How do striker fired pistols work

There are single-action mode and double-action configurations that function efficiently and well. Striker-fired pistols dominate the market because it is way cheaper than a hammer-fired. It is also lightweight and easy to carry. In addition to this, striker forward is modeless, so it is not prone to error.

Teaching new users with this type of pistol will be easier and faster. Yes, a striker-fired pistol can accidentally discharge. Since some types of pistols have short trigger pull and do not have external and manual safety, there are some possibilities that they will have an accidental discharge. However, safely handling a weapon depends on the user. Knowing how the guns work and their firing mechanism is essential before taking a shot. The mainspring is moved up in the slide and acts directly to the pin.

Because there is no external hammer, these types of pistols are snag-free. Its mechanism is more efficient compared to the traditional hammer-fired pistol and firing pin.

Even though it may pose a safety risk to carry a firearm without external safeties, it undeniably gives many advantages compared to hammer-fired pistols. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. At Lunde Studio , our primary goal is to provide a dedicated resource for all gun enthusiasts from all walks of life.

Skip to content Lunde Studio is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission from Amazon at no extra cost to you. Learn more. How Does It Work? Advantages of Handguns with Striker-Fire Action. No External Safety Measure This handgun has an internal safety mechanism preventing the guns from firing. Light and Short Trigger Press The striker-fired system has a partial-cocked and pre-cooked mechanism giving an easy and consistent trigger pull.

Beginner-friendly The learning curve of striker-fired guns is not steep compared to hammer-fired handguns, so it is easy to use, even for a beginner. How Do You Conceal Carry? How Do You Clean Pistols? But, how does striker fire actually work? To propel a bullet from its cartridge, the gun powder within the casing must be ignited. Centerfire and rimfire rounds have two slightly different means to accomplish this. Both feature primers on the back end of the casing. Centerfire ammo features primer only in the center of the back of the cartridge, whereas the primer covers the entire base of the casing of rimfire rounds.

With either type of ammunition, the rear of the casing must be struck with enough force to ignite the primer, which catalyzes the gunpowder explosion that ultimately propels the bullet from the cartridge through the gun barrel. Image courtesy of lspi. This increases the tension on the firing pin spring. When the trigger bar releases the firing pin lug, the striker moves forward as the firing pin spring relaxes.

It should be noted that double-action triggers usually have a high trigger pull weight since the trigger has to both cock the hammer and drop it as well. This can be off-putting at first but with practice, one can become accustomed to it fairly quickly.

Some of the pros of having a hammer-fired handgun are external safeties that can be used to lock the hammer in place, decock the hammer safely, or lock the firing pin from being released. Due to the higher pull weight of a double-action, some prefer this type of pistol for carrying because it requires a more deliberate trigger pull in order to fire a round. In the same vein, some find single-action pistols to be easier to shoot because the weight of the trigger pull is incredibly low so there is less movement that can affect your accuracy and aim.

Some find that they shoot straighter with single-action as opposed to other types of handguns. Since that time many other manufacturers have put out their own models of striker-fired pistols as they are said to be easier to pick up and shoot. With a striker-fired handgun, there is no hammer present. When the slide is racked back and released forward, the firing pin remains back and under spring tension.

The trigger releases this tension and allows the pin to push forward resulting in firing the round in the chamber. Striker-fired pistols are fairly simple in their operation because after the shooter manually racks the slide to chamber a round, each trigger pull fires a single round, ejects the spent casing, loads another round into the chamber, rearms the firing pin, and is ready to be shot again.