It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Safety (firearms). (Discuss)
In firearm terminology, a grip safety is a lever or other device situated on the grip of a weapon which must be actuated by the operator's hand as a natural consequence of holding the weapon in a firing position, in order for the weapon to fire. The intention is to prevent accidental discharges through dropping the weapon or snagging the trigger on clothing etc. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Close-up shot of a safety of an M16A2 rifle. ... A Glock 22 hand-held firearm with internal laser sight and mounted flashlight, surrounded by hollowpoint ammunition. ... On a firearm, a pistol grip is a portion of the gun which is held by the hand that orients the hand in a manner similar to the position one would take with a conventional pistol such as a Colt 1911. ... Accidental discharge is the event of a firearm discharging (firing) by means other than a deliberate pull of the trigger, such as dropping a loaded weapon. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
When the slide is in battery with a live round in the chamber, the hammer cocked, the safety lock off, the gripsafety depressed and the trigger pulled, the rear lateral bar of the trigger bow presses against the front side of the disconnector's paddles.
When the sear is in the full cock notches of the hammer (with the safety lock off and the gripsafety depressed), pulling the trigger causes the sear's nose to move out of the full cock notches and permit the hammer to fall against the firing pin.
When the gripsafety is being normally depressed by the web of the shooting hand, the lower section of the gripsafety pivots forward (the top section pivots rearward) and the tip of the bar on the right forward side of the gripsafety moves above the lateral bar on the trigger bow.