New guns and "breaking them in"

S

Sheriff Gotcha

New member
So I recently purchased a CZ-85B NIB(first gun)... however, I am finding myself having difficulty cocking and locking back the slide for some reason. Now I have been sick for the last 3 days and feeling slightly weak. My experience with guns is limited to 3 trips to the range all using rentals or used guns.

I remember reading on the FN forums about breaking in new FNX's and they said they would lock the slide back and leave the mags loaded for a week straight to loosen up the tight springs. Right now I have the slide locked back and locked the gun up. Is it normal for the slide to be difficult to maneuver once newly purchased or am I just in need of some higher strength grip equipment? I already have some that I've all but worn out.

Are there any other "break in" procedures that I should look into just to make my new beauty any easier to handle, other than taking it to the range and putting hundreds if not thousands of rounds downrange?
 
Hey Sheriff,,,

Is it normal for the slide to be difficult to maneuver once newly purchased or am I just in need of some higher strength grip equipment? I already have some that I've all but worn out.
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I don't know if it's normal,,,
but it is common.

My CZ-75B seemed tight as a drum for a short while,,,
But I think it was more me than the gun.

It didn't take but half of a 500 round bulk pack,,,
Then I was comfortable with the slide.

Are there any other "break in" procedures that I should look into just to make my new beauty any easier to handle, other than taking it to the range and putting hundreds if not thousands of rounds downrange?
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That's the cure,,,
It may not actually break in,,,
But you will learn the ways of your gun,,,
In that respect all things with and about it will get easier. :)

BTW,,,
Congrats on your new Czech lady.

Aarond

.
 
With that specific situation, it may become a bit easier with time as the main spring and recoil spring wear in. In the meantime, there are a a couple of options. You can cock the hammer first then rack the slide, so you are overcoming the main spring and the recoil spring separately. Or with the pistol pointed down range, assuming you're a righty, using an overhand grip, grasp the top of the slide with your left hand towards the rear of the slide. Get a firm grip then the push with your right hand on the pistols grip forward, while pulling back with the left. You should be able to generate more power this way.
 
Sig said:
With that specific situation, it may become a bit easier with time as the main spring and recoil spring wear in. In the meantime, there are a a couple of options. You can cock the hammer first then rack the slide, so you are overcoming the main spring and the recoil spring separately. Or with the pistol pointed down range, assuming you're a righty, using an overhand grip, grasp the top of the slide with your left hand towards the rear of the slide. Get a firm grip then the push with your right hand on the pistols grip forward, while pulling back with the left. You should be able to generate more power this way.
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I completely forgot about pushing with my grip hand vs pulling with my off hand. Thanks for the reminder. I buy the new girl and all the things I've read, watched and learned fly out the window.

Thanks again for the reminder, and Aaron thanks for pointing me in this direction I have a feeling I am going to enjoy this pistol a great deal.*
 
Rack that thing a bunch at home. As much as you can. Keeping the mags loaded will also help, but you would almost be better loading and unloading the mags, as its the weighting and unweighting of the springs that breaks them in. Movement is key.
 
+1 to Kreyzhorse's suggestion....in fact, make sure you give it a good cleaning and lubing before you take it to the range. Dry firing it a lot will also help, so get a good set of snap caps.
 
I'm a relative new owner of a 75B. I find due to the narrow slide area that grasping the rear cocking serrations with my thumb and forefinger is the trick.
(Sort of pinching it)
It shouldn't be that bad, you are only overcoming a 14 lb recoil spring and 20 lb hammer spring.
 
Can't personally speak for the CZs but I can say that my SR9c was really stiff when I first got it a couple months ago. After several hundred rounds it is much easier to rack.
 
Got my CZ75 P-01, cleaned it before I went out for the first time, lubed it. Shot about 500 rds. No problems with tightness or looseness. Mags springs were a little tight, but they have loosened up quite a bit for hand loading.
 
clean, load, shoot, repeat.

a new (or old for that matter) gun should be ready to go out of the box.

the springs won't change over the week.
 
Is it normal for the slide to be difficult to maneuver once newly purchased or am I just in need of some higher strength grip equipment? I already have some that I've all but worn out.
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Perfectly normal. New guns have stiffer springs which lighten a bit from use. Also the mating surfaces (metal on metal) will take some time at the range to smooth out, all normal break in procedure.
 
Congrats on the purchase. Now be very careful as CZ's tend to multiply - it starts with only one....................................
 
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