Manual decocking technique for the Shadow

[Nimitz]

Once my new Shadow arrives at the end of the month I'll have several new techniques to learn coming from the G34 world. It seems the most important of these will be to learn to safely manually decock the gun at the end of LAMR, so, I've read the CZ instructions on how to do this but does anyone have video they can post or link to showing how this is done?

[Andreas]

I used to use the Eurotrash method shown in this video:

It's a very safe and controlled method. No risk of the hammer slipping like with the common approach of pinching and lowering it with the thumb and pointer finger of the weak hand.

I've since switched to cowboy style and lower the hammer with my strong-hand thumb. Chicks dig it.

[Czhase]

I use the pinch method ( grab hammer with weak hand thumb and fore finger and lower it ). I'm not secure enough as a man to try the cowboy method.

[Nimitz]

thanks for the video... I think the groupies that follow me around at matches would like to see the cowboy method too so I guess I'll have to start practicing that one as well ... I think it would fit in well with the ammo flip & catch at ULSC ...

[markEmark]

I use the "pinch method" as well. Let state that I am right handed, I tilt the gun a little to the left and then pinch the hammer from above, thumb on the left side of the hammer, tip of my index finger on the right side of the hammer. It feels very safe and secure doing it this way. I would guess I have been through Load And Make Ready at least 100 stages and never come close to a Negligent Discharge. I tried the method of rolling your thumb out from under the hammer and it feels much less secure and I feel like I have much less control of the trigger that way.

Pretty easy to practice this during your dry fire time.

BTW..welcome to the CZ family! I have SP-01 Shadow Custom from CZ Custom shop. (and I love it...forgot to mention!)

Edited November 2, 2013 by markEmark

[Andreas]

Doesn't everybody include decocking and flip & catch as part of their dry fire routine

And of course congratulations on finding a Shadow!

[Nimitz]

yeah, I just thought it was normal too ...

I guess I'll have to practice both and see which one I end like liking better

I'm really looking forward to the end of the month ... I have 3 days with Mike Seeklander on 11-13 Dec so if it does come in time I'll probably shoot it during the class ...

[RexKramer]

I use the "pinch method" as well. Let state that I am right handed, I tilt the gun a little to the left and then pinch the hammer from above, thumb on the left side of the hammer, tip of my index finger on the right side of the hammer. It feels very safe and secure doing it this way. I would guess I have been through Load And Make Ready at least 100 stages and never come close to a Negligent Discharge. I tried the method of rolling your thumb out from under the hammer and it feels much less secure and I feel like I have much less control of the trigger that way.

Pretty easy to practice this during your dry fire time.

BTW..welcome to the CZ family! I have SP-01 Shadow Custom from CZ Custom shop. (and I love it...forgot to mention!)

Rather than rewrite the same thing, I'll just say that's basically how I do it, too.

Edited November 3, 2013 by RexKramer

[kneelingatlas]

Cowboy method here.

[twowheels]

Roll out of the way usually but I sometimes cowboy as well. I don't like the pinch method.

[Nimitz]

the few times I've played around with my wife's Judge I just did the Cowboy method since that's the way I remember Clint doing it in The Good, The Bad & The Ugly ...never gave it a second thought until now ....

[JayDee]

Pinch method for me. The cowboy method often leaves the hammer at half-cocked when I do it.

[CeeZer]

It's not only about how safe it is to decock hammer but also "how safe RO thinks it is" when one competes.

[kneelingatlas]

It's astounding that CZ75 pattern pistols have dominated the Production division for this long and there are still ROs who don't even know the proper starting position. I brought a couple of new shooters to a match and I had to get out the .pdf rulebook on my phone to show the RO that "cocked and locked" what not the legal starting position for a DA/SA pistol in Production.

[motosapiens]

i haven't had any issue at local or area matches. I just pinch the hammer and pull the trigger. i do it a LOT in practice, so i just do it a smidgen slowlier and carefullier in matches. i even do it with my decocker-equipped carry gun because I'm so used to it.

[Hatchet]

Pinch over the top. Shoot it in good health.

