Starting in DA (for IDPA)

[wooderson]

Reading up on IDPA shooting, it appears that you need to start out each CoF in DA (if using a DA/SA pistol, of course) or as the rule book says "hammer down."

How does that work on DA/SA pistols without a decocker (like a standard CZ 75B or SP-01)? Are you expected to thumb the hammer down, or am I missing something (like arms without a decocker being discouraged)?

 

[Kor]

It's up to you...

- If you wish to compete in Stock Service Pistol with said CZ, you must manually lower the hammer before holstering/staging the pistol. As long as you are careful, it's not a problem.

- If you shoot that CZ starting from "cocked-and-locked," you will then be considered as shooting in Enhanced Service Pistol. If you're shooting the IDPA Classifier and want to improve your personal rating, this will be a tough row to hoe, as the ESP standards are significantly higher than for SSP. However, if you're only shooting for bragging-rights, ESP may not be a bad division to compete in, as there will often be less ESP shooters than SSP or CDP shooters at a given match, thus your chances of winning/placing/showing in ESP will be greater given the smaller pool of shooters. Likewise if you're going for one of the special categories at a state/regional match, like High Senior/LE/Woman/etc. - the "cocked-and-locked" start may give you enough of an edge to capture one of these titles, which are awarded without respect to division.

 

[Jim Watson]

I think Kor covers it.
I have shot IDPA SSP with a CZ75; manually lowering the hammer at each Load And Make Ready. I have never had an AD or even a slip to half cock in match or practice. (But I have a pre-B with great long hammer spur.) Champs like Matthew Mink and Angus Hobdell do it routinely for IPSC Production which also requires a DA start.

Just have to do it like porcupines make love; c a r e f u l l y.

 

[Spartacus451]

Yet with a 1911 this is completely verboten ;-) Assuming a Series 80 firing pin safety there is no difference.

 

[eerw]

why would you start/carry with a 1911 with the hammer down???

 

[MatthewVanitas]

This may just be a local thing, but I tried manually decocking my CZ RAMI for an IDPA match at Iron Mike's, and the ref freaked out.

Didn't get a DQ though, since I had specifically asked "is it okay if I manually decock"? He'd thought I'd meant by using a decocking lever, not thumbing it down, so he admitted he was unclear, and just moved me to ESP and said I could keep playing by starting out C&L.

Not sure if that's an Iron Mike rule, or just one ref's quirk.

-MV

 

[eerw]

man i hate SO/RO that freak out because you manually decock..

Our IDPA and USPSA clubs have no problem with it..I regularly shoot my SP01 and 75b with none of those SO/RO issues..

the rules take care of and deal with any safety violations..and no rule exists that says you may no decock your gun..

 

[Jim Watson]

I have seen SOs get nervous when I or another CZ shooter eased the hammer down. But that is just tough. There is nothing in the rules to prohibit it when done safely. In fact, earlier editions of the rule book listed CZ 75 and 85 as specific examples of SSPs. That written before the CZ75D came out and there never has been a CZ85D. Sorry, Mike; if that is a local rule, you are not shooting IDPA.

The big difference between manually lowering the hammer on a CZ75 and a 1911 is that when you get it down on the CZ, there is something you can do with it... pull the trigger. On a 1911 you have to thumb cock the hammer to shoot, which you may not have the leisure for that you did to uncock.
Sorry, adweisbe.