Inertial firing pins - less drop safe hammer cocked?

[RX-79G]

Okay. Hammer down on 1911s and other similar pistols is a gap of 1mm. Cocked is about 3mm.

At what gap do you think the bounce would be a factor? Less than 1mm, more than 5mm? Other?

 

[Vern Humphrey]

What does it matter what I think? What matters is what we can prove, either from calculations or actual tests.

As for the "gap" I've been using 0.1" -- 2 millimeters is closer to 0.078 inches -- so the calculations I originally did that showed the difference to be inconsequential actually err on the conservative side.

 

[RX-79G]

The calculations you did have nothing to do with the topic.

Like the pressure topic, there are no calculations available to us, and all we really have are thought problems. You seem to be all for thought problems when they suit you.

If someone was willing to destroy a 1911 or similarly configured pistol, we could decide the matter correctly - through experiment, rather than bad math.

So if you don't think this is a subject worth discussing, then we won't discuss it.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

The calculations you did have nothing to do with the topic.

In the name of Holy Gilhooley, give it a rest.

 

[RX-79G]

That's funny, Vern. What do you think I meant by "if you don't think this is a subject worth discussing, then we won't discuss it"?

If you thought it was dumb and unprovable the whole time, I have no idea why you participated.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I have given up trying to figure out what you mean.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

If you thought it was dumb and unprovable the whole time, I have no idea why you participated.

I don't know if the point being addressed is unprovable, but I am pretty sure that nobody has presented a convincing theoretical proof for either side of the argument.

A drop-test (in which the weapon actually fires) using the ultra-high speed digital photography we see on YouTube might provide an answer -- but it takes all sorts of expertise to set that procedure in motion, along with very specialized equipment.

I've noticed, too, that the folks (often engineers who seem well-versed in physics theory) who usually jump into this type of discussion with their hob-nailed boots on, have stayed clear of this particular discussion. It would appear that there are a lot of subtle variables at play. That probably tells us something, right there!

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