Question: what is a magazine safety?

[Zenprof]

Noobie here. Thinking of getting a p380 and my semi-supportive wife wants all safety features possible. I see CA version has a magazine safety. Googled this but couldn't find a clear description. What are these and how do they increase safety? Thanks

[Cyterio]

Magazine disconnect maybe? It is a so called safety feature that won't allow the gun to fire if the magazine isn't inserted.

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[Zenprof]

I think disconnect was in the description. So it really just eliminates the possibility of firing the round in the chamber, when the magazine is out.

[les strat]

Some people like them. Others hate them. If someone was trying to wrestle the gun from you, you could dump the mag and it is inoperable if the BG gets your weapon. Other side of the coin, if you accidentally drop the mag at a critical time, it is inoperable.

[Short Bus]

More safety features + more stuff to mess up in the event that you need your gun and need it to work one the first trigger pull. If this is going to be you first/only gun I would get a 9mm, watch this video for why. I'm not saying a 380 sucks, but this video has great points.

/ZEmF430-buc

[Planedude]

I have a .22 S&W with a magazine disconnect "safety". Its broken (the tiny spring fell out) and the gun will not fire. Still waiting on the spring... good thing I have other guns to shoot.
Any "safety" can break or malfunction allowing the gun to shoot when it should'nt and not fire when it should.
The only real safety your firearm has... is between your ears. If that ones right then everyone is safe.
Personally, just me, I would never buy a Califourmula gun unless I had to (cause I lived there).
I like, trust and carry my night sighted P380 alot. I feel it is up to the task of my SD, but other opinions may very. I also have a Khar CW40 and great leather to carry it with. This summer though the P380 has been pocket riding along with me a whole lot more...

[Scoundrel]

Any "safety" can break or malfunction allowing the gun to shoot when it should'nt and not fire when it should.
The only real safety your firearm has... is between your ears. If that ones right then everyone is safe.

+2 on this.

A friend of mine was demonstrating how a shotgun works for his girlfriend. It was loaded. He forgot that the safety was broken. He blew a hole in the wall. Could have been her head.

The magazine safety on the Ruger MK III makes it about three times as difficult to field strip.

Here's a thought: In some cases (like the Ruger) a magazine disconnect "safety" requires that you put a magazine into the gun and pull the trigger multiple times while (dis)assembling it.

The Walther P22 requires that you put a magazine into the gun and pull the trigger in order to de-cock the hammer.

Does that seem very safe to you?

I removed the magazine safety from my Ruger MK III, and now when I strip it for cleaning, I can keep the mags loaded (unless I am cleaning them too) and the ammo stays on the other side of the room.

I'm looking into what it would take to remove the magazine safety from the Walther next.

The safest thing you can do is not rely on mechanical safeties, which will work differently on different guns, and train yourself to use practices that will be safe with any gun.

[Longitude Zero]

I am not a fan of magazine disconnects on a weapon. However I am personally aware of several instances in which an officer was fighting for control of his/her weapon and was able to dump the mag and make the weapon unusable as a firearm.

Also I would not want to be in the unenviable position of using a weapon with a magazine disconnect system removed from the gun in a self defense situation.

[FirstKahr]

I don't like them much either, but I suppose it does work as intended. An uninformed person could think that an empty mag well means the gun is empty. That could be disastrous.

[TheTman]

It would have saved that Armed Forces guy's life that "emptied the chamber" THEN dropped his mag, and shot himself in the head showing off for his date. I don't do things like that so I don't really like them.