AR firing pin spring?

[cottonmouth]

Wouldn't a firing spring like the ones on a 1911 make an AR15 safer? I've seen a few around the web lately that seem to have fired out of battery(for some reason or another). I know there are lite weight pins around but a spring would keep the pin away from the primer until it was hit by the hammer. Just a thought!

J.B.

 

[nalioth]

I've seen a few around the web lately

If you think about this, you'd find that "reports on the web" make up >1% (if not fewer) of actual guns in use.

In other words, "internet reports" tend to get blown out of proportion, in contrast to reality.

 

[dfariswheel]

The AR firing pin is already light weight specifically to prevent any problems.
Rifles like the M1 Rifle, M1 Carbine, AK-47, AK-74, the M16 and many other rifles don't have, or need a firing pin spring.
Since the firing pin is so light, it simply doesn't have the inertia to fire a cartridge. While most of these rifles will leave a tiny dent in a primer as the bolt closes, even repeated closings won't fire a normal cartridge.

The firing pin spring is a possible weak point in a military firearm since if the comparatively small wire spring fouls or breaks, it could actually cause a slam fire.

In other words, if you use the proper ammunition in a rifle there's an extremely low chance of the firing pin causing an AD.