striker fired or hammer fired guns

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I like both.

But if I had to choose, they dont make a striker fired with a trigger as nice as my 1911s or 226 SAO, so I like the hammer.

My Glocks haven't been out of the safe (other than maintainence) in almost a year now, come to think of it
 
Ah, the age old question, to striker or not to striker. Personally I'm a hammer guy. No matter how 'safe' someone's 'safe striker system' is. I just don't like it. The only 'accidents' I see in the ER I work at happen with 'safe striker systems'. Can stupid happen with hammer fired, yes but generally much harder with a generally longer and heavier trigger pull. Just my experience and opinion. If you like striker fired get striker fired.
 
Im the opposite of jr24. If strictly target shooting I may (and sometimes do) use a hammer fired gun. No doubt my Beretta, Sig, 1911, and HKs etc. have better single action triggers than my strikers. But I almost always carry a Glock, and usually practice with them. They tend to be equally reliable and lighter and simpler. As far as DA pulls I'd take my glock 3.5 lb trigger over any of my 22x series guns or my HK guns (or even my expensive revolvers as far as that goes) if I had to fire in DAO.

As far as safety I've seen far more negligent discharges by people un-cocking single actions than with a striker. None resulted in injury since the guns were in a safe direction. It only takes a slip of the thumb. Only one I ever had was when my wet thumb slipped off a hammer of a CO2 revolver. Gun was in a safe direction but i havent forgot it in over 30 years. I'd guess the fact that strikers are more popular, cheaper, and sold more for carry, makes the negligent discharges seem more likely.

I'm blessed to be able to grab whatever I want to carry when the mood changes but if I had to choose one gun for all around use from defense, to hunting, to crawling through mud, it would likely be a Glock 20. So I'd vote striker.
 
I have both and like them all, but when it comes to EDC, I like a Striker Fire gun without a manual safety. I have been in those situations where a fraction of a second makes the difference in going home at the end of a shift or the hospital.
Triggers for Striker Fire guns have come a long way since they first came out. My Polymer 80 build has a 3.5 lbs trigger with a clean break and the shortest reset of all my guns.
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JR24: said:
I like both. But if I had to choose, they dont make a striker fired with a trigger as nice as my 1911s or 226 SAO, so I like the hammer. My Glocks haven't been out of the safe (other than maintainence) in almost a year now, come to think of it

I also like, own & shoot strikers and hammer-fired semiautos. As far as intended use for CCW which is what the OP mentioned, I like my Glock holsters more than I like my 1911 or P226 and P228 / P229 holsters. The trigger is something you get used to with training and practice. IMHO, the Gen5 triggers are generally pretty darn good. And at least one of the aftermarket triggers, the APEX action enhancement trigger, IMHO, gives a nice rolling break that I really like.
 
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I also like, own & shoot strikers and hammer-fired semiautos. As far as intended use for CCW which is what the OP mentioned, I like my Glock holsters more than I like my 1911 or P226 and P228 / P229 holsters. The trigger is something you get used to with training and practice. IMHO, the Gen5 triggers are generally pretty darn good. And at least one of the aftermarket triggers, the APEX action enhancement trigger, IMHO, gives a nice rolling break that I really like.

I dont like to mess with triggers of carry guns at all, much prefer them stock for a variety of reasons.

That said my Glock 19X has a very nice trigger and is a fantastic gun, just got that squared grip that conceals worse than my 226 or a 1911, but gun size and shape wasnt the focus of this thread.
 
All of my carry guns have either a full-stroke / full-weight DA trigger and/or a positive manual safety. The only striker gun I own is a P99AS which has an equivalent system. I will never carry a non-safety striker gun with a "great trigger".
 
I own both and like them all a lot. However I CCW striker fired pistols, my Gen 2 Glock 19 and Walther PPS 9MM. I like the size/weight efficiency of striker fired pistols and the same trigger pull every shot. For me the about 6LB trigger pull on my Glock 19 and Walther PPS with a fair amount of trigger take up is ideal for CCW. I CCW both in an all kydex single clip holster with good retention and complete coverage of trigger guard which is also easy to put on and take off the gun belt with the pistol in the holster.

IMO one should choose what works best for their situation based on their safe handling, proficiency, and confidence level experiences. There are pros and cons for each with no best option for everyone.

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If it goes on my belt, i prefer a 6-7lb striker. If it goes in my pocket, i want a hammer.
 
I have always preferred hammer-fireds, have trained with them, and have always carried them.

The Taurus G2C of which I just took delivery might well open me to the "other" option. I don't use the manual safety on any carry gun that has one, and won't with this one, either (should it become a carry gun.) Still, I wonder if I should have gotten the THC9 instead. ;)
 
Like many others, I like both, but my edc's are striker.

Off topic, but a poll would be great to get a quick idea of responses.
 
I prefer striker fired for CCW or EDC. For woods, hunting or gerneral off-the-pavement guns, I like hammers. As to why, I really don't know. Most of my woods guns are revolvers, and I have ruined enough over garments with sharp, snagging hammers for CCW.
 
For CCW, I like striker-fired guns. Some reasons listed in no particular order.
  • Generally smoother external profile to reduce snagging.
  • Back of the slide is flat/smooth so you can slam it into battery with your hand, or easily hold the slide closed with your thumb or weak hand for contact shooting.
  • Fewer "holes" in the outside of the gun for stuff (dust/lint/etc.) to get into the works.
 
I absolutely prefer hammer fired but do still have a couple striker fired models.

I am simply far more accustomed to hammer fired handguns. I haven't found a single modern striker fired handgun that I enjoyed.
 
I have been in those situations where a fraction of a second makes the difference in going home at the end of a shift or the hospital.

Isn't that a product of your MIL/LEO training thou?

I was taught to disengage the safety during the draw. No fractions of a second lost or even a second thought given.
 
I prefer hammer fired, DA/SA for carry. In South Carolina there are a lot of places I can't legally carry, therefore I am forced to unholster then re-holster while seated in my truck. I carry at about 3:30 outside the wasitband so I am re-holstering blind. There is a lot that can go wrong in that scenario so I prefer to keep my thumb on the hammer as I ease my pistol into the holster. If the trigger snags on anything I can feel the hammer starting to rise and stop. I can't get that extra measure of confidence with a striker fired pistol. If I was able to holster the gun and leave it holstered all day I might consider striker fired..

With that being said, lets be honest. What striker fired pistols have actually done is dumded down the pistol to the lowest skill level. Yeah I said that and I stand by it. Flame on.
 
As a side thought, this post is about hammer fired vs striker fired. I'm curious why some people responding feel compelled to post photos or call out their brand rather than just replying in a generic hammer/striker manner.
 
I'm curious why some people responding feel compelled to post photos or call out their brand rather than just replying in a generic hammer/striker manner.
Hmmm...
With that being said, lets be honest. What striker fired pistols have actually done is dumded (sic) down the pistol to the lowest skill level. Yeah I said that and I stand by it. Flame on.
It is interesting to see what sort of extraneous information people will volunteer in response to a simple question, isn't it.
 
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