Striker Fire Models

TravisHenderson · December 25, 2020, 10:56 AM

Hi,

I've had or have a variety of pistols in all sorts of styles.

Being a 1911 fan (who isn't!) there's an amazing selection of high end models.

Aficionados (or snobs...you decide!) discuss MIM parts etc and have analyzed the entire range of options....

But striker fire seems to be pretty much regarded as all the same despite a wider variety of mechanisms.

It seems Springfield, Ruger, Glock, etc are all on the same level and discussion never veers to MIM or actual firing mechanisms as being a reason to pick one over another. Seems to be which fits your hand better is the deciding factor.

Perhaps I have it wrong and there IS a Cadillac of striker fires that I have missed.

Are my assumptions correct or is there an off the shelf striker fire model that would rival Les Baer or Wilson Combat 1911s quality and build wise?

Thanks!

Trav!

buddyd157 · December 25, 2020, 11:10 AM

ok, i am not an aficionado, nor an expert, nor professional.

i am an ordinary man, that got into this sport in late January of 2020, LONG BEFORE the panic buying.

i buy what I LIKE, and this is after watching very good you-tube videos FROM the experts, on firing, quality build, function, reliability, and then lastly, pricing.

i could care less all the rhetoric on the manufacturing process of each gun i buy.

they all use very good components, and metals, and each manufacturer, uses whatever process from that, to build the guns.

I WILL stay away from "cheapie-cheap" handguns, like say under the $200 price range, only due to the process INVOLVED in tearing them apart (field strip) for a cleaning, and the one that comes to my mind, is the HighPoint brand.

i will NEVER understand why on God's good earth, a hammer and punch must be used, to take down a gun.

when ALL OTHERS, our hands are all that is needed.

striker, or hammer fired, frankly i like them both, as i too have right now, 3 .45 ACP guns, that have hammers, and i have 1 9MM that is hammer fired, and 3 that are striker fired.

to me, THEY ALL do the "job" of allowing me to have fun at the range, and ALL are VERY capable for home defense.

i do not CCW yet, but hope to do so in the new year.

it's like "which motorcycle is the best", or "which pick up is the best"...

ask 27 people, and you get 1,000 opinions/answers/stories.

chemcal · December 25, 2020, 11:55 AM

I've shot for many years and had a CCW for most of those. I bought, sold, and traded many firearms. Guns I would recommend(no order) are Sig 229, Walther P99AS, and HK P2000 all in nine mm. Merry Christmas

Jim Watson · December 25, 2020, 12:21 PM

If you wanted something nice in the striker fired lineup, you should look at the Laugo Alien. Introductory series with extras, $5000 and all spoken for at that. Surely a standard model will be less; probably still $4000.

Pahoo · December 25, 2020, 12:28 PM

Quote:

But striker fire seems to be pretty much regarded as all the same despite a wider variety of mechanisms.

Well, they are not all the same as you are eluding to. .......

Quote:

It seems Springfield, Ruger, Glock, etc are all on the same level and discussion never veers to MIM or actual firing mechanisms as being a reason to pick one over another. Seems to be which fits your hand better is the deciding factor.

I guess you could say that I have gone full circle, on this and now, generally prefer hammer fired over striker. Don't get me wrong, there are some striker-fired, that I truly enjoy shooting but "my" best is a Hammer-Fired. ...

Be Safe !!!

RickB · December 25, 2020, 01:15 PM

Luger is the Cadillac of striker-fired pistols.

pete2 · December 25, 2020, 01:22 PM

Glock claims perfection, I don't know if there are any MIM in Glocks but there is plenty of plastic and stamped parts. Nothing about a Glock that compares to a good 1911 except that it will send a bullet down range. Kind of like a Glock is a Chevy and the 1911 is a Caddie.

jmhyer · December 25, 2020, 02:03 PM

I think you have it about right. What fits your hand the best and what you shoot best should really be the deciding factors in striker-fired pistols. Some have different features with regard to sights (steel vs plastic) and manual safeties (grip safety vs thumb safety vs no external safety). Really, the only other factor that is worth at least considering is aftermarket support, should you decide to "upgrade" anything...trigger, sights, barrel, holster options, etc. In terms of aftermarket stuff, Glock and M&P are the way to go...but options for Sig (i.e.- p320) are catching up quickly.

