Carbine Safety Manipulation

I have often heard people say that they believe running off-safe in an operational capacity results in quicker target acquisition. I have heard people say their shooting index finger is their safety.

I believe in economy of motion and good training habits. It takes the human brain about a second to process a threat and about another half second to come from the high ready or low ready with your carbine to get a sight picture (to include instinctive shooting).

With good training, you can manipulate your safety without thinking (muscle memory) and lose no time on a well-placed shot or a volley of shots. It really is simple, if your weapon is not in your sight plane for a good sight picture your weapon is on safe and if you decide there is a threat and have a sight picture your weapon is on fire ready for a prefect trigger press.

Most of the time, the operators that run off safe do not have a problem on the engagement time (meaning they still are no faster than an operator on safe when shooting from the low of high ready). It is the admin time during an operation that they will have a negligent discharge of their weapon while it is slung and off safe because that is “how they roll.” They never put their weapon on safe because it is not ingrained in their muscle memory.

Think about this, would you have a 1911 pistol in your holster off safe? No, because by the time you draw the weapon out of your holster and get it to your sight plane you have already had plenty of time to take the weapon off safe. It ls the same damn concept with a carbine. Think about it!

Circus - Retired U.S Navy SEAL