I just swapped the HBI out for the original [striker] spring. Put the striker under a magnifier and man the tip on these are rough looking. The machining on the CGW looks to be much better.
That's because the OEM striker ISN'T machined at all. It's made by the
powdered metal process, which is generally used to eliminate all machining, and keep costs low.
Parts made this way are extremely tough. Granted, anybody's part doing firing pin duty can break. But striker breakage is something I've only read about on the CGW web page, which makes me think it's mostly a marketing ploy.
The main advantage of the CGW striker that I see is that the
one tiny surface the sear rides against is highly polished. The one standout disadvantage of parts made by the powdered metal process is the rough surface finish.
But like any metal part, surfaces can still be polished.