the glock magical 'smash trigger by accident and go off in your leg' hype is way way way way overdone.
Perhaps so. That will prove to be small comfort if it happens to you or someone you care about (or some new shooter that you advised).
There is no 'magic' involved there. With the mechanical safety being part of the trigger, if something gets inside the trigger guard and snags that trigger while reholstering, it is entirely possible for it to depress that mechanical safety lever while it pulls upon that trigger. Note that in both of those examples in the above video, the officers were not actually touching their guns when the NDs happened. They had already holstered them, and the jacket drawstring toggles pulled the triggers after they were no longer handling the handguns.
It's not an actual safety that stays engaged until released (like a thumb safety), but rather something that controls the striker while the device is actively being held by the shooter.
It probably wouldn't have helped with those two drawstring toggle incidents in the earlier video, but it could make reholstering safer while actively reholstering.
It looks pretty simple, easy to install, and reasonable cost. No additional action required while drawing and bringing the gun to bear.
I guess 'Draw Strings' and 'Worn out Holsters' are dangerous.
Or.....there are a lot of people who holster Glocks, and any number of other weapons, and if your not careful, your going to shoot yourself..... Personally I don't have drawstrings on my cloths, and I don't carry a worn out holster. Maybe that's the magic? I don't know.
I wonder how many times people have holstered their weapons, and NOT shot themselves?
I think if you do anything enough times, someone is going to screw up. It won't be me. Hasn't been for a long....long time anyway. And nobody I know either. 38 years in that gun shop, and the owner has never seen that happen. I doubt many other gun shop owners have 'seen' it happen either. Sooner or later, the lightening is going to hit someone, I'm sure. DON'T wear draw strings, dummy!
Tells me something, it's nothing I'm going to worry about. I'm much more likely to get hit by a car.
Or a tree.
"Murphy's Law"
#4212299 - 01/02/1612:57 AMRe: I Want to Buy a Handgun...any advice?
[Re: Plainsman]
It's not an actual safety that stays engaged until released (like a thumb safety), but rather something that controls the striker while the device is actively being held by the shooter.
It probably wouldn't have helped with those two drawstring toggle incidents in the earlier video, but it could make reholstering safer while actively reholstering.
It looks pretty simple, easy to install, and reasonable cost. No additional action required while drawing and bringing the gun to bear.
I feel so stupid for not bringing that thing up sooner. The Gadget is a brilliant device, it gives you the re-holstering safety factor of a hammer fired gun in a striker fired platform. Awesome idea.
Scully: Victim died of multiple stab wounds. Mulder: *throws her a file* Ever heard of the knife alien?
#4212312 - 01/02/1602:07 AMRe: I Want to Buy a Handgun...any advice?
[Re: Plainsman]
Joined: Dec 2011 Posts: 3,740FlashBurn
Senior Member
Just want to point out, its not just Glocks. Right now there some department made the news with a bunch of ND's with Smith and Wession M&P's. Same sort of trigger issues as a Glock. But they transitioned from Beretta 92's to M&P's and keep shooting things they do not mean too.
The trigger safety thing can work well so long as the user is up to it. But for the vast majority of people I think its not so good. Its like reinventing the wheel. Semi auto pistols where at first all single action. Not much pressure to make them go boom on the trigger. So they came up with double action triggers for more safety. Well now we are dumping that and going with striker fired which takes about as much pressure on the trigger as those old semi auto single action types. Is this the best thing ever for the vast majority of people? IS putting a "safety" on the trigger a good idea? It can work out if used right. But way less safe when human error is added in. I still think the old SA/DA semi auto types make better service pistols.
#4212373 - 01/02/1606:39 AMRe: I Want to Buy a Handgun...any advice?
[Re: Plainsman]
i think it's important to remember in this thread that the original question was from a guy who is brand new to pistols.
maybe i'm wrong but i think that most gun newbies are not going to have fantastic gun safety skills. that being the case i think that the pistol should have a safety that prevents the trigger from being pulled unless the operator REALLY means to pull it, by putting his hand on the grip and flicking a thumb switch down.
an alternative that solves the danger to yourself but creates potential delays in a life or death situation is just to carry with no round in the chamber. i'm not a fan of that carry method but some people do it, and it does make it pretty much impossible to shoot yourself in the leg by accident.
