Are floating firing pins safe?

I guess some of this depends on how we choose to define a Slamfire.

I believe member Slamfire has experienced one or two. I never had one but witnessed one at a match in West Virginia. The rifle was a Chinese Norinco M14 chambered in 7.62x51 (308Winchester). The unfortunate shooter was doing a magazine change during a rapid fire sequence. He shoved the new mag in and let the bolt go home and bam. Rumor control said it was a classic out of battery slamfire and it tore the shooters face up and the receiver was in several pieces. That said in comparison to the number of rounds down range over several decades was all I ever saw and I was not even focused on the shooter when it happened.

To answer the question are floating firing pins safe? I do not see them as dangerous but if they scare you then obviously you should choose another rifle to shoot. Any gun can have something bad happen and any reloaded ammunition can have something bad happen and for that matter store bought commercial manufacture ammunition can have something bad happen. Tomorrow or later this evening I could have a massive coronary. I can't worry about what has not happened and I do not tempt fate but a slamfire is the least of my concerns. To each their own.

Ron

The Makarov and TT33 pistols have a firing pin the protrudes into the primer space when the hammer is down -- definitely not safe with the hammer down on a chambered round -- like the original Colt SAA pistols. The TT33 half cock is the safety and it has a firing pin spring, the Mak slide mounted safety if I recall blocks the firing pin and moves the hammer back a bit when applied.

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I don't know about what Makarovs you've handled but my carry Makarov has a rebounding hammer. The only way the hammer on my gun is going to touch the firing pin is if the trigger is pulled.

Metal God said:

See now that's interesting because I can see a primer going off if the hammer is pushing the firing pin forward do to the hammers spring tension . I'm thinking maybe a Beretta 92 series may have the same potential problem or any firearm pushing the firing pin fully forward on a loaded chamber ????? .





Is the firing pin even floating if the hammer is pressing against it ???





Are there any semi auto rifles that once you chamber a round you can decock the hammer ?? AR are a no , Stricker fired pistols like Glock and XD and others would be a no .





Not sure about you guys but this convo just got interesting to me .

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Model 92, no. The hammer hits a plunger in the safety which in turn hits the firing pin. 2 things have to happen: The safety must be off for the plunger to engage, and trigger must be pulled to lift the firing pin block out of the way that allows the firing pin to protrude.



Most modern semi pistols have a firing pin block, and revolvers a transfer bar, that needs a pulled trigger to let the firing pin touch the primer. Rifles and shotguns do not.

Back in the 1970s HP White Labs conducted drop tests with the 1911. IIRC they were conducted with the hammer cocked and locked and with the hammer down. Their results were similar to what Slam fire posted. No Ti firing pins in those days.

These tests were a very big reason Colt came out with the Series 80 with a firing pin safety.

OTOH, I have seen loaded M16s and M4s take all kinds of spills without discharging.