n00b Glock Striker Pin Q&A?

[Wayne Dobbs]

Another second to have Glock rebuild this gun. I believe that somebody has been letting the firing pin assembly strike the FP safety during an improperly conducted armorer's check of the FP safety.

[Thrill]

Another second to have Glock rebuild this gun. I believe that somebody has been letting the firing pin assembly strike the FP safety during an improperly conducted armorer's check of the FP safety.

Not sure what that means,... sorry,... just learning!

[Wayne Dobbs]

Thrill,

To check the FP safety during an armorer's check or function test, you first remove the slide assembly and carefully pull back on the firing pin's lug (the part that engages the cruciform plate on the back of the trigger bar) and make sure there is plenty of spring tension to compress with that effort. You then carefully relieve that spring tension, depress the FP safety plunger and push the FP forward and it should protrude out the breechface. You then retract the FP and with firm finger pressure you push forward on the FP lug and make sure that the FP safety will NOT allow the firing pin to protrude out the front of the breechface.

What you're NOT supposed to do, and that lots of uninformed folks do is to pull back on the firing pin, tensioning the spring and then let that SNAP forward, striking the FP safety and kicking up burrs on both the front end of the firing pin and on the body of the FP safety (which is what yours looks like).

You need both the firing pin and the firing pin safety replaced. If Glock will do it for free, that's great, because the firing pin itself is the most expensive part on the gun after the slide, barrel and frame.

[Thrill]

Thanks, Wayne!

Could "dry firing" cause the same type of damage to the striker pin? I've only had the guns for a few months, and the shop told me they were "used" - from an LE Academy of some type. The firing pins looked like that when I got them, but they both still function correctly, as far as I can tell. The Gen 2 was manufactured in Sept 1995, and the Gen 3 from April 2000; I confirmed this with Glock. So, I have no way of knowing how much they were actually used (but I suspect a lot!), or what maintenance was done on them by the LE Academy armor. I am still sending them to Glock for the overhaul because its a great service they offer, and will redouble my confidence in my new-found-favorite pistol. But I would still like to know as much as I can about my equipment. Thanks again for you info!

Thrill,

To check the FP safety during an armorer's check or function test, you first remove the slide assembly and carefully pull back on the firing pin's lug (the part that engages the cruciform plate on the back of the trigger bar) and make sure there is plenty of spring tension to compress with that effort. You then carefully relieve that spring tension, depress the FP safety plunger and push the FP forward and it should protrude out the breechface. You then retract the FP and with firm finger pressure you push forward on the FP lug and make sure that the FP safety will NOT allow the firing pin to protrude out the front of the breechface.

What you're NOT supposed to do, and that lots of uninformed folks do is to pull back on the firing pin, tensioning the spring and then let that SNAP forward, striking the FP safety and kicking up burrs on both the front end of the firing pin and on the body of the FP safety (which is what yours looks like).

You need both the firing pin and the firing pin safety replaced. If Glock will do it for free, that's great, because the firing pin itself is the most expensive part on the gun after the slide, barrel and frame.