007
On the ones I've seen, the safety levers have a very solid engagement, if anything a little stiff. I don't see how one in good working order is going to jar loose just from carrying it or even bumping it into a car door frame or something. Also, and there's that "good working order" again, there is a firing pin block safety, so it isn't going to fire unless you also pull the trigger.
Posts: 29043 | Location: Johnson City, TN | Registered: April 28, 2012
As said by others, my 938 has never had an issue with the thumb safety. My wife carries a P226 SAO Legion and hasn't had any issues in a kydex IWB (Whitehat holsters). If anyone were going to have issues, it'd be her. She has a Kimber that came with ambi thumb safeties and she was always knocking it off safe by brushing up against something and getting the outside safety turned down (I had to change that out). Her Legion's safety is, I believe, too close to the slide and too positive about engaging to inadvertently get in the wrong position not to mention it's is not an ambi.
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Posts: 4306 | Location: DFW | Registered: May 21, 2012
Sig 1911's are better than there older p series in sao. I had a p220 compact in sao (mim safety lever) that never went off safe accidentally and was very sloppy and lose fit. That gun was carried in all sorts of weird ways, even ankle at one point and that ill fit safety stayed engaged. Your 1911 will be no problem.
