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In the world of defensive shooting, reliability is everything. When you pull the trigger, you expect the gun to fire. But what happens when you get a light primer strike or dud round?
That’s where double-strike capability—also called second-strike capability—becomes an important feature. A pistol with this function allows the shooter to pull the trigger a second time on the same round without racking the slide.
For many shooters, especially those who carry for self-defense, this can be a valuable option. In this guide, we’ll break down:
What double-strike capability actually means
Pros and cons
Whether it’s beneficial for defensive use
A complete list of pistols that DO and DO NOT have second-strike capability
Which modern guns offer it (very few striker-fired pistols do)
Double-strike capability is the ability for a pistol to fire again when a round fails to ignite—without cycling the slide or ejecting the cartridge.
This means that if you press the trigger and hear a “click” instead of a “bang,” you can immediately press the trigger again. The internal action (typically in DA/SA guns) will re-cock the hammer or striker, giving the primer a second impact.
Most light primer strikes come from:
Hard primers
Dirty ammunition
Weak striker springs
Improper seating
Rare mechanical issues
A second strike can ignite many rounds that fail on the first attempt, especially with steel-case ammo like Wolf, Tula, or surplus ammunition.
The biggest benefit is speed. Instead of performing tap-rack-bang, you can simply pull again.
Some imported ammo has harder primers, and a double-strike often ignites them.
Most reliable metal-frame pistols (SIG, Beretta, CZ) have this feature by default.
Most instructors teach a universal malfunction drill:
Tap the magazine → Rack the slide → Reassess.
This works for ALL malfunctions—not just light primer strikes.
If the problem wasn’t the primer, pulling again wastes time.
Striker-fired pistols—Glock, M&P, Hellcat, P320, VP9—cannot fire a second strike.
Modern carry rounds have extremely low failure rates.
Below is a list you can link internally to your product listings—this will help boost SEO authority across your website.
These pistols ALL support second-strike unless stated otherwise.
CZ-75 (all DA/SA variants)
CZ-P07
CZ-P09
HK USP (DA/SA variants)
HK USP Compact
Walther P99 AS
(PPQ/PDP are striker-fired and DO NOT have double-strike)
Taurus PT92 / PT99
Taurus TH9 / TH40
Taurus PT840 / PT845
Ruger P-Series (P89, P95, P94, P97)
S&W 5906
S&W 4006
S&W 4506
S&W 3913, etc.
Only a handful of striker-fired pistols support second-strike.
Taurus G3X
Taurus 709 Slim (discontinued)
Canik TP9DA
(Other Canik models like the TP9SF/SFX DO NOT have it)
KelTec P11
KelTec PF9
Bersa BP9CC
These require a full slide rack to re-cock the striker.
This is the majority of modern carry pistols.
All models (G17, G19, G26, G45, G43X, etc.)
M&P 9/40
Shield / Shield Plus
CSX
P320 Series
Hellcat
XD-S / XD-M / XD-M Elite
VP9
VP40
FN 509 Series
P-10C / P-10F
PPQ
PDP
It depends on your philosophy:
Redundant ignition attempt
Works with cheap ammo
Traditional DA/SA feel
Tap-Rack-Bang is faster and universal
A second strike rarely fixes real malfunctions
Modern carry ammo is extremely reliable
It’s a nice feature, but not essential.
If you like DA/SA pistols, you’ll automatically get it.
If you choose striker-fired (most people do), you likely won’t have it.
Double-strike capability is one of those features many people hear about, but few fully understand. While it isn’t a must-have for every shooter, it can offer an extra layer of reliability—especially with older DA/SA designs or budget ammunition.
Whether you prefer a classic hammer-fired pistol like a SIG P226 or a striker pistol with second-strike like the Taurus G3C, the important thing is choosing a firearm you trust and training to use it effectively.
