Modifying the safety system of your carry pistol.

[HaveGun]

Was on another forum that consists of mostly angry old men and came across a thread in which a member purchased a new S&W Shield 45 that came with a safety. He didn't want a safety, since safeties are for women and sissies, don't you know.

So he said he super-glued the safety in the off position.

I asked if he seriously super-glued his safety on his carry pistol.

His response: "never seen a law against doing it or some court case where someone went to jail because of it. It was common practice years ago to disable grip safetys on 1911s. Gun still has every safety feature a non safety equipped shield has. i dont worry about what some internet experts think some judge would say. Judges rule on law and cant make up there own. No differnt then some internet experts saying your going to go to jail because you used handloads or cast bullets. SHOW ME ONE CASE. Its my gun. I can do what i want with it. As long as they cant prove i killed an innocent person because of that saftey being disabled its my business. Now if your the type that thinks you NEED a safety on a ccw gun then theres no talking to you anyway. My safety is between my ears and it communicates with my trigger finger."

Not a single other person thought what he did was a bad idea.

And I have no idea if there has ever been a court case involving someone being prosecuted for intentionally bypassing the safety feature of a firearm. Or, for lightning a trigger, or for any of the other modifications of carry guns that are generally considered a bad idea.

So, have there been any actual court cases involving people getting crossed-up legally due to modifications?

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[CountryGent]

So, have there been any actual court cases involving people getting crossed-up legally due to modifications?

IIRC, a modification was a factor in the case of the shooting of Latasha Harlins by Soon Ja Du. (This was part of the tensions leading up to the 1992 LA Riots.) I can't recall, off-hand, what the modification was and how it impacted the trial results, but it might be something worth researching if you are interested.

 

[s1xty7]

As hokey and crazy as super gluing a safety seems, with the potential for super glue to impact other functions of a firearm by getting into another small space, the general question of modifying a defensive firearm is something I've seen mentioned a thousand times. Interested to see what this thread turns up.

 

[solv3nt]

The theory is that the prosecutor will paint a picture that you have an itchy trigger finger and that you modified your gun to make it more lethal, not sure how that's possible, but that's the theory.

Having heard arguments from the DA, I would not be surprised to hear an argument like that. I however, do not have a case where it was used, so this is purely conjecture on my part.

 

[CountryGent]

I found the case of People v. Soon Ja Du. It can be read here and it includes discussion of the changes made to the revolver.

 

[s1xty7]

Interesting and tragic read. A small excerpt that is relavent:

"David Butler, a Los Angeles Police Department ballistics expert, testified extensively about the gun, a Smith & Wesson .38–caliber revolver with a two-inch barrel. In summary, he testified that the gun had been altered crudely and that the trigger pull necessary to fire the gun had been drastically reduced. Also, both the locking mechanism of the hammer and the main spring tension screw of the gun had been altered so that the hammer could be released without putting much pressure on the trigger. In addition, the safety mechanism did not function properly."

The gun had been previously stolen and supposedly modified illegally before being returned. No one apparently ever checked the function of the gun after it was returned. There was one argument that the revolver was modified in such a way that the shooting would have never happened if it hadn't been modified because a typical revolver has a much more deliberate trigger pull, but that did not appear to have any actual bearing on conviction or sentencing.

 

[WAYNO]

Was on another forum that consists of mostly angry old men...

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[Koda]

Trigger mods, safety mods and using reloads for self defense is a hot button topic for years.

Consider there is no professional self defense lawyer that will recommend any of those. The problem is there is only one reason for doing any of those, to make the gun easier to use.. more efficient. If you use your gun in self defense, your going to wind up in court and when the court asks you why you modified your gun, what is your answer to the court going to be?

 

[JohnnyMac]

Super glue on the safety! That's absolutely ignorant and borderline insane..... Apparently the guy is a rookie, everyone knows that JB Weld is the only way to properly defeat the safety. Sheesh!

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I can't answer for any legal cases.

Speaking only for myself and not saying that my preference here is "right"....

I find that it most cases , expect for those firearm's that have a automatic safety , like on some Side x Side shotguns...its fairly easy to "ignore" or just not use the mechanical safety of a firearm.

Super glue need not apply...
Andy

 

[clearconscience]

That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

He'll probably have an "accidental discharge" and shoot his pecker off

 

[ma96782]

I found the case of People v. Soon Ja Du. It can be read here and it includes discussion of the changes made to the revolver.

Thank you.

++++++++++

From the article:

David Butler, a Los Angeles Police Department ballistics expert, testified extensively about the gun, a Smith & Wesson .38–caliber revolver with a two-inch barrel. In summary, he testified that the gun had been altered crudely and that the trigger pull necessary to fire the gun had been drastically reduced. Also, both the locking mechanism of the hammer and the main spring tension screw of the gun had been altered so that the hammer could be released without putting much pressure on the trigger. In addition, the safety mechanism did not function properly.

Hummmmm.......a revolver with a safety?

Or is he referring to the hammer drop safety?

Aloha, Mark

 

[Uberhoo]

If you can't manipulate the safety, you're using or owning the wrong gun.

 

[Ops]

you could just ask why he didnt just remove the safety? or bought one without.

since there are tutorials if one knows how to use google

 

[CRBMoA]

If I have to glue my safety control into the position I want it to be in at all times, this would suggest the super glue is doing the controlling of the weapon.

To ratchet Andy's point, the glue ENABLES me to be lazy.

My 0.02

 

[CountryGent]

Hummmmm.......a revolver with a safety?

Or is he referring to the hammer drop safety?

I noticed that too. I've seen it described as "a .38-caliber Smith and Wesson five-shot stainless steel revolver with a two-inch barrel." Never heard of anything matching that with a manual safety, so I would have to presume hammer drop like you mentioned.

If you can't manipulate the safety, you're using or owning the wrong gun.

Exactly. There are plenty of great options for defensive handguns now; with every form of safety setup, or none at all.

 

[Catfishmoon]

Lots of people do things I disagree with, to each their own, but if I want to disable a safety on my carry gun I would find a more fool proof method than glue.

 

[CountryGent]

Lots of people do things I disagree with, to each their own, but if I want to disable a safety on my carry gun I would find a more fool proof method than glue.

You mean smearing the components of a firearm with crazy glue doesn't sound like a resoundingly good idea?

 

[Mark W.]

" Judges rule on law and cant make up there own. " ROFLMAO!

 

[HaveGun]

With a lead-in like that, were you really looking for an opinion or just not wanting to waste your chance at one more dig? The gap never gets narrower.

It is a term of endearment. I am an angry old man, per the millenials I work with. But I am a young whippersnapper on the site I referenced. It's a great site, with some amazingly knowledgeable people, but don't mention that you prefer Glocks over 1911s, or drive a Toyota, or any other typical old man trigger topics.