Author Topic: safety cannot be engaged  (Read 1399 times)

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Offline el capitan

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safety cannot be engaged
« on: October 03, 2013, 03:22:10 AM »
Hi there,
after some "home-gunsmithing" including polishing the sear and the hammerhooks my SA is fine, but I am rarely able to engage the safety. In the beginning I could operate it most of the time, yesterday at the range I couldn?t operate it at all - seems to get worse. The gun is still below 1000 rounds and I still got the stock sear at home, for I ordered a replacement before I started polishing. Should I reinstall the stocker - will this help? On the other hand I?d probably lose some of the new smoothness my action now has. Is there a way to keep my current sear AND be able to operate the safety again?
Oldschool motorbike, oldschool gun - I wouldn´t want it any other way

Offline el capitan

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Re: safety cannot be engaged
« Reply #1 on: October 03, 2013, 04:40:04 AM »
Do you think installing the adjustable sear of CGW would solve the problem? Or is this sear designed to work with Comp.- or narrowed Shadow-hammer only?

Schmeky!
Oldschool motorbike, oldschool gun - I wouldn´t want it any other way

Offline Joe L

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Re: safety cannot be engaged
« Reply #2 on: October 03, 2013, 07:21:26 AM »
Take the slide off and look at where the tab on the safety lever hits the sear.  You can trim a little off the tab to allow the safety to engage fully, but it is just a stroke or two at a time with a file, then try it. 

What has happened is that you have modified the sear and hammer enough to change the cocked rotation of the sear relative to the safety tab.  Once you file down the tab enough to engage with the new sear position, it may well have too much clearance when an unmodified sear is put in the gun.  Keep that in mind. 

Schmeky's adjustable sear will definitely fix the problem, but getting the sear and hammer at the same time from CGW would be the safest route for you and then you would never have to mess with it again. 

Having to re-do or replace the thumb safety on a 1911 after modifying the hammer and sear is common for the same reason.  You can try it on your CZ safety as well.  Just be sure and check it when you are done and then have someone else check it to make sure there is no sear movement when the safety is engaged and the trigger is pulled. 

You can check for excessive clearance by cocking the gun, setting the safety, pulling the trigger, releasing the trigger, then observing any sear movement towards the hammer when the hammer is pulled back slightly.  If the sear moves, it means it moved some when the safety was engaged and the trigger was pulled.  You don't want that. 

Joe   
CZ-75B 9mm and Kadet, 97B"E", two P-09's, P-07, P-10C, P-10F, P-10S, MTR

Offline el capitan

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Re: safety cannot be engaged
« Reply #3 on: October 03, 2013, 09:34:10 AM »
Thank you, Joe. This is a good explanation. I?ll try to modify the system without overdoing it and leave feedback. Best regards!
Oldschool motorbike, oldschool gun - I wouldn´t want it any other way

Offline el capitan

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Re: safety cannot be engaged
« Reply #4 on: October 14, 2013, 07:51:37 AM »
Everything works again ... strange! I had taken the gun once more apart, put everything back and suddenly the safety works again - as if it had never ceased to function. I can swear I didn?t change anything compared to before! Last weekend at the range I made excessive use of the safety lever to be really sure about it - never a single malfunction.
However - winter will see me buying and installing a comp-hammer. I had the occasion to shoot a stock Shadow ... This is something you should NOT do if you think your 75-B-trigger is good ...
Oldschool motorbike, oldschool gun - I wouldn´t want it any other way

Offline painter

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Re: safety cannot be engaged
« Reply #5 on: October 14, 2013, 07:56:34 AM »
Listen to JoeL and install the hammer and sear from CGW.

Talk about a good trigger. ;)
I had the right to remain silent...

but not the ability.

Offline schmeky

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Re: safety cannot be engaged
« Reply #6 on: October 14, 2013, 09:02:59 AM »
el capitan,

The issue is the #31 detent spring.  It can kink and in some instances this spring is almost to short.  The kink explains why "it didn't work but now it does".

Offline Joe L

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Re: safety cannot be engaged
« Reply #7 on: October 14, 2013, 09:20:13 AM »
It's early and I've already learned something.  Thanks, Schmeky.

(No, I will not clean it.)

Joe
CZ-75B 9mm and Kadet, 97B"E", two P-09's, P-07, P-10C, P-10F, P-10S, MTR

Offline el capitan

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Re: safety cannot be engaged
« Reply #8 on: October 14, 2013, 01:34:48 PM »
Schmeky, thank you for your explanation. The safety detent spring has a tendency to bulge through the corner instead of simply sitting there - the idea that this spring might be responsible would not have come to my mind. Another thing learned.

BTW - have you ever thought of officially exporting your parts to a European dealer who could act as an importer? I?d be in line regardless of my bank balance.
Oldschool motorbike, oldschool gun - I wouldn´t want it any other way