Is Your Pistol Drop Safe?
BY Herschel Smith
3 months, 2 weeks ago
Interesting and amusing video, but I would have preferred to see more done on the 1911 designs.
They didn’t seem to know that there is a difference between the Series 70 and Series 80 designs, as one of the comments note.
Frankly, I’m not sure they have the knowledge base to fully answer the question(s) on 1911, carry status, and various designs that keep it safe (e.g., Springfield Armory’s titanium firing pin design).
If any experts/gunsmiths would like to weigh in, please do so. I’d like to know what you think.
On August 5, 2024 at 6:23 pm, Allen said:
If you need special arcane knowledge to operate a particular firearm, maybe get something else.
On August 6, 2024 at 3:57 am, Joe Blow said:
I have a S&W M&P 9C I use for carry. It’s ahem, fallen from it’s holster, once or twice while using the facilities and such. It has never discharged other than the trigger being pulled to the rear of its cycle.
On August 6, 2024 at 9:46 am, =TW= said:
Charlie is a comedic genius.
On August 6, 2024 at 1:31 pm, ZERO[F2G] said:
@=TW= I always found Micah hilarious and he does have his own channel, Charlie is pure comedy gold, and hopefully will start a channel of his own.
Now on to more serious stuff, I carry a P365, I have never dropped it so far, but I have no concerns of drop safety if I ever did other than scuffing the finish. Of course I would have concern if I ever actually had to draw in defense of a bad guy and dropped it, my fear wouldn’t be drop safe concerns tho at that time.
I only own 1 Sig P320, it is an 80% build with a mix of genuine sig and aftermarket parts. Being it is built on a chassis, that required me hand finishing, drilling out holes, bending and trimming the slide tabs, one including myself would think if the P320 is inherently a dangerous design, then surely an 80% version would be even more so.
But many drops on a section of plywood on my floor (yes I know pavement is harder and a better test, but also more damaging to finis, muzzle crown etc.) Hershel being an engineer might be able to break down those force differences for us.
It has also received many strikes from a rubber mallet at various angles points of impact etc., I have never had it fail and and release the striker.
As I understand the first iteration of the P320 could drop fire if 3 criteria were met, 1) a specific angle 2) a specific height of drop 3) a specific surface hardness that it was dropped on.
Also to my knowlege SIg addressed that with a design change, yet after millions of 320’s on the market the “it just went off on its own” complaint and litigation still continues.
I believe that in all those cases, negligent discharge was the case.
My 80% P320 is and has been loaded and sitting when not at the range, and whether summer or winter, even if I yell at it, beg it to just “go off” it doesn’t.
I believe far to many accidental discharges get blamed on the firearm, because the person responsible refused to accept the blame, choosing rather to blame the tool.
When I was 14 years old, I got into the gun cabinet to show off my Xmas present to some friends, it was a Remington 700 chambered in .243, and in showing off I put a round through the ceiling and roof, and left me and my friends with ringing ears.
Knowing I couldn’t hide it, I confessed to my parents, I was punished in an appropriate manner, lessons were taught, and now nearing 57 I have never made such a mistake a second time.
On August 7, 2024 at 7:55 am, Latigo Morgan said:
I’ve only “dropped” a pistol once in all my years of handling them. That was when my 1911 (series 70 style) fell out of the holster when I sat down for supper one evening. It chipped my ceramic tile floor where it hit. Cocked & locked, it didn’t go off. I replaced that holster the next day.