How I've set up my guns.

[ryridesmotox]

This is a long post. Grab beer, popcorn, take notes, turn on some mood lighting and settle in. Did this on my phone the waiting room for a Dr. appointemnt so if there are grammar, spelling or syntax errors... Just know I don't care haha. Also, this is from memory, and my memory isn't perfect anymore. Far from it actually. Enjoy

 

First, if you are not comfortable completely tearing the gun down to bare frame, slide apart, and putting it back together flawlessly, send it to a professional. Guns are dangerous and even more so if you mess something up and cause it to malfunction.

Second, patience is required for all this stuff. With the advent of YouTube and the interwebs, people can easily find ways to shortcut the process. Slow and steady wins the race here. If you are experienced, you can go ahead and carry on, but if you are beginning, take it slow.

Before you attempt anything with the tanfo platform, clean the gun and get all the storage grease off, then go make sure it functions 100% from factory. No sense in messing with a gun that doesn't work to begin with. Take it apart, clean it, see where wear patterns are, and take notes about how it comes apart and goes back together, how it looks and what looks right, so you know when it looks wrong.

The tools required:

Good punches- Grace punches work very well and are very robust. I have Harbor Freight and cheap Chinese crap punches that are not sized right. Some are, depends on how lucky you get

Hammer- with any gunsmithing a good hammer with urethane, rubber, or some kind of non-marring head and strike face are important... Unless you want a scratched gun.

Dremel or other rotary tool and blue magic or flitz for polishing. And plenty of felt or other soft wheels of varying sizes and shapes.

Pliers... Needle nosed pliers, small ones.

Screwdriver, flat head for these guns is fine. Small one and large one.

Stones/sandpaper. Arkansas stones can be found on brownells or many knife suppliers, aka wet stones. Either way, stones or paper, be careful with abrasives. They can ruin the gun. Do not use power tools for most of the actual smoothing and finishing of parts. That cuts very fast and can destroy parts quick. I do use some oil on stones/paper. I like to start with 800 or 1000 grit and go to 2000 then polish with blue magic.

 

Part 1- disassemble completely…  if I have to tell you to unload your gun.. Quit now and send it to a smith.

Step 1, remove both grips, I like to have my gun completely apart. When I do fitting. It opens up more angles for inspection of how the parts are interacting.

S2, slide- pull the slide back til the dots on the left side line up, then go a Smidge further, mine likes to be a bit past the dots, slide stop pin out. Some are kind of hard... Barrel and recoil spring out. You will remove the guide did first along with the spring, compress the spring with the rod and remove it toward the back of the slide. Then pop the spring retainer toward the back as well, then the barrel out the front. Take a pin and press the firing pin into the back of the slide and remove the retainer plate. Keep your thumb, or some appendage over the pin, or it may shoot into outer space and be orbiting Pluto by the end of the night. Depress the firing pin block and slide the pin out, the block will now fall out of the bottom and the pin will come out. Put all of the slide components aside for now.

