Where is the safety on a gun? It depends on the gun as each has a unique design of safety mechanism.
The most important one is between your ears.
While mechanical safety features do prevent accidental discharges and other potential disasters from occurring, the operator makes far more difference.
A person who handles guns safely, shoots them safely, carries them safely, and stores them safely is less susceptible to accidents. Rarely will a mechanical safety feature save you. Therefore, the most important safety is therefore gun safety, which starts with you.
Long guns are rather simple. The safety lever is almost always on the receiver of semi-autos, the rear of the bolt or on the tang of most rifles, and on the trigger guard of most shotguns except for the tang-mounted safety of Mossbergs.
With that said, where the safety feature on a gun is located is heavily dependent on what kind of gun you have. We'll go over some popular models of handgun to show you.
How Does a Pistol Safety Work?
A pistol safety is a mechanical feature (or set of features) that prevents the gun from firing unless the shooter deliberately disengages it or performs the proper firing action. Different pistols use different safety types but they all achieve the same basic goal: interrupt the firing sequence so an accidental force (drop, snag, or unintended trigger contact) won’t cause a discharge.
A manual thumb/frame safety is a lever on the frame or slide that blocks the sear, disconnects trigger movement, or otherwise prevents the hammer/striker from releasing when it’s in the “safe” position; moving the lever to “fire” returns the operating parts to normal.
A decocker (common on DA/SA designs) safely lowers a cocked hammer without allowing it to fall and fire; it is not the same as a safety lever but provides a safe way to render the pistol into double-action mode.
A trigger safety is a small lever built into the trigger face (seen on many striker-fired pistols). It blocks rearward trigger movement unless the shooter depresses the trigger and that internal lever at the same time. A grip safety (like on some 1911s) requires the shooter’s palm to depress a lever on the backstrap so the trigger/sear pathway is enabled only when the gun is held properly.
Internal safeties include firing-pin/striker blocks and drop safeties. A firing-pin/striker block physically prevents the striker or firing pin from moving forward unless the trigger is pulled fully; drop safeties and transfer-bar systems prevent inertia from driving the firing mechanism into the primer if the gun is dropped. A magazine disconnect prevents the pistol from firing when the magazine is removed by interrupting the trigger or sear linkage.
Some older/higher-end designs add a half-cock notch or other passive sear catches as an additional mechanical barrier. In DA/SA pistols the long double-action first pull and heavier trigger also act as a safety layer by design.
Practical note: safeties are mechanical and can be misused or fail; they are a backstop, not a substitute for safe handling. Know exactly which safeties your model has, read the owner’s manual, practice manipulating them until it’s second nature, and always keep your finger off the trigger and the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
Where Is The Safety On A 1911?
The safety features on a 1911 are located at the rear of the frame, as this is the location of the thumb safety and the grip safety.
However, Colt updated the 1911 design in 1983 with the creation of the Series 80 pistol, which added a firing pin block to make the pistol more drop-safe. Other manufacturers of 1911 pistols have likewise added this feature.
The thumb safety of a 1911 mechanically blocks the sear, which is the mechanical device that allows the hammer to fall onto the firing pin, discharging a cartridge. While engaged, the gun cannot be fired.
The grip safety acts as a lever. When at rest, the grip safety bar is resting against the sear, which blocks the trigger from traveling far enough to trip the sear and discharge a cartridge. By gripping the pistol, the grip safety pivots the trigger safety bar up and out of the way.
1911 pistols with a firing pin block - after all, it's only a Series 80 if it's made by Colt - also add a firing pin block, a metal cylinder with a cutout in the center that sits in the hole in the firing pin channel. This is under the hammer block in the slide.
The firing pin, therefore, is effectively blocked until the trigger is depressed. The trigger bar actuates a tilting link that pushes the firing pin up and allows the firing pin to travel forward, striking the primer of a cartridge.
That is where the safety features of a 1911 is located.
Where Is The Safety On A Glock And Other Striker-Fired Pistols?
The safety on a Glock, as well as other striker-fired pistols of similar design, is the trigger mechanism itself. While all of them have some minor mechanical differences, all of them operate in the same way.
The trigger bar itself connects to a connector hook that actuates the striker. Typically, the firing pin/striker assembly is almost fully cocked by the cycling of the slide. What the trigger does is bring it fully to the rear and release it.
