Grip safety

Abstract

A weapon includes a frame, a slide, a trigger and a grip, and a grip safety positioned on a side panel of the grip.

1 . A weapon comprising:
 a frame, a slide, a trigger and a grip; and   a grip safety positioned on a side panel of said grip, and wherein said grip safety is positioned such that only if said grip is properly and fully gripped by a shooter, said grip safety moves towards said side panel to an off position which enables firing the weapon.   
     
     
         2 . The weapon according to  claim 1 , wherein said grip safety is arranged to move towards a trigger plane of said weapon, said trigger plane being an imaginary plane that extends between front and rear extremities of the weapon parallel to, or collinear with, a bore sight of the weapon. 
     
     
         3 . The weapon according to  claim 1 , wherein said grip safety comprises a pad, a lever, a button or a depressable element. 
     
     
         4 . The weapon according to  claim 1 , wherein said grip safety is biased to be normally in a safe position that prevents firing the weapon. 
     
     
         5 . The weapon according to  claim 1 , wherein movement of said grip safety to an off position which enables firing the weapon is not coplanar with or parallel to movement of the trigger. 
     
     
         6 . The weapon according to  claim 1 , wherein said grip safety is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the weapon. 
     
     
         7 . The weapon according to  claim 1 , wherein said grip safety comprises a lug, biased by a biasing device, which normally blocks movement of a firearm mechanism of the weapon. 
     
     
         8 . The weapon according to  claim 1 , wherein said grip safety comprises side-mounted wedge elements arranged to be depressed towards and against a back-strap grip safety. 
     
     
         9 . A method of operating a weapon comprising:
 using a weapon that comprises a frame, a slide, a trigger and a grip, said weapon comprising a grip safety positioned on a side panel of said grip, said grip safety being positioned such that only if said grip is properly and fully gripped by a shooter, said grip safety moves towards said side panel to an off position which enables firing the weapon; and   performing an action of properly and fully gripping said grip, wherein said action moves said grip safety moves towards said side panel to said off position.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein said action moves said grip safety towards a trigger plane of said weapon, said trigger plane being an imaginary plane that extends between front and rear extremities of the weapon parallel to, or collinear with, a bore sight of the weapon. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the action of properly and fully gripping said grip causes the shooter's metacarpal bones to contact and move said grip safety to said off position.