**4V50 Gary** · December 25, 2020, 03:40 PM

What RickB says, but I'd elevate it to RollsRoyce. That machining!

Fishbed77 · December 25, 2020, 05:51 PM

Quote:

I don't know if there are any MIM in Glocks but there is plenty of plastic and stamped parts.

Plenty of MIM parts in a Glock and they work fine.

jmr40 · December 25, 2020, 05:55 PM

I'm like a lot about the 1911 design, but for a lot of reasons trust more modern designs. For that reason I prefer a 1911 style safety on a modern striker fired gun.

Out of the box the new military M17 and M18 are my pick for the best of the striker fired guns. You get a trigger that is actually pretty close to most out of the box 1911's with a similar style safety in a similar size gun. But with 17+ rounds of ammo in a lighter more modern plastic framed gun. And based on 40+ years of shooting 1911's, a much more reliable gun.

The Smith M&P can be in the running too. They offer most of their guns with a similar style safety. From the factory the triggers are very much "Glock like", but there are aftermarket triggers available that take them to a completely different level.

And I wouldn't want a trigger that light and short without a safety. On Glocks and other guns with a similar trigger they are OK. But no one would want a 1911 with a light, short trigger pull with no safety.

I picked up a used 1st gen M&P 45 ACP a while back dirt cheap and had an Apex trigger kit installed. That gun is now MORE accurate than my 1911's while holding 10+1 rounds or 45 ACP in a smaller, package. And extended 14 round mags are available. That gun with a pistol mounted light and 15 rounds now does duty as my night stand gun.

I won't knock Glock. While they are certainly utilitarian they simply work. And they have proven to be very durable. There are multiple shooters who have torture tested them to extreme limits and hundreds of thousands of rounds with no major failure. The other designs may be able to match that, but so far no one has proven it. I have a few Glocks and they aren't for sale. But I like the Sig and Smith offerings slightly better. Mostly due to having a safety.

BourbonCowboy · December 27, 2020, 12:42 AM

Quote:

What fits your hand the best and what you shoot best should really be the deciding factors in striker-fired pistols.

This.

I've found that the HK VP line fits my hand like an extension of my arm. And that's why I went with the VP9 and VP9SK. Well, that and the fact that they provide ambidextrous mag release paddles, and slide release bars.

GarandTd · December 27, 2020, 09:56 AM

First off, I don't have "the Cadillac" of anything. I like em' on the budget side.

I would consider Glock and M&P to be the highly regarded workhorses of the striker family. I wouldn't consider them Cadillacs, but they are highly customizable and reliable.

Walther has some models that would be, IMO, higher end like the Q4 or Q5 with the steel frames.

Tough to compare when there are so many variations in striker fired handguns vs just the 1911 design.

Sanch · December 27, 2020, 11:22 AM

One of these days I'm gonna bit the bullet and buy a striker fired handgun.

The poster praising the Sig P229 knows his handguns. While I'm a committed 1911-A1 aficionado, the Sig P229 might be the best of te best of double action semiauto handguns. The only deviation is he cited the 9MM. I'd go with .40 S&W.

The Sig P229's slide is machined from forged steel.

There is no doubt in my mind that the P229 is infinitely more reliable and durable that any revolver.

Its baby brother, the P239 is just as excellent in a smaller package.

**44 AMP** · December 27, 2020, 02:11 PM

I have a striker fired 9mm pistol. Its called a Luger!

Other than the grips & springs its all forged steel.

Quote:

There is no doubt in my mind that the P229 is infinitely more reliable and durable that any revolver.

While there's no doubt in your mind, there is in the rest of the world....

There's no doubt the Sig P series guns are durable and reliable, but to make such a claim, "better than any revolver" is hubris.

You're welcome to your own opinion, but its only your own opinion...

Armybrat · December 27, 2020, 02:31 PM

Nothing wrong with the underrated Ruger SR9.....

