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This may be a retarded question

TyNV

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Joined
May 12, 2010
Messages
31
Location
Sparks, Nevada, USA
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What is Strike and fire? The M&P .40 is a Strike and Fire firearm.
Is it the same as Single Action or double action with a different name?
Someone please explain.

Sorry if this is a stupid question to ask but I would appreciate the help.


Thanks, TyNV
 

SouthernBoy

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May 12, 2007
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5,837
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Western Prince William County, Virginia, USA
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I have never heard the term "strike and fire". Can you tell us where you heard this and what it is supposed to mean?

As for the M&P Smith and Wesson pistol design, it is a SAO (Single Action Only) pistol. What this means is the trigger has only one responsibility, or action, which it is designed to perform and that is to release the striker via the sear to fire the weapon. The striker is held in a full cock position by the sear in preparation of being released by the trigger's action.

Compare that to the Glock design which is a DAO (Double Action Only) where the trigger has two tasks to fulfill in order to fire. It first completes the cocking of the striker and then releases it to fire a cartridge.

I have an M&P40 and have closely examined it and how it operates.
 

Deanimator

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Joined
Sep 21, 2007
Messages
2,083
Location
Rocky River, OH, U.S.A.
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TyNV wrote:
What is Strike and fire? The M&P .40 is a Strike and Fire firearm.
Is it the same as Single Action or double action with a different name?
Someone please explain.

Sorry if this is a stupid question to ask but I would appreciate the help.


Thanks, TyNV
I think what you mean is "striker fired".

There are two basic ways to detonate a firearms primer, either by a hammer with a firing pin attached, or which strikes a separate firing pin, OR by a "striker", which is more or less the firing pin alone, which is mechanically retracted and released to strike the primer.

A Colt Single Action Army revolver and an M1911 pistol are examples of hammer fired fire firearms. In the SAA, there is a firing pin attached to the hammer so that when the hammer falls, it strikes the primer. In the M1911, there are a separate hammer and spring loaded firing pin. When the hammer falls, it strikes the firing pin, driving it forward against the firing pin spring to strike the hammer. When the hammer is at rest, the spring retracts the firing pin (which is shorter than the tunnel in which it travels) so that its point does not touch the primer.

A Glock 19 and a S&W M&P are striker fired pistols. They do not have separate hammers. Instead, the firing pin itself is retracted and released by the firing mechanism to strike the primer.

Striker fired pistols generally have fewer parts and a simpler mechanism than hammer fired firearms, especially ones with separate firing pins. Also, their safety mechanisms can be simpler since they have fewer mechanical actions to prevent.
 

open4years

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Joined
Oct 6, 2008
Messages
347
Location
Valdosta, Georgia, USA
imported post

Deanimator wrote:
TyNV wrote:
What is Strike and fire? The M&P .40 is a Strike and Fire firearm.
Is it the same as Single Action or double action with a different name?
Someone please explain.

Sorry if this is a stupid question to ask but I would appreciate the help.


Thanks, TyNV
I think what you mean is "striker fired".

There are two basic ways to detonate a firearms primer, either by a hammer with a firing pin attached, or which strikes a separate firing pin, OR by a "striker", which is more or less the firing pin alone, which is
mechanically retracted and released to strike the primer.

A Colt Single Action Army revolver and an M1911 pistol are examples of hammer fired fire firearms.  In the SAA, there is a firing pin attached to the hammer so that when the hammer falls, it strikes the primer.  In the
M1911, there are a separate hammer and spring loaded firing pin.  When the hammer falls, it strikes the firing pin, driving it forward against the firing pin spring to strike the hammer.  When the hammer is at rest, the spring retracts the firing pin (which is shorter than the tunnel in which it travels) so that its point does not touch the primer.

A Glock 19 and a S&W M&P are striker fired pistols.  They do not have separate hammers.  Instead, the firing pin itself is retracted and released
by the firing mechanism to strike the primer.

Striker fired pistols generally have fewer parts and a simpler mechanism than hammer fired firearms, especially ones with separate firing pins.  Also, their safety mechanisms can be simpler since they have fewer mechanical actions to prevent.

Striker Fired is what came to mind for me too. Good explanation.
 

Old Grump

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2010
Messages
387
Location
Blue River, Wisconsin, USA
imported post

Sorry if this is a stupid question to ask but I would appreciate the help.

Not a stupid question. Whenever somebody asks a question like that that most people seem to think is self evident there are just as many people who didn't know and were glad somebody else asked.

Even us old goats who have been around for a hundred centuries or so learn something every day. If we don't it was a day wasted.
 
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