VP9 firing pin block design, is it a theoretical safety issue?

[sigtoglock]

Well I'm finding this thread to be very interesting. I'm a recently retired science teacher and new gun owner and wanted a gun for home defense, practice at the range, and carry. I just loved the hours spent researching online and decided on a Sig P365XL with Holosun 507K and Phlster AIWB. I'm in love with my new hobby and feel more confident to protect my family if needed. One nagging thought kept me from feeling comfortable carrying aimed at my groin with a round in the chamber like I know I should. After hearing so much about internal safeties I decided I needed to take a deep dive into that subject to regain confidence. What I found about the Sig didn't reassure me for the same reasons as the OP, no redundancy if the back of the striker were to break. Then I discovered Glock. Wow,wow,wow. Their design with several redundancies convinced me to change my whole setup to a 43X mos with the 507K and a new Phlster to fit and I could not be happier and more confident with my decision. I understand not everyone feels the need for that degree of safety design and if I didn't carry appendix I wouldn't feel as strongly about it. Come to think of it, I guess I do have redundancy with an extra testicle. Hmmm.

[FreedomFries]

Well I'm finding this thread to be very interesting. I'm a recently retired science teacher and new gun owner and wanted a gun for home defense, practice at the range, and carry. I just loved the hours spent researching online and decided on a Sig P365XL with Holosun 507K and Phlster AIWB. I'm in love with my new hobby and feel more confident to protect my family if needed. One nagging thought kept me from feeling comfortable carrying aimed at my groin with a round in the chamber like I know I should. After hearing so much about internal safeties I decided I needed to take a deep dive into that subject to regain confidence. What I found about the Sig didn't reassure me for the same reasons as the OP, no redundancy if the back of the striker were to break. Then I discovered Glock. Wow,wow,wow. Their design with several redundancies convinced me to change my whole setup to a 43X mos with the 507K and a new Phlster to fit and I could not be happier and more confident with my decision. I understand not everyone feels the need for that degree of safety design and if I didn't carry appendix I wouldn't feel as strongly about it. Come to think of it, I guess I do have redundancy with an extra testicle. Hmmm.

Ultimately I think you just have to decide based on what you're comfortable with. I also considered some of these fully cocked striker for carry and went with Glock instead. However, between the VP9, M&P, P365, and other striker pistols that all have a striker safety/firing pin block that impedes movement by contacting the striker at a point rearward of the spring cups, there have been zero publicized cases of a striker spontaneously snapping at a point that bypassed the safety mechanism and resulted in a testicular or femoral artery boo boo.

Maybe it could theoretically happen, but with over a million P365 (as of 2020), millions M&P/M&P Shields, and who knows how many VP9/SF9 in circulation, it still hasn't been heard of. If it were to happen, the chances that it would happen to you in your AIWB holster without it happening to somebody else first are astronomically low. And if it happened to anybody, all of the internet would hear about it immediately.

[Clusterfrack]

...aimed at my groin with a round in the chamber...

A gun in a properly wedged AIWB holster doesn't have to aim at body parts.

[TheNewbie]

A gun in a properly wedged AIWB holster doesn't have to aim at body parts.

What about when sitting? Especially in a car.


I’ve never AIWB so I don’t know.

[Clusterfrack]

What about when sitting? Especially in a car.


I’ve never AIWB so I don’t know.

When I switched to appendix, I was concerned about this as well. Before I carried a live weapon, I taped a pencil into the muzzle of an unloaded Glock 19, holstered AIWB, and went about my daily business. Every so often I would feel myself up, and locate the end of the pencil.

Worst case, while sitting with back straight or bent forward, the muzzle is aimed through a bit of inner thigh, and maybe some right testicle (I hang left). Driving, the testicle is safe.

I decided this was acceptable, and have been carrying AIWB ever since.

When I holster, I tip my hips out to make sure nothing gets muzzled. Thumb on SCD or hammer adds further safety--especially when holstering under duress-- but personally I would carry a striker-fired gun with a reasonable trigger without a SCD.

[sigtoglock]

Ultimately I think you just have to decide based on what you're comfortable with. I also considered some of these fully cocked striker for carry and went with Glock instead. However, between the VP9, M&P, P365, and other striker pistols that all have a striker safety/firing pin block that impedes movement by contacting the striker at a point rearward of the spring cups, there have been zero publicized cases of a striker spontaneously snapping at a point that bypassed the safety mechanism and resulted in a testicular or femoral artery boo boo.

Maybe it could theoretically happen, but with over a million P365 (as of 2020), millions M&P/M&P Shields, and who knows how many VP9/SF9 in circulation, it still hasn't been heard of. If it were to happen, the chances that it would happen to you in your AIWB holster without it happening to somebody else first are astronomically low. And if it happened to anybody, all of the internet would hear about it immediately.

I hope you're right, but I have seen stories like this one....

https://www.unionleader.com/news/cou...943be8493.html

[parishioner]

I hope you're right, but I have seen stories like this one....

https://www.unionleader.com/news/cou...943be8493.html

Please see this thread:

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....-P320-Concerns

[sigtoglock]

Please see this thread:

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....-P320-Concerns

Thanks for the link. I guess this has been covered quite extensively on this forum. I've got a lot to learn still and it appears that I've just registered with an excellent group.

[FreedomFries]

A gun in a properly wedged AIWB holster doesn't have to aim at body parts.

But what if you have scrotal elephantiasis and it's the size of a basketball?

[Clusterfrack]

But what if you have scrotal elephantiasis and it's the size of a basketball?

TMI, dude. TMI.