But S&W SA/DA auto loaders from the 39 through the 3rd gen guns had a mag safety and will not fire with the mag removed.
I remember reading that the mag safety allowed them to merely remove the magazine from the gun to transport prisoners into their cells, rather than handing their guns over to be checked in till they leave.
I also remember a case where a cop had the mag safety on his 39 removed, and someone who was handling it wanted to demonstrate to someone else that it could not fire without the mag, and to everyone's shock it went off when he pulled the trigger.
