WEAPON TECHNOLOGY: THIS IS MY SAFETY (2)

SPARTANAT brings you today the last article by Markus Altoé, whom we mourn - HERE is the obituary for Markus. Markus has left us unexpectedly and far too soon. In his posthumously published contribution, Markus discusses the complex topic of firearm safeties. This is the second part of the three-part series on firearm safeties that Markus expertly wrote.

Firearm Safeties - The Firing Pin Safety

Firing pin safeties secure (block) the firing pin and prevent the firing pin from impacting the firing pin (see image 26). The firing pin is a torsion spring. Firing pin safeties are only found in self-cocking break-action firearms.

When breaking a break-action firearm, the lock is cocked by the internal cocking lever and the forend; i.e. the firing pin (or firing pins in weapons with multiple firing pins e.g. drillings) cocks the firing pin (or firing pins in weapons with multiple firing pins). A locking slide is pushed in front of the firing pin (torsion spring) through the locking shaft. Releasing the firing pin cocked over the firing pin (and thus also the firing pin) is done by the trigger.

Modern locks (e.g. in StrikerFire pistols) use coil springs instead of torsion springs. This allows for new designs, which are referred to as safety systems.

Firearm Safeties - The Firing Piece Safety

Firing piece safeties secure (block) the firing piece, e.g. with the help of a
safety shaft. This engages in a recess of the firing piece and thus holds the firing piece in place. When disengaged, the safety shaft rotates out of the recess in the firing piece and the shot can be fired.

Theoretically, firing piece safeties offer the greatest safety. However, they are rarely used today as the design is complex and prone to malfunctions.

Firing piece safeties are only found in break-action firearms.

Firearm Safeties - The Firing Pin Safety

Firing pin safeties directly block the firing pin and thus offer the greatest
safety.

In firearms with cylinder or chambered locks with (vertical) wing safety (e.g.
Mauser K98), the bridge of the safety wing rests in front of the firing pin nut and thus prevents the firing pin from sliding forward. When the safety wing is disengaged, the bridge rotates counterclockwise and releases the firing pin nut. Now a shot can be fired. The safety wing can only be operated in the cocked state of the lock. Cocking the lock occurs when opening the chamber. Depending on the position of the safety wing (Left, Center, Right), the firing pin nut is either blocked or released (see images 29 and 30).

Remember:

– Left = Loud - Disengaged (see image 31)

– Center = Mounting - Locked, lock can be opened and closed (see image 32)

– Right = Quiet - Locked, lock cannot be opened (see image 33)

A disadvantage of the (vertical) wing safety is that a high mount height must be used for the scope attachment, otherwise the safety wing will hit the ocular of the scope and prevent the firearm from being disengaged or engaged. To eliminate the disadvantage of the (vertical) wing safety, a horizontal 3-position safety was developed for the 98er systems (e.g. in the Mauser M98). In firearms with cylinder or chambered locks with (horizontal) 3-position safety, a catch engages with the firing pin nut in the firing pin safety and thus secures the firing pin. As with the vertical system, the safety lever can only be operated in the cocked state of the lock. Cocking the lock occurs when opening the chamber. Depending on the position of the safety lever (Front, Center, Rear), the firing pin nut is either blocked or released. In this case:

– Front = Disengaged (see image 34)

– Center = Locked, lock can be opened and closed (see image 35)

– Rear = Locked, lock cannot be opened (see image 36)

Firing pin safety on Glock pistols

The firing pin safety is a cylindrical element in the lock of the partially tensioned Glock system with a central recess. If the trigger is not pulled, it blocks the firing pin channel (see image 37) and is only pushed up when the trigger is activated by the trigger rod (see image 38), allowing the firing pin to slide through the recess. If the weapon falls from a great height, the firing pin could be accelerated, which is why the element blocks the firing pin path.

Firing pin safety on Sig Sauer pistols

The firing pin safety on Sig Sauer pistols works in a similar way to the firing pin safety on Glock pistols. It consists of a cuboid element in the lock of the system with a central recess. If the trigger is not pulled, it blocks the firing pin channel (see images 41 and 43) and is only pushed up when the trigger is pulled by the trigger rod (see images 42 and 44), allowing the firing pin to slide through the recess. If the weapon falls from a great height, the firing pin could be accelerated, which is why the element blocks the firing pin path.

Firing pin safety on Heckler & Koch pistols

A cylindrical element in the lock of the partially tensioned Glock system with a central recess. If the trigger is not pulled, it blocks the firing pin channel (see images 45 and 47) and is only pushed up when the trigger is pulled by the trigger rod (see images 46 and 48), allowing the firing pin to slide through the recess. If the weapon falls from a great height, the firing pin could be accelerated, which is why the element blocks the firing pin path.

Firearm Safety - The Drop Safety

A drop safety is an automatic (passive) safety that is designed to prevent accidental firing when exposed to an external impulse (e.g. when the firearm falls). It is located in the rear part of the grip (see image 49).

The drop safety on Glock Safe Action pistols is not a separate component, but functions through the interaction of multiple components (such as firing pin, trigger rod). The end of the trigger rod is located in a safety ramp inside the control block at the rear end of the grip frame (see image 50). The cross bar of the trigger rod engages in the rear part of the firing pin (see image 53) and prevents the firing pin from moving forward (when the trigger is not pulled). When the trigger is pulled, the trigger rod lowers along the safety ramp, releasing the firing pin (see videos 1 and 2).

After firing, the trigger bar moves back up and locks the firing pin. The firing pin spring is then partially pre-tensioned again and the drop safety is active again.

WEAPON SAFETIES - The article by Markus Altoé:

-  WEAPON TECHNOLOGY: That's My Safety (1)

TO BE CONTINUED - 

Alpha Security Consulting & Training on the internet

Unforgettable: Markus Altoé - the obituary at SPARTANAT