slide is stuck open

[spoonbill]

TZ 75 tanfoglio pre 1988 (9mm)with the hammer dropping safety on the slide.  After 35 problem free rounds fired the slide suddenly is stuck open approx. one eighth of an inch short of the notch inside the slide where the slide release pin (part number 2 in the above parts diagram) catches the notch inside the slide to hold it open.  Spent case ejected (Seller&Bellot factory ammo) ok.  Took out mag.  Made sure it's unloaded, can't budge the slide towards closed position or the very short distance left for it to travel backwards.  Barrel may or may not be canted slightly downward, can't tell for sure.  Anybody know how to unstick or dis-assemble this future trotline weight?

[Walt-Sherrill]

Look on the underside of the slide and see if the firing pin block is extended down and keeping it from closing.

(If it is, you may have broken firing pin, which would allow the firing pin block to protrude too far.)

Had a similar thing, sort of, happen once when I put the firing pin in a Witness in upside down....  That let the stop protrude down farther than it should have.

[spoonbill]

I'll double check tonight when I get home.  Thanks for the suggestion.

[JohnW]

If the firing pin block is protruding from the slide and keeping it from returning forward into battery it could be a broken firing pin, as already suggested, or it could be the firing pin roll pin - Part # 57 - which is what happened when the roll pin on my CZ 75B broke last week.
   Use a paper clip or other similar tool to push the firing pin block back up into the slide and the slide should move forward into battery.  Then field strip the gun as usual and determine if the roll pin or firing pin is broken. Once you've got it figured out proceed with repairs.

John Ward
Brandon, Florida