Decocker re-assembly help

[Independent George]

So I began my first CGW upgrade last night - I installed the 11.5 pound main spring in my SP-01, the 13 pound spring in my PCR, and the extended firing pins on both. Total time on project: about 40 minutes, which I'm sure most of you will laugh at, but I thought was pretty good for my first time.

Then, high on the excitement of the vastly improved DA pull and my first completed project, I got a little ambitious and decided I may as well explore my gun's mechanics while I've got my tools out. Suffice to say, by 1 AM, I'd stabbed myself with a pick twice, and my PCR's decocker is still in pieces.

What's the best way to get the decocker assembly back into the gun? I've made a slave pin out of a Q-tip as suggested on another thread, but I still have trouble assembling it in the gun. Every time I push out the slave pin, I lose the springs before I can drive the decocker pin back in.

[cntrydawwwg]

Are you using the sear pin to push the slave pin out?

[BDG]

Point of failure question:
Have you confirmed that the Q-tip is small enough in diameter to exit the Sear Spring Pin hole in the right side of the frame?
The Sear Spring Pin is larger than the right side frame hole so if your Q-tip is the same size as your Sear spring pin or larger ... your approach will not work.
IMG_1316 by bdgcz75, on Flickr
IMG_1317 by bdgcz75, on Flickr

Are you seeing the Q-tip at any time exiting the right side of the frame before it fails at holding the springs?
It could be that a Q-tip is not strong enough to hold the tension of the sear spring AND Decocking sping when only one end of the Q-tip is being help in a canted position by the pin holes.

[robertk7]

i've used wooden dowels as a slave pin before i purchased the slave pin from CGW worked fine they are the size of q tips but not the soft paper q tips they push out fine

[BDG]

i've used wooden dowels as a slave pin before i purchased the slave pin from CGW worked fine they are the size of q tips but not the soft paper q tips they push out fine

The wooden dowel would certainly be more rigid than a Q-tip. And, you understand how it has to be the right size to exit the pistol frame when you push it out with the Sear spring pin.
Personally, I would avoid wooden slave pins because they will easily splinter on the sharp edges of the metal parts. Saw dust or wood chips in your action is undesirable.

[tdogg]

A couple off tips:

1.  Make sure your new main spring is removed from the frame before you try and put the sear cage back in the gun.
2.  The sear cage nests in the frame toward the rear and slightly pushes down on the trigger bar.  You have to get it aligned just right to have the slave pin push out easily.  I find that by holding the sear cage with pressure from my thumb helps get it into position.
3.  Use the sear pin to push out the slave pin during reassembly.  The sear pin goes back into the frame from the left to right looking as you would hold the gun during shooting.

Here is a thread of my Rami cajunizing which has video's of the sear cage assembly and reinstallation into the gun.  Most of it translates to your P01.

http://www.czfirearms.us/index.php?topic=62123.0

Cheers,
Toby

[Independent George]

Point of failure question:
Have you confirmed that the Q-tip is small enough in diameter to exit the Sear Spring Pin hole in the right side of the frame?
The Sear Spring Pin is larger than the right side frame hole so if your Q-tip is the same size as your Sear spring pin or larger ... your approach will not work.
IMG_1316 by bdgcz75, on Flickr
IMG_1317 by bdgcz75, on Flickr

Are you seeing the Q-tip at any time exiting the right side of the frame before it fails at holding the springs?
It could be that a Q-tip is not strong enough to hold the tension of the sear spring AND Decocking sping when only one end of the Q-tip is being help in a canted position by the pin holes.

SUCCESS!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

The Q-Tip exited the right-side hole just fine, but I think it was bending as I drove the pin through, and the FPB L-spring was coming loose before I finished. I used my punch like in your photo to first drive the Q-Tip slave pin out the left side, then drove the pin through to push the punch all the way out, and it worked.

Wow, that was a great learning experience. Next time, I'll have the slave pin ready ahead of time, and won't even think about taking the decocker apart. I do plan on buffing the action, but as long as I keep the decocker together, everything else looks pretty straightforward.

[Tok36]

^^Good deal, thank you for the follow up post. This thread has given me a bit more perspective on the decocker sear cage quirks. I plan on digging into one of mine soon.

+1 on tdoggs vids as well. I plan on having them handy when i upgrade the decocker.

[BDG]

Excellent! Glad to hear it worked out.

Next time, I'll have the slave pin ready ahead of time, and won't even think about taking the decocker apart. I do plan on buffing the action, but as long as I keep the decocker together, everything else looks pretty straightforward.

I'm sorry to tell you, When you polish the Sear Cage and Decocking Lever / Decocking Controller (should you decide to do that)  you will have to take the sear cage apart. You wouldn't want all the fine metal particles, contaminated polish and/or sanding material working its way into the assembled action.
But you have nothing worry about. You know how to do this now!
If you need a refresher just watch Tdoggs video on the sear cage assembly. He demonstrates some handy tips and techniques.

[Independent George]

^^Good deal, thank you for the follow up post. This thread has given me a bit more perspective on the decocker sear cage quirks. I plan on digging into one of mine soon.

+1 on tdoggs vids as well. I plan on having them handy when i upgrade the decocker.

A word of advice: buy another 5 L-springs. It's not necessary if you're careful, it's good to have some spares. At one point I spent a good 20 minutes sweeping the floor with a magnet. They're so tiny and light that if it does fly off, you are unlikely to either see or hear where it landed.

[cntrydawwwg]

That's very good advice George. I bought a few extra and 2 ended up only God knows where between doing my Rami and Phantom.
    By the way, no one's gonna laugh at you taking 40 minutes. Slow and steady is the best way. Heck I'm pretty sure most have had 1or 2 choice words to say while doing the decocker sear. Or in my case 15 or 16
   Glad you got her up and running.