I’m always outside of the mainstream, it seems. Back in the day, when agencies and officers were stampeding to plastic, striker-fired guns, I was carrying (per department edict) a ‘traditional’ double-action semiauto pistol. I also suffered through our guys training with them.

When I finally made the move to the modern, low-cost (easily maintained, reliable and long-lasting) guns, I was uncomfortable with the (partly) cocked striker and no real countermeasures. I got past that somewhat, but the feeling didn’t really leave.

I had a SIG P226 that someone had rendered “double-action only.” That nonsensical term means that the hammer is never really cocked and the trigger cocks and fires the gun. When I realized I was never going to shoot it well – not because of the trigger, but fit -- I tried to sell it.

No takers.

I finally got the parts and got it returned to its DA/SA format. It moved quickly then.

When the Striker Control Device came along, I didn’t adopt it; one more thing to go wrong.

The Striker Control Device is a striker cover plate with a contact extension to the striker; when the cover plate is out, the striker is moving back. Below, to holster, put your thumb against the striker cover plate, removing the possibility that the striker can be moved back to firing position.

Except it didn’t. Years later, on the advent of the GLOCK 43X/G48 line, Chuck Haggard came out with his sample of the SCD to see if it fit. It did. Now, my regularly carried GLOCK pistols all have Striker Control Devices fitted, the last few purchased from Langdon Tactical. I got one to see if it fit the Ruger RXM slide.

No joy. I could try to have a smith fit one up or I could put a GLOCK upper on the RXM/Magpul frame. That somewhat defeats the purpose.

(Note: Perusing the Langdon Tactical Website, I see that the Striker Control Device page on Langdon’s website shows “LTT SCD – Hellcat (Coming soon!)” – I’m looking forward to that.)

The Springfield Armory Hellcat RDP had a thumb safety – it would do until the Langdon SCD is available for the Hellcat.

More recently, I saw Massad Ayoob’s new YouTube channel and he had a video where he spoke about a gun that the “internet” had tried to cancel: the S&W CSX.

I didn’t get involved in that gun at all. Already well-invested in the Shield line and having a Shield Plus, I didn’t see the advantages for me. That’s changed.

The metal frame is only part of it, as is the exposed, single-action hammer. Being able to change back straps is good, having it of the weight of the old Colt Detective Special and a decent form factor for possible pocket carry (with the 3.1” barrel version of the gun), I liked seeing the bilateral safety levers.

That makes sense. Slim enough to the gun to be out of the way, unlikely to get knocked off of safety, it seemed like a nicely rendered piece.

Sadly, because a number of people heard and felt the click of the firing pin safety plunger rendered the gun “safe” as they let up on the trigger after shooting, they considered it a “false reset.”

No, it’s positive reassurance that the gun is functioning as designed.

Now, the “enhanced” version has that tactile safety reminder deleted – along with adding optics compatibility, a must in this environment.

If I were starting out again with small 9mm pistols, I’d be looking at the CSX. I think it’s likely the thinking user’s concealed carry pistol.

The Ruger LCP MAX in the new thumb safety version makes plenty of sense for deep concealment self-defense; shown with the Galco Stow-N-Go IWB Holster.

As to relative safety, when you carry in a deep concealment fashion, you need a gun that will only shoot when it needs shooting. Ruger’s recent addition of a thumb safety to their LCP MAX was a smart move – and it’s a deep concealment gun I adopted (and covered here).

“What if you forget to take the safety off?”

The more important question is “What if you forget to take your finger off the trigger, clear obstructions from the mouth of the holster, when putting the gun away?”

You trained out of that, didn’t you? You’ll train out of forgetting the safety lever.

— Rich Grassi