#4212377 - 01/02/1606:45 AMRe: I Want to Buy a Handgun...any advice?
[Re: Plainsman]
I bought a M&P Shield (striker fired) with a safety just to prevent this sort of thing. Im so used to throwing the safety off as soon as I draw the gun anyways that it is natural for me. Im not sure I would ever want a gun without a physical safety. I know they wont go off unless you press the trigger but that trigger can get hung on things. Better to have the extra safety just in case.
I never liked the feel of the striker fired pistols. The pistol I shoot the best is the Sig Sauer P229. It's heavy, fat, and has a limited magazine capacity compared to most polymer pistols. However, I can knock bowling pins down at 25 yards with little effort using the P229 and it just handles right for me.
A close second is the FNX Tactical. But that is about as impractical as it gets with pistols. That thing is gigantic.
You're only young once, but you can be immature forever.
#4212467 - 01/02/1603:30 PMRe: I Want to Buy a Handgun...any advice?
[Re: Plainsman]
If single action {and rarely being "drop safe" at that} is considered sufficiently safe for the vast majority of rifles and shotguns, then it shouldn't be a big deal in a pistol.
Granted, not many rifles and shotguns are holstered or CCWed, but it remains that trigger awareness is much more important than relying on mechanical safeties IMO.
#4212551 - 01/02/1608:20 PMRe: I Want to Buy a Handgun...any advice?
[Re: Plainsman]
Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 3,814Plainsman
Senior Member
I've heard the term "striker" fire pistol several times in this thread but also on the Internet. There was never an explanation of it. What does it mean to be "striker fired?" As opposed to what? The semi-auto I'm leaning toward getting as my first gun, is it striker fired?
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#4212560 - 01/02/1608:44 PMRe: I Want to Buy a Handgun...any advice?
[Re: Plainsman]
Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 11,944Crane Hunter
Veteran
I've heard the term "striker" fire pistol several times in this thread but also on the Internet. There was never an explanation of it. What does it mean to be "striker fired?" As opposed to what? The semi-auto I'm leaning toward getting as my first gun, is it striker fired?
A striker is basically a linear hammer as opposed to one that pivots.
Since pistol striker assemblies are internal it means you don't have to have a area on the back of the slide where dirt can potentially become trapped and cause a malfunction as on a hammer fired pistol, although i'm not aware of any advantages beyond that.
#4212563 - 01/02/1608:52 PMRe: I Want to Buy a Handgun...any advice?
[Re: Plainsman]
Joined: Nov 2001 Posts: 24,029oldgrognard Administrator
I've heard the term "striker" fire pistol several times in this thread but also on the Internet. There was never an explanation of it. What does it mean to be "striker fired?" As opposed to what? The semi-auto I'm leaning toward getting as my first gun, is it striker fired?
A striker is basically a linear hammer as opposed to one that pivots.
Since pistol striker assemblies are internal it means you don't have to have a area on the back of the slide where dirt can potentially become trapped and cause a malfunction as on a hammer fired pistol, although i'm not aware of any advantages beyond that.
Some people prefer striker triggers since you don't have the DA/SA. With hammers you have tactile feedback when holstering for safety's sake.
It's a horse apiece. They both do the same thing in the end.
Scully: Victim died of multiple stab wounds. Mulder: *throws her a file* Ever heard of the knife alien?
#4212569 - 01/02/1609:36 PMRe: I Want to Buy a Handgun...any advice?
[Re: Plainsman]
Buy quickly, The current Political Administration is forcing more laws on the books. They don't seem to want the Sheep to be able to fend off the Wolves. I wouldn't mind if I thought the administration would fend off the Wolves.
#4212570 - 01/02/1609:37 PMRe: I Want to Buy a Handgun...any advice?
[Re: Plainsman]