I am mostly a revolver guy, but have a semi auto question. What are the significant differences, and pros and cons, of a hammer fired versus striker fired handgun?
Pistol - Striker fired
The striker is similar to a firing pin, except that it is spring loaded. When the slide is racked, the striker is fully cocked back and under spring pressure, held back by the sear. When the trigger is pulled, the sear drops and the striker is released, which moves forward, striking the primer (boom).
I am a hammer gun guy, but own both. I like to carry DA/SA hammer autos due to their natural safe state of carry with the hammer down. In DA state you have to make a decision to pull the trigger. Unless you are under extreme stress, there is no ND with a hammer down DA auto. I rarely carry my 1911, but if I do, it is hammer at half cock position. I know people will ding me for this, but I have 3 very personal reasons for this extra level of safety and they range in age from 3 to 11 years old.
charlesappel said:I am a hammer gun guy, but own both. I like to carry DA/SA hammer autos due to their natural safe state of carry with the hammer down. In DA state you have to make a decision to pull the trigger. Unless you are under extreme stress, there is no ND with a hammer down DA auto. I rarely carry my 1911, but if I do, it is hammer at half cock position. I know people will ding me for this, but I have 3 very personal reasons for this extra level of safety and they range in age from 3 to 11 years old.
I'm afraid I have to ding you for this. Carrying the 1911 pistol at half cock is the most dangerous way to carry it (if the chamber is loaded. Should the half cock notch fail, the hammer can strike with enough force to fire the pistol. This can easily happen if the weapon is dropped. It is somewhat like carrying a fully loaded Colt SAA on half cock. Some 1911s have an internal safety that prevents firing unless the trigger is pulled, but I am still a little leery of carrying a 1911 that way.
Intersting . . . I have a Remington R1 that I have test at half cock several times and it doesn't even dent the primer. The R1 will drop the hammer if the trigger is pulled. Not sure at this point if all will or not. This is the only one I carry.
Now you have me thinking twice about it.
FergusonTO35 said:Very good writeup! I must clarify that the Ruger SR series has a partially cocked firing pin at rest like the Glock does. Lots of practice and a good holster is just as important as what gun and ammo you choose.
robkarrob said:Most all modern 1911 style pistols have internal safeties. They prevent the gun from firing, as they block the firing pin, unless the trigger is pulled back some. Not all have this, but the major manufacturers do. Then you have the guys that want a very short pull trigger, and they end up removing this safety, in favor of the short pull. This might be fine for a range/competition gun, but not for a SD weapon.
Bob
The R1 has a hammer with a flat shelf at the half-cock position, which is common to 1911s with firing pin safeties. If you pull the trigger when the hammer is in the half-cock position, there is nothing to prevent the sear from rotating away from the hammer and off of the shelf, allowing the hammer to drop.modrifle3 said:Intersting . . . I have a Remington R1 that I have test at half cock several times and it doesn't even dent the primer. The R1 will drop the hammer if the trigger is pulled. Not sure at this point if all will or not. This is the only one I carry.
It would require quite a blow to break a hammer. It is more likely that a severe blow, or dropping a 1911, might depress the grip safety, allowing momentum to effectively "pull" the trigger and fire the gun.charlesappel said:However, my primary concern isn't that the trigger will drop the hammer. I am concerned about a sharp blow to the hammer or the pistol landing hammer down on a hard surface. This could shear the notch and cause the pistol to fire.