Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Duty 9/manual thumb safety

I want to buy a duty sized 9mm striker fired pistol that has a manual thumb safety. I know that Smith’s MP 2 specs meet my requirements, but I am still so angry about the grief that my MP 2 10mm gave me that I have no interest in buying another Smith. From a pure reliably standpoint, which one of these two would you choose?

Sar USA SAR9 9mm Luger 4.4in-$430.00

Ruger American 9mm Luger +P 4.2in-$560.00

CP,

There is also the Sig M17 & M18. They may also have other 320's with the manual safety?

I know nothing about the Ruger American, but my experience with Ruger customer service is that if they can not fix it they will replace it with the same model or give you a choice of anything they have (based on MSRP). They did just that for me with a defective SP101 in 22LR.

Jerry

Jerry, my son has a M-17, and his is truly a very reliable modern pistol. My only dislike is that the rear sight cannot be drifted for windage corrections. If needed, I guess the front sight could always be moved, but that is not my preference. I checked into getting adjustable rear sights, but found that adjustable 320 sights are not designed to fit the M-17. I have to believe that someone is making adjustable rear sights specifically for the M-17, and that would certainly put it in contention for meeting my needs.

How about an old school Berrtta.

I admire your tenacity in your pursuit of manual safety for a striker. Ten Ring Precision will install one in Gen 1-4 Glocks. I think it was 150 dollars.

I have a 92FS, but I want a full sized striker fired (metal-polymer) pistol with a thumb safety. I don’t believe that Beretta’s APX A1 Full Size is available with a thumb safety option.

Interesting-thanks for the tip

FN FNS-9 can still be found with a thumb safety. Mine has been flawless.

Here's one currently for sale on Gunbroker. No connection with the seller. Just an FYI.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/957612952

CP, I'm with you regarding the dislike of the combination optic mount/rear sight. They did the same thing to the P365XL, one of my two bitches about the pistol (the proprietary light rail being the other). I don't have a M17/M18/P320, but I think that in their store, Sig has a slide that has a conventional drift adjustable rear sight?


Jerry

Jerry, the only thing I found anywhere were taller non adjustable co-witness sights for the M-17. As I mentioned above, somebody must be making an optic plate for the M-17 with an adjustable sight. I have just been unable to find them. A guy should not have to change out the slide just to get adjustable sights.

I am chasing a duty sized (27-31 oz, 4.2-4.6” barrel) striker fired pistol with a thumb safety. However, that little FN you found is also interesting-thanks.

As a follow up to my post above, I purchased a SAR 9 with a manual thumb safety from Sportsman’s for $430.00 yesterday. The machine work is pretty damn slick and the grip feels very HK like. The only consistent criticism that I encountered in my research regarding the SAR 9 is that it was engineered for 124 gr. 9mm NATO loadings and shooting low pressure range ammo can initially result in some hiccups. However, after it is broken in, the consensus was that it will shoot low pressure range ammo just fine. I guess that is something I need to find out about for myself…

Cool. That’s good info you shared.

I thought I would offer a north of 500 round update on my SAR 9. From Underwood plus P to powderpuff American Eagle ball ammunition, this damn pistol has been running without fail. At a $429.00 NIB price at Sportsman’s, it is proving to be one of the most cost effective firearm purchases that I have ever made. It feels good in my hand, and it is also accurate enough to allow me to poke holes in soda cans set out at 25 yds. or so.