Firing pin
Part of the firing mechanism in a firearm / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For equestrian thermocautery, see Pin firing.
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.
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Revolverfiringpin.jpg/320px-Revolverfiringpin.jpg)
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Erweiterte_Z%C3%BCndsysteme_CC_BY-SA_4.0_by_Grasyl.svg/640px-Erweiterte_Z%C3%BCndsysteme_CC_BY-SA_4.0_by_Grasyl.svg.png)
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.