i had a similar question a short time back. Not so much about the function of striker vs. hammer fired more so about the terminology of striker vs. firing pin. What I found is they are basically interchangeable throughout history. Both are a "punch" designed to ignite a primer.
The difference comes into play in HOW those "punches" go about their business.
In a striker fired gun the striker/firing pin/"punch if you will" is basically simply retained by a sear of some sort while under spring tension wanting to drive it forward. In some cases the act of pulling the trigger will pull the pin back the rest of the way before releasing it (ala GLOCK safe action) and in some cases that striker/firing pin is held all the way back (fully cocked) and simply released (Ala Walther PPQ for example). From a practical standpoint. Strikers use less parts, can be packaged into a smaller envelope, tend to be cheaper to manufacture and provide the end user with a single trigger pull every time. What they lose is double strike capability (Honestly this is a non issue just pointing it out), the ability to physically feel and impede an external hammer when holstering (if a foreign object presses against the trigger you will feel the hammer start to move and can keep it from doing so with your thumb.)
Hammer fired guns still have a firing pin/striker/"punch if you will" they just go about using it differently. Where as the spring tension on a striker fired gun wants to press the striker forward, the spring tension (if there is any) on a hammer fired gun is usually to keep the firing pin from moving forward until struck by the hammer. Hammer fired guns will do TWO actions (Double Action) when firing the first round (or ever round if DA only). Action one the hammer is pulled back, action two the hammer is released an allowed to fall via spring pressure striking the firing pin, driving it forward igniting the primer. The gun fires the slide cycles in in a Double action/single action gun the slide automatically cocks the hammer leaving the gun in single action mode. At that point the trigger only has to perform a SINGLE action and that is to simply release the hammer starting the cycle over.
From a practical standpoint hammer fired guns are most commonly DA/SA guns. This means there will be two trigger pulls to learn. One heavy and long (DA) because it is overcoming the hammer spring and one very light and typically much crisper (SA) because all it has to do is release said hammer. Hammer fired guns, in theory, offer a bit more safety margins during administrative gun handling. That said one must train to DECOCK the weapon. The vast majority of modern firearms will have a decocking lever/button that allows the hammer to fall safely. There are exceptions that require the user to use the trigger and GENTLY thumb the hammer down. If a firearm has a decocking lever/button/solution ALWAYS USE IT.
However, doing force on force scenario based training left me realizing that a deliberate press was a deliberate press. After the scenarios I had no more recognition of the weight or length of the trigger on the P226 UTM pistol versus the P320 UTM pistol.
Although I have never done force on force type training I will absolutely attest to this fact even simply under the stress of a BEEP/timer. In my case I have used a SIG P225 that had an absolutely atrociously heavy double action, yet when used under stress (fake stress at that) I never even noticed it. Like I said above I do believe the heavy, long DA trigger pull is an asset to safety during administrative gun handling but like anything you need to train and be familiar with your tools. It must be decocked, it can still fire if a foreign object pushes the trigger on holstering (ESPECIALLY IF LEFT IN SINGLE ACTION). Being able to thumb the hammer on holstering is a safety feature/capability I like. YMMV and technically there are devices to allow the same functionality for a Glock.
Sorry for the super long reply and one that probably just rehashed a bunch of information but your are free to and I wholeheartedly endorse you ignoring me as I am just some idjit on the interwebz.
Take care, shoot safe, KNOW YOUR CHOSEN PLATFORM
Chris