M&P + Dry Firing = Firing Pin Issues?

[30 cal slut]

I overheard at a recent Larry Vickers class that one of the issues that the M&P's have is that they don't like dry fire, which tends to break firing pins.

I guess I should always take a spare firing pin (and extractor) with me to classes (although I usually have a backup pistol anyways).

Anyone here report problems with the firing pin?

Also, is the disassembly of the slide similar to the Glock? (Relieve spring tension on striker sleeve, remove plate, etc).

Are parts readily available online?

Thanks!

-slut

[Robb Jensen]

M&Ps don't like dryfire without snap cap (I prefer A-zoom).

I've broken a few M&P strikers and fixed more than a dozen. All were broken during dryfiring without snap caps.

[LDM]

Use of snap caps in dry firing is highly recommended and effective in preventing problems.

Disassembly of the M&P is fairly straightforward. MP-pistol.com has a useful forum.

Stay safe.

[M4arc]

va_dinger has broken two strikers so far but S&W has quickly replaced both of them.

If you're going to dry fire your M&P use snap caps.

[John_Wayne777]

Freakin' double tap....

[John_Wayne777]

I overheard at a recent Larry Vickers class that one of the issues that the M&P's have is that they don't like dry fire, which tends to break firing pins.


Yup. It's an unfortunate weakness of the M&P design. The overhearing you did was probably me mentioning that one of the reasons I was shooting the Glock ***cough, hack, spit*** rather than my M&P was because we were doing dryfire drills and I didn't want to dryfire my weapon.

Since I made the M&P 9mm my main carry gun I adopted a policy of no dryfiring to prevent snapping the striker. Since I got the striker replaced the only dryfires on my M&P 9mm actually happened at that class as I let people compare my Burwell customized trigger to the trigger on the M&P Pro model.

That being said, my previous striker had at least a couple of thousand dryfire trigger pulls on it before it went Tango Uniform on me. The dryfiring we were doing during the Pistol/Carbine class most likely would not have busted the striker in and of itself.

Still, I don't like to take chances with my carry equipment because I have bad enough luck as it is...I don't want to tempt fate.




I guess I should always take a spare firing pin (and extractor) with me to classes (although I usually have a backup pistol anyways).


A good idea...if you can find one. Guys like GotM4 can really help a fella out in that respect.



Anyone here report problems with the firing pin?


I busted the striker on my full sized M&P 9mm.



Also, is the disassembly of the slide similar to the Glock? (Relieve spring tension on striker sleeve, remove plate, etc).


Fairly similar.



Are parts readily available online?


When I last looked for them, striker assemblies were really hard to find in stock. I would have been up crap creek if GotM4 hadn't sent me one PDQ.

[ToddG]

The very earliest generation striker broke with very little dry-firing at all, and some even broke without any dry firing (at least according to the claims of the owners). By very little, I mean people who were pulling the trigger to disassemble the gun -- a practice not endorsed by the manufacturer -- were breaking their guns just taking them apart.

The next generation of striker was improved to survive a lifetime of improper disassemblies and/or the occasional trigger testing. But serious dry fire addicts were still breaking them.

The current generation striker (which was introduced shortly after SHOT'08) is rated to be at least ten times more durable in terms of dry cycles. It is 100% backwards compatible with older guns.

Smith has done some development on an even better striker rated for 100,000+ dry cycles.

Having said that, almost every handgun on the market will eventually break from heavy dry firing if you aren't using a snap cap. Any handgun with a firing pin safety is susceptible, though Glocks seem to have the fewest reported problems by far. Beretta firing pins get a bur that eventually leads to misfires; SIGs snap their firing pin positioning pins and shut down; M&P strikers crack; etc.

I'd never worry about dry firing my gun 100 times here, 100 times there. I don't worry about dry firing it at match when the officials demand "unload and show clear," either. But if I'm going to spend half an hour dry firing in the basement, I'll use snap caps. I also inspect my striker (or firing pins when shooting Berettas or SIGs) every 5k rounds or so, and replace them whenever I feel they're less than 100%.

[Joe Mamma]

I'd really appreciate it if someone could post pictures of the strikers (different generations and a broken one).

I'm just curious exactly where the weak spot is and how it was (or is being) addressed.

Thanks in advance.

Joe Mamma

[RogerinTPA]

I broke my striker assembly on my M&P .45 dry firing, not using snap caps, as well. Azoom snap caps are highly recommended and the way to go.

[The Dumb Gun Collector]

I was at a pistol class recently and watched an M&P 9 go down on the first string. The funny thing was, the guy had just ragged me about how expensive my HK45 was. I thought to myself, "That is why I don't say crap like that, Karma is a bitch."