Patent attributes
The safety device provides an added measure of safety to striker fired semi-automatic pistols. The safety device includes a contact member in the form of a sliding bar or pivoting lever, that is movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position, such that the contact member operatively blocks the movement of one of the fire control mechanism components to prevent discharge of the weapon but only when the contact member is manually held in an engaged position. The user manipulates and physically holds the contact member in its engaged position by pressing a thumb plate or button located at the rear of the slide. Safety devices of this invention only affect the fire control mechanism of the pistol while the user actively engages, that is physically presses, on the thumb plate or button of the safety device to move the contact member into its engagement position, and must physically maintain pressure on the thumb plate in order to hold the contact member in its engaged position to block the movement of the fire control components.
