Strikers

by
posted on December 10, 2014
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
wiley-clapp.jpg (1)

We are at a point in the history of the automatic pistol when the classic hammer lockwork of such guns as the 1911 is not being used as much as a striker-fired system like the Glock. Please understand that both work quite well and I am not particularly advocating either. In both types, a rod with a small rounded tip hits the primer in the cartridge to begin the firing cycle. The trigger that allows either system to work may be single-action-only (SAO), double-action-only (DAO) or both (usually an initial DA followed by a series of SA ones).

undefinedThe current favorite seems to be the DAO, where trigger pressure finishes all or some part of cocking action, then releases the striker or hammer to fire a shot. Twin functions equals double-action. However, some of the newer striker guns are arranged to be completely cocked, and a true single-action trigger is the result. Virtually all of the striker-fired pistols have passive internal safeties in the event of a dropped or otherwise ill-handled gun. Part of the trigger action is clearing these safeties and that is often lumped in with the actual trigger firing. This can be confusing.

There are several advantages to a striker system. Not the least of these is simple mechanical efficiency. There is a certain amount of kinetic energy developed by a recoiling slide and that is true of whatever trigger action or operating system the gun has. If the pistol has a striker that must be cocked for the next shot, the gun can be arranged to do that when the slide is fully to the rear. A simple catch stops the movement of striker in the slide and the pistol is cocked-or sometimes just partially cocked. This is pretty interesting, but not the biggest advantage of the striker.

The striker is fairly compact and in line with the bore axis of the gun-it uses space efficiently. If there is a hammer back there, the design demands space for a hammer spring on a strut, and space for the hammer to pivot. This almost always causes the gun to sit well above the line along which the pistol recoils. In other words, it is harder to recover from recoil and fire another shot.

Most of my active shooting life had been with the guns of earlier times-hammer fired and with single-action triggers. I am accustomed to shooting them, but all objectivity forces me to admit that the newer, striker-fired guns with DAO triggers are very efficient machines and can produce excellent results with diligent training.

Latest

Sw Mp Spec Series Web
Sw Mp Spec Series Web

Review: Smith & Wesson Spec Series V M&P 9 Metal HD

This latest enhancement from Smith & Wesson proves that good things can come from heavier, steel-framed packages.

Old Glory Bank, NRA Partner To Provide Banking Benefits To Members

Old Glory Bank and the National Rifle Association (NRA) recently entered into a joint marketing relationship to provide banking benefits to members of the NRA Business Alliance and NRA-affiliated clubs and associations.

Rifleman Review: Taurus Expedition

Taurus entered the bolt-action rifle market with its Expedition, a Remington 700-pattern design that's built to be versatile and affordable.

New For 2025: Charter Arms Pathfinder II

Charter Arms updated one of the oldest models in its lineup with the new Pathfinder II, which features a lightweight 7075 aluminum frame, making it more well-balanced and easier to carry.

Review: Kimber 2K11

The 2011-style pistol was designed to address the capacity limitations of the single-stack M1911 platform, and Kimber's approach to the concept is its 2K11, a competition-ready offering with several notable features.

Favorite Firearms: A High-Flying Hi-Standard “A-D”

Manufactured in New Haven, Conn., in late 1940, this Hi-Standard pistol was shipped as a Model “A,” but a heavier Model “D” barrel was installed later to replace the original, light barrel, leading one American Rifleman reader to call it a Model “A-D.”

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.