Firing pin

The hammer and fixed firing pin of a Smith & Wesson Model 13 revolver.
From the top: striker-fired, linear hammer with free-floating firing pin, hammer-fired with free-floating firing pin, and hammer-fired with integral firing pin

A firing pin or striker is a part of the firing mechanism of a firearm that impacts the primer in the base of a cartridge and causes it to fire. In firearms terminology, a striker is a particular type of firing pin where a compressed spring acts directly on the firing pin to provide the impact force rather than it being struck by a hammer.

The terms may also be used for a component of equipment or a device which has a similar function. Such equipment or devices include: artillery, munitions and pyrotechnics.


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