Hello everyone, this is my very first posting here under The Firing Line forums. Here are my ideas of what makes a handgun fault tolerant in terms of limp wristing and ammo sensitivity. List of elements I believe contributes to an auto-loading handgun being fault tolerant and not necessarily in the order of effectiveness.
1. Locking system of the action. Walther locking block system works with the least amount of recoil energy expended, no massive barrel tilting. Next is the locking breach of the Browning Hi-Power with it's bushing less design. Lastly is the locking breach of the 1911 using a collect or bushing. The most popular locking system appears to be the bushing less design of the Hi-Power.
2. Form factor. Full size is best, 5" for something like a 45ACP and about 4.5" for a 9mm.
3. Frame material. All steel is best because of the mass/weight.
4. Frame rails. Less rail area means less drag. Glock's have very little rail area.
5. Fire control group. Hammer based systems are commonly known to have better strikes on the primer. Ever have a round in the chamber that would not permit the slide to go fully into battery or some other issue preventing full battery? A hammer will hit the slide first and then the firing pin second and frequently the handgun will cycle properly. Additionally should the slide be stuck slightly out of battery the hammer will hit the slide but not the firing pin making for out of battery firing remote. Compare this with a striker-based handgun like a Glock, the only force keeping the slide in battery is the recoil spring. Try this sometime, remove the recoil spring from the Glock and then reassemble with a snap cap in the chamber. Having the Glock striker partially cocked as usual pull the trigger, this action will cause the action to open or an out of battery state. Not a comforting characteristic of a striker design IMO. Striker partially chocks during the return of the slide to battery by the force of the recoil spring while the hammer types chock fully while the slide recoils from the impulse recoil energy of the cartridge. Hammer exerts the force of the recoiling slide to the pivot point of the hammer located above the web of the hand of the shooter on the frame. This force on the frame probably aggravates limp wristing while the locking system used that is above the trigger exerts its own force onto the frame of the handgun.
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Here's some of my stuff and the ( ) indicates the quantity when more than one. Not in any particular order I believe.
S&W 745, 45ACP (4)
S&W 66, 357 mag
Colt Gold Cup customized by King's
Colt Phyton, 6", hardchromed
Glock 19C (2)
Ruger P89 (2)
Walther P5 (2)
Beretta 21A, 25ACP (2)
Beretta 71, 6", 22LR
High Standard Victor, 5.5" (2)
Raven, 25ACP
Sako Deluxe 85, 308 Win.
AKM Romanian SAR-1 (2)
AR-15 Olympic, 20", set trigger, stainless floating bbl.
AR-15 Bushmaster, 20"
Lee Enfield, Ishapore, 308 Win.
Winchester o/u Pigeon Grade, 28", 12ga, skeet
Remington 870, Special Purpose, 28", 12ga
Winchester Defender 18&28", 12ga
Ruger Mini Thirty
1. Locking system of the action. Walther locking block system works with the least amount of recoil energy expended, no massive barrel tilting. Next is the locking breach of the Browning Hi-Power with it's bushing less design. Lastly is the locking breach of the 1911 using a collect or bushing. The most popular locking system appears to be the bushing less design of the Hi-Power.
2. Form factor. Full size is best, 5" for something like a 45ACP and about 4.5" for a 9mm.
3. Frame material. All steel is best because of the mass/weight.
4. Frame rails. Less rail area means less drag. Glock's have very little rail area.
5. Fire control group. Hammer based systems are commonly known to have better strikes on the primer. Ever have a round in the chamber that would not permit the slide to go fully into battery or some other issue preventing full battery? A hammer will hit the slide first and then the firing pin second and frequently the handgun will cycle properly. Additionally should the slide be stuck slightly out of battery the hammer will hit the slide but not the firing pin making for out of battery firing remote. Compare this with a striker-based handgun like a Glock, the only force keeping the slide in battery is the recoil spring. Try this sometime, remove the recoil spring from the Glock and then reassemble with a snap cap in the chamber. Having the Glock striker partially cocked as usual pull the trigger, this action will cause the action to open or an out of battery state. Not a comforting characteristic of a striker design IMO. Striker partially chocks during the return of the slide to battery by the force of the recoil spring while the hammer types chock fully while the slide recoils from the impulse recoil energy of the cartridge. Hammer exerts the force of the recoiling slide to the pivot point of the hammer located above the web of the hand of the shooter on the frame. This force on the frame probably aggravates limp wristing while the locking system used that is above the trigger exerts its own force onto the frame of the handgun.
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Here's some of my stuff and the ( ) indicates the quantity when more than one. Not in any particular order I believe.
S&W 745, 45ACP (4)
S&W 66, 357 mag
Colt Gold Cup customized by King's
Colt Phyton, 6", hardchromed
Glock 19C (2)
Ruger P89 (2)
Walther P5 (2)
Beretta 21A, 25ACP (2)
Beretta 71, 6", 22LR
High Standard Victor, 5.5" (2)
Raven, 25ACP
Sako Deluxe 85, 308 Win.
AKM Romanian SAR-1 (2)
AR-15 Olympic, 20", set trigger, stainless floating bbl.
AR-15 Bushmaster, 20"
Lee Enfield, Ishapore, 308 Win.
Winchester o/u Pigeon Grade, 28", 12ga, skeet
Remington 870, Special Purpose, 28", 12ga
Winchester Defender 18&28", 12ga
Ruger Mini Thirty
