First DQ - manually decocking hammer

[theaccountant]

I've got an 85 combat that I've been shooting in USPSA Production for about 3 months now.  I've manually decocked the hammer hundreds and hundreds of times with no issue.  Gun *had* an 11.5# hammer spring in it.  Gun also has an extended firing pin and reduced power firing pin spring.

I was never comfortable with the idea that I HAD to use Federal Small Pistol primers, and Federal primers are scarce right now around here, so this week I put the 13# hammer spring back in the gun.  Didn't shoot it with the 13# spring in it before today's match.  FIRST stage I decocked as normal and the gun went off - DQ.  (I had the gun pointed straight downrange into the berm, so there was no danger to anyone as far as I could tell...but it was a DQ nonetheless.)  The way I was lowering the hammer before must've been fine with the 11.5# spring, but not with the 13# spring (there really is a big difference, as noticed with the difference in the DA pull.)  I went to the gun range and practiced lowering the hammer - definitely, there's less room for error with the 13# spring.

I've gone back and read a bunch of threads here and on Enos about lowering that hammer manually.  I think I can do it without a problem if I do it a little differently than I was doing it before (rather than simply pinching the hammer, I'll pinch it with a third finger in between the hammer and firing pin and slip the third finger out as the hammer lowers.) 

Question I have is whether you guys are using the extended firing pin with reduced power firing pin spring AND the 13# hammer spring?  I'm a little spooked that the little bit of free travel that hammer had set the gun off...wondering if maybe the 13# spring AND extended firing pin/spring makes it more dangerous than it needs to be. 

Thanks for any input you might have!  I have never done anything unsafe at a match and, even though this probably doesn't put anyone in danger, it's a DQ for a reason and I don't want to repeat it (and I don't want to go to shooting a plastic gun.)

[burningsquirrels]

are you pulling the hammer back first, before pulling the trigger?

[theaccountant]

Yes...at least I think I am/was.  That's the intention.  It is possible that, given I've done it so many times and was thinking about how I was going to run the stage that I hit the trigger first...but it definitely didn't fall completely from the cocked position...I had gotten it part way down at least before I lost it with my fingers.

[burningsquirrels]

hm. is it possible you had grease or sweat? i also try to wipe my left fingers before lowering hte hammer to make sure it won't slip out.

[theaccountant]

no my hands were dry - had just put Pro Grip on and it was dry leaving me with that powdery residue...

[Canuck44]

IMHO the ONLY safe way to lower the hammer on a CZ DA/SA gun is to place your thumb bewteen the frame and hammer.  Pull the trigger letting the hammer drop on your thumb.  Slowly roll your thumb out ot th way and the hammer quietly comes to its final resting point.  I have seen several IPSC DQ's doing it your way.  Guys insist on doing it your way by pinching the hammer with your thumb and finger and eventually you get an unexpected bang. Keep doing the way you are doing it your way and you will be in line for another DQ.  It will be just a matter of time.

Take Care

Bob

[1SOW]

Burning Squirrels covered my thoughts.

I have a 75B, 13# hammer spring with two (?) coils cut off, extended FP, etc. etc.
May not be applicable, but at the "Make Ready", thinking about running he stage can be a distraction.   After your mental dry run, relax, take a deep breath, and then lower the hammer and holster last.  Grasp the hammer, pull back, then pull the trigger and lower the hammer.  There is no reason hurry.
JMO:  Whatever stage prep you do, keep it consistant.  Follow the same sequence every time. 

Sometime back, I did it at the range while "practicing."    I didn't follow my normal routine and got sloppy.  Muzzle control was good, but the embarassment was not.   
   

[theaccountant]

Here's the plan going forward...if nobody tells me there's a problem with it, I think it'll cut out the chance of the hammer slipping through my greasy fingers...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t60eKEtsSdo

[Mr. Sasquatch]

First draw or reload and that Allen wrench will fly off and will be lost. Why don't you just pinch the hammer between your thumb and the middle finger while placing you forefinger between the hammer and the firing pin. Now, with your fingers in place, pull the trigger and slowly lower the hammer against your middle finger. Next, release the trigger and slowly pull the index finger out,   easing the hammer on the frame. The whole operation will take 3 seconds. And chances are that you'll always have your fingers handy (unless you reload  )

[theaccountant]

I'll bring 5 allen wrenches to the first match :-)  That wrist band is pretty tight...if it doesn't work I'll get one of the longer ones and get the whole wrench in there...or I'll figure a way to attach it to my belt, hat, earmuffs or something...

Sometimes when I work my thumb or other finger out from behind the hammer it doesn't come out smooth and the hammer drops a little harder than I'm comfortable with...at least for now until I get this AD out of my head.  Doing it the way I'm doing it in the video it *seems* to me like the only way that hammer can drop is if 1) the allen wrench breaks in half or 2) the allen wrench chops my fingers off at the knuckles.  Both are less likely to happen than the hammer slipping through my pinching fingers or my finger not coming out from behind the hammer smoothly.  I still have to let it down gently, so I suppose there's some risk that I won't be smooth letting it down, but that risk will always be there unless I switch to my Glock, which I don't wanna do.

[1SOW]

Like Mr. Sas., needing tools to decock a pistol is not dependable option. 
You can learn to do it safely without tools. There are a lot shooters with DA/SA without decockers and then there are the revolver guys too.

[justaute]

I still prefer the "front-to-back" pinch method. If you need a video of this method, let me know.

[theaccountant]

I would like to see video of it (if it's not too much trouble.)  Maybe I'm missing something with the barehanded methods but those last few millimeters are either tricky (half the hammer goes into the slide notch) or let the hammer drop in free fall the last few millimeters (and more if not done perfectly.) 

[Canuck44]

Take your thumb, place it between the frame and hammer.  Pull the trigger and allow the hammer to rest against your thumb.  Slowly roll the thumb out of the way, allowing the hammer to lower to it's resting place.  This is about as simple as it gets.  The method is full proof and I have never seem or heatd of a AD using this method.  I have witnessed three AD's using the finger/thumb pinch method and heaed of countless others. 

Take Care

Bob

[justaute]

theaccountant...here you go.  I de-cocked the hammer two ways, the "safer" method and the "Mink" Method.

http://youtu.be/3lk2YktioVg