Triangle Tactical Podcast and Blog on Guns, Gear, and Competition Shooting
Today Ruger announced the LC9s “Pro”, a version of the pistol without a thumb safety.
Smith&Wesson deleted the safety off of the extremely popular Shield pistol earlier this year and that was a big deal, but the thought of a semiautomatic Ruger pistol without a thumb safety is mind blowing to me.
The all new Pro version is designed to meet law enforcement specifications as a back-up gun for high-stress situations when there may not be time to deactivate an external manual safety. The absence of a magazine disconnect safety also is a benefit for tactical reloads that allow the user to engage a target with one round remaining in the chamber and the magazine out of the gun for reloading.
To date, every semi-auto pistol in Rugers lineup (minus the LCP) has a thumb safety. The number one reason I’ve avoided, and haven’t recommended the SR9 for new shooters is because I believe the thumb safety is poorly placed and unnecessary.
Also: No magazine disconnect? Yes, please! The whole idea behind the mag disconnect is outdated and in my opinion, no company should bother with them anymore.
I’m hoping that if Ruger is listening to their customers about the thumb safety on the LC9s, maybe we’ll see some more of their pistols get the “Pro” upgrade before long.
