Ruger P95 decocker only - preferred over the safety?

Quick question - is the P95 with the DC lever generally preferred over the decocker with safety? If so, why?

Some folks see a need for a safety on a double action/single action semi-auto. Personally, I don't.

blume357 said:

Some folks see a need for a safety on a double action/single action semi-auto. Personally, I don't.

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What he said ^^^

Yeah, it is a personal preference kind of thing. Mine has the safety, but only because I couldn't find a DC model! I take it off safe as soon as I load it, so it aint no big deal.

The safety can make a gun a bit "proprietary" so that someone who just picks it up (or wrestles it away from you) has to know enough to flip off the safety and can't shoot it just by pulling the trigger. It can be useful on a home defense gun if children are around and you make the (unforgivable) mistake of leaving the gun within reach.

A reasonable amount to practice makes flipping off the safety an automatic action if you need the gun. Remember any single action semiauto like the 1911 or BHP always has a manual safety so learning to use one isn't that difficult.

22/45 Fan said:

The safety can make a gun a bit "proprietary" so that someone who just picks it up (or wrestles it away from you) has to know enough to flip off the safety and can't shoot it just by pulling the trigger. It can be useful on a home defense gun if children are around and you make the (unforgivable) mistake of leaving the gun within reach.

A reasonable amount to practice makes flipping off the safety an automatic action if you need the gun. Remember any single action semiauto like the 1911 or BHP always has a manual safety so learning to use one isn't that difficult.

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I don't mind a frame mounted safety like the one on a 1911. Those are pushed down to take the safety off. The safety on my old P94 is slide mounted & is pushed up to take it off. I am not saying this cannot be learned but it has always seemed awkward to me. My P94 was my first semi-auto pistol. There was a lot I didn't know when I bought it. If I were to do everything over again I would have a decocker only version of the pistol.

I agree on the slide mounted safety being bassackwards. In a time of crisis I wouldn't want to be left trying to press the safety downwards when it needs to be pushed up. This is why I will never have a pistol with a slide mounted safety. I am too used to the 1911.

I've owned both and definitely prefer the decockers. The safety versions were sold or traded. Just personal preference but I see few advantages and several disadvantages for a safety on a home defense handgun.

I have a P95 with a safety. I really like the gun but I hate the safety on it. I wish it were a decock only model. I can't stand it being the opposite of everything else I own.

Have to confess.... I put a 90's era KP95dc on layaway yesterday.... will be number 6 I own if you include the one my brother 'borrowed' from me.

I have two P93 de-cockers. Exactly what I want.

I have the P90 in decocker, was originally a man safet but was able to get a dc slide assy for it. My P94 in 40 S&W came as a DC. I bought a 9MM slide assy for it so I could shoot and train others with cheaper ammo. I prefer the P's in DC, as with others the backwards manual safety could throw one off. I am so used to hitting the man safety on the 1911 after carrying one for years, the DC is for me.

Just to point out... there is a BIG difference between a double/single action pistol and a single action only pistol like a 1911. SAO pistols need a safety because the way they are supposed to be carried is with the hammer cocked and the safety on... then when you draw you use the thumb on your firing hand to flip the safety off as you bring the target in sight..... I suppose you can train yourself to do the same thing on a double /single action pistol with a safety but that first 10lb trigger pull seems a good enough safety to me.

I own two P95DC's and a P97DC.......I would not own the safety version of either. DC only for me!

I am with gunman 42782. The safety is flipped when I rack the slide. The long double action trigger pull is safety enough.

P.S. No young children and no grandchildren around.

I carry a KP95DC full time. I have at times carried a P89 DC when I felt the extra inch of barrel was worthwhile.
I have both safety and DC models of both pistols but only carry the DC pistols. During range sessions, I found that I would occasionally drop the hammer on the safety model and fail to return the lever to the fire position. The result could be deadly in a real situation so I simply don't carry the safety models-target use only.
Yes, I know I could re-learn the safety flip (I carried a Hi-Power for many years) but as I age, I find I need to simplify certain aspects of things I might have to do under dire stress and this is one of those things.

I have owned both. I prefer the DC model but they are getting harder to find either model. So if I find a good one I buy what I find. Which right now for me is the safety model which I do not mind either.

ncvikingfan said:

I am with gunman 42782. The safety is flipped when I rack the slide. The long double action trigger pull is safety enough.

P.S. No young children and no grandchildren around.

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I was using my P94 that way. Decocking & the flipping the lever up afterwards so that it was on fire. Then one day when I carried the P94 I realized that the lever had gotten knocked back down to safe. I would hate to be in a situation where I really needed a gun right then & have one that was not operational when I needed it to be. For me that means I need to either train to take the safety off when I draw or use a pistol with a different manual of arms.

I've done a little semi-competitive shooting and I know I could do better at this with a single action only pistol... and all I would have to learn is to flip the safety down while drawing and aiming... but since I own and carry a double /single action pretty much most of the time I decided it is best to keep with one method.

blume357 said:

Just to point out... there is a BIG difference between a double/single action pistol and a single action only pistol like a 1911. SAO pistols need a safety because the way they are supposed to be carried is with the hammer cocked and the safety on... then when you draw you use the thumb on your firing hand to flip the safety off as you bring the target in sight..... I suppose you can train yourself to do the same thing on a double /single action pistol with a safety but that first 10lb trigger pull seems a good enough safety to me.

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This like the Sig pistols, a good system.