Restrike capable?

[HwyKnight]

Thanks for all the info. I agree that training should resolve this by chambering a new round. I just wanted to be sure what they were talking about. I'm a hammer fire guy but the new p320 has gotten my attention. Can any one briefly explain how a striker fire mechanism works?

[Defaultmp3]

Th vast majority of type one stoppages(no bang when you expected one) are due to unseated magazines which means you either didn't chamber a round to start or you got off one round before the gun failed to load another due to an unseated magazine. Pulling the trigger repeatedly is a waste of time. I don't doubt that you may pull the trigger repeatedly before processing a stoppage while under stress. However a dead trigger is far more informative than one that works while under stress. Auditory seclusion, tunnel vision etc all play against you and having a trigger that functions with a gun/cartridge that doesn't may give you a false sense of "hey I'm chucking lead down range" when in fact you're simply dry firing the shit out of your gun. Your immediate action drill/response should be instinctive and will greatly reduce the possibility of repeated trigger pulling. Second strike capability is a bullshit marketing gimmick.

MM

The vast majority of stoppages, sure, but that's arguably because most shooters have poor manipulations; I have never had that occur to me, though I have had other stoppages, due to dead primers, rounds that didn't feed properly due to size issues, etc. I'm not disputing than an immediate action drill is far preferable, or saying that we should make sacrifices in order to gain a second strike capability; nor am I saying that plastering it on as a marketing point isn't a gimmick, just merely that second strike is not completely useless.

Nevertheless, he does not recommend utilizing a pistol's restrike capability, but simply removes the Tap part of "Tap Rack Bang". (He also said that this works for him and with the guns he uses, and that it may not work for you and will not work for everyone.)

Ironic, given that his company's name is Tap-Rack Tactical.

[DirectTo]

I'm a hammer fire guy but the new p320 has gotten my attention. Can any one briefly explain how a striker fire mechanism works?

Super simple version: Rather than a hammer fired mechanism where the falling hammer strikes the firing pin which strikes the primer, in a striker fired gun the trigger pulling aft pulls the striker aft against spring tension until it (the trigger bar or sear) eventually slides off the bottom of the firing pin/striker, allowing it to fly forward under spring tension and strike the primer.

ETA: here's a great video that shows how the Glock mechanism works through a cutaway gun:

[Velo Dog]

The restrike capability of most double action autos is a very minor - but not worthless - benefit.

Bad primers and light firing pin strikes are not uncommon and frequently a second attempt will work.

A second pull of the trigger
1) is very natural - especially for inexperenced auto shooters
2) literally takes a fraction of a second
3) can quickly and easily be performed with one hand

In addition, a full release and subsequent pull of the trigger is the proper remedy for a failure to fire caused by the trigger not fully resetting from the previous shot due to operator error.

I recently had a primer fail to ignite despite what appeared to be a solid hit. The training round fired on the second strike after being rechambered. I will still confidently carry that Glock 26 despite its lack of instant restrike capability.

[markm]

It's a useless capability in my opinion.

Correct. End of story!

[Talon167]

I have been told that under stress, while attempting to shoot at speed, it is not uncommon for one to keep pulling the trigger before one processes the fact that the gun is no longer shooting due to a bad/hard primer. In such an instance, a second strike capability may have some use.

I've done this with my USP45. Not under stress, per-say, but just having some fun with a mag dump. I was firing as fast as I could and second-struck a round that didn't go off the first time; it did go off on the second hit and through the rest of the mag I went. I didn't even realize what happened until it was over. I confirmed with one of my buddies.

Just sayin'.

[ramairthree]

Correct. End of story!

Many things get taken out of context of of timing/eras.

When the 1911 was first replaced by the M9,
The most common FTF was considered to be a hard/Failed primer,
Which would most likely go off with a second strike.

Then Glocks came on board and the lack of a second strike was back.

[26 Inf]

I've done this with my USP45. Not under stress, per-say, but just having some fun with a mag dump. I was firing as fast as I could and second-struck a round that didn't go off the first time; it did go off on the second hit and through the rest of the mag I went. I didn't even realize what happened until it was over. I confirmed with one of my buddies.

Just sayin'.

Is that USP DAO? Because most folks don't reset far enough to re-engage the DA pull.

[MegademiC]

I've had a few bad center fire primers. I've had multi bad rimfire primers.

A second attempt never worked. I want to know as soon as a round fails, and I want a new round in ASAP.

[26 Inf]

Bill Blowers, in a Primary & Seconday video on YouTube describing his unique manual of arms for pistols states that he has only seen a couple of trained shooters have type ones due to an unseated magazine and that most of the type one malfunctions he had seen were a result of bad primers (particularly as the quality of plinking ammunition drops to keep prices low).

Nevertheless, he does not recommend utilizing a pistol's restrike capability, but simply removes the Tap part of "Tap Rack Bang". (He also said that this works for him and with the guns he uses, and that it may not work for you and will not work for everyone.)

Unless his context is purely competition, that is full of fail.

Key words: 'only a couple' and 'most'

Immediate action should be a process to clear ALL fail to fire, feed or eject malfunctions not requiring remedial action. Not just most.

Everybody has to have something quirky to differentiate themselves, in this case I think it is a disservice to the safety of a majority of shooters.

Once again, unless he is speaking to the strictly competition shooter.