P-01 Disassembly; a quick question

[TheCitizen82]

I sat down this evening hoping to follow the instructions found on a few of the "home trigger job" threads in the hopes of improving the DA pull (it's incredibly gritty) on my P-01. I was making good progress (although my successful removal and subsequent re-assembly of the mainspring & magazine break might have been an act of god) until I reached the decocker, at which point I've seem to have hit a wall. I removed the decocker, and it was at that I met with my first roadblock. The sear pin seems bound and determined to remain in its current spot. I can't determine if there's something I'm supposed to do similar to lifting the sear spring prior to removal of the decocker, or if I'm supposed to simply hammer one end until it comes loose. Rather than run the risk of doing irreversible damage to my pistol, which is something I would be prone to doing in a fit of impatient rage, I summoned up what little self-control I have and decided to reassemble the pistol and ask the good folks on here if they might guide me through this process. Any information would be very much appreciated.

In anticipation of responses advising that I send the pistol to a gunsmith: I would much rather do that, but I'm a poor law school student who simply can't afford it at the moment.

[Wild Rice.fz1ownersassoci...]

First, I recommend that you stop where you are and proceed no further. I have worked on many, many guns as a hobby gunsmith, and this was by far the most difficult and trickiest procedure I have done.

But for your information, there is a special retaining disc (fixing insert) that I described in my sear action job topic: "A small holed metal disc (fixing insert) retained in a recess in the left side of the frame (deep to the external hammer decocking lever controller) retains the sear pin." Did you not read this description?

Refer to an exploded parts diagram to see this small part. You can see it on an assembled pistol of you press the external hammer decocker lever controller all the way down, to expose the circular recess on the left side of the rear frame where this disc resides. Once the hammer decocking lever controller was removed, I was able to remove this retaining disc (fixing insert) by inserting a toothpick in the little disc hole and pushing it forward, out of its recess. The fixing insert cannot be removed with the external decocking lever controller in place. The sear pin can then be driven out from right to left with a correctly sized drift. By I highly, highly recommend that you not do this.

PS, my sear action job only addresses the single action trigger pull, not the double action trigger pull.

[TheCitizen82]

I did read your description of the procedure prior to this undertaking as well as a few others that I've found that highlight DA improvements. I actually did remove the retaining disc. The sear pin still refused to cooperate. I wouldn't do any of this normally, but with exams over I have some free time over break. I might not tempt fate again and just wait until I have the money to send it to a gunsmith.


Thanks for the help

[Wild Rice.fz1ownersassoci...]

After removing the slide, grips, main spring plug pin, magazine brake, main spring plug, main spring, (external) hammer decocking lever controller, and fixing insert (small holed disc), the sear pin is driven out right to left with a 3/32" drift tool and hammer. To drive out this pin, I mounted the frame in my 4" vise with aluminum jaw inserts and a sheet of paper (to protect the frame's finish). The sear pin started with a few solid whacks, then could be pushed out. The problem is that once the sear pin and drift tool are withdrawn from the frame, tiny weird shaped parts and springs will go flying. I liken it opening Pandora's box. There is a high likelyhood that springs could be lost. If you don't have an exploded parts diagram and cut away diagram for a CZ75 decocker, you will be at a loss for how these parts are reassembled. Safety (non-decocker) CZ75 models are much easier to work on. Decockers like the P01 are very tricky to work on because of an extra decocker part, an extra decocker spring, and a longer sear pin that traverses the sides of the frame. It would be a good idea to take a hi res photo of the sear assembly in situ, before disassembly. To reassemble, I used every trick in the book, including improvising the main spring plug pin as a sear slave pin. I do not care to repeat it. I am glad you stopped where you did, as you could end up with a non-functional pistol. Explaining how to reassemble would take a very long discussion.

Again, this procedure is fraught with many pitfalls and is NOT recommended for the home gunsmith.

I really wish that CZ would manufacture their pistols with a better sear angle. It is possible to make the single action trigger both smooth AND safe with the proper sear angle. It would save lots of aggravation and make CZ75 pistols better shooters right out of the box.

[Denalipark]

I don't know if you're still following your thread but here's my input. If like wild rice you're a somewhat talented home gunsmith have at it and more power to you. That said you have in the CZ-75 PO1 one of the most complex pistol design's on the market and one easily mucked up if you don't know what you're doing.......Don't believe me? Google teddy Jacobson (actions by T) and see what he has to say about CZ-75's, as he ought to know as he's worked on hundred's of them. His policy is simple, if it's not broken don't break it! Don't underestimate improving the trigger mechanism by just shooting the pistol or dry-firing it, it will improve. I hope I'm not coming across to harshly but I've seen so many posts as to home gun-wrenching this pistol for trigger job's by a lot of folks who ended up with broken pistols and then felt that they bought a crummy design. They dident and neither did you, it will get lot's better with exercise............................Good luck

[Wild Rice.fz1ownersassoci...]

I checked out Teddy Jacobson's thoughts about the CZ75: http://shootersolutions.com/cz75pistol.html

He is a very experienced gunsmith, but refuses to work on CZ75 decocker models such as the P01. It proves my point that the P01 should not be disassembled by a novice gunsmith. The tone of Denalipark's post could be taken as a challenge. However, please don't be tempted to disassemble your P01. I got very lucky and ended up with a better trigger action, but you could easily end up with a disabled weapon with missing parts.

[armoredman]

I am all thumbs in any detailed strip down, and I would be on hands and knees chasing cats running off with itty bitty springs in thier mouths, etc. I'll pass on that, andhave the pros at CZ-USA do any work I need done...which is never. Dadgum thing just keeps working perfectly.

[Denalipark]

I hope you guy's don't take my post as a challenge, it's not meant to be one, more of a warning. Happy to see you went to teddy's site the guy's one of the absolute best in the game.............

[Radom]

I am not anything like an experienced gunsmith, and there are certain assemblies on a CZ that are too complicated for my skills or available tools. For example, I never take apart a B model firing pin system if I don't have to do it. Usually, I need a third set of hands and call someone to come over (no joke). I have never messed with the manual safeties on either a Type A or a Type B model. They are a royal PITA. Frankly, the decocking mechanism scares me too. The rest of it isn't too bad with instructions and a metric ton of slave pins.