Nimitz Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 Ok, armed with my AGI video (which I know wasn't going to be an exact guide since is shows an older model 75) I was able to take apart my Shadow & change out the hammer, trigger return & firing pin springs. I was able to reassemble everything until I got to the thumb safeties. This is where my Shadow is different then the gun in the video and for the life of me I could not reinstall the safeties. While struggling with it the tiny metal 'plate' that slides into a slot on the top right side of the frame that engages the right side thumb safety fell out (arrow #1 in the photo). Once I figured out where it went it appears there is supposed to be a spring holding it in place? (Arrow #2). If true I'll have to replace it since I never saw it fall out ... Once I fix that can someone talk me through the steps to reinstall the safeties since the video is absolutely no help here. I think I'll be good to go once I figure that out. I included the second pic just to be sure that the spring & pin which engage the left side thumb safety is installed correctly (I think it is ...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carnifex Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 There is no spring on the right side of the gun. There is a similar piece WITH a spring on the left side of the gun. -Put that little detent piece on the right side in, and fit the right safety in. -Put the little detent piece with the spring into the similar position on the left side of the gun. -Place the assembled sear cage down and push it down till the holes line up through the frame. -Insert the left side safety. You will have to pull back on the little spring detent thing to get the safety all the way in. -Push it together nice and good. Make sure the arm of the sear spring is in the groove. -Have a beer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_C Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 One tip, use a little grease to hold the detents in place, helps keep them from falling out while you add the sear cage and safeties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CZinSC Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 Carnifex has it right. I will just add to it because it might be a little confusing since you have not done this before. See below. There is no spring on the right side of the gun. There is a similar piece WITH a spring on the left side of the gun. -Put that little detent piece on the right side in, and fit the right safety in. -Put the little detent piece with the spring into the similar position on the left side of the gun. -Place the assembled sear cage down and push it down and slightly to the rear till the holes line up through the frame. -Insert the left side safety. When pushing in, you will need to lift the sear spring up to get it to go in. Then, You will have to pull back on the little spring detent thing on the left side to get the safety all the way in. -Push it together nice and good. Make sure the arm of the sear spring is in the groove. -Have a beer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgardner Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 I made a tool out of piano wire to pull the detent for the safety back that's "L" shaped with a small hook to go between the 2 little legs and pull it back. The safety goes in fairly easily if you leave the mainspring put so there is no pressure on the cage too. When I replaced the hammer on my 97 B recently I had to refit the safety engagement too. Check that carefully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimitz Posted January 6, 2014 Author Share Posted January 6, 2014 thx all! I was doing most of what you all suggested but couldn't figure out how to move the detents out of position to push the safites all the way in. Mgardner: can you post a pic of your tool/ So I should reinstall the hammer spring first before I do the safeties? One other question. After installing the trigger mechanism should I be able to work the trigger without the hammer or sear cage being installed? On the video I have, the guy reinstalled the trigger and was able to pull the trigger back and forth without issue. When I installed mine I would have to push down on the trigger bar to ensure in would slide under the small protrusions on either side of the inside of the frame which held it in place, Without doing that the trigger bar would slide forward and come out from those little side protrusions ...? If I put the sear cage in & engaged the hammer on it I could work the trigger while holding everything in place but with just the trigger & trigger bar installed I could not work the trigger? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motosapiens Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 thx all! I was doing most of what you all suggested but couldn't figure out how to move the detents out of position to push the safites all the way in. my 75b's have springs on both sides for the detents. the little gizmo the spring pushes on has kind of a ledge or hole or something that i can get a pick into and depress it enough to get the safety all the way in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenR Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 (edited) He hit p when he was typing mainspring "out". It is definitely easier to get the sear cage back in with the main/hammer spring out. I have no spring on the right safety retainer. Also I found it easier to put that right retainer/detent in after fitting the safety in place, ymmv. I do like motosapiens and just use a pick between those little teeth a the top of the dentent to push it back. Most of these operations are like juggling to me and I suck at juggling. Good luck! Edited January 6, 2014 by StevenR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimitz Posted January 6, 2014 Author Share Posted January 6, 2014 ok, that makes sense. At least I should be able to put the gun back together tonight so I can shoot the rest of this week & make Saturdays' match. No shooting tomorrow since we're supposed to wake up to about 40 deg temps ....I don't know how to shoot with an overcoat & fur lined mittens on .