Frame- Hammer and your smallest punch, tap out the abmi safety roll pin, and remove the right side safety lever. Then slide the sear spring leg onto the channel on the cage. A little rearward pressure on the cage and hammer (half cock the hammer) and the safety bar slides right out. Don't let the Hammer strike the frame or sear cage even from half cock. The sear cage will now fall out. There is a small pin under the sear that holds the hammer pin into the frame. Small flat blade screwdriver can pop it out, or flip the gun over and tap the frame on the table upside down and it will call out. Press downward on the hammer (toward the bottom of the grip, online with the magwell) to relieve pressure on the hammer pin, then remove the pin and the hammer assembly (hammer, disconnector, and hammer strut) the hammer spring will also be accessible. With a properly sized punch, go ahead and drive the trigger roll pin out of the frame using the hammer. The roll pin punch will capture the spring. At this point grab the needle nose pliers and grab the spring, or turn the gun upside down onto a towel and remove the punch. Either way don't lose the spring. Remove trigger assembly. This exposes the plunger... Hit your mag release, then look on the right side of the gun, there is the other side of the mag release... See the hole? Cover it with your finger, then use needle nosed pliers and pull out the plunger assembly. This will cause the magazine release plunger and spring to attempt to leave the right hand side of the gun at approximately 479479061757^28 meters per second as is normal with most important smallish springs... Or roughly fast enough to exit a black hole. Don't lose the spring and plunger. Go ahead and remove the mag release and put a piece of tape or something over the hole so the plunger and spring are retained. Lastly, (i like to use large pliers for this or vice grips) compress the plunger shoe onto the strut to expose a tiiiiiiiiny pin that holds the shoe onto the strut. Don't lose this piece (if you do, I have once, there is a life hack for it which I will go over later). Then release the plunger slowly, preferably hold onto everything using your 3rd hand, 6th finger, or prehensiled penile tissue... Gently remove.

Your gun is now disassembled, we won't be messing with the extractor much here. See the third paragraph... If it won't extract, send it back for maintenance. It's a pain in the ass.

 

Part 2 polishing… it is vitally important that you are not too aggressive with sandpaper or stones. Abrasives can and will f*#k the parts up quickly.

 

Start with the plunger strut. Go ahead and chuck the strut into the Dremel. I use the slowest speed since sandpaper can cut quickly. Put some water or oil on the paper. Go ahead and veeeeeery carefully, start to apply the sandpaper to the strut to smooth out the machining lines. Once you have a smooth strut, move to 1500 and repeat, again for 2000. In general when polishing and sanding you want to go perpendicular to your previous passes. On the strut, I do not it's simply time intensive. The results are fine if you work to 2000 grit. Then grab a cotton rag wipe off well and try to get all the abrasives off. Use a cotton rag or some non longing soft cloth to apply blue magic to the strut and turn on the Dremel again. Go ahead and run it a little faster, but be very careful not to get it too hot.

 

Next grab the plunger shoe, you're going to want to Start again with a 1000 grit Or 800 and work your way up to 2000. Be careful not to alter the ramp or the convex shape of the shoe. The thing you want to do here is try to remove the machining marks and thereby removing any zipper effect. I like to plan ahead and end with my highest grit going front to back in order to enhance this as much as possible. Chuck up a felt wheel for the Dremel and apply some blue magic to the shoe in order to polish it up to a mirror finish. Many will now attack the interior of the shoe, I do not get crazy here, just polish a bit on the bottom of the bore of the shoe, not necessary, just something I prefer to do.

 

At this point, reassemble the plunger, spring, and strut in the reverse of how you disassembled it. Put the mag release back into the frame and drop the plunger in. Insert your smallest punch into the side (right)  of the mag release to depress the plunger and spring. Then press down on the plunger shoe to exert spring force onto the strut, then remove the punch. You should hear the plunger strut snap into place. Test the mag release for proper function. Go ahead and insert an empty mag and ensure the release will engage the mag and will also drop the mag.

 