[CDPMatt]

I use the Mink method.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RexKramer]

The way I figure it, if the gun is pointed in a safe direction, which is always is when doing such a procedure, who cares. If it goes off, I go home.

BTW, I don't mean to make it sound like I take it lightly. I'm very careful in lowering the hammer. But to have someone like an RO/SO freak out on me while doing it makes the process considerably more dangerous than just doing it on its own.

I also talk to the SO ahead of time, usually before the first stage, that I need to manually lower the hammer. I know it's not needed, but it keeps them from being surprised.

Edited November 5, 2013 by RexKramer

[Nimitz]

so what is the Mink method ...?

[eric nielsen]

No idea what the Mink method is. What I came up with works well because it's safe as any other way plus you can do it quickly and give the RO less time to think about what you're doing. Right-handed person's perspective:

Tilt the gun to the left (away from the RO), place left thumb on right side of hammer, place tip of left middle finger on left side of hammer, place tip of left index finger between hammer and firing pin. Thumb & middle finger do the "pinch" (opposite sides from Post #5 above), left index finger acts as a moving, temporary hammer-block. Depending on your hammer and your rear sight and your fingers, there's some variation in how long you can keep the index finger in there as a block, but definitely long enough to lower the hammer thru more than half it's travel. You kind of slide your fingernail up the groove in the back of the slide as the hammer is easing down.

I recommend practice to the point where you're skilled at it and can load the gun, lower the hammer, put gun directly into holster, put hands directly to start position, nod your head, all in one continuous motion; this leaves the RO with nothing to comment on. He or she sees the gun in your holster with the hammer down and you waiting with the expectation to hear "Stand By". Chances are the very next thing that happens is "Stand By".

Also I recommend do not repeatedly snap the the DA pull either on Load&MakeReady or on Unload&ShowClear. This can lead to a discussion of readyconditionsafeconditiondecockingleverhalfcockfullcockdoesyourgunhaveaFPblocksafetyon&on&on... A discussion is not what you want, you want all the procedures to seem just like a Limited or Open shooter except that when you nod that you're ready, your gun is in the holster hammer-down.

Sorry I don't have a fancy HD hat-cam to demonstrate. Pretty sure everyone I've shown this to continues to do it this way, seems like we're adding a new CZ or Tanfo shooter here every week.

Edited November 6, 2013 by eric nielsen

[bigdave24]

Motosapiens, if you carry a sig, it's not safe to decock that way. You must use the decocker. I believe the gun can fire if dropped if you don't use the decocker.

[motosapiens]

Motosapiens, if you carry a sig, it's not safe to decock that way. You must use the decocker. I believe the gun can fire if dropped if you don't use the decocker.

curious and interesting. fortunately I carry a cz, and I've never dropped a gun, but thanks for the helpful note.

[nanachkh]

Tilt the gun to the left (away from the RO), place left thumb on right side of hammer, place tip of left middle finger on left side of hammer, place tip of left index finger between hammer and firing pin. Thumb & middle finger do the "pinch" (opposite sides from Post #5 above), left index finger acts as a moving, temporary hammer-block. Depending on your hammer and your rear sight and your fingers, there's some variation in how long you can keep the index finger in there as a block, but definitely long enough to lower the hammer thru more than half it's travel. You kind of slide your fingernail up the groove in the back of the slide as the hammer is easing down.

This is how I do it. I practiced many different ways but this just feels the safest for me personally.

I must be a pansy because the method in the video hurts my thumb too much!

[NOSAJ19]

Pinch.

[eric4069]

Tilt the gun to the left (away from the RO), place left thumb on right side of hammer, place tip of left middle finger on left side of hammer, place tip of left index finger between hammer and firing pin. Thumb & middle finger do the "pinch" (opposite sides from Post #5 above), left index finger acts as a moving, temporary hammer-block. Depending on your hammer and your rear sight and your fingers, there's some variation in how long you can keep the index finger in there as a block, but definitely long enough to lower the hammer thru more than half it's travel. You kind of slide your fingernail up the groove in the back of the slide as the hammer is easing down.

This is how I do it. I practiced many different ways but this just feels the safest for me personally.

+1

Eric