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Lack of 2nd strike capability

EMNofSeattle

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2012
Messages
3,670
Location
S. Kitsap, Washington state
Going strictly by memory here, I seem to recollect that some of the second strike autopistols had serious flaws and were removed from the marketplace. Taurus comes to mind but I don't remember which models. Think there were some others too. And of course the second strike capability was always an option with the double/single action handguns like the S&W 39/59/ and later series. But, keep reading and you'll see why I would tend not to try that, but rather get that round out of the gun by hand cycling the slide.

My training with semi auto handguns has long included the "tap rack bang" system of dealing with a failure to fire; the thought being that perhaps the round itself is defective in some way, and even if a second strike was possible, it may well be a critical waste of time.

That is surely one advantage of the good old double action revolver: By pulling the trigger again, you get a different round under the firing pin.

Nothing ruins 'Plan A' more quickly than getting a 'click' when you were expecting a 'bang'.

that is certainly true, but (and I'm a revolver nut myself) when you're only starting the game with six (or five) rounds, you're seriously hamstrung by losing one round, because if you need that 5th or 6th shot you now have a full reload, plus if the problem was a hangfire you now have a round about the pop out of batter.

versus tap. rack. bang. back in the fight with all your ammo .
 

Citizen

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Nov 15, 2006
Messages
18,269
Location
Fairfax Co., VA
My carry gun has second-strike capability! <smug facial expression>

I just have to shoot five more before coming around again to the misfire for a second strike.

:D
 

davidmcbeth

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Jan 14, 2012
Messages
16,167
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earth's crust
BTW,, Glock does Not have 2nd strike!!

I have a P38/01,,, a P64,,, a CZ82,,, and a FNP45, they all have 2nd strike!


OTOH,,, any semi with an exposed hammer can be recocked manually and tried again!

Well you can use a Glock as a small club. Some guns have this thought in mind when they were designed.
 

WalkingWolf

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
11,930
Location
North Carolina
Two things come to mind....
1) If I'm so preoccupied that I might not notice the first time my pistol failed to fire in a serious social encounter, why would I notice it when it didn't happen again?

2) Regarding the necessity, what are the chances that a cartridge that failed to fire after being struck once with a hammer/striker is going to fire the second time? Fifty percent? Seventy-five percent? Neither of those would be good enough for me to try to re-fire a known bad cartridge instead of exchanging the known bad for an assumed good cartridge with a quick tap-n-rack.

When I still had some WW2 manufactured 45 ACP they did fail to fire sometimes on the first strike, and always fired on the second strike. Most times this happens with hard primers which WW2 ammo was known for, as most pistols in that period had a stiff hammer. The soldiers of that period were not wussies, like the metro gun owner of today. Most complaints I hear of second strike DA pistols is the trigger is too heavy. Ohhhh Booo Hooo! Cry me a river!
 

Firearms Iinstuctor

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2011
Messages
3,428
Location
northern wis
I have three double action autos in the stable now a S@W3913 that had trigger job done by their custom shop very nice indeed.

Then a P90 that has a very nice from the factory trigger on it and a PPK 380 with a so so trigger


Do they rival the best double action revolver triggers no but the Smith and Ruger very shoot able.

And 4 single action autos

If one was shooting ammo that was know to have a lot of primer problems their double strike option might be handy.

But I train to clear it and continue on.
 
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MAC702

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
6,331
Location
Nevada
Shoot GOOD ammo that you have tested hundreds of rounds through and that you trust. BUT, if I get a dud, I'm not going to waste another shot on target with another probable dud. I'm going to get a fresh round in that chamber anyway, so second-strike means nothing to me. I'd rather have my preferred single-action pistol.

Having a primer that, for whatever reason, will go off with a second strike is a far less likely scenario than something else causing the problem, like being out of battery or having a low magazine causing an empty chamber. If you get a "click" in a gunfight, don't waste time hoping it's the least likely easiest fix. Tap, Invert, Rack, Reassess.

If you are seriously concerned with second strike capability as a priority, you should be carrying a revolver, which not only requires nothing more than a DA trigger pull, like your special pistols, but also puts a fresh round under the hammer at the same time.

"Second-strike capability" got into the lexicon by the marketing department at Taurus, the most successful firearms marketing department ever.
 
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pkbites

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2006
Messages
773
Location
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, ,
Most complaints I hear of second strike DA pistols is the trigger is too heavy. Ohhhh Booo Hooo! Cry me a river!

But they don't have to be that way. I think some manufacturers did that on purpose to either emulate revolver triggers, help prevent negligent discharges, or maybe both.

I have a Ruger P93 in DAO. Holy cow is that trigger pull long and heavy. My Walther P99 has a double action pull that is nowhere near that heavy and much more enjoyable to shoot.
 

MSG Laigaie

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 10, 2011
Messages
3,239
Location
Philipsburg, Montana
Nothing ruins 'Plan A' more quickly than getting a 'click' when you were expecting a 'bang'.



........ even back in the days when we carried Ruger P85 .........

"back in the..what?" I still carry a P85 on occasion. Nice pistol.


Misfire in a firefight? Drop the mag and reload.....OR..the famous "new york reload". Just grab your second gun.
 

MAC702

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
6,331
Location
Nevada
The road to hell is paved with what-ifs. What if it fails to fire? What if the meteor strikes? What if ...?

Exactly. Nothing wrong with having the ability to second-strike. Nothing wrong with it being a low priority, either, especially with all the things that are much higher on the list when choosing a defensive sidearm.
 

Freedom1Man

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2012
Messages
4,462
Location
Greater Eastside Washington
Exactly. Nothing wrong with having the ability to second-strike. Nothing wrong with it being a low priority, either, especially with all the things that are much higher on the list when choosing a defensive sidearm.
Start with high quality ammunition. Skip the second strike.

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk
 
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