Apex striker equals "light" primer strikes?

Lcarvone said:

So I recently picked up a new old stock FNS-9. I really like the handgun and preemptively swapped out the factory striker with a heavy duty version from Apex instead of sending in to FN for replacement. I took the gun to the range and ran 150 rounds flawlessly. The primer strike however looked "smaller" on the spent casing versus the first 100 rounds I ran with the factory striker. When dry firing with the original striker my Pink Rhino laser round works fine but no luck/laser light with the Apex which kinda aligns with my observations of lighter strike; it's strong/long enough to fire a round but not engage the laser.

For those who have done the same upgrade, is this typical? It does run like a champ with the heavy duty striker which is a big positive but not working with the laser round for dry fire/practice may be a deal breaker...

Click to expand...

The APEX striker is machined from heat treated billet stainless steel. It will take you a LONG TIME (if ever) to wear the striker to the point that it won't ignite a primer. Many other parts/springs will likely wear way before your APEX shows any signs of failure. If the APEX striker works now...it should work many, many, many thousands of rounds in the future.

Some things to consider.

1. Was the striker in your new FNS9 replaced with (OR SOLD WITH) the MIM striker that took the place of the original FNS billet striker?
2. I've had some laser cartridges that won't work with the FN striker, but never fail to ignite a live primer.
3. The laser cartridges are a crap shoot, with varying tolerances...meaning that some take more movement of the 'button' to flash the laser; and the 'button' can get a dimple.
4. What was the build date of your FNS? New old stock could be as old as 2011 or as recent as 2018. If manufactured after 2/12/17, it came with the new MIM striker installed.

Lcarvone said:

So it's circa 2014 I believe and shows as "valid" when the serial is plugged into the bulletin for replacement. I agree the striker will last, it's just odd that the laser cartridge works just fine with the stock striker but not the Apex.

Click to expand...

If you have digital calipers, you could measure and compare the dimensions of the 2. It would be interesting to compare the weight of the 2 strikers as well, though you may not have an accurate scale that measures that range of weight.You could always try replacing the striker spring too. It may have been in the 'cocked position' for the last 7-8 years, if the slide was racked and the striker remained in the 'cocked position'. Just a thought, as a weakened spring and heavier striker could result in a lighter strike.