Sanch · December 28, 2020, 04:40 PM

This is just a guess based upon observation: The Glock 19 and 22 dominate Western countries law enforcement agencies' issued handguns.

bac1023 · December 29, 2020, 06:00 AM

Quote:

If you wanted something nice in the striker fired lineup, you should look at the Laugo Alien. Introductory series with extras, $5000 and all spoken for at that. Surely a standard model will be less; probably still $4000.

Jim,
The Alien is more of a hammer fired pistol or a hybrid at the very least.

Pistoler0 · December 29, 2020, 09:12 AM

Jim,

I pick Glock not because of the ergonomics or the way it shoots, I just like utilitarian stuff that lasts and lasts and gives me no trouble.

I shoot Glocks, drive Toyotas, buy Samsung electronics, and in general try to research for the most trouble free long lasting piece of kit I can find even if they are lacking in features.

You asked about the Cadillac of striker fired pistols, from personal use and I am just familiar with the Toyota.

But for what I read, Wilson Combat custom Glocks are considered to be high end. Maybe Sig Sauer P320? That'd be a BMW or Audi though. : /

pete2 · December 29, 2020, 12:31 PM

At this point the most reliable semi I have is a DW Valkyrie(that's a lightweight Commander to you Glock guys). Second and 3rd are an LC9 and an FS92. My G19 hasn't jammed but the trigger failed. The S&W EZ 9mm is interesting and it is tempting, not because of the EZ but because it is hammer fired. Not sure I like the grip safety.

Groundhog34 · December 30, 2020, 09:12 AM

I have had or currently own most striker fired pistols: Glock, Sig, Ruger and several other brands. If there is a Cadillac it is H&K.

Jim Watson · December 30, 2020, 10:35 AM

Since bac won't let me sell you a Laugo, the leading striker fired gun on the USPSA circuit appears to be a Sig P320 X5 Legion with "tungsten infused polymer" butt. Maybe not a Cadillac, call it a dragster.
So is a Walther Q5 Match SF an AMG?

ThesNazud · December 30, 2020, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pete2

Glock claims perfection, I don't know if there are any MIM in Glocks but there is plenty of plastic and stamped parts. Nothing about a Glock that compares to a good 1911 except that it will send a bullet down range. Kind of like a Glock is a Chevy and the 1911 is a Caddie.

I think a more accurate analogy is that a Glock is like an old Wiley's Jeep, the sucker just runs; with the 1911 being the "Caddie", you'll have ok and amazing ones....

Docster1516 · December 30, 2020, 03:40 PM

If you are a 1911 guy, XDs will compliment that grip angle nicely so your muscle memory will still be there.

Jim Watson · December 30, 2020, 03:46 PM

Could be. A friend shoots an XD at USPSA Production. He carries a smaller model.
He competed with a CZ Shadow 2 for about a month and went back to his XD 5.25.

December 25, 2020, 10:56 AM	#1
TravisHenderson Junior Member Join Date: September 10, 2020 Posts: 4	Striker Fire Models Hi, I've had or have a variety of pistols in all sorts of styles. Being a 1911 fan (who isn't!) there's an amazing selection of high end models. Aficionados (or snobs...you decide!) discuss MIM parts etc and have analyzed the entire range of options.... But striker fire seems to be pretty much regarded as all the same despite a wider variety of mechanisms. It seems Springfield, Ruger, Glock, etc are all on the same level and discussion never veers to MIM or actual firing mechanisms as being a reason to pick one over another. Seems to be which fits your hand better is the deciding factor. Perhaps I have it wrong and there IS a Cadillac of striker fires that I have missed. Are my assumptions correct or is there an off the shelf striker fire model that would rival Les Baer or Wilson Combat 1911s quality and build wise? Thanks! Trav!

December 25, 2020, 01:15 PM	#6
RickB Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2000 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 8,518	Luger is the Cadillac of striker-fired pistols. __________________ Runs off at the mouth about anything 1911 related on this site and half the time is flat out wrong.

