CZ-83 Safing Question

[Jaywalker]

I understand the CZ-83 has a safety, not a decock/hammer drop lever.

So, how do you lower the hammer to get to the double action function? Pull the trigger on a live round and hope your thumb doesn't slip?

Also, can you work the slide to unload the chamber while the pistol is on safe?

I'm thinking about buying one for my daughter, but...

 

[Onmilo]

I have a CZ83 .32 acp
I like the gun but I wouldn't buy one for my daughter and she has a LOT of trigger time with LOTS of semi auto handguns.

You decock the old fashion way with a CZ, muzzle pointed down at a safe place, thumb on hammer, caress the trigger and ease the hammer down.
There is a firing pin lock, the gun is safe hammer down on a live round.

Also a la 1911, the safety won't engage unless the hammer is at full cock and it locks the slide.

 

[Girodin]

One method is to place a finger or thumb in front of the hammer while the other hand's thumb pulls back. The trigger is pulled and the hammer is lowered slightly forward. Then the trigger is released. At that point without the trigger pulled the hammer dropping will not fire the gun. Thus, one can remove the finger or thumb that is doing the blocking and lower the hammer. Decockers were a good invention,

 

[Jaywalker]

Okay. That wouldn't be appropriate for her, so I'll keep looking. Thanks.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

If your daughter has a lot of trigger time with a lot of different guns, many which (I'm sure) were hammer fired, it would be good for her (and YOU) to get more comfortable with the manual decocking process.

That doesn't mean that you should buy the CZ-83 (or similar CZ-82), but that both of you have NOT developed a relatively basic and important gun handling skill.

If she ever shoots a SA gun (like a BHP), -- if she's uncomfortable with cocked and locked -- she'll have to shoot it until it's dry or decock. And if she ever shoots an older-style SAA Colt (like in the Westerns), it's the same: shoot it until it's dry, unload it, or decock it.

 

[TennJed]

If you don't mind spending a bit more the Beretta 84 is a 13rd 380 of similar size with a decocker. The discontinued them last year but if you look you can find one

 

[Armor Snail]

The CZ83 is one of the easiest guns to decock safely.
The hammer spur has a lot of surface area with good serrations.

I learned how to drop a hammer on a semi with mine.

A day with unloaded practice and she'll be set to try it at the range.

With the hammer block and firing pin block as long as you release the trigger before following with the hammer you'll be fine.

As others said this is a basic skill that is easily mastered.


A clearing barrel can be easily built after a trip to Home Depot also if it helps you. I have one in my basement that I seldom use but it's nice to have.

 

[Jaywalker]

TennJed,

I thought the Beretta M84 had a slide-mounted safety. The Browning BDA copy of the M84 does have a decocker.

If my daughter were to need the firearm, she's likely to be upset. I don't want to add to that with a need to manually decock.

I had an M84 years ago and liked it, but for myself didn't see much point - it wasn't much smaller than my Browning Hi-Power, so I sold the Beretta. I wish I'd kept it - for me.

 

[Kiln]

I'm confused. If your daughter is in a stressful self defense situation, why would she need to decock the gun? I don't see the problem. Otherwise she could store the gun with the hammer down on a loaded chamber. At the time she is preparing the gun, she wouldn 't be stressed and could easily lower the hammer using a long practiced and safe technique to lower the hammer onto a live round. Barring a serious motor function issue, it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[TennJed]

TennJed,

I thought the Beretta M84 had a slide-mounted safety. The Browning BDA copy of the M84 does have a decocker.

If my daughter were to need the firearm, she's likely to be upset. I don't want to add to that with a need to manually decock.

I had an M84 years ago and liked it, but for myself didn't see much point - it wasn't much smaller than my Browning Hi-Power, so I sold the Beretta. I wish I'd kept it - for me.

It has a slide mounted safety and decocker. Push down for decock. If I were to carry mine it would be decocker safety down in double action mode, but you could carry cocked and locked, da with safety on or da safety off.

I used to have a cz83. The Beretta 84 is basically the same size.

 

[Walkalong]

The CZ83 is one of the easiest guns to decock safely.
The hammer spur has a lot of surface area with good serrations.

Yep, anyone being careful will be fine. The "point it in a safe direction" always applies of course, but the CZ83 is a very easy gun to de-cock.

 

[toivo]

I did my NRA Personal Protection Outside the Home class with a CZ-82 (same as 83, but in 9x18 Makarov). Because I carry it hammer-down, I had to manually decock it every time the instructor gave the command "safety, chest, re-holster."

To decock, I always put my left thumb in front of the hammer until the hammer has cleared of the cocking notch and I can let the trigger come forward again. Once the trigger is forward, the gun is safe. Even if you slipped and dropped the hammer, the gun would not fire.

As has been said, this is a very easy handgun to manually decock. You just maintain a nice, secure two-handed grip while you point the muzzle 45º into the ground and manually decock: quick, easy, and safe. But it's not recommended for a novice.

 

[usp9]

I used to have a cz83. The Beretta 84 is basically the same size.

 

[Armor Snail]

Did anyone ask why not just keep/carry in Condition 1?
That's better for a beginner anyway. Only one trigger pull weight.

