steyr question

[js2013]

I'm interested in getting a Steyr M9 and have been reading the safe/not-safe posts with great interest and have a couple of questions.
1) What's the total vertical sear/firing pin tab engagement, or just the total engagement. From what I understand the mating surfaces are at an angle so the total engagement will be greater than the vertical component?
2) I could be completely wrong here but I read somewhere the sear moves to the rear and then down when the trigger is pulled. When the slide cycles and moves forward to strip a new round, is it possible that the when the sear moves back up and forward, that it doesn't come up completely, leaving less sear/firing pin engagement than normal?
Thanks,

 

[aircarver]

I have an S40 that I had intended to carry, and after reading the extensive discussion about this on TFL, I examined my own gun and decided to relegate it to a range gun.

1) What's the total vertical sear/firing pin tab engagement, or just the total engagement. From what I understand the mating surfaces are at an angle so the total engagement will be greater than the vertical component?

On mine, vertical engagement is about .050". There is a greater surface area engaged because of the 45 degree angle, but if .050' in the parts stackup is found for whatever reason, the striker can be released and there is no additional striker block to catch it. This would have been a smart feature, IMHO.

2) I could be completely wrong here but I read somewhere the sear moves to the rear and then down when the trigger is pulled.

Yes. It's small, about 020-030" back. It's needed to drop the 'sear' off the 'sear lever', and down to release the striker.

When the slide cycles and moves forward to strip a new round, is it possible that the when the sear moves back up and forward, that it doesn't come up completely, leaving less sear/firing pin engagement than normal?

Exactly ! There was a THR thread about a Steyer that FTFed, probably because the sear wasn't returning, and the striker wasn't being held back when the slide returned to battery. This did not result in open bolt firing however.

Which brings us to why *I* won't carry it cocked !