Next, trigger bar. I prefer to use as flat of a surface as I can find. Glass, machinist block, my cocaine mirror, anything that you can tape a chunk of sandpaper to do that you can easily smooth the machining marks out. Start with the 800-1000 again and this is going to take a while. Don't use any crazy tools, just some elbow grease and some time will have you good to go. Remember to switch directions between each grit to get the previous grit’s sanding marks out properly. You will be able to tell when you are done with the 800-1000 when the whole surface is uniformly scuffed. Then you will move to your next lowest grit and continue. The first grit will take the longest. Once young age completed the 2000 grit, hit it with the Dremel and blue magic on a felt wheel. Until it's a mirror shine. I usually only do the part of the trigger bar that touches the frame. So the sides, the back where the disco rides and also underneath and on top where the sear and frame can increase friction on the bar. Next turn the bar over and behind the trigger shoe (blade) you will see a channel where the plunger rides… This is very tedious… but start again with the 1000 grit and move up. This part and the plunger assembly have a giant effect on how the trigger actually feels to pull, both in weight (friction) and in smoothness. If you neglect these parts, you are not getting optimal trigger pulls no matter what special stuff you put in the gun. Much attention here guys I can't stress the importance of this area and the plunger shoe that interacts with it. It's the job of the plunger to push the bar up and into the disco and sear. So there is quite a bit of drag on this part. You can also hit the side of the trigger with polish as well (where it pokes through the frame. But I would caution you against polishing the whole trigger shoe. That coating keeps your sweat off the trigger. And any steel will oxidize eventually. Note: you can remove the trigger shoe in order to polish the interface with the plunger. But it isn't really necessary. Up to you though, punch and hammer. When you are done, I like to put a dollop of aeroshell (i do a lot of ARs) or your favorite gun grease on the plunger and/or the plunger interface channel on the trigger bar. Also put some oil onto the bar where it interacts with the frame or other parts (pretty much wherever you polished gets oil now).

 

Reinstall the trigger assembly… This is probably the toughest part. You'll need your needle nose pliers, a punch, a 2nd punch sometimes, a hammer, and a 3rd hand (preferably a baby hand so you can “my germs” that spring in there). Slide the trigger assembly into the frame. Make sure it's in the right spot and moves freely. Then start a punch on your support side (left hand for me). Using the needle nose pliers, orient the trigger spring so that the longer leg is placed into the channel on the frame in front of the trigger, and the shorter leg goes into the actual trigger assembly. You will need to push down and tension the spring, as you do, slide the punch in all the way through to capture the spring. Then grab your roll pin for the trigger. Start tapping it in, s you do keep tension on the punch so as to keep the spring where it needs to be. A little juggling around and you should have it no problem.

 

Sear and cage- do not… DO NOT… Repeat… DO NOT sandpaper, stone, or otherwise abraid the sear. It is not through hardened and doing so will cause it to wear very quickly which can cause your firearm to malfunction.  You don't even need to polish it really no need to even disassemble the sear and the cage. I just polish the sear cage. That's it, and then, just the bottom, where the trigger bar rubs it. Is you took the sear out, polish the roll pin that holds it in. It you are installing a one piece sear, same rules, leave it alone, polish cage and roll pin then reinstall. It you copy the steps for the trigger, the sear pin and spring are similar and if you've gotten this far I am hopefully, rightly, assuming that you can figure out what I mean. Set the sear aside.

 

Hammer, polish the side of the hammer where there should be wear marks from it running on the slide. While you may not think this is all that important, a fast moving hammer can be the difference between setting off that first DA pull on a classifier stage or completely fail-boating the classifier like you are riding the SS Titanic down to the depths of oblivian… johnbu feels me. Polish the strut as well, to reduce friction and increase hammer speed. No abrasives on the hammer or hammer strut. Just a smooth oiled surface will usually suffice. Firing pin and firing pin block will be polished as well, jobs and paper is usually required. A good polish on the pin and the firing pin block will ensure the firing pin doesn't slow down prematurely. An if you choose, at this point polish the firing pin bore in the slide. I dont, it's up to you. Now insert the spring and hammer strut into the frame and position the hammer so as to push the hammer pin through the frame. Needle nose pliers are a big help when trying to get the hammer pin retention pin into the frame under where the sear cage will go shortly. The sear cage can be somewhat tricky… I like to put the beavertail into the table in working on and let the grip hang down. Then push the cage against the hammer and into position in the back of the slide, then insert the safety bar. (at this point, if you installed the single piece sear and titan hammer and BOLO fitting will  be required for proper safety function). When the bar is pushed all the way in, light taps with your soft hammer will confirm, move the sear spring leg from the sear cage and into the safety bar again. Securing it. Now slide the ambi lever on and re-install the roll pin to secure. Helps to insert the punch from below and hammer from the top onto the pin. At this point I drop a few dabs of lube onto the springs of the gun to lubricate them on their pins. If you haven't already, make sure the trigger bar has lube between the sear cage and frame on all sides.