 

[HexHead]

Who says you have to decock with the one hand? The safest way is to grip the hammer between your thumb and forefinger of your off hand while pulling the trigger and easing the hammer down. I've been doing it that way since my first BHP and have done so since, as it's become second nature.

 

[wally]

You decock the old fashion way with a CZ, muzzle pointed down at a safe place, thumb on hammer, caress the trigger and ease the hammer down.

Not thumb on the hammer, but thumb between the hammer and slide so it can't fall if you slip up!

Tovio describes doing it correctly!

Works one handed or two handed, although two handed is likely easier for most folks.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

Thumb on hammer and the OTHER thumb between the hammer and firing pin -- if you're using two hands...

 

[mgmorden]

Thumbing down a hammer isn't that hard. I was doing it with single-shot shotguns at 8 years old. Still never had one "slip".

Basically, treat it like any other gun operation - point it in a safe direction, and be careful. I take the full thumb and lay it in front of the spur and then ease it down. I actually find it easier to do one-handed myself. I just feel that I have more control in my right thumb than in my left, and that's the hand with the trigger finger too.

There are some guns that have integrated decockers that don't really have a hammer suited to thumbing down the hammer, but anything with a long spur like this is very easy. As a matter of fact if you look at the pic linked above - I wouldn't try it on that Beretta 84 (notice the short spur), but the CZ-83 - no problem.

 

[Steve C]

Old story. Elderly woman walks into a police station with a cocked single action .45 in her hand. Cops where pretty nervous as one would expect. She explained to the officers that her husband had taught her how to shoot the gun when he was alive. She had heard a strange noise and got the gun ready as she was taught but there was no need to fire it and her husband had never told her how to un-cock the weapon.

It is easy to drop the hammer on a loaded round without firing the weapon. Simply keep the gun pointed in a safe direction, disengage the safety, place your thumb on the hammer and hold it back, pull the trigger and lower it slowly.

Such things should be first practiced with the gun unloaded until one is confident they can control the hammer and lower it safely before trying it on a loaded chamber.

The CZ 83 would be fine for your daughter with a little bit of training. I usually recommend a double action revolver for women who will not spend the time to become proficient with a semi auto since the manipulation of a semi auto requires a bit more knowledge, dexterity and strength to operate the slide. Some women do not have the grip strength to clasp the slide and draw it back in order to load the first round out of the magazine. The blow back .380's often have a very stiff spring and small area to grasp hold of so have your daughter try one out before buying it for her to see if she is able to easily rack the slide.

 

[ohbythebay]

Since you are looking at .380

Have you thought about the Bersa Thunder 380 ? There are various models but they are pretty sweet, cost less than the CZ and look identical. YES, the CZ is a better gun, but the Bersa is worth looking at. I own one (the 7 round) but I would recommend getting a higher round capacity model...THEY HAVE a Safety DECOCKER

This is the 15 round model
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/...THUN380PM15+Thunder+380+Plus+15+1+380ACP+3.5"

This is the 7 round that I own
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/...THUN380MLT+Thunder+380+Series+7+1+380ACP+3.5"


I also just bought the wrap around rubber grip and 9 round mag for it

 

[TennJed]

The bersa really is a great suggestion. Wonderful guns

 

[Fleetman]

I agree with the thumb on the hammer AND a thumb/finger between the hammer and f/pin.

Sure, it's easy to slowly release a hammer for the experienced but there has been more than a couple of discharges when someones thumb slips off the hammer....and to top it off, a thumb nail torn up by the slide when it fires!

Beginners should always be taught how to decock a firearm when they're being shown how to use it.....and novices should focus on firearms with the capability to decock.

 

[golden]

Decocker is safe--using your thumb is less safe

I am firmly on the side of using a decocker. It is MUCH EASIER to have an accidental discharge while lowering the hammer than by using a decocker. I much prefer the decocker on my SIG'S to the hammer dropping safety on my WALTHER PPK.
With the SIG, I press the lever and the gun is safe, but still ready to use.
With my WALTHER PPK, I have to press the safety down and then remember to press it up again. An extra action and one which if forgotten, renders the pistol useless.
I have been carrying both a SIG 232 and WALTHER PPK for several years. In checking the PPK before carrying it, I found that I left the safety on once. Only once is not too bad, but if I had missed it, it could have been tragic.

I have a CZ83 and it is a good pistol, but the lack of a hammer dropping safety makes me rule it out as a carry gun. I would not even consider it for a new shooter.
Sure, I can just lower the hammer, but the less experience the user has, the more likely they are to make a mistake. WHY INCREASE THE RISK?

Please note, I cannot think of ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY THAT ADVOCATES JUST LOWERING THE HAMMER AS A STANDARD PROCEDURE for their general issue weapons (FORGET ABOUT SWAT or ENTRY TEAMS, this is not about them).

Jim

 

[Walkalong]

I hate decockers. I cringe when the hammer drops. Personal bias. Guns are supposed to go off when the hammer drops. Part of my safety training all those early years.

Lowering the hammer on a guns like the CZ 83 that have a lot of purchase area and good checkering/cuts of some sort is very easy and quite safe when done properly and when not done in a hurry.

If you cannot do it safely right this minute, holster it with the safety on until you can.