Hammer or Striker ?

[Barebow]

Not being an avid hand gunner. Whos last hand gun purchase was a Ruger GP100 357mag revolver back in 1988. A lot has changed. I do like a EAA Witness compact in 45acp. My neighbor being a Tactical Officer in Baltimore. Thinks I would be missing out not picking a Striker fired handgun.

I have my choice narrowed down to the Witness 45 or a Ruger American in 45.

Opinions please. I'm swinging both ways. I like the feel of the steel Witness. But the features on the Ruger American 45 are also nice.

[delphidoc]

I started out with a Sig P229. After that I bought 5 polymer-framed striker-fired guns. Once I bought my first CZ I bought three more. My personal preference now is for all-metal guns and all of mine are hammer-fired. I guess there could be an all-metal striker-fired gun out there, but I can't think of any offhand. I've now gotten rid of three of the striker-fired guns and will probably never shoot my Taurus TCP again. That leaves me with an H&K VP9 as my only striker-fired gun.

[Tanners Owner]

What's the intended purpose?

I've shot both DA/SA, SAO, and striker guns in my IDPA & USAPSA matches ( revolvers too, but that's another story).  Any of them will do you fine, it depends upon what you find best suits your needs.

While I have no experience w/ either of the 2 guns, I know folks who do and recommend them both.  There are plenty of reviews for both on line

If both suits your needs, then I'd look at which ones have accessories readily available- holsters, mags, ect.  I'd also look at the manufacturer reputation for standing behind their product.  I've had nothing but great success w/ Ruger thus far, can't say anything about EAA.

Regardless- get what fits your needs & go shoot it.  Let us know what you decide.

[Barebow]

What's the intended purpose?

I've shot both DA/SA, SAO, and striker guns in my IDPA & USAPSA matches ( revolvers too, but that's another story).  Any of them will do you fine, it depends upon what you find best suits your needs.

Intended purpose.   We are in Maryland where gun control has turned into a money making hustle for the state. So Home Defense being on my wife's mind got us into classes required by the State. Not free of course. With the finger printing and class fees we could have bought a Maverick 88 12 gauge at Walmart. My wife picked a hammerless M&P .38 Crimson trace revolver. Double action only. And for her that is a smart pick.

Me, I want to shoot better get proper instruction on the mental side of aiming correctly. Being a shotgunner ( No rifles in my county allowed for hunting at all.) My pump all I ever needed. Sold the Ruger GP100 for a better bow years ago. Only been to the range a dozen times in the last 25 years. I intend to become fairly competent to 25 yards. 

[eastman]

I started out with a Sig P229. After that I bought 5 polymer-framed striker-fired guns. Once I bought my first CZ I bought three more. My personal preference now is for all-metal guns and all of mine are hammer-fired. I guess there could be an all-metal striker-fired gun out there, but I can't think of any offhand. I've now gotten rid of three of the striker-fired guns and will probably never shoot my Taurus TCP again. That leaves me with an H&K VP9 as my only striker-fired gun.

I think the P-08 Luger counts as an all metal striker fired pistol

[homefront]

Started my gun ownership over 30 years ago with a Colt 1911, .45acp, stainless. Read everything by Cooper and Taylor and learned all I could about 1911 shooting, triggers, accurizing, etc.

Then came a 3" GP100 for the house, followed by a .41 magnum Blackhawk, a .44 magnum Super Blackhawk, a Detective Special, a 3" HB Model 10, an SR9c and an RIA 1911 in 9mm.

Just traded the SR9c for a P-01. I feel better already.

[Vinny]

OK, This is from left field; but if your primary interest is HD and you're a pump-action guy; have you checked out the new Mossberg 590 Shockwave? Although it's BATFE approved; might be a problem in Maryland though. Check it out on Mossberg's website. New for 2017.

I live in the South. On my Shockwave I added a weaver rail and Streamlight TLR-4 laser/light 5+1 low-recoil Fiocchi #00 12 guage ammo. Rack the slide and you've sent a very strong message. If they keep com'in with bad intent; and you need stopping power, it's unbelievably effective.

Just say'in.

Otherwise....I agree with other comments; IMHO if you start with striker-fired you'll eventually come around to hammer-fired DA/SA's CZ's.

[CZ Aficionado]

The first shot in DA is very similar to a revolver, I like to SEE how my gun is functioning.  For a tactical officer I could see a striker gun fitting that need, for home defense a hammer might even be preferable.  A Witness is basically a CZ with another name.......I would just handle both and see which your "gut" tells you is right for you 

[Tyerone]

I love the hammer!

Want the best trigger for groups on paper?  Cock it back for single action shots.  Carry or have ready with the hammer down, for a deliberate pull of the trigger in order to make it go bang in a Self Defense situation.  Theoretically, the heat of the moment might not be compatible with a hair trigger, but the accuracy you suffer from the long hard DA trigger pull won't likely make a difference in the close up ranges typical of SD encounters.  Another theoretical SD heat of the moment concern (say in the case of a Beretta 92 or Canik hammered fired gun) is:  Does the safety engage when the hammer is down?  This means you pull the trigger and nothing happens.  The safety is another manipulation required.  I like that the CZ hammer fired guns (non-omega?) don't allow for safety engagement when hammer down in DA mode.  Use the safety if carrying in SA mode with that hair trigger!

I have one striker fired handgun for SD purposes (Beretta NANO) and it features a horribly long hard DA-Revolver Like trigger that I LOVE for this purpose.  No, it is not intended to shoot tight groups like a full size SA gun -- but if you practice with follow through, it performs quite well indeed!

A somewhat worrisome trend with Striker-fired handguns is the desire to include target pistol quality for them, in other words lightening up the trigger pull to near- SA hammer performance.  There is always a trade-off.  Will the hair trigger likely to "go off" with poor trigger finger control (or a jacket's rip cord that gets captured into the trigger guard)?  To combat this possibility, some of these guns are "featuring" a manual safety -- something else to think about during the stress of a SD encounter.

The striker fired gun with no safety ala Glock is just easy to use and make it go bang.  That IMO is the main attraction -- even the least intelligent among us can make it work.  That, and the trigger pull is the same for every shot.

Proper training and experience will nullify all of the concerns above, but reality dictates that there will be many only-casual users of these firearm tools, so like cutting off a finger with a table saw, negligence happens.

[Dodge807]

I think there is so much more versatility with a hammer over a striker fired. If you get the opportunity to shoot both you will find that the trigger on most striker fired guns is a long creeping pull and a not so crisp break. I am looking forward to the P10-C thou. with what you are looking at in the EAA and Ruger, don't count out the 97B, outstanding gun, great trigger ( which CZs all have ) very comfortable and drives tacks.

[Joe L]

I'll let you know in a week or so.  All I have are hammer guns, except for one small PM-40 Kahr.  I've never owned a Glock or any other medium-full size striker gun.  A P-10C is going to be an education for me, that's for sure. 

I'm spoiled with CGW parts in every CZ I own, and that is my starting point in evaluating the P-10C striker gun.

Joe

[1SOW]

JoeL,  your starting point for comparison sets the bar pretty high for a striker fired.

[Triax60]

All of my pistols are hammer aside from a Ruger Mark II which is striker, it gets a pass being all steel.

[Joe L]

All of my pistols are hammer aside from a Ruger Mark II which is striker, it gets a pass being all steel.

Your Mark II isn't really a striker, it just has a buried hammer.

Joe

[Triax60]

It is a pain in the ass to put back together after field stripping.