December 25, 2020, 03:40 PM	#9
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,841	What RickB says, but I'd elevate it to RollsRoyce. That machining! __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

December 25, 2020, 05:55 PM	#11
jmr40 Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,809	I'm like a lot about the 1911 design, but for a lot of reasons trust more modern designs. For that reason I prefer a 1911 style safety on a modern striker fired gun. Out of the box the new military M17 and M18 are my pick for the best of the striker fired guns. You get a trigger that is actually pretty close to most out of the box 1911's with a similar style safety in a similar size gun. But with 17+ rounds of ammo in a lighter more modern plastic framed gun. And based on 40+ years of shooting 1911's, a much more reliable gun. The Smith M&P can be in the running too. They offer most of their guns with a similar style safety. From the factory the triggers are very much "Glock like", but there are aftermarket triggers available that take them to a completely different level. And I wouldn't want a trigger that light and short without a safety. On Glocks and other guns with a similar trigger they are OK. But no one would want a 1911 with a light, short trigger pull with no safety. I picked up a used 1st gen M&P 45 ACP a while back dirt cheap and had an Apex trigger kit installed. That gun is now MORE accurate than my 1911's while holding 10+1 rounds or 45 ACP in a smaller, package. And extended 14 round mags are available. That gun with a pistol mounted light and 15 rounds now does duty as my night stand gun. I won't knock Glock. While they are certainly utilitarian they simply work. And they have proven to be very durable. There are multiple shooters who have torture tested them to extreme limits and hundreds of thousands of rounds with no major failure. The other designs may be able to match that, but so far no one has proven it. I have a few Glocks and they aren't for sale. But I like the Sig and Smith offerings slightly better. Mostly due to having a safety. __________________ "If you're still doing things the same way you were doing them 10 years ago, you're doing it wrong" Winston Churchill

December 27, 2020, 09:56 AM	#13
GarandTd Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2016 Location: Rural PA Posts: 1,639	First off, I don't have "the Cadillac" of anything. I like em' on the budget side. I would consider Glock and M&P to be the highly regarded workhorses of the striker family. I wouldn't consider them Cadillacs, but they are highly customizable and reliable. Walther has some models that would be, IMO, higher end like the Q4 or Q5 with the steel frames. Tough to compare when there are so many variations in striker fired handguns vs just the 1911 design. __________________ 22lr, 20 gauge, 8mm Mauser, 35 Remington, 30-06, 5.56x45/223, 9mm, 380acp

December 25, 2020, 11:10 AM	#2
buddyd157 Member Join Date: April 14, 2020 Location: New England Posts: 40	ok, i am not an aficionado, nor an expert, nor professional. i am an ordinary man, that got into this sport in late January of 2020, LONG BEFORE the panic buying. i buy what I LIKE, and this is after watching very good you-tube videos FROM the experts, on firing, quality build, function, reliability, and then lastly, pricing. i could care less all the rhetoric on the manufacturing process of each gun i buy. they all use very good components, and metals, and each manufacturer, uses whatever process from that, to build the guns. I WILL stay away from "cheapie-cheap" handguns, like say under the $200 price range, only due to the process INVOLVED in tearing them apart (field strip) for a cleaning, and the one that comes to my mind, is the HighPoint brand. i will NEVER understand why on God's good earth, a hammer and punch must be used, to take down a gun. when ALL OTHERS, our hands are all that is needed. striker, or hammer fired, frankly i like them both, as i too have right now, 3 .45 ACP guns, that have hammers, and i have 1 9MM that is hammer fired, and 3 that are striker fired. to me, THEY ALL do the "job" of allowing me to have fun at the range, and ALL are VERY capable for home defense. i do not CCW yet, but hope to do so in the new year. it's like "which motorcycle is the best", or "which pick up is the best"... ask 27 people, and you get 1,000 opinions/answers/stories.

December 25, 2020, 11:55 AM	#3
chemcal Senior Member Join Date: May 16, 2014 Posts: 281	I've shot for many years and had a CCW for most of those. I bought, sold, and traded many firearms. Guns I would recommend(no order) are Sig 229, Walther P99AS, and HK P2000 all in nine mm. Merry Christmas

December 25, 2020, 12:21 PM	#4
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,543	If you wanted something nice in the striker fired lineup, you should look at the Laugo Alien. Introductory series with extras, $5000 and all spoken for at that. Surely a standard model will be less; probably still $4000.

