Ordered My First Handgun---a CZ P-01

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Grampy

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After much research on this forum and others, I ordered my first handgun this week----a CZ P-01 9mm. It will be shipped this coming Weds. to my local FFL.

Being a brand new shooter with only one trip to my buddy's gun club range, I have a very good teacher/instructor as he is a former LEO and instructor. He has offered to train me on all aspects of handgun safety and shooting. I purchased the gun for reasons of homje defense and the hobby of target shooting. Safety is paramount to me as well as my buddy.

Does anyone have much experience with this particular gun? It has a de-cocker, is DA/SA, with a firing pin block. As I understand it, decockers also act as a sort of safety. Everything I have read about the P-01 does not mention the decocker is also a safety. Can anyone confirm this?

Next Up:
-Gunvault safe
-Range paddle holster (looking at Galco M5X Matrix) http://www.usgalco.com/HolsterPG3.asp?ProductID=3184&GunID=327
-Ammo and mags
-Maybe CT grips later (want to learn shooting with gun's sights first)
-Probably a light for the rail (any suggestions?)

Thanks in advance,
Grampy
 
Any DA/SA model, when decocked (either manually, or via a decock lever) is as safe as any double action handgun. The "safety" is in the fact that it will take a long, usually high resistance trigger pull to fire (at least relative to SA trigger pull). This combined with the firing pin block (ie. the trigger must be fully rearward for the firing pin to move - just as in a DA revovler with a transfer bar or hammer block), means that only a significant and long pull on the trigger will fire a round. It means that an slight jerk on the trigger, or even an inadvertent finger will be unlikely to fire the gun, as the DA pull is resistant enough and long enough to make such unintentional firing highly unlikely.

It's mainly a preference issue. Me, I prefer DA/SA with a decocker, maybe since I first learned to shoot with only DA revolvers. There is an issue with the fact that your first shot will be a long DA pull, and then the transition to SA - but training and practice will deal with that. Others will prefer a consistent trigger pull and elect for some style of DAO (DA-only) pistol. Still others prefer SA only and like to carry in condition-1 so elect for a SA gun with a manual safety. It's whatever you feel comfortable and confident with.

My CZ P-01 was pretty stiff when new out of the box. Give it a very good field strip and cleaning - CZ ships with a lot of goop on their pistols. Mine dumped some brass on my head for the first few magazines, but it then eased up a bit and ejection has been nice and consistent ever since (it's not unusually for a pistol to need a bit of a breakin period, working in a stiff recoil spring and such - my FNP-45 was the same way).

It's a very nice gun though and a pleasure to shoot. You will enjoy yours. Be sure to check out the folks over at www.czforumsite.info. If you want true factory mags, the best price I found was from the CZ online store, but availability is hit-n-miss these days.

P.S. while wikipedia is by no means an ultimate info resource, this article is a good overview of firearm safeties.

P.P.S. Be sure to use the decock lever on your P-01 and do not manually lower the hammer. You will note when you get it that the lowered hammer has two positions. When fired, it will land flush down, but when decocked, it lands such that it sits back from the firing pin. This is because the trigger sear has two notches, the full cocked (ready to fire) sear, and a safety sear for carry a loaded and chambered weapon. The safety sear intercepts the hammer before it hits the firing pin. So if you ever do decock the weapon manually, then be sure to ease the hammer back until you hear the safety sear click into place.
 
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Your going to love that CZ.

I bought mine on reputation alone and have not been disappointed

The transition from DA to SA does take practce.

If your pistol package comes with the free snap caps, then use them. I spent some time dry firing my pistol while watching Eastwood and Wayne cowboy up on the tube.

As the above poster mentioned, I detailed strip down of the pistol is absolutely necessary, it seems they dunk them in motor oil before they leave the factory. :confused::what:
 
Thanks, Gents. Yes, my only concern will ge getting used to the two different DA/SA trigger pulls, but since this will be my very first handgun, that is what I will learn and practice on. The reputation/reliability/ergonomics of the gun was the overriding factor in my selection.
 
I'm always shooting SA with mine. Unless you 'decock' it after racking the slide to get the first round chambered, it's cocked. The slide stays open at he end of a magazine so when you pop the loaded mag back in, you release the slide to pick up the top bullet, so you are still in SA. So unless you go out of your way to decock it, you're always in SA as far as I'm concerned.
I guess I should mention that I'm talking about range use. I can't carry in Maryland so I wasn't thinking about defensive use. I can now see where you might want to practice a DA first shot.
 
Hey Grampy, if you don't mind me asking where did you order yours frome - those P-01s have been hard to find.
 
Your going to love that CZ.

I bought mine on reputation alone and have not been disappointed
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That is why I bought my PCR, nearly identical CZ with a different front end, non-railed, and cast instead of forged alloy frame. Also the PCR has Novak style sights. Mine is great, perfect reliability so far, feels excellent in the hand, and carries well in a Comp-Tac MTAC.

