XD striker (firing pin) question

[cameramonkey]

After reading a recent post regarding the Springfield XD, I read that the firing pin is under constant tension. Is this a good thing or bad thing? The comments seemed negative and I was wondering if someone could please explain. Could this lead to an AD? I know that the Glock is a striker fired weapon. Is it under constant tension as well??? Thanks in advance.

 

[Desertscout]

The Glock striker is always totally at rest and never in battery except while the trigger is actually being pulled. The XD is a single-action, striker-fired weapon where when a round is chambered, the stiker is "cocked" and ready to fire and cannot be "uncocked" unless the trigger is pulled.

 

[ElrodCod]

The Glock striker is always totally at rest and never in battery except while the trigger is actually being pulled.

Are you sure about that? I was under the impression that the Glock's striker was under a partial load.

 

[Pistol Toter]

Elrod, I was under the same impression.??????

 

[Pistol Toter]

As far as the AD; if I'm not mistaken there is a blocking mechanism that prevents the forward motion of the firing pin unless the trigger is pulled. I say this because you can check for free movement of the firing pin by pressing that block and shaking the slide. Of course the slide is off the frame at this point... I think that is true of both the GLOCK and XD.

 

[IS300_TRD]

I thought the Glock and XD had the same concept for the striker pin.

 

[glocker1911]

Actually they are quite a bit diffeant, which is just one of the reasons it cracks me up when "die hard" Glock fans try to out the XD series down as "just another Glock copy". Glocks are absolutely great guns, but guess what, so are XDs. Glocks are classified as Double action because the striker is only partially tensioned after the slide has been cycled. Pulling the trigger finished the "cocking" motion and then releases it, thus double action. An XD striker is fully "cocked" after the slide has been cycled and the trigger only releases it when pulled, thus a "single action".

 

[dairycreek]

Striker fired handguns are always subject to the discussion as to whether they are single action or double action and the debate goes on. While professing absolutely no expertise in the matter I am always happy to share my incomplete knowledge. So, here goes. Both the Glock and the XD are considered to be "striker fired" weapons which means that the firing pin is forced forward by means of a tensioned spring. The XD firing spring is tensioned when the slide moves to the rear and then forward chambering a new round. Pulling the trigger releases the tension and the firing pin does its job and, because the trigger releases the tension, it is regarded as a single action handgun. In my mind kind of analagous to a 1911.

Glock, on the other hand, uses the pull of the trigger to tension the firing pin spring and when the trigger stroke is at its end the gun fires. In my mind it is kind of analagous to the pull of a double action revolver.

The rub comes in that the forward/rearward movement of the slide is thought to put some tension on the firing spring with the rest of the tension caused through pulling the trigger to the end of its stroke. (I am not absolutely sure about this but I think that it is true.) Hence, the Glock action has some attributes of both the SA and the DA. And, because of this, the debate goes on as to whether Glock is SA or DA and on, and on, and on, and on, and.........................

 

[Gixerman1000]

The striker system on the Glock and XD is totally different, the Glock’s striker when armed is under a partial load, this load is what pushes the trigger forward to the ready position and when you pull the trigger the bar compresses the striker back and then cams down releasing the striker’s catch.



The XD’s striker when armed stays at full load, pulling the trigger just pivots the sear down and releases the striker’s catch.



Both pistols have firing pin safeties and should the striker release with out the trigger being pulled, a discharge will most likely be prevented, however the XD is not as safe as the Glock in this aspect and not just because it’s striker is under full load and the Glock’s isn’t.

The XD’s firing pin safety works by blocking the striker’s catch, this is a stress area and is always under full tension when cocked, if the catch breaks off due to fatigue, manufacturing defect, etc there’s nothing for the firing pin safety to block and the pistol will discharge.

The Glock’s firing pin safety works by blocking the firing pin itself, should the striker’s catch break off full forward movement of the firing pin will still be stopped.


(Slides from my G17L and XD40 Stainless)

 

[Desertscout]

Are you sure about that? I was under the impression that the Glock's striker was under a partial load.

You are correct. The striker is partially pulled back and at rest against the sear which is prevented from moving out from under the striker by the stepped slot in the top of the trigger housing. I guess whan I stop and think about it, it's similar to the "half-cock" notch of a 1911

 

[cameramonkey]

Wow. Great pictures and info. Thanks.

I guess I personally find this a little discouraging about the XD's design. I love the ergonomics and the way it shoots. But if the firing pin safety part should break.... Does this cause anyone else to worry, or am I being irrational here? Would this deter anyone here from getting one after knowing this about the design?
Understand, I am not attempting to troll. This is not a "this design is better than this one" post. I already own an XD9 and was just doing some forum searches on it to read more about it and came across some posts on another forum where someone was talking about it's potential for AD and the firing pin issue. I just find it disappointing.....

 

[railroader]

The firing pin safety on the xd is beefy and isn't going to break because of the striker coming forward. Remember that something would have to let loose on the striker and the sear then the firing pin safety would have to break. It's just not going to happen. Mark

 

[cameramonkey]

After looking at the firing pin's consturuction, it does seem like it would be rather difficult to break the safety. I would imagine that during product evaluation and design the engineers would have hopefully thought of this potential weakness and tested the firing pin for this potential problem. One only hopes. I still bothers me though....

 

[Gixerman1000]

cameramonkey = I would not let that discourage you about the XD, it’s a great shooting pistol and the probability of the catch breaking off the rest of the striker is extremely improbable, with the numbers of XD out there for the last few years and nothing like that has happened yet I wouldn’t worry about it, I was just stating what could happen as we all know anything can break.

railroader = I never said anything about the firing pin safety breaking or multiple things having to break in any special order.

If the striker’s catch was for any reason to break off the rest of the striker, the striker would go forward and pass right by the firing pin safety with out so much as touching it and the pistol would fire.

There is allot of meat on the catch area of the striker so like I said, it's improbable that it would happen (as it is on the Steyr M or S series) but it's not impossible.

 

[cameramonkey]

Thanks Gixerman1000. I appreciate you passing along the info.

 

[Technosavant]

Single action guns have been around for years (a popular one has been in production since 1911), and ADs due to sear breakage are incredibly rare. Incompetent gunsmithing causes such things far more often than actual parts breakage.

You would need a couple different HIGHLY unlikely things to happen before the XD's striker flies forward to impact the primer without the trigger being pulled. About the only guns not susceptible to such things would be full-up DA guns like the Beretta 92, some S&W autoloaders, good old DA revolvers, and others.

 

[nutball]

Hey camera dude,
My XD-9 is the gun that I'd keep if I could only take one with me, be a bitch leaving the sigs etc. lay but machine is machine and the XD is a machine. I have many and thats not a small statement. Don't get me wrong i'm not gonna knock another weapon they're sorta like women a blond may taste different than a redhead but I love em all , even my helwan with a trigger like cracking walnuts in your hand.