[WirelessG]

I have all sorts of handguns and my gun safe doesn't provide much in the way of handgun storage and I didn't wan to buy the holders that attach to the inside of the door. This simply hangs off the upper shelf and there is a drop-down, magnetic bar that holds all the magazines. It's an easy enough project for anyone to make. I painted it with plasti-dip to keep it from scratching the guns. And I used rubber caps as well. Of course all the barrels are stainless (one be chromed) and I don't see how they would get scratched, but that's what I did anyhow.

[cj737]

It's pretty easy to damage the internals of a gun barrel, especially the rifling. Stainless is a pretty soft material and scratches very easily, particularly 416 (which many barrels are made from). The rubber cap is a good idea.

One OBVIOUS caveat: Make dead, damn sure, the handgun is unloaded before you slide it onto a peg. You run a legitimate risk of forcing a chambered round back onto a firing pin and well, you know, screwing up very badly. Don't presume the peg isn't long enough or the force won't be sufficient to fire the primer. There are many with life altering injuries (and others now gone) who have held that same belief.

[MinnesotaDave]

It's pretty easy to damage the internals of a gun barrel, especially the rifling. Stainless is a pretty soft material and scratches very easily, particularly 416 (which many barrels are made from). The rubber cap is a good idea.

One OBVIOUS caveat: Make dead, damn sure, the handgun is unloaded before you slide it onto a peg. You run a legitimate risk of forcing a chambered round back onto a firing pin and well, you know, screwing up very badly. Don't presume the peg isn't long enough or the force won't be sufficient to fire the primer. There are many with life altering injuries (and others now gone) who have held that same belief.

I don't follow, what gun has a protruding firing pin?

[tweake]

I don't follow, what gun has a protruding firing pin?

most of them.
the situation really applies to hammer fired guns where you can slowly drop the hammer on a live round.
of course all guns should be unloaded before putting it away, but mistakes do happen.

[tweake]

personally i prefer guns to be stored muzzle down so lube doesn't drain back into the action grip or stock.

[TraditionalToolworks]

I don't follow, what gun has a protruding firing pin?

A better question is what gun DOESN'T have a protruding firing pin? It would be difficult to ignite the primer without one on a semi-automatic handgun.

He's got the magazines out of all the handguns, FWIW.

It's an interesting idea that doesn't use up very much space inside the safe. Maybe turn it into a barrel cleaning rod and dual purpose the functionality?

I would probably have built a rack out of wood that extended across the width, which could cradle the handguns and/or protect the trigger area. However, it looks like it works how it was done. Building it is the easy part, dealing with the Internet can be more troublesome.

Cheers,
Alan

[cj737]

I don't follow, what gun has a protruding firing pin?

All of them. When the trigger is pulled, or the mechanism de-cocked, the firing pin protrudes. Only when the firearms "cocked" is the firing pin retracted past the bolt face. And firearms should be stored "de-cocked" to prevent fatigue of the trigger springs.

[MinnesotaDave]

I really do not believe this, modern guns do not have firing pins in contact with the primer when the trigger is not pulled.

The round does not slide backwards into it either.

Old version single action revolvers, before transfer bar or the hammer block systems were introduced, did have to have the hammer down on an empty chamber.

Transfer bar systems have a bar that rises between the hammer and pin so that the hammer can actually move the pin. Hammer hits the transfer bar technically since it's between them. The transfer bar will only stay up as long as the trigger is held.

Hammer block systems have a bar that falls out of the way so the hammer hits the pin directly. The block creates an air gap unless trigger is pulled and held back long enough for the hammer to fall.

Other systems also exist. Such as spring pressure holding the firing pin back, hammer overcoming the spring to slam the pin forward.

Etc.

Feel free to teach me something new of course and show me a modern system where this is false. I'm never against learning something.

For the OP, nice build

[Poland308]

There are a few exceptions of cheaper firearms using fixed firing pins but they are rare. Unless you own a sten.

[WirelessG]

There are a few exceptions of cheaper firearms using fixed firing pins but they are rare. Unless you own a sten.

I've had a demilled sten kit for a few years but never had the time to do anything with it. Have you built one?

[MinnesotaDave]

There are a few exceptions of cheaper firearms using fixed firing pins but they are rare. Unless you own a sten.

While true, a fixed firing pin sets off the primer as the round is chambered, such as the Sten - firing from an open bolt.

This type would not have a round chambered to be struck in the OP's rack design.

[tweake]

i don't know much on handguns.
however fairly common to have the hammer sitting on the firing pin when decocked, which will sit the firing pin against the primer. also with striker fired the firing pin spring pushes the fireing pin out.
if you decock it and look at the primer, you can sometimes see a small dent where the firing pin has rested on the primer.

if you have a strong firing pin spring or hammer spring, especially with soft primers, if you whack the round back into the firing pin it might fire it. but its unlikely as the round is held up against the bolt head and can't go back anyway.

some guns actually have a short firing pin. so at decock it does not stick out of the bolt. it relies on inertia of the firing pin to go forward enough and with enough force to fire the primer. there is no solid connection between hammer and primer. these can have issues with hard or soft primers.