Decocker is a replacement for the standard manual safety, which on CZ pistols can only be engaged with the hammer cocked, so the decocker models give up the ability to carry/keep it cocked and locked, but they gain the ability to decock the hammer with no realistic chance of human error setting off a round.


Manual decocking isn't that hard, it just takes an awful lot of practice and so much awareness of what you are doing. Not an issue with the P01
 
To skwab----I got it at czcustom.com

FYI----Just got a notice that it is shipping tomorrow, 2 days ahead of schedule----EXCELLENT~
 
thanks grampy - I have an SP-01 Tactical that is great - just a very solid gun - I know you're going to love your P-01.
 
That is why I bought my PCR, nearly identical CZ with a different front end, non-railed, and cast instead of forged alloy frame. Also the PCR has Novak style sights. Mine is great, perfect reliability so far, feels excellent in the hand, and carries well in a Comp-Tac MTAC.

Decocker is a replacement for the standard manual safety, which on CZ pistols can only be engaged with the hammer cocked, so the decocker models give up the ability to carry/keep it cocked and locked, but they gain the ability to decock the hammer with no realistic chance of human error setting off a round.


Manual decocking isn't that hard, it just takes an awful lot of practice and so much awareness of what you are doing. Not an issue with the P01
Click to expand...

My brother recently bought a PCR Compact. I got to shoot it last time he and I went to the range together. Very nice gun and very reliable (100% so far).
 
I love my P01. I really like the way the de-cocker works. Very easy to reach and operate.
 
I don't believe it is safe to manually decock a CZ-75b (no decocker) right? I've never decocked mine while it was loaded but did notice while decocking it when it was unloaded that the hammer could be left at "half-cock" although I don't know why you would do that...
 
I don't believe it is safe to manually decock a CZ-75b (no decocker) right? I've never decocked mine while it was loaded but did notice while decocking it when it was unloaded that the hammer could be left at "half-cock" although I don't know why you would do that...
Click to expand...

It is safe, it just takes a little bit of familiarity and a lot of care and deliberate movement. Manually decocking is an important skill to have I think. The reason why you would want to leave it at half cock is that it takes some of the staging out of the DA pull, and also it is a safety notch for manually or with the decocker decocking. Gives the hammer somewhere to stop other than the end of the firing pin.
 
I don't believe it is safe to manually decock a CZ-75b (no decocker) right? I've never decocked mine while it was loaded but did notice while decocking it when it was unloaded that the hammer could be left at "half-cock" although I don't know why you would do that...
Click to expand...

Sure it is safe, if you know what you are doing, are careful and so forth. I honestly think that anyone who ones DA hammer fired handgun (auto loader or revolver) should know how to properly decock the weapon manually. Also note that the only real difference between a CZ 75b and a 75bd is the addition of the decocking lever - otherwise they are the same pistol.

With the 75b though, if you intend to leave the hammer down on a loaded chamber, then you should ease the hammer back until you hear the safety sear engange (the half-cock setting). This is where the hammer normally falls on the CZ models equipped with a decocker lever. While they do have a firing pin block, the safety sear just adds to that by keeping the hammer from being able to contact the firing pin.
 
I don't believe it is safe to manually decock a CZ-75b (no decocker) right? I've never decocked mine while it was loaded but did notice while decocking it when it was unloaded that the hammer could be left at "half-cock" although I don't know why you would do that...
Click to expand...

It is safe, it just takes a little bit of familiarity and a lot of care and deliberate movement. Manually decocking is an important skill to have I think. The reason why you would want to leave it at half cock is that it takes some of the staging out of the DA pull, and also it is a safety notch for manually or with the decocker decocking. Gives the hammer somewhere to stop other than the end of the firing pin.
 
Congrats on your first gun - excellent choice!!
Now that you're a proud CZ owner, name you might want to become familiar with is Angus Hobdell. His website is czcustom.com and many folks consider him a genious when it comes to making that CZ just a bit better.

Good luck and happy shooting!
 
Welcome! Do I have any experiance with a CZ P01...hmmm...

familypicture.jpg

The P01 is an excellent sidearm - I bet my life on one every day. The half cock feature is a good way to carry it, the way it was designed. The DA pull from that position is smooth and easy, especially when you get a few rounds down the pipe. The CZ trigger is notorious with some for being stiff and gritty, but I must be blessed - haven't run into it yet. Leather is available from several major maufacturers, including HBE Specialty LEatherworks, here on THR.
C'mon over to czforum.com sometime, and enjoy your new CZ!
 
The CZ P-01 was the first handgun I ever owned. It is a great pistol. One of the most accurate that I own. I would say to never carry the gun cocked, always carry at half cock. There is no safety, just the DA pull.
 
Agreed. The P-01 (and PCR) are designed to be carried on half-cock (when you use the decocker lever after loading). Makes for a better trigger pull than a lot of other DA pistols.
 
When I get my CWP I'm carrying my recently acquired P-01 half cocked. Buy mec-gar magazines. I'm pretty sure mec-gar makes CZ the stock magazines .
 
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