 

Re-assembly of the slide is easy, firing pin block is inserted spring first, taking car to orient the relief cut in the block toward the firing pin bore. Maintain enough tension on the block to keep it in the bore, then slide the firing pin spring and firing pin in, with the flat side of the pin toward the block. Might have to depress and release the block a few times to clear the spring and pin. At this point let the BLOCK go, keep tension on the Firing pin, and retrieve the firing pin retention plate (the block should hold the pin in but in the event your tolerances stack in the other direction, don't shoot the pin into your eyehole). Slide it into the frame and depress the pin with a punch, then secure the pin with the retention plate. At this point, test the function of the block and pin. Grab a punch and push the pin into the slid, try it with the block pressed into the slide too… See the difference, if it blocked the pin from forward movement properly, move on. If not, try again.

 

Barrel- I like to mirror polish feed ramps and chambers. It helps facilitate good feeding and ejection and makes cleaning much easier. NO SANDPAPER HERE. Just blue magic and an appropriately sized felt attachment and polish the chamber and ramp. Take your time and feel the difference before and after. You're welcome. Some like to polish the breech face… I have on one, not on the other, and am not really sure it worth it. But at this point, go ahead. I will say that if you look at the bottom of the breech face and see that sharp 90° angle, keep note of that… If you have double feed or any other feeding issues… break the edge of that 90° angle and see if that helps. Now reassemble the barrel, guide rod and spring.

 

Lube… Many people have used many different snake oils and BS unicorn sperm whatever… I like to use Aeroshell and slip 2000. It's tough, holds well, and provides decent publicity and wear protection and the slip has always worked well for me. Dab some aeroshell into the front of the frame rails and into the back of the slide rails. Its cheap so don't be afraid of some extra. It hold well where you put it too so it will stick for a couple cleanings sometimes. Slide the slide into the frame and secure with the slide stop pin.

 

Function check… first, ensure double action breaks. Then with the trigger still held back, cycle the slide, ensure the reset works properly. Then make sure single action breaks. So it several times… this is like a second wiener… Don't be afraid to play with it… Especially since it is properly lubed. Now function check the safety. Make sure it blocks hammer movement at all positions.

 

Reinstall the grips. And make sure not to over tighten and crack them or cross thread them.

 

A few notes…

 

When you polish these parts especially on the internals that are not stainless… they will rust. I like to run this gun pretty wet, along with my 1911s. Most oiling revolves around keeping those polished areas coated in grease or oil to protect them from the elements. If you let it rust, re polish it all and make sure it's oiled properly again. Doing a polish like this doesn't mean a gun will turn into a ball of rust in a week, or whatever. But more care needs to be taken toward maintaining a properly oiled and functioning gun.

 

A good polish job will lower trigger pull weight by more than springs swaps. If you want a real nice trigger… It starts With a good polish job. Take your time… do not get in a hurry.

 

As far as aftermarket parts… wait until you've shot the gun this way a little. See what happens and make sure there are no issue that need to be resolved. Then go drop you cash on parts.

 

Both stock 2s are set up with the following items:

10# recoil spring-wolff

14# hammer spring-Patriot Defense (PD)

Firing pin spring from PD

Single piece sear, PD sear spring

Titan hammer

PD BOLO

Bevin Grams ream

Original Equipment trigger return spring

CGW firing pin spring on the plunger. Original spring works fun here as well

Canik trigger pin (this is not necessary, it adds slop in the trigger system, but it makes disassembly and assembly easy, you won't even notice the slop in a match)

And a fiber optic dawson front sight.

