Inertia is a bitch.

 

Probably a few reasons. One is drop testing was not a consideration when choosing the parts. Another is titanium firing pins can lead to primer flow and are subject to erosion. The third is probably the real reason: Ti firing pins cost more money.

I would say any 1911 without a firing pin safety is subject to failing a drop test. Back when Drake Oldham ran his tests with "fresh" Wolff firing pin springs., drops from 39" would not fire; drops from 48" would. The Series '80 firing pin safety is not a bad idea, but one pays their money and takes their chances.

 

I would be interested in a live ammo drop test. Load the gun and drop it by remote control. See what happens to the bullet, the floor, and the gun. Surely one of these Youtube Stars could manage that.

I was standing in spatter range when a careless shooter dumped a round into the floor but it was only a .22. Startling but not damaging, except to the floor.

 

Every titanium firing pin i ever had caused light primer strikes. I'd much rather have a gun that i know is gonna go bang when i need it than one i can slam into the floor and not discharge. I'll take my chances with the butterfingers.

 

I run titanium pins in all my 1911s and 2011s and have never had this happen even once. Do you run really light mainsprings? (Asking in sincerity because you're not the first person I've heard say this, but I've never experienced it.)

Colts and other Series 70 style guns sold in CA have to come with the titanium firing pins to pass the CA drop safety test.

 

Definitely need more mainspring with a Ti firing pin. I learned that lesson with an SA MilSpec.

 

I don’t care. Some people will do or say anything for attention. I wonder what his particular ass ache is about. My XC isn‘t hitting the floor.

 

This has been known for some time that a 1911/2011 if dropped from about 5 foot or higher directly onto the muzzle and onto concrete or another hard surface, can have enough momentum to discharge the gun. The real question is, how often has this happened in daily use? In my 40+ years of using 1911s, I've yet to see this happen without someone doing it intentionally.

 

Does the safety being engaged on a series 70 1911 make the gun drop safe?

 

Honest question as I'm curious - would jumping off something, while carrying, create enough inertia to duplicate a scenario such as this? Hypothetical only - I get a sense our knees would be toast at a height sufficient enough to generate enough force (not to mention you'd prob have to lock your knees on landing) 😅

 

You're the buffer/cushion for the gun. Also, if carrying appendix, don't land on your feet - belly flop instead.

 

I dropped my gun once at the range. I remember hoping as it was falling to the ground that it was one of my 1911s with a firing pin block.

 

Several of these 2011 makers are using the longest firing pin possible coupled with a standard power spring. This is so that the light mainsprings they are using will be sure to ignite primers on the regular. I measured the firing pin from both a Staccato XL and an Atlas (forgot the name). I can't remember the numbers, but both were significantly longer than "in spec" firing pins from other manufacturers. It will be interesting to see how this develops. I'm interested because I went through a lengthy R&D phase at my previous employer on a 2011 variant and these issues were brought to light through our research.

 

Several of these 2011 makers are using the longest firing pin possible coupled with a standard power spring. This is so that the light mainsprings they are using will be sure to ignite primers on the regular. I measured the firing pin from both a Staccato XL and an Atlas (forgot the name). I can't remember the numbers, but both were significantly longer than "in spec" firing pins from other manufacturers. It will be interesting to see how this develops.

Thank you Rob for confirming my suspicions about the use of competition type, extra-long firing pins.

 

I don't think many people will be dropping their $4K+ handgun but... IDK.

 

Sig is gonna be jealous.

 

🤣

 

This isn’t anything new, and pretty well documented with 1911s.

 

What about when the thumb safeties engaged? Does this make the gun 99.9999% drop safe?

 

My old instructor made a joke about something like dropping your firearm being cardinal rule #5....

Don't know how far he ever got with that one though.

 

 

So do the Staccato Ps have a different firing pin? How did they pass testing with so many different agencies?

 

Likely not a test that's conducted.

 

I wonder if ranges and instructors will start banning 1911/2011 like they did with the P320...

 

I believe different departments/agencies may have different standards for drop tests. As previously mentioned, this is reproducible under the condition the gun drops directly on the muzzle.

 

I don’t normally drop my sti/staccato so it should be a non issue.

 

Cops drop guns all the time for any variety of reasons.

 

Ben definitely likes to stir the pot, it does sell. He's pooping all over CZ now, even though he did a video a few months back of his Shadow 2 with 20k rounds and nary a problem.

 

Yes, he has always stirred the pot.. Yet I beg to question what is he selling? Views?? Not likely as he don’t have a wide audience. His shop is for competition shooters which the XC would be a fish out of water in

 

I wouldn’t say he’s pooping on anything. Simply stating fact isn’t pooping on something. The guns aren’t drop safe.

 

Been rumors U.S. Marshal SOG Team is now carrying Glocks, just a rumor.

 

That's a rumor that seems to have started much of this.

Did something happen in testing or was there a problem found during an enforcement operation?

 

If they’re going to market it as a duty gun, they should use components to negate accidental discharge from dropping.

 

If they’re going to market it as a duty gun, they should use components to negate accidental discharge from dropping.

I don’t think discharging a round directly into the ground is high on the list of things they’re worried about. The collateral damage is slim to nil.

 

Following

 

In other news, water is wet. If having a smooth, predictable trigger means that if somehow IF I drop the gun from shoulder height(?) AND there’s a round in the chamber AND it falls muzzle first AND the weight distribution of it doesn’t rotate it AND the surface has next to zero give(I’d like to see this tested on carpet and dirt now) like a solid concrete floor THEN the gun will go off…I’d call that an acceptable risk.

Imo the only drop testing concern should be the gun falling in a manner that the muzzle could be pointed at a person and the gun fires on impact. The 1911 seems to only fall into that category if there’s someone under you and you’re on a…I don’t know what kind of floor you’d have to be standing on that would allow the firing pin to move under inertia AND it’s thin enough to allow the round to penetrate. Imo that’s a test worth doing though