Are titanium firing pins worth the $20+?

I looked at Bushmaster's schematic for the AR15 and it doesn't appear to use a spring to hold the firing pin from contacting the primer on a chambered cartridge... Would this cause out of battery firing or accidental discharges?

What's the solution?

The "solution" is to stay with the firing pin that came with the rifle to start with.  The titanium pieces are not only a waste of money, they're actually a downgrade from the stock FP; because they have this distressing habit of breaking.

No AR/M16 firing pin ever made has a retaining spring, and yes, they all tap the primer slightly during chambering the round.

Doesn't mean a thing

The Ti firing pins are more on the order of $35 or so. Do not buy one. In fact, if you buy one you really need to buy two in that if you pierce a primer with it it will trash the pin the very first time.

Use what has been on the rifle for close to 45-50 years now. Make sure if you reload you seat your primers flush or just below flush.


You will also not find a spring on the firing pin on the M1 and M14.


Save your money.

Thanks everyone!!!!!

The titanium firing pin won't increase accuracy or speed up lock time, but it does provide an extra margin of safety.  The military uses harder , less sensitive primers than most that civilian reloaders use.  The AR-15 won't allow the firing pin to move forward until the bolt is locked up, but it will tap the primer when it closes.  I choose to use a titanium firing pin to reduce the chance of a slamfire, and haven't had one in >15,000 rounds using the same firing pin.  I do my load development beginning at a charge low in the recommended range (from an authoritative source) and work up, stopping before pressure signs are severe.  A full-blow pierce will erode a titanium firing pin (and will erode a steel pin at a slower rate), but minor leakage won't hurt it.  A titanium firing pin is not a necessity, but does have its uses.

Quoted: No AR/M16 firing pin ever made has a retaining spring,

VERY minor nitpick about an otherwise accurate post:
Original AR15 prototypes had a retaining spring.  It was removed when they found it to be a waste of money.