When at rest, the trigger itself is blocked from the trigger bar. Pressure must be applied to the trigger tab, or the slack in the trigger taken up by the trigger finger to connect the trigger to the trigger bar itself.
At rest, the trigger bar is not aligned with the firing mechanism, preventing the striker/firing pin from being released and discharging a cartridge. By depressing the trigger, the trigger bar is brought into alignment so the gun may be fired.
Striker-fired pistols also include a firing pin block, essentially the same as the Series 80 1911 design discussed above and in the same location. Similarly, the firing pin block is lifted out of the way via a tilting link that's connected to the trigger mechanism.
Again, all striker pistols have minor mechanical differences. Some don't have a tabbed trigger, such as Sig Sauer's striker-fired pistol, but all of them work the same way. The firing mechanism is disconnected until the trigger starts to be pulled.
By whomever...or whatever...is pulling it.
Where's The Safety On A Revolver?
Modern revolvers, meaning modern double-action revolvers, have two safety features. First is a transfer bar safety.
Modern revolvers have a tiny firing pin in the frame between the hammer and the cylinder. The transfer bar blocks the firing pin unless the trigger is pulled.
A transfer bar is literally a small bar of metal connected to the trigger. As the trigger rotates, the transfer bar is moved up and down in the aperture window between the cylinder and the hammer, or inside the frame in case of a sealed DAO like one of the S&W Model 42 series.
The transfer bar travels on a slight eccentric, almost like a piston in an engine. At rest, the transfer bar is at the top of travel, and as the trigger travels back, the transfer bar lowers out of the way and the hammer can strike the firing pin.
The other safety on a revolver is not so much an actual safety device as it is a de facto one, namely the double-action trigger, which is much harder to pull inadvertently; a double-action trigger, on a revolver or semi-auto, often requires the shooter to mean it.
Granted, negligent discharges happen with revolvers too. While the double-action firing system may seem to make revolvers inherently "safer" - a common refrain for fans of double/single action semi-autos as well - there's still potential for disaster to occur.
After all, all it takes for the gun to discharge is for the trigger to be pulled...regardless of by whom or what.
DA/SA Wonder Nines: Where's The Safety?
If you look at all the guns covered above, what you might notice is that we've basically covered the most popular pistols...pretty much in existence.
However, there is also the old DA/SA Wonder Nine pistols, which - while arguably behind the times - are still an excellent choice of fightin' iron. That said, the most popular are the following three pistols or their derivatives:
The Sig Sauer P226/P220 family, the Beretta 92/M9 family, and the CZ 75/75 family and their clones. Yes, there are more, but these are the most popular.
The Sig Sauer P226 has no external safety features, but has a number of internal safety features. First is a firing pin block, in the same manner and location as the other pistols previously mentioned.
Secondly, the hammer rests on a safety notch in the sear instead of laying flat in the slide recess against the firing pin. Therefore, the hammer cannot contact the firing pin unless the trigger is pulled or - and this would take some doing! - hit hard enough to slam forward.
The Sig Sauer P220/P226/SP2022 system also has a trigger bar disconnector, ensuring the trigger mechanism cannot engage the rest of the firing mechanism unless the trigger is pulled.
Sig Sauer touts 4 safety features, but one of them is the decocker. Whether you think that counts is up to you.
The standard configuration of CZ 75 has two safety features: a firing pin block in the slide, just like everyone else, and a manual safety, located at the rear of the frame just above the grips.
The CZ 75 can be manually decocked for a double-action first shot...but that's for rookies. The '75 and clones with a manual safety are supposed to be carried cocked and locked; the double-action trigger is more of a second-strike feature in case of poor primer strikes.
This is also true of CZ clones, such as those by Tanfoglio, Canik, SAR and the IWI Jericho.
The decocking models, such as the CZ 75D, 97BD, 75D PCR, P-01, P-09 and P-07 have a decocker with a trigger safety notch, much like Sig Sauer's design, and located in the same area as the standard model's safety lever.
The Beretta 92, however, has a slightly more unique design. The safety levers, located at the rear of the slide, disconnect the trigger from the sear (trigger pull but no pew) as well as rotating the safety lever bar itself to block the hammer, and decock the pistol safely.
The 92 differs from the Sig Sauer and CZ decocking pistol in that the hammer is dropped completely forward. The safety notch is not there, as the barrel of the of the safety lever bar blocks the firing pin as it is rotated, allowing for the hammer to safely drop all the way.