December 25, 2020, 01:22 PM	#7
pete2 Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 2,566	Glock claims perfection, I don't know if there are any MIM in Glocks but there is plenty of plastic and stamped parts. Nothing about a Glock that compares to a good 1911 except that it will send a bullet down range. Kind of like a Glock is a Chevy and the 1911 is a Caddie.

December 25, 2020, 02:03 PM	#8
jmhyer Senior Member Join Date: June 19, 2012 Location: MS - USA Posts: 899	I think you have it about right. What fits your hand the best and what you shoot best should really be the deciding factors in striker-fired pistols. Some have different features with regard to sights (steel vs plastic) and manual safeties (grip safety vs thumb safety vs no external safety). Really, the only other factor that is worth at least considering is aftermarket support, should you decide to "upgrade" anything...trigger, sights, barrel, holster options, etc. In terms of aftermarket stuff, Glock and M&P are the way to go...but options for Sig (i.e.- p320) are catching up quickly.

December 27, 2020, 11:22 AM	#14
Sanch Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 2020 Posts: 154	One of these days I'm gonna bit the bullet and buy a striker fired handgun. The poster praising the Sig P229 knows his handguns. While I'm a committed 1911-A1 aficionado, the Sig P229 might be the best of te best of double action semiauto handguns. The only deviation is he cited the 9MM. I'd go with .40 S&W. The Sig P229's slide is machined from forged steel. There is no doubt in my mind that the P229 is infinitely more reliable and durable that any revolver. Its baby brother, the P239 is just as excellent in a smaller package.

December 28, 2020, 04:40 PM	#17
Sanch Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 2020 Posts: 154	This is just a guess based upon observation: The Glock 19 and 22 dominate Western countries law enforcement agencies' issued handguns.

December 29, 2020, 09:12 AM	#19
Pistoler0 Senior Member Join Date: November 15, 2019 Location: Conifer, CO Posts: 632	Jim, I pick Glock not because of the ergonomics or the way it shoots, I just like utilitarian stuff that lasts and lasts and gives me no trouble. I shoot Glocks, drive Toyotas, buy Samsung electronics, and in general try to research for the most trouble free long lasting piece of kit I can find even if they are lacking in features. You asked about the Cadillac of striker fired pistols, from personal use and I am just familiar with the Toyota. But for what I read, Wilson Combat custom Glocks are considered to be high end. Maybe Sig Sauer P320? That'd be a BMW or Audi though. : / __________________ Life is simply an inter-temporal problem of constrained optimization. Last edited by Pistoler0; December 29, 2020 at 09:23 AM.

December 29, 2020, 12:31 PM	#20
pete2 Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 2,566	At this point the most reliable semi I have is a DW Valkyrie(that's a lightweight Commander to you Glock guys). Second and 3rd are an LC9 and an FS92. My G19 hasn't jammed but the trigger failed. The S&W EZ 9mm is interesting and it is tempting, not because of the EZ but because it is hammer fired. Not sure I like the grip safety.

December 30, 2020, 09:12 AM	#21
Groundhog34 Senior Member Join Date: December 15, 2007 Location: Alabama Posts: 196	I have had or currently own most striker fired pistols: Glock, Sig, Ruger and several other brands. If there is a Cadillac it is H&K. __________________ "they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name 666." Revelation 13:11

December 30, 2020, 10:35 AM	#22
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,543	Since bac won't let me sell you a Laugo, the leading striker fired gun on the USPSA circuit appears to be a Sig P320 X5 Legion with "tungsten infused polymer" butt. Maybe not a Cadillac, call it a dragster. So is a Walther Q5 Match SF an AMG?

December 30, 2020, 03:40 PM	#24
Docster1516 Junior Member Join Date: November 16, 2013 Posts: 4	If you are a 1911 guy, XDs will compliment that grip angle nicely so your muscle memory will still be there.

December 30, 2020, 03:46 PM	#25
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,543	Could be. A friend shoots an XD at USPSA Production. He carries a smaller model. He competed with a CZ Shadow 2 for about a month and went back to his XD 5.25.