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CZinSC Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 LOL, 40 degrees?? We would have loved 40 degrees the other day. It didn't get over 35 degrees the whole day we were out there shooting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_C Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 -6 here today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimitz Posted January 6, 2014 Author Share Posted January 6, 2014 hmmmm .... I live in Florida for many reasons ,,,, not one of which has anything to do with temperatures below 70 degs ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronicTwitch Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 -15 degrees at noon here today. I was out last week in 5 degrees for about an hour, needless to say not much time spent drawing from a holster! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimitz Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 Ok, got the right side safety in and it was easy once I put the safety in first, then put the tiny metal detent like you suggested. Unfortunately I still couldn't figure out how to pull the spring and detent on the left side back so I could fully insert the left safety ... I need to see if I can find a piece of piano wire or maybe a tiny jewler's screwdriver that would fit to move the detent back ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CZinSC Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 i use a dental pick. You can get a pack for $5-10 at Wally world. Or you can sweet talk your dental hygienist into giving you a professional set due to be thrown out. Just make sure she runs them through the autoclave one last time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimitz Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 update. Before going to bed last night I remembered I have a set of jeweler's screwdrivers so this morning before going to work I pulled out a 3/64 flat blade and managed to pop the left safety into place after a couple of tries .... however, I like the dental pick idea as I have an entire collection of dental tools which I use for cleaning & reassembling dinosaur bones .... Grabbed my trusty Joe Tool and installed the hammer spring in a few seconds & thought I was home free, Slide on the slide and bam, it stopped at the front of the sear gage and wouldn't go on ....? I can pull the trigger in DA & SA mode and with a half cock and it seems to work correctly but ... didn't fiddle with it too long and I've taken the slide off before without issue so is it possible I didn't install something right or maybe one side or the other of those safety detents & spring is out of alignment? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc361 Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 Did you put the sear spring back into the notch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimitz Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 that was my first thought but unfortunately it is in there ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motosapiens Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 what is the slide running into that is stopping it at the sear cage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimitz Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 (edited) Didn't look too close this morning ... It appears that the bar on top had started to slide into the corresponding groove in the slide but that was all I saw. Will look closer when I get home ... Edited January 7, 2014 by Nimitz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimitz Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 so apparently I just needed it to get cold enough around here so that the metal shrunk just enough so that everything fits back together .... I picked up the gun, wiggled a few things to ensure everything was in place and slide the slide back on and it fit into place like a glove .... go figure .... put the slide lock lever in & bam the gun is working perfectly. Too bad it's supposed to be 48 degs & probably raining when I wake up tomorrow ... looks like another couple of days of dry fire only .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motosapiens Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Too bad it's supposed to be 48 degs & probably raining when I wake up tomorrow ... looks like another couple of days of dry fire only .... Glad you got your gun squared away. I know you have aspirations of vast improvement and serious competition, as do I. The last 2 years at nationals have featured temps in the 30's and 40's in the mornings, so I find it useful to practice both dryfire and live-fire in a variety of conditions, including cold. I find my hands stay alot warmer at cold matches if I occasionally go into the backyard to dryfire and tromp around in the snow. I sometimes practice in the blazing heat in the summer for the same reason; to prepare myself for competition in those conditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nimitz Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share Posted January 8, 2014 I was wondering when someone was going to bring that up ... and you're right. I was actually going to go shoot this morning, that was until I spent a large portion of last night with my wife in the emergency room having 6 stiches put in her forehead ... long story ... she's fine but I got home way too late to get everything ready to shoot this morning and I also needed to make sure she had what she needed for the day since she wasn't going to work ... heading to the range tomorrow & Friday to try and get ready for Saturday's match ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunsen Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REDPANDA Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Grease to help hold the springs and detents is a good idea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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