Hammer fired guns in a Striker fired world

[LowSpeed_HighDrag]

Do you have a gun? Do you dry fire that gun? Do you train with that gun? Do you carry that gun? Have you put that gun through it's paces enough to know it's going to work? Well then, regardless of DA/SA-SAO-Striker-Etc it must be the gun for you.

I've been an LEO for 5 years now, and prior to that I spent 4 years in the USMC. I carried an M9 every once in awhile in the Marine Corps, I got very little trigger time behind it and couldn't shoot it very well. I transitioned to LE and carried a LEM P30 through the academy and for my first year. It was a wildly different setup (paddles, LEM trigger) than anything I'd ever carried, but I trained so much with it that I became very efficient with it. I then got some strange bug up my ass, bought a Colt Rail Gun, sent it to MARS, and then started carrying it on duty. Ive carried and trained with that same 1911 for 3 or 4 years now. I know it inside and out, and contrary to what a poster said, the 1911 safety is of no issue to anyone who trains with the platform.

With all that said, I love my Glocks, my Shield, and my VP9's. In fact, I have a Glock 34 on order that I think I will transition to on duty sometime this year. Why? Not because I shoot it any better than my 1911, but because I carry 4 WC 8rd 1911 Mags, and that still doesn't equal 2 of the fullsize Glock mags. In the current climate of anti-LE, more rounds seems better to me...

[MountainRaven]

It seems to me that I shoot hammer-fired pistols better than striker-fired pistols, whether they're DA/SA or SAO (1911s, BHPs).

It seems that I have reached the point where I can say - without being snarky - that when I want to carry a gun, I carry a 1911. And I carry a Glock - a 43 - when I'm not carrying a gun. I suppose if I trusted SiG or Kimber more, I might carry one of their 'roid-rage Mustang clones in 9mm, instead.

Cocked and locked 1911 style may be safe enough, but requires manually flipping off the safety, something that could be screwed up in a panic situation.

Then you're doing it wrong.

I prefer the hammer fully down so it can't snag or get something wedged between hammer and firing pin.

SOP for most DA/SAs is for the decocker to drop the hammer to half-cock. Walther (PPs, PPKs, P38s, P01s, all discontinued), Beretta, and Ruger (discontinued) pistols are the only two that I'm aware of that drop the hammer all the way. SiG, CZ, and H&K double-actions - all current production - all drop them to half-cock. I honestly don't remember whether my S&W 4506 dropped the hammer to half-cock or not, but I'm reasonably certain that it did (the 3913TSW I've handled much more recently was a DAO and the hammer returned to half-cock after each shot, IIRC), and I think the Makarov drops the hammer to half-cock as well (I've only briefly handled one that belonged to a friend, so I don't properly recall).

In any event, I wouldn't let it bother me, if H&K post-USP, SiG P22x, and CZ pistols all do it.

[dusterdude]

I currently have a striker fired pistol but i do miss my 1911

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[SomeOtherGuy]

SOP for most DA/SAs is for the decocker to drop the hammer to half-cock. Walther (PPs, PPKs, P38s, P01s, all discontinued), Beretta, and Ruger (discontinued) pistols are the only two that I'm aware of that drop the hammer all the way. SiG, CZ, and H&K double-actions - all current production - all drop them to half-cock. I honestly don't remember whether my S&W 4506 dropped the hammer to half-cock or not, but I'm reasonably certain that it did (the 3913TSW I've handled much more recently was a DAO and the hammer returned to half-cock after each shot, IIRC), and I think the Makarov drops the hammer to half-cock as well (I've only briefly handled one that belonged to a friend, so I don't properly recall).

Interesting. Since Ruger and Beretta are close to half my DA/SA experience, that colors my view.

However, you said that Sig P22x pistols drop to half cock. I'm not sure if I have an oddball, but I have a 1989 manufacture (per serial # research) "West Germany" Sig P226 that seems to have a rebounding hammer that drops to the one and only fired position when the decocking lever is used, and I haven't noticed a half-cock hammer position in manual cocking. Is this not how they are today? Do I have an ordinary one from 1989 or something unusual?

[MountainRaven]

Interesting. Since Ruger and Beretta are close to half my DA/SA experience, that colors my view.

However, you said that Sig P22x pistols drop to half cock. I'm not sure if I have an oddball, but I have a 1989 manufacture (per serial # research) "West Germany" Sig P226 that seems to have a rebounding hammer that drops to the one and only fired position when the decocking lever is used, and I haven't noticed a half-cock hammer position in manual cocking. Is this not how they are today? Do I have an ordinary one from 1989 or something unusual?

The hammer on the SiGs rebound to a de facto half-cock notch.

[Mysteryman]

Its abundantly clear that as times have changed, so have firearm preferences. This year saw the adoption of the Sig P320 as the next US Military sidearm, ending a 116 year period of using hammer fired sidearms as the "official" sidearm. I'm not much one for nostalgia, but I do find the trend interesting. It's clear that the market demand for striker fired guns is at an all time high, with CZ, Beretta and FN introducing new models in the past 6 months alone. We also have Sig, Walther, HK, Canik, Steyr, Ruger, Remington, (insert favorite brand here) that have all introduced their ideal version of the "Glock killer" striker fired handgun.

