Safe Handling Demonstration Question

J

jboyags

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I ordered a CZ75-SP01. I've done a safe handling demonstration with a glock but have yet to do with with a pistol that is SA/DA. I'm not positive, but I believe the guns hammer will cock when I manipulate the slide. What do I need to do differently during the demonstration?
 
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The hammer will cock when the slide is operated.

The manual of arms depends on whether it has a decocker or not (the pistol can be ordered either way), but the manual thoroughly explains how to handle the pistol in either case.

The demonstration starts with an unloaded firearm that is locked with the applicable firearm safety device.

Remove any external locking device and/or deactivate any internal locking device at the point that it interferes with the process described below.

To check that the gun is empty, drop the magazine, push up on the slide stop and hold it in the up position while you pull the slide back. The slide will lock open. Visually & physically inspect the chamber to insure that the gun is unloaded. Note that if you have a manual safety model and the hammer is cocked initially you will have to push down on the manual safety (put it OFF safe) before you can operate the slide.

To load a round, insert the dummy round into the magazine. Insert the magazine into the gun insuring that it locks fully into position. Either depress the slide release or operate the slide to chamber the round. Drop the magazine and slowly operate the slide to demonstrate that a round can be still be loaded even though the gun has no magazine.

Push up on the slide stop and hold it in the up position while you pull the slide back. The slide will lock open. Visually & physically inspect the chamber to insure that the gun is unloaded.

Apply the manual safety if the gun is the manual safety model or operate the decocker if the gun is a decocker model.**

Reinstall the applicable firearm safety device leaving the gun in the same condition that it was at the beginning of the demonstration.

**If the gun is the manual safety model then you'll end the demonstration with the hammer cocked. They may not like that. If they don't, the proper procedure to drop the hammer per the manual is as follows: Point the gun in a safe direction. Grasp the hammer firmly with the thumb and finger of the weak hand and maintain a firm grasp. Pull the trigger and SLOWLY lower the hammer until it is all the way down. Release the trigger.

Here's an official document containing the generic procedure (p45). They don't mention anything about decocking, but they do show the hammer forward at the end of the test.
http://ag.ca.gov/firearms/forms/pdf/hscsg.pdf
 
So if it has a manual safety I don't need to pull the trigger while holding the hammer and lower it manually? It generally depends on the gun store?
 
If I'm reading your question right, you'll still need to lower the hammer manually while pulling the trigger. The safety just locks the trigger.
 
It all depends on whether they want you to end with the hammer down or not. The test doesn't SAY it has to be lowered but the pictures in the procedure show the hammer in the forward (lowered) position at the end of the test so the shop may make you lower the hammer.

If they'll let you finish with the hammer cocked then you don't need to worry about any of that.

If they want you to finish with the hammer down then you'll have to decock the hammer manually using the procedure I gave you if the gun is a manual safety model.

If it's a decocker you just have to operate the decocker lever and it drops the hammer safely.

Manual safety model=manual decock using the trigger to lower the hammer. Manual safety must be off (lever in the down position).
Decocker model=automatic decock using the lever.
 
Grasp the hammer firmly with the thumb and finger of the weak hand and maintain a firm grasp. Pull the trigger and SLOWLY lower the hammer until it is all the way down. Release the trigger.
Click to expand...

There is a safer way to decock a gun without a decocking lever:

Grasp the hammer firmly with the thumb and finger of the weak hand and maintain a firm grasp. Pull the trigger and SLOWLY begin to lower the hammer. After the hammer clears past the point where the sear will no longer hold the hammer back, release the trigger. Now finish the action of slowly lowering the hammer the rest of the way.

The reason for the above is that modern pistols will have a hammer block or a firing pin block which is engaged when the trigger is not at the full rearward position. If you pull the trigger and move the hammer just enough to just clear the sear then release the trigger, the hammer block or firing pin block will engage and if you accidently release the hammer, it will not cause the gun to fire if a round is chambered.

Another safety tip when manually decocking, place a finger between the hammer and firing pin at the beginning of the procedure. You may wish to hold the hammer back with the thumb of the strong hand and use a weak hand finger for this. Then after lowering the hammer a small amount and release the trigger, you move your finger out from in front of the hammer to lower it the rest of the way. A sore finger is still better than a negligent discharge if you lose grip on the hammer.
 
NavyLT,

I agree that the procedure you list is better in general and for the reasons you describe.

That's what I would have recommended had I not read the manual before responding. I don't know why they picked it, but the procedure I described for manual decocking is the one CZ spells out in the manual.
 
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