CZ half cock

[Arp32]

I just brought home my first CZ this week (a PCR with a trigger job from the CZ Custom shop), and am getting used to the SA/DA with decocker setup. My other semiautomatic pistols are all single action only.

If you apply some trigger to the CZ when decocked, the hammer will lock at the half cocker position. Is this a "feature" so to speak, and if so what are the advantages and disadvantages?

To be honest I wouldn't even have noticed this if a friend hadn't told me to try it (he has a larger CZ that behaves similarly). I'm not in the habit of staging my trigger press, and can't see why you'd attempt to move to the half cocked position.

 

[viking499]

At half cock, it makes the DA trigger pull easier, shorter. Also makes hammer easier to cock the rest of the way back if you want to shoot the first round SA instead of DA.

 

[tuj]

viking is exactly right. I have a DA/SA S&W5906 that drops the hammer fully on decock while the CZ uses the half-cock notch to start the DA first pull. You'll never have to fire DA from the hammer fully down unless it's a restrike.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

You shouldn't have to "apply some trigger" to get the trigger to the half-cock notch, as the decocker lowers the hammer to the half-cock notch automatically, and that should be the starting position for the decocked pistol.

If you've manually lowered the hammer all the way (either bypassing the decocker, or lowering the hammer even farther after it was decocked by the lever), you might see what you describe, but the hammer should be fully down on decocker models ONLY when it's striking the firing pin (i.e., when you've pulled the trigger.)

As noted above, the advantage of this starting position is that is shortens the trigger pull slightly, and lightens it a bit. Because the gun has a firing pin block, having the hammer resting on the half-cock notch is not a safety issue, as the firing pin can't move unless the trigger is pulled fully to the rear. For folks with smaller fingers or hands, the decocker models, particularly when they have the PCR-type trigger (which is more curved than the standard trigger -- and I think that might be standard on the P-01), there is a noticeable shortening of the pull length when starting from the double-action position.

Non-decocker CZs don't work that way, and the LONG double-action pull of the DA/SA models makes the gun difficult for some shooters. The Single-action only models have (or can be fitted with) a two-way adjustable trigger that lets you adjust out overtravel and take up. They feel QUITE different, particularly when using the flat SA trigger.

 

[Arp32]

You shouldn't have to "apply some trigger" to get the trigger to the half-cock notch, as the decocker lowers the hammer to the half-cock notch automatically, and that should be the starting position for the decocked pistol. .

I guess I should have noted I was dry firing without racking the slide. I see what you're talking about now, had I racked it into SA, then decocked, the hammer would not be all the way down.

So really my question is pointless in terms of actually using the gun

 

[Pilot]

No question is pointless, especially when talking about operating a new gun or manual of arms. You got good info. I carry my PCR, as designed, decocked to the half cock notch.

They are wonderful pistols. Great choice!