Striker fired handguns. Why not?

[JoeHenry]

Striker fired, more often than not means plastic. I have one, a Sig P365, no safety. I’ve had Glocks, two 17’s, one 19 and a 26. Just never could warm up to fantastic plastic and they all spent their time in the gun safe before being traded or sold. My preference for the range and training are all single action semi autos. I have a couple of J Frames that share the carry duty with the Sig P365. And the reason for that one striker fired pistol is, small package, ten round mag. And light weight. If I could find a metal and wood gun with a hammer and same capacity as the 365 I would buy and carry it.

 

[Mike J]

I have shot hammer fired pistols with better triggers than my striker fired guns. I have also shot a couple of hammer fired guns that had triggers that were more difficult to learn than my striker fired guns. I own a revolver, a Ruger 1911, a Ruger P-series DA/SA with the slide mounted safety, a few striker fired guns, a few other things & have shot others that I didn't own. The only time the lack of a manual safety bothers me on my striker fired guns is when holstering. I am very careful when holstering a striker fired pistol. In truth unless I am at the range I don't take it out of the holster much.

I am another that believes everyone shoud carry & shoot whatever they like. If we all liked the same thing this would be a very dull world. For me half the fun of getting a new gun is getting to learn/try something different.

 

[lee n. field]

Mostly this.

(the initial reaction, "No manual safety? Bad gun!"),accurate, reliable, durable and possess a good trigger ("Oh no! Stupid trigger dingus!").

The first time I shot a polymer striker fired gun with no manual safety, I instantly understood the attraction and utility of not having a safety. (It was a CZ-100, CZ's first into the modern striker fired polymer gun world. It's also the gun CZ doesn't want to admit existed. . )

My biggest issue was always the trigger, the trigger, the trigger. Although I personally dislike the Glock trigger, it does have an appreciable audible and tactile reset.

I see people on Interwebz who like the Glock trigger. And I wonder, do they not know better? What are their fingers feeling? Is this gunny Stockholm syndrome? I find it usable and utilitarian.

The early S&W M&P triggers sucked, not so much with the 2.0 or the Apex replacement. Then I discovered the SIG P-320, which has a very nice trigger. The P-365 series, even better. I've lately become acquainted with SA's Hellcat, which also feels great in the hand and has excellent sights along with a pretty good trigger.

Kahr's in my limited experience have very nice triggers. My 2 XDS-s have very nice triggers. The above mentioned CZ-100 had a legendarily awful trigger, and also gives lie to the notion that striker fired guns have consistent triggers.

(As always, IMHO & YMMV.)

 

[aaaaa]

It is a matter of preference. Front-drive cars work fine, get the job done. Same with striker-fired pistols. I prefer hammer-fired, just like I prefer rear-wheel-drive cars. Also, I am not fond of plastic.

 

[trackskippy]

I see people on Interwebz who like the Glock trigger. And I wonder, do they not know better? What are their fingers feeling? Is this gunny Stockholm syndrome? I find it usable and utilitarian.

Ive never found the Glocks triggers to be really any different than anything else.

Then again, I feel the same way with all the other guns I have as well, Colts, SIG's, Beretta's, S&W's, HP's, etc, to name a few for comparison. All of which have box stock triggers too, just like my Glocks.

 

[Tallball]

I shoot revolvers, hammer autos, and striker autos. The ones I own all go bang. IMHO it's much more fun to shoot a variety of handguns.

 

[tarosean]

Ive never found the Glocks triggers to be really any different than anything else.

Then again, I feel the same way with all the other guns I have as well, Colts, SIG's, Beretta's, S&W's, HP's, etc, to name a few for comparison. All of which have box stock triggers too, just like my Glocks.

Have you shot a customized gun/trigger?
I own plenty of Glocks but they cannot compare to my 1# CZ TS trigger, or my multiple 3# 1911's with zero takeup. Heck even my Kimber Striker fired has a better trigger.
Now does Glock trigger cause an issue? No, not really as it's adaquate. Better than some of my guns. but a far cry from being equals to others.

 

[mcb]

I have shot an XD with trigger that rivals some of the best 1911/2011 triggers I have shot. My own XD trigger is better than many stock 1911 triggers. I am not much of a trigger snob or it might be better. The advantage of a fully cocked striker. You only need enough pre travel to disengage the striker safety and no post travel. With a few after market parts and some tuning the XD can have an exceptionally trigger.

 

[trackskippy]

Have you shot a customized gun/trigger?
I own plenty of Glocks but they cannot compare to my 1# CZ TS trigger, or my multiple 3# 1911's with zero takeup. Heck even my Kimber Striker fired has a better trigger.
Now does Glock trigger cause an issue? No, not really as it's adaquate. Better than some of my guns. but a far cry from being equals to others.

As Ive said endless times now, Im not a trigger snob or worrier. Unless there is something obviously wrong with one, which does happen on rare occasion, I basically ignore them and just shoot the gun. If your focus is on the trigger and what its doing, then youre not focusing on the important things, the target and the sights. Lose focus on them, and the best trigger in the world isnt going to help you.