 

5#5oz double action

2#5oz single

 

Those are averages of most pulls series.

 

I'll edit a video in here later if I remember.

[ryridesmotox]

Even the colors aren't the same...

 

Pretty well exploded the parts out. These are not that complex

 

Polishing of trigger group done... Using the directions above.

 

Double action

 

Single action

I also like ARs and 1911s enjoy... By the way... I'd put These stock 2s in racing configuration against most gunsmith 1911 "trigger jobs" the tanfos properly done with good parts PD are that good.

Edited January 9, 2017 by ryridesmotox

[johnbu]

I do some things differently, but you did a great write up.

 

Major differences.

I check the firing pin channel by reversing the pin and manually feeling for gritty feel from the machining marks.  the last 5/6 guns i played with looked like drunk monkeys machined the holes with rough rocks. To polish, i wrap cloth around a cleaning jag, saturate with goo (mothers, blue, flitz, etc) and use a drill to spin it. But ! Remove the extractor as it will snag the jag.

I use a WAAAAAAY simpler method of replacing the trigger. I took a nail and contoured it with a smooth rounded end. The cut it to just slightly shorter than the width of the trigger. That is my guide pin that holds the spring. Then the trigger, bar, and spring go in as a unit. Easy to align just the hole and tap in the pin or slide in the canik pin. No 3rd hand or prehensile tail needed.

I also inspect and smooth the frame where the hammer swings and the trigger bar rides. (If needed). If the hammer has swing scratches, it probably had issues.

A few (hundred) slide racks with polish on the rails, smooths out the action and ensures return battery with weak springs.

 

[ryridesmotox]

See my hammers never had scratches enough to worry me. Just some light scuffing. And my slides are all tight, but not as tight as a custom 1911. So I done worry about that. The variances in machining are crazy in these. I've also not messed with the firing pin bite a whole lot. I kind of fiddle dicked with some punches to see how jagged it really was and mine was relatively smooth. Which to me is fine. As long as the one surface there is polished, it works. I run the 14# spring so it hits like Mike Tyson.

As far as the trigger roll pin... I swap to canik pins. I would rather be able to take that down if necessary very quickly. Makes it so easy. I just wrote that in to explain how most will do it. Its not difficult, it just takes a slave pin of some kind and the proper techniques.

Some guys get down in every crevice with brushes and all that. I might at some point. But the gun runs like a raped ape right now. So I'm gonna run it til it breaks.

[taxil343]

You guys are a wealth of information on these guns. Thanks for another great how to, it is much appreciated. 

[MissionaryMike]

Like John, I also polished up the inside of the frame where the trigger and trigger bar make contact.  My trigger is as smooth as glass.  The part that was disappointing the OCD snob in me was not being able to get the actual trigger weight down to where you guys have it.  But I'm over it.  Time to put this thing up against my Accu Shadow.  The victor will ride with me to my matches this year.  

[B_RAD]

40 minutes ago, MissionaryMike said:

Like John, I also polished up the inside of the frame where the trigger and trigger bar make contact.  My trigger is as smooth as glass.  The part that was disappointing the OCD snob in me was not being able to get the actual trigger weight down to where you guys have it.  But I'm over it.  Time to put this thing up against my Accu Shadow.  The victor will ride with me to my matches this year.  

I'm also comparing my CZ to my new Lim Pro. 

 

I think I'm gonna like it a little more than the CZ but I'm still in that new car phase with the Tanfo.  

 

Still want to do the accuracy side by side.  

 

[Hi-Power Jack]

WOW!!!

I cannot believe AnyOne read thru this entire original posting ....   

[MissionaryMike]

4 minutes ago, Hi-Power Jack said:

WOW!!!

I cannot believe AnyOne read thru this entire original posting ....   

I did. I actually learned something comparing Ry's method vs. my own. 

[ryridesmotox]

5 minutes ago, Hi-Power Jack said:

WOW!!!

I cannot