[JohnMcD348]

I've gotten a few M&P pistols over the past couple of years, in my endeavor to learn about them and work with them. I'm wanting to buy a couple of the M&P .22LR versions for simple training use. The problem is, that all of the ones I see on the market, currently, all have the thumb safety on them and all of my full M&P's don't. For the sake of keeping everything functionally the same, I'd like to remove and plug the hole, where they thumb safety was.

Is that possible?

My wife just bought an M&P9 Compact and she's wanting a .22 for range play and training to help cut down the cost of training and help her with fundamentals training.

Thanks
John

 

[Smith Shooter]

I don't think you can remove it safely. The M&P22 is a single action hammer fired gun and removing the manual safety would be like removing the thumb safety from a 1911. Unless the chamber is empty you basically have it "cocked and locked". Unlike the center fire M&Ps, which are striker fired and have a striker block as an internal safety, the M&P22 does not.

 

[mp9werks]

The thumb safety could be removed and the firearm safely used (Rule #1: muzzle direction is the primary safety on ANY firearm!) IF its shaft was not also the axle for the sear!

There are two other safeties present: the magazine disconnect and the blocking plunger to the hammer that is activated by the trigger pull, which is like the M&P striker fired models in function, not form.

The original 1911's did not have a thumb safety. I911 's can be used with the thumb safety removed as its axle is not used for any other moving part.

 

[Dodge City]

If you do remove the safety, don't carry it for self defense. A prosecutor would have a field-day in that case.

 

[mp9werks]

^^^ You can't remove the safety and still have a functional firearm, as the sear would absent!
That might befuddle a zealous DA.

 

[ShooterGranny]

I simply keep the safety of my M&P .22 compacts (both of them) on the OFF position when on the range. Saves a lot of time and frustration and the possibility of messing up a very nice shooter!

 

[JohnMcD348]

If you do remove the safety, don't carry it for self defense. A prosecutor would have a field-day in that case.

Why on Earth would I ever want to carry a .22 for self defense when I have multiple 9mm, .45ACP, and .357/.38's to carry instead? The only reason I want to be able to remove the Thumb safety on the .22 is to make it functionally compatible with the same pistol in a lager caliber. The larger caliber pistols come from the factory without them, which would show that they are no less reliable, from a legal definition, than their counterparts.

But, no. I do not modify any of my firearms I ever consider carrying, except for possibilities of sights or other external improvements that help me to operate it better. Never anything internal that deals with the functionality and operation of the firearm. I don't want, or need a smooth, 1.5lb or 3lb trigger on a SD firearm. When firing under stress, you aren't going to tell the difference between them and a 7lb factory trigger.

 

[BobbyGCole]

You can remove that if you are comfortable with that.



ammo

 

[Rick M]

The thumb safety could be removed and the firearm safely used (Rule #1: muzzle direction is the primary safety on ANY firearm!) IF its shaft was not also the axle for the sear!

There are two other safeties present: the magazine disconnect and the blocking plunger to the hammer that is activated by the trigger pull, which is like the M&P striker fired models in function, not form.

The original 1911's did not have a thumb safety. I911 's can be used with the thumb safety removed as its axle is not used for any other moving part. View attachment 19024 View attachment 19025 View attachment 19026

The 1911‘s thumb safety pin is what holds the grip safety (GS) in place; and it also serves as the GS axis point.

 

[ShooterGranny]

The 1911‘s thumb safety pin is what holds the grip safety (GS) in place; and it also serves as the GS axis point.

What does a 1911 have to do with an M&P .22 compact? They aren't even closely related.

 

[Rick M]

What does a 1911 have to do with an M&P .22 compact? They aren't even closely related.

MP9’s post #3 in part stated “The original 1911's did not have a thumb safety. 1911s can be used with the thumb safety removed as its axle is not used for any other moving part.”

To which I replied “The 1911‘s thumb safety pin is what holds the grip safety (GS) in place; and it also serves as the GS axis point.”

Whether the information provided is about striker fired poly pistols, 1911s, or whatever; when incorrect information is presented to the internet “world;” it should be factually corrected.

