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

[SecondsCount]

You're absolutely right. We routinely accept risks by using mechanical devices without giving it any second thought. Cars, bikes, planes, nose hair trimmers, etc. Somehow though, none of these scare me as much as certain types of SFA pistol holstered next to my sack. It's irrational I'm sure, because I don't know of any cases where someone was injured from a spontaneous sear or striker failure in an unmodified firearm.

There's still a lot of us out there who are going to obsess about it though. Maybe someone will make a YouTube channel about torture testing strikers to exploit us for ad revenue. Maybe videos where they throw various strikers into a bucket of rocks and feces, stomp on them, and then make assertions about which designs are better?

We don't need more stupid rock, mud, sand, water, hammering, dropping from airplane Youtube videos but I would take more 90K round tests done in TLG style

What we need is for someone to do a failure analysis (FMEA) on the part. Being that it is an HK part, I am certain that it is overbuilt, and the reality is that it is a low stress component compared to the tip of the striker, extractor, ejector, etc. It is also protected from additional stresses by being internal to the slide, unlike a sear in a 1911 which is supporting an exposed hammer, and can be struck by external objects.

Honestly, I would be more concerned about the 1/8" travel of the trigger to make the gun go bang than the striker failing. While I own and really enjoy the VP9, I only carry something with a LEM trigger in the appendix position

[Bucky]

There's millions of 1911s out there too. There's not many reports of sears failing, but I know of two personally.

In either case, did the gun fire or did the half cock notch do its job? If the gun fired, was a trigger job involved?

I’ve seen many an improperly trigger job done on a gun where they screw up the half cock notch. I happen to have one from a former reputable Smith.

Simple test, lower your 1911 hammer to half cock. Then try and pull the trigger. If the hammer falls, gun needs a-fixin’.

[M2CattleCo]

One caused an unintended double, I don't think the other one did.

The first was a Colt MIM sear which are regarded by the best 'smiths in the county as being some of the toughest and longest lasting sears there are, the other was an STI IIRC.

[Alpha Sierra]

The things some of you guys obsess about......SMH

If such an incredibly low probability failure is a concern, dump the gun and buy one with a DAO or DA/SA trigger and be done with it.

Somehow I think that won't happen and this thread will reach 753 pages.

[Greg]

In either case, did the gun fire or did the half cock notch do its job? If the gun fired, was a trigger job involved?

I’ve seen many an improperly trigger job done on a gun where they screw up the half cock notch. I happen to have one from a former reputable Smith.

Simple test, lower your 1911 hammer to half cock. Then try and pull the trigger. If the hammer falls, gun needs a-fixin’.

If the hammer has a half cock ledge instead of the original captive half cock notch, the hammer will fall, but with almost no energy. Both Colt and Springfield went to Ledge style hammers 20+ years ago.

[Guinnessman]

The things some of you guys obsess about......SMH

If such an incredibly low probability failure is a concern, dump the gun and buy one with a DAO or DA/SA trigger and be done with it.

Somehow I think that won't happen and this thread will reach 753 pages.

At least it will still be shorter than the P365 thread.🤣🤣😜

[GmanVP9]

Im going to bump this. Ive done some research myself and posted in some other forums
I haven't found anyone mention the nubs on the striker breaking. 2 years later, has anyone else?

[Archer1440]

Obviously not, or you would see one single case if it ever were to happen blown to astronomic proportions.

[GmanVP9]

Good point. Im curious why they put the pin to the side instead of blocking the striker itself

[Archer1440]

Well, what if the striker body were to fail at whatever notch were needed to block the striker? The spring pressure bears on the head of the striker cups, so it would then be free to strike in case of a striker body failure at a notch.

This isn’t a MIM striker, it is billet machined heat-treated steel.

Look, there’s plenty to worry about with any striker gun without worrying about things that basically can’t happen. If you’re uncomfortable with the near impossibility of the scenario you’re evidently worried about, I can’t imagine you would be comfortable carrying any striker pistol.