I'm curious how many of you in here still carry and prefer to shoot hammer fired guns? I'm not limiting this to one category; it could be a 1911, a DA/SA (any brand), HK LEM, whatever. If you do carry a hammer fired gun, regardless of what it is, I'd be curious to hear your specific reasons why.

On the same token, if you carry a striker fired gun, regardless of brand, I'd also like to hear why as opposed to a DA/SA or 1911. I'd like to leave "fanboy-ism" out of this thread if possible.

If all you've ever shot is striker fired guns and have never tried a hammer fired gun please post up as well.

I personally grew up shooting Glocks, and I began seriously training about 4 years ago. I dipped my feet into DA/SA Berettas, and now they are my primary carry. I still own Glocks, but prefer a hammer gun for day-to-day carry and competitive shooting. I like the extra safety margin I have with the long DA first shot, and I like how every shot after that is a nice, crisp SA break. I like thumbing the hammer as I reholster (I carry appendix). I incorporate the press-out into my draw and like that I can be more aggressive with my DA first shot as I have a longer trigger travel, as opposed to a striker fired gun. Those are my reasons and I'd like to hear yours.

There is no additional margin of "safety" with a hammer fired gun. If you aren't shooting and/or haven't made the decision to fire, then your finger should be nowhere near the trigger. SA, DA, DAO, DA/SA it doesn't matter, if your finger isn't on the trigger the gun doesn't go off. This is a training issue.

^ This pretty much sums up my thought process as well.

Cocked and locked 1911 style may be safe enough, but requires manually flipping off the safety, something that could be screwed up in a panic situation. (even though men that carry .45 don't panic)

Striker fired is ready to go and even a t-shirt getting caught in the trigger can result in the loss of your favorite parts when carrying AIWB.

DA/SA strikes a nice balance of no external safety to manipulate and long first trigger pull from a decocked hammer.

Thumbing the hammer makes it impossible to fire.

The combination is very safe, yet very easy to deploy.

Catching a garment in your trigger guard is unlikely and is again a training issue. Doing so is no more difficult than forgetting to decock your DA/SA gun. So you're trading one so called negative for another.

A striker fired gun like a Glock is the easy choice. Simple, light weight, large capacity and works when needed by simply pressing the trigger which has a consistent trigger pull for every single round fired unlike a DA/SA gun.

By comparison a Glock has the following going for it that a DA/SA gun does not.

lighter
smaller(dimensions)
Fewer parts
Lower bore axis
Consistent trigger pull
No manual safety/decocker
Equal or more capacity(dependent on model)
Cross compatible magazines(and often holsters) from full size to compact and sub compact

MM

[ubet]

I like the feel and shoot 1911s the best of anything I've shot. Have a sig p220 da/sa that was my first semi auto. Don't like the trigger on it, nor how it feels in my hands especially when compared to a mid to high end 1911.

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[556BlackRifle]

I usually carry a striker fired weapon however, I've trained extensively with hammer fired and would be totally comfortable carrying one if need be. My primary is a G19.

[Diamondback]

For me,. it's that the 1911 fits my hand as if Browning and whoever designed the A1 mainspring arch sculpted it and the bones of my hand around one another. Glocks don't naturally "point" right for me, Berettas hurt my wrist to just hold never mind fire, and while the time-span is much shorter than some here it's what I've been carrying almost every day of my adult life.

The fact that that carry started because of a young lady with a nasty stalker problem being entrusted to my overwatch, paired with the fact that at the time I lived in the Meth Lab Capital of the USA, prompted the members of the local SWAT team who I was usually sharing the range with to tell me "get your CPL and nothing less than a .45, and we'll teach you what you need to know to keep that girl safe." (For clarity, I had been shooting with them using rental iron, I didn't start packing until I had the permit.) It worked, neither of us have seen A**wipe Stalker Ex since where 911 and Restraining Order failed... that was around fifteen years ago, and we've long parted ways, but it's the reason this particular 1911 will only leave my hands when it's pried from them cold and dead.

[MSparks909]

There is no additional margin of "safety" with a hammer fired gun. If you aren't shooting and/or haven't made the decision to fire, then your finger should be nowhere near the trigger. SA, DA, DAO, DA/SA it doesn't matter, if your finger isn't on the trigger the gun doesn't go off. This is a training issue.

Catching a garment in your trigger guard is unlikely and is again a training issue. Doing so is no more difficult than forgetting to decock your DA/SA gun. So you're trading one so called negative for another.

A striker fired gun like a Glock is the easy choice. Simple, light weight, large capacity and works when needed by simply pressing the trigger which has a consistent trigger pull for every single round fired unlike a DA/SA gun.

By comparison a Glock has the following going for it that a DA/SA gun does not.

lighter
smaller(dimensions)
Fewer parts
Lower bore axis
Consistent trigger pull
No manual safety/decocker
Equal or more capacity(dependent on model)
Cross compatible magazines(and often holsters) from full size to compact and sub compact

MM

I own 8 Glocks. I shoot them fine and have carried them in the past. I know the benefits they have going for them, but for my personal use I've switched to a DA/SA gun (mostly Berettas) and feel they more adequately meet my needs and wants in a carry gun.

There's very select occasions where I'll reach for a Glock over a Beretta or Sig, and that's only because of how easy it is to detail strip a Glock if I were to get it wet or muddy, etc. It's a pain to detail strip a Beretta or Sig, but I still reach for a TDA for 95% of my carry situations.