Ive shot quite a few tuned triggers, I still have two guns that had them when I got them, that I haven't replaced back to stock, and they were well done and arent stupid light, and are just a decent trigger like any of the others, you squeeze/press it, and it lets the round go. Ive bought a number of guns that the previous owners "improved" and Ive put the triggers on all of them back to stock, and a number of them were Glocks.

I dry fire a bunch of different guns everyday, and shoot a number of different guns every week. I think a lot of dry fire with things like "stock" DA revolvers or autos is a better way to address the trigger, than it is to custom tune it.

All that does is limits you to be able to shoot things like that and hence I think the source of most of the complaints and "need". Regular practice with different things helps build the necessary "shooting" muscle tone needed for you to shoot well, and part of that includes having the finger strength to work the triggers on different things. It also hones your presentations, hold, and speed, and you get to the point, all your focus and thought is on the target and sights (if youre even using them), and that's where you want to be. You shouldnt have to "think" about the act of shooting.

Personally, I prefer to be as well rounded as possible, and to be able to pick up anything I come across, and be able to shoot it reasonably well. You dont usually get that by "specializing".

A real test to show where the actual problem is here, if its thought there is one, next time youre out shooting with your buddies, is everyone puts their guns on a table with a number on them and you draw a number and have to shoot the next string with whatever gun you get. And there better not be any complaints or excuses.

 

[tws3b2]

I have no problem at all with striker fired. EXCEPT, After using a striker fired for awhile, Be Careful if you pick up a hammer fired. You might get a surprise.
I used a striker fired for about a year and a half. Then at the range I picked up a hammer fired. Pointed the gun down range, Put my finger on the trigger and bang. Was not ready for the difference.

 

[mcb]

I have no problem at all with striker fired. EXCEPT, After using a striker fired for awhile, Be Careful if you pick up a hammer fired. You might get a surprise.
I used a striker fired for about a year and a half. Then at the range I picked up a hammer fired. Pointed the gun down range, Put my finger on the trigger and bang. Was not ready for the difference.

Do that with a revolver. I spent five year shooting nothing but double action revolver in USPSA and IDPA and switch from shooting 8+ lb double action revolver triggers to a double stack 1911 with a very well tune single action trigger. My accuracy went to hell for several matches as I adapted to the very different grip and fire control.

 

[sakata8242]

I ask this because I see numerous posts stating that they will not own or carry a striker fired handgun. Why the dislike for them? I am more curious than anything. I currently have 3 tupperware guns a Hellcat, M&P9c, M&P40 and at one time owned a Glock 26, all of which are striker fired and all are/were very shootable and accurate. Things I appreciate about them are they carry well, have consistent triggers and the lack of an external safety. I would assume that one of the things someone might not like about them is the trigger, although consistent each time fired they aren’t comparable to a hammered fired gun and will not have second strike capability if a failure to fire occurs.

The triggers are not that great, and there's no ability (with rare exception) to control the firing mechanism with a thumb over like on a hammer fired pistol.
You can make a striker trigger shorter and lighter, but then you run into potential safety issues. What most people don't realize is that many striker fired pistols, especially newer ones meant to address some of the complaints of poor triggers, are either fully cocked or nearly fully cocked. In this sense they are no different than a SAO hammer fired pistol. If I suggested that it would be acceptable to carry around a cocked and unlocked 1911 from a safety standpoint, most people would immediately point out that's not safe (for argument, assume a series 80 1911 that has a firing pin block, like most modern pistols) But somehow, a fully cocked striker pistol with a 4-5 pound, very short trigger pull, with no trigger dingus or manual safety is perfectly safe to carry around.

 

[jmohme]

I own both.
I carry striker fired as my EDC.
My hammer fired guns are my fun guns.

 

[Targa]

^^^ That’s me as well for the most part. I do have a Sig 938 that I carry from time to time but I am not really a fan of a carry gun that necessitates a safety so my primary carry is my Hellcat.

 

[sgt127]

I like to carry appendix. On my right hip, I’ll carry a striker fired. A cocked and locked 1911. Anything.

But appendix, it’s got to be DA with a hammer. I usually Carry a Sig P239 DAK.

One the majority of the striker fired guns, all the energy is stored. Ready to be released. Mechanically, everything has to work right for the gun NOT to fire.

With a DA gun, I provide the energy for the gun to fire. Everything has to work right for the gun TO fire.

 

[Bazoo]

I am a self proclaimed revolver nut. I prefer 1911s for automatics. But I have owned and carried several Glocks. I don't have any issues with striker fired guns, or guns without manual safeties. I used the glocks like the tools they were. I prefer others because of aesthetics and feel, not because of features. I actually like glocks, I just like others more.

If I was put into a scenario where I had to choose a semi auto handgun and take it into a life or death situation without first being able to fire or otherwise vet the gun, it would be a Glock.