Shadow Hammer Question for the Forum

[Malarkey]

So im getting a SP-01 Shadow Custom from CZC to compliment my cajunized SP-01 for USPSA and I would like the opinion of this forum in regards to the hammer on the shadow custom. Looking at the description of the hammer, it looks like it was derived from the CZ Champion....which looks like a badass, very competition worthy gun, but other shadows such as the target and accu shadow come with a different style competition hammer which is what i actually have on my SP-01.

My plan is, to throw some Cajun into it like i did with my SP-01 but the hammer would almost double the investment in internals.

Question: Is there a "significant" improvement when upgrading the hammer on a shadow?

If the stock shadow hammer is able to deliver crisp, <=2lb SA pulls and roughly 5lb<=DA pulls, then i will just stick with the stock....but...if the champion is all show and no go, and these weights are not acheivable....then consider the competition hammer i will.

Thoughts?

Edited June 4, 2015 by Malarkey

[ZachJ]

So im getting a SP-01 Shadow Custom from CZC to compliment my cajunized SP-01 for USPSA and I would like the opinion of this forum in regards to the hammer on the shadow custom. Looking at the description of the hammer, it looks like it was derived from the CZ Champion....which looks like a badass, very competition worthy gun, but other shadows such as the target and accu shadow come with a different style competition hammer which is what i actually have on my SP-01.

My plan is, to throw some Cajun into it like i did with my SP-01 but the hammer would almost double the investment in internals.

Question: Is there a "significant" improvement when upgrading the hammer on a shadow?

If the stock shadow hammer is able to deliver crisp, <=2lb SA pulls and roughly 5lb<=DA pulls, then i will just stick with the stock....but...if the champion is all show and no go, and these weights are not acheivable....then consider the competition hammer i will.

Thoughts?

The shadow hammer is the one that comes on the sp-01 shadow from cz.

The comp/combat (depending on where you look) comes on their higher end shadows like the orange. There are also different comp hammers that fit different czs such as decockers etc. Most often it comes as a separate piece that people or shops like czc buy then install in czs.

I can speak to the difference it made when I switched from the factory ring hammer on a cz85b to a comp hammer. First, squeeze the trigger SA on your shadow.. It will cam back just a tiny bit before it drops. Also look at the amount of sear that is covered by the hammer.

A comp hammer changes the way the sear sits in relation to its hooks. What will happen is the hooks will cover less of the sear than the ring hammers.

Now what does this do to the trigger pull?

It changes how much of it has weight.

Say your trigger (in SA) takes 5mm to travel to the break point. Right now, there will be a point where it gets harder to pull before the break point. This is the weight of it (2lbs I believe you said). Let's say it stiffens up at 2.5mm because this is the point where it starts to disengage the sear from the hammer hooks. So you have to pull through 2.5mm of a 2lb pull weight.

As explained earlier, the comp hammer hooks covers less of the sear so the point where you actually feel the weight of disengaging the sear goes closer to the break point, say 0.5mm. Instead of pulling through the 2.5mm of trigger with weight, now you're only having to deal with the weight for 0.5mm.

Honestly when I put it in my 85b it wasn't that big of a difference and if I hear correctly, factory shadow ring hammers are slightly better (hooks engage sear less) than non Shadow ring hammers. The lessening of the weight area also makes a difference only when I've taken my finger off the trigger and put it on the frame, then stuck it back in again. (I slap it like rob leatham suggests)

[brisix]

The Shadow custom uses the same two hammer all the other Shadows that CZ Customs builds is the CZ Comp Hammer Wide or CZ Comp Hammer Wide (Low), which is used with LPA sight. The CZ Comp hammer can be used on all DA pistols since it fits in the narrow and wide slide hammer notch. There is a decocker version of the CZ Comp Hammer.

If you do get the Shadow Custom from CZ Custom you do not need to replace the hammer since your pull on both Comp Hammers is the same. Any difference is inherent from part to part. the only parts you need to replace in the Shadow with CGW parts is the TRS, hammer spring and recoil spring. The pre-B disconnector that comes with Shadow custom is pretty good. Unless you want to hand fit the CGW type - 3 disconnector for almost no pre-travel in SA. You could also buy a Cajunized Shadow from David.

Couple things to keep in mind with the Cajunized SP-01 and Shadow. There is a 1-2mm difference in reset distance. That is not much but different enough to effect muscle memory and you will short stroke the trigger on the Shadow.

[Malarkey]

This is the one i got.

http://czcustom.com/CZ-75-SP01-SHADOW-PolyCoat-9mm.aspx

[kneelingatlas]

I wouldn't be in a big hurry to change the hammer on your Shadow just yet. I'm pretty sure I've had at least one of every CZ hammer and the one on my Shadow Target is the factory Shadow hammer.

The comp hammer and the Shadow hammer have very similar hooks, with slight variations from hammer to hammer; on average I've found (in my small sample group) the Shadow hammers to have less camming than the comp hammers.

(Stock, Shadow, Comp)

#2 SA pull is attainable with either, but either will likely be ~2.5# w/o polishing.

Your DA pull weight has nothing to do with the hammer, since it breaks when the disco slips off the trigger bar.

[Malarkey]

I wouldn't be in a big hurry to change the hammer on your Shadow just yet. I'm pretty sure I've had at least one of every CZ hammer and the one on my Shadow Target is the factory Shadow hammer.

The comp hammer and the Shadow hammer have very similar hooks, with slight variations from hammer to hammer; on average I've found (in my small sample group) the Shadow hammers to have less camming than the comp hammers.

(Stock, Shadow, Comp)

#2 SA pull is attainable with either, but either will likely be ~2.5# w/o polishing.

Your DA pull weight has nothing to do with the hammer, since it breaks when the disco slips off the trigger bar.

That's what i needed to know! I really didn't want to replace the factory sear on this one for the comp hammer, and i don't have to knock out hammer pins