The 92 series also has a firing pin block in the slide ahead of the rear sights, which - like everyone else's - lifts up when the trigger is pulled, allowing the cartridge to be fired. Beretta's is unique, though, as it is rectangular and protrudes out of the slide as the trigger is pulled.
The PX4 series actually functions the same way. While the gun is internally quite different than the 92, it actually works the same way just with some differently-shaped parts.
There are some other DA/SA designs out there, but delving into them becomes an exercise in esoterica.
Where is the Safety on a 9mm?
There’s no single place for “the safety” on a 9mm — it depends on the pistol. Some 9mm designs have a manual thumb safety on the frame (usually left-side near the shooter’s thumb), some use a trigger-mounted safety (a small lever built into the trigger face as on many Glocks), some have a grip safety (on the backstrap like some Springfields), and many modern striker-fired pistols rely on internal safeties only (striker blocks, drop safeties) with no external manual.
Other safety features you might see include a magazine disconnect or a loaded-chamber indicator on the slide. Always identify the specific model you’re carrying and read its owner’s manual so you know which safeties it has — and regardless of safeties, keep your finger off the trigger and the muzzle pointed in a safe direction until you intend to fire.
Where is the Safety on a Beretta Gun?
Location of the safety on a Beretta depends on the model. Most classic Beretta pistols (the 92/92FS/M9 family) use a slide-mounted safety/decocker located at the rear of the slide just above the grip on the left side; the lever is ambidextrous on many production runs and flips down to decock and up to put the pistol on safe.
Other Beretta designs use different arrangements: the PX4 series uses a frame-mounted thumb safety/decocker on the left side, some compact or striker-fired APX variants either have an ambidextrous manual safety on the frame or rely on internal striker/trigger safeties with no external manual.
Because Beretta’s control layout varies by model and generation, always identify your exact model and read the owner’s manual, then practice the safety/decocker manipulation until it’s second nature — and remember that safeties are a mechanical backstop, not a substitute for trigger discipline and muzzle awareness.
Where is the Safety on a Smith & Wesson Gun?
Where the safety is on a Smith & Wesson depends entirely on the model. For S&W semi-automatic pistols (for example the M&P family), an external manual safety—when fitted—is normally a small thumb lever on the left side of the frame above the grip where your thumb can reach; many M&P models instead use an integrated trigger safety (a safety tab in the trigger face) plus internal safeties (striker/firing-pin blocks and drop safeties) and therefore have no external thumb lever.
Compact models (Shield, Shield Plus, Shield EZ) may offer an optional left-side thumb safety or ship without one.
Revolvers do not use a manual thumb safety; they rely on internal systems such as a transfer bar/hammer block or long double-action pull to prevent accidental discharge, and many modern S&W revolvers also include the factory keyed internal lock (a key-operated safety) recessed in the left side of the frame.
Because S&W control layouts vary, identify your exact model, read the owner’s manual, and practice the control locations and operation unloaded until they become second nature. Always pair that knowledge with strict trigger discipline and muzzle awareness.
Where Is Most Important The Safety On A Gun? In The Head And Hands Of The Shooter
The most important safety on a gun, however, is in the mind and in the hands of the shooter. While we can - and are happy to talk about - the safety features of popular guns on the market, the reality is that safe operation depends on you.
The most important safety device is knowing and following the tenets and practices of .
Some people argue that no mechanical safety is necessary if the operator is safe and competent with firearms, except for a single-action pistol like a 1911 or Browning Hi Power
There's something to that. A mechanical safety is something of a fallback, a redundancy, in case something goes wrong while carrying a gun. Mechanical systems fail all the time, after all.
Others argue having one is only an issue if you don't train, and that they're also good to have in case of a gun grab.
Both are true;1911s are hugely popular in shooting sports and a number of police officers are alive because a suspect couldn't figure out the safety device on a 92 or a S&W 59...and a number of officers are dead because revolvers and Glocks don't have them.
Negligent discharges rarely happen because of a mechanical defect unknown to the shooter. Most of them happen because someone was taking chances they shouldn't have been taking.
If you handle guns safely, shoot them in a safe manner, and store them safely in your home, that goes a very long way to ensuring you won't suffer a negligent discharge or other accident. A manual safety won't necessarily save you.
However, knowing how they work, and therefore how best to operate the gun you own...is key in understanding how to handle, shoot and store YOUR gun safely.