SP01, the stovepipes just won't go away!

[crazymoose]

I bought a LNIB SP01 a couple of months ago. The first time out, the gun had probably half a dozen stovepipes in 100 rounds. Next time out, it was almost as many. Having read that the SP01 is extremely over-sprung for the weak WWB and Blazer Brass rounds I mostly shoot, I dropped the recoil spring from my CZ75 into the SP01 (fit was a little loose on the guide rod, but I don't think that matters). Dropping the spring weight seems to have helped the issue. In several range trips since, I've had one or two stovepipes per 100 rounds or so.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I should do to completely eliminate these failures to eject? I don't want to go really low on the recoil spring weight for fear or stressing the frame or slide stop. I've heard that some people suggest stronger extractor springs, but I don't see how that would help with the stovepiping. Any ideas?

Thanks

[Stuart]

what weight recoil spring is it now?? still WWB and Blazer ammo??

[CZMania!!1!]

Any ideas?

Stop limpwristing it 

[crazymoose]

Was using whatever weight spring comes stock in the 75B- 14#, I believe. Still primarily using Blazer Brass and WWB. I did fire a magazine of some hotter JHP rounds through it without issue, but that does not prove anything conclusive, as I also get plenty of magazines of WWB/Blazer through it without issue.

This really feels like a weak ammo issue to me, as stovepipes are usually attributable to one of three things: weak ammo, strong springs, or limp wristing. I know that the ammo is pretty weak, and I know that I'm not limp wristing (I'm a fairly experienced shooter and a fairly strong guy), so the culprit in question is probably the spring weight. However, I'm concerned that if I go really low on the spring weight, say 10-11#, that the frame and slide stop will take undue wear, especially when I run the occaisional +P JHP through the weapon.

[schmeky]

crazymoose,

You've almost fixed it, but not quite.  Install an 11# recoil spring and the stovepipes should disappear.  The CZ Custom Shop installs an 11# recoil spring in all the SP-01's they send out.  There is nothing to fear with the frame battering, this is not a 1911.  CZ pistols use a camming action in the lower barrel lug that de-cellerates the barrel, directing about 90% of the recoil force into the barrel bed blocks integral with the frame.  The remaining 10% (or so) of the recoil force is dispersed through the slide stop pin. 

I have an 11# recoil spring in my SP-01, and after over 3,000 rounds, everything is fine.  Slide stop pin is original.  I have no stovepipes.

[crazymoose]

Thanks for the replies.

Schmeky, do you use an 11# CZ-75 spring, i.e. one that's not of the flat type like the SP01 stock, but a more traditional spring similar to what is found in most CZ-75s?

[AbyssDncr]

I've got an 11# spring in my SP01 and the brass still lands right at my feet.  FWIW, WWB isn't the bleepcat of factory FMJ, but it's not +P defense load either.  Blazer is about 50 fps slower than the Win.

Good luck - I ran through this same excercise when I got my SP01, and now I wouldn't trade it for anything.  Haven't had a malfunction in well over a thousand rounds...

[schmeky]

Crazymoose,

I ordered my recoil springs from the CZ Custom Shop (they use straight wound Wolf springs), but you can get them from Wolf as well.  A lot of folks use the Browning Hi-Power recoil springs in their CZ's.  They have a slightly reduced O.D. and actually fit the CZ guide rod a little better.  Use the Browning spring poundage rating just as you would for a CZ. 

I suggest a calibration pack from Wolf, which will have an assortment of springs.  Run the spring that provides positive, consistent, reliable ejection.   A 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 pound assortment pack would have the right one in there.  I would start with the 11.

[SID HAL]

Crazymoose, try 124g  rather than the 115g FMJ, the 124g work pretty well for me - no problems in 400 rounds so far.

[CZMania!!1!]

Sucks to be you!

[Wobbly]

You can get 12# springs from Wolfe Spring. They work fine for me.

[BCRider]

I have not shot the WWB or Blazer ammo.  However I've shot Remington UMC, American Eagle 115 and 124, Fiochii 115, and some Winchester 115 of some sort without any issue at all with the stock recoil spring.

I'm not saying that your gun is screwed but just that the stock setup worked for me with these brands.  Hopefully that helps you figure out why your stock spring isn't performing.

Oh, and I had stovepipes and weak ejects for the first few hundred rounds.  This reduced from 200 to 500 and since then it's been chucking the brass from the rounds listed above out a good 4 feet to the side.

Try fitting your slide with no barrel or other bits.  See if it glides smoothly and easily.  Pretty much any binding at all would be reason to have the high spot(s) shave down a hair.  If there's no binding then it would seem to come back to your ammo.  If your choices are known to shoot at a lower velocity than some others and you want to spring for that then I'd be leery of shooting more than a few rounds at a time of the other regular velocity stuff for fear of the slide beating the frame too harshly.