CZ SP01 Shadow Trigger Bar Lifter Spring Issue

[Dutchman195]

Hey all. I've had a CZ SP01 Shadow from the Cajun Gun Works for about a month. Today shooting it I started having an issue with it.

I would load a mag and chamber a round, and grab the hammer to let it forward. Once I did this I would go to shoot it and the trigger would do nothing. Like pulling a dead trigger, it wouldn't action the hammer. The trigger was free to travel with a little resistance. Just yanking the trigger but the hammer wouldn't move. I could cock the hammer and shoot in single action just fine.

I called Cajun gun works and they directed me that the Trigger Bar Lifter Spring is not putting tension on the trigger bar. The non-ejection port side of the spring was putting almost zero tension on that side of the trigger bar. It was also bent out from the frame down by that screw in the middle. They told me the mag could have bumped it and messed it up, but while there is very little clearance, I don't see how it could bump it. The clearance between the spring and the mag is most definitely not even on both sides.

While I was on the phone with the Cajun guys they said to bend that spring up so it puts a little more tension on the trigger bar, and I pushed the corner of the spring closer towards the frame. I was fed up with the gun at this point and was ready to leave the range so I only put a few rounds through it to test it and it seemed alright. But I BARELY moved the spring.

How can I prevent this from happening again? I'm not a gunsmith by any means and really dont like bending little springs that are critical parts to the gun. Of course I dont have time to send the gun back with two big out of town matches coming up. How did it even happen in the first place and is there a solution to prevent it from happening again.

[d_striker]

You don't have to be a gunsmith to have a basic understanding of how your gun works.

If you don't want to understand how your gun works and perform minor maintenance/tuning, a CZ probably isn't for you.

Edited June 30, 2015 by d_striker

[vixty]

Most of us CZ owners also have a smalls inventory of spare parts that most commonly break of can give the gun issues. In your case getting a new trigger bar spring might be a good investment. I know your gun is new and all but things do happen and being prepared saves a bunch of headaches down the road.

[Dutchman195]

Most of us CZ owners also have a smalls inventory of spare parts that most commonly break of can give the gun issues. In your case getting a new trigger bar spring might be a good investment. I know your gun is new and all but things do happen and being prepared saves a bunch of headaches down the road.

Yea after talking to some other CZ guys, I ordered some stuff for it. Got two of those springs and a few other little things. Just amazed that it had a issue so soon out of the shop

[Dutchman195]

You don't have to be a gunsmith to have a basic understanding of how your gun works.

If you don't want to understand how your gun works and perform minor maintenance/tuning, a CZ probably isn't for you.

So that answered the questions I asked how? Or just want to come tell me not to shoot CZ because I clearly don't know how the gun works?

[d_striker]

Maybe my post came off harsh but that wasn't my intent.

We're talking about bending a little spring here. This isn't exactly rocket science. But since you still haven't figured it out, I'll try to explain it to you.

The trigger bar spring needs to provide upward "force" on the trigger bar. You may be able to bend the spring without taking it out but probably not. Look at the spring with the slide off the gun off and see if you need to bend the legs outward toward the frame as well.

1.) Take the spring out.

2.) Use your thumb and index finger to grasp and bend spring legs accordingly.

3.) Put it back in.

[CZinSC]

when you install the mag release catch screw, the trigger bar lifter spring rests under it. if you tighten it too much, the spring will pull away from the frame. The key is to tighten the screw until the spring starts to pull away, then back off so the spring rests back against the frame. You also need to have already put loctite on that screw. Use the blue. you don't want that screw working loose.

[schmeky]

Dutchman 195,

Pistols aren't perfect and neither are the folks that build them. We do spend time with the #34 spring ensuring it has proper tension before it leaves the shop. However, on occasion we have seen these springs take a set after some use. We will be glad to help, just as we tried to do on the phone.

Seasoned CZ shooters know the ins and outs, as some have pointed out. If you are going to compete, regardless of the brand of pistol, you will need to learn the platforms requirements. Everyone here will help, just as we will.

[GeneBray]

My 2 cents sorta parallel some of the previous. You need to learn how to do some minor work on your pistol. The spring giving you problems falls in the category of minor work. Had the same problem some years ago. Here's the fix.

1. Try bending the arm of the spring upward just slightly so it will apply more pressure no the trigger bar. Then gently press the spring down and to the outside of the frame so it is sitting under the trigger bar.

2. If it comes out again, you will need to completely remove it. Cannot speak for you specific model of CZ but my SP01 as the trigger bar spring screw staked in. That means a punch was used on either side of the screw head to dimple the frame and place pressure on the screw so it cannot back out. If not, it is easer. I placed the receiver, in a vise using wood blocks to protect the finish and clamped it. I have a large blade screw driver with the shank squared where it joins the handle. Used an 8" crescent wrench on the shank to provide enough rotational force to over come the staking. Once the screw is out. Remove the trigger bar spring. Bend the leg outward slightly that is causing the problem. Reinstall using blue lock tight on the screw. Ensure each leg of the screw is below the trigger bar.

[Jayohee]

I've had this exact same problem happen to a brand new AccuShadow and thought it was because I may have overpolished the sear/hammer. Turns out that the spring wasn't high enough for the trigger bar to ride on and engage the hammer. I bought a few spares from CZC and haven't looked back since. Don't know why it failed on me so fast as I had only had it for about 1 month before it happened.

Don't be afraid to learn about your platform as you can quickly diagnose many of the problems and do your own work.

[NWfront]

My new Shadow 2 had an issue with the spring installed at the factory having a couple bad bends causing it to contact front corner of the mag.  Inserting the mag would knock it out of the groove and it would ride against the frame.  It took quite a bit of tweaking and eventually removing it to get it sorted out.  It's seems perfect now but I'm not sure if I should trust it or just replace it with a spare that's on the way.

How resilient are these springs to being bent into shape?  

Edited May 12, 2018 by NWfront

[NWfront]

I ended up throwing the new spring in and kind of glad I did.  Everything looked even but I don't think it was providing even pressure.  Not worth chancing it on a couple dollar part you have to stake down.

[rowdyb]

And more specifically when people say it needs to be under the trigger bar, it needs to also ride in the grooves in the trigger bar that are there for the spring.

[B_RAD]

That design of the lifter spring is crude IMO. 

 

Too bad the stuck with that on the S2. I mean I get it. It gets the job done and the same parts can be used between guns.  I prefer the tanfo trigger/fire control parts over the CZ set up.

 

Not that anyone cares or asked what I think. Ha ha. So let me contribute something to help the OP. 

 

OP, a trick I use is to take the grips off and trun the gun upside down. You can look thru the frame and see the spring and the channels. You can see if the spring is ridding in the channels as well as apply lube. I use a small paint brush to apply grease in the channels. 

 

 

 

 

[IHAVEGAS]

Besides Enos, I'm guessing there is a CZ whisperer or two at about every match and most folks seem to like to be helpful.

 

Else, we all have stuff we like to learn to be good at & stuff we do not want to mess with. A good friend is a GM and I cringe every time he mentions cleaning his gun, let alone fiddling about with it. 

[NWfront]

Despite the massive amount of polishing required I did prefer how the Tanfo lifting worked and how tuning was as easy as ordering a few springs from Henning.

This spring is a bit finiky as I had to make another adjustment on the new one to keep the mag from bumping it out of the groove.  It looks like the bend around bolt is a bit to horseshoe shaped causing it to close up when tightened down.  I opened it up to look more like the one in the tuning 101 thread and now everything seems to line up with clearance.