 

[ShooterGranny]

Whether the information provided is about striker fired poly pistols, 1911s, or whatever; when incorrect information is presented to the internet “world;” it should be factually corrected.

You are correct and I didn't realize that you had replied to an earlier off topic post. Sorry.

 

[mp9werks]

Whether the information provided is about striker fired poly pistols, 1911s, or whatever; when incorrect information is presented to the internet “world;” it should be factually corrected.

Rick M is correct. Thanks for pointing it out.

I don't know what I was thinking when I put those lines of prose together.

BelFrom my Anatomy series 1911 Manual:

 

[JohnMcD348]

Well, I finally bought an M&P22 and picked it up yesterday. It is definitely a different pistol design internally. Hate to admit it, but, I actually had to READ THE DIRECTIONS in order to take the slide off........
I kinda like it. It's a fixed barrel design, not terribly different than my wife's PPK/s design from the 1920's.

It took me a while to get one because I didn't really care about one with the threaded barrel and such. I just wanted a basic .22 M&P that was as similar to the wife's M&P9 compact so that we could shoot a little more economically. After going to a Appleseed Pistol event (Pistolseed) and using our M&P9's for 2 days, we went through ALOT!!!!! of 9mm over 2 days and reclaiming the brass just really wasn't that much of an option due to time constraints and training tempo.

 

[ShooterGranny]

Well, I finally bought an M&P22 and picked it up yesterday. It is definitely a different pistol design internally. Hate to admit it, but, I actually had to READ THE DIRECTIONS in order to take the slide off........
I kinda like it. It's a fixed barrel design, not terribly different than my wife's PPK/s design from the 1920's.

It took me a while to get one because I didn't really care about one with the threaded barrel and such. I just wanted a basic .22 M&P that was as similar to the wife's M&P9 compact so that we could shoot a little more economically. After going to a Appleseed Pistol event (Pistolseed) and using our M&P9's for 2 days, we went through ALOT!!!!! of 9mm over 2 days and reclaiming the brass just really wasn't that much of an option due to time constraints and training tempo.

Congratulations for finding and buying a gun that is reliable, mostly not ammo picky and tons of FUN! Three of us women shoot together each week and we start our serious SD drills with our regular guns, but then switch to our S&W .22 compacts for further drills that take more ammo, and for just plain FUN! We take empty gallon plastic jugs and hang them with twine between the standing targets and shoot the heck out of them and watch them bounce - when you hit them just right! Last week I took a couple aluminum round containers that some restaurants use for carry out orders and those were even more fun. We continue to move and shoot for the fun stuff.

Even when the weather is bad and we have to go to the indoor range, we still spend significant time (ammo) with those .22 compacts. And, since we all have the same guns, we color code the bottoms or back of our guns and the magazines with dots of finger nail polish. I'm yellow, R. is green and L. is sparkly pink.

 

[Super Trucker]

Well, I finally bought an M&P22 and picked it up yesterday. It is definitely a different pistol design internally. Hate to admit it, but, I actually had to READ THE DIRECTIONS in order to take the slide off........

I kinda like it. It's a fixed barrel design, not terribly different than my wife's PPK/s design from the 1920's.


It took me a while to get one because I didn't really care about one with the threaded barrel and such. I just wanted a basic .22 M&P that was as similar to the wife's M&P9 compact so that we could shoot a little more economically. After going to a Appleseed Pistol event (Pistolseed) and using our M&P9's for 2 days, we went through ALOT!!!!! of 9mm over 2 days and reclaiming the brass just really wasn't that much of an option due to time constraints and training tempo.

There are many videos on YouTube about removing the manual safety and mag safety on the M&P .22, if you bought a .22 compact, it is a different gun than the full size .22 and there aren't many videos available for it.


If you have the .22compact, I will link the only videos (3 parts) that I could find detailing how to completely detail strip the gun, this is what I used to learn how to remove those safeties.

Now for the warning, removing safeties is a personal decision and can be dangerous if you do something dumb.

I am not responsible for any injury or death resulting from the advice given on how to remove them. I'm not a lawyer and I did not sleep at a holiday inn express last night.

.
.22 compact detail strip videos

 

[mp9werks]

It's a pretty simple mechanical situation.