Safe action

The "safe action" is a firing pin lock system which Glock developed to be used in the vast majority of their pistols. The action is very similar to the quick action used by Walther and other pistol manufacturers. The system consists of one external and two internal safeties which use a striker-engaged firing pin, rather than the more traditional hammer-engaged. It uses additional precautions to prevent the firing pin from moving or being struck if the firearm were to be dropped or shaken.

The three safeties are:


 * Trigger Safety: An external integrated trigger safety lever mechanism contained within the trigger guard that prevents the trigger from moving unless the lever is depressed.


 * Striker Safety: A spring-loaded pin attached by an extension bar to the trigger assembly blocks the striker from striking the primer of the cartridge until the trigger is pulled.


 * Drop Safety: The far end of the same extension bar locks the striker into place from the rear until the trigger is pulled.

This passive safety system omits the manipulation of traditional on-off levers, hammers or external safeties as found in many other handgun designs.

However, the lack of a traditional external on-off safety means that the weapon will always fire when the trigger is depressed normally: "The ability to fire immediately, without worrying about an external safety, is one feature Glock has stressed as an advantage when selling its guns, especially to police departments..."

The factory standard two-stage trigger has a trigger travel of 12.5 mm (0.5 in) and the trigger pull is rated at 25 N, but by using a modified connector it can be increased to 35 N or lowered to 20 N. In response to a request made by American law enforcement agencies for a two-stage trigger with increased trigger pull, Glock introduced the NY1 (New York) trigger module, which features a flat spring in a plastic housing that replaces the trigger bar's standard coil spring. This trigger modification is available in two versions: NY1 and NY2 that are rated at 25 N to 40 N and 32 N to 50 N respectively, which require approximately 20 N to 30 N of force to disengage the safeties and another 10 N to 20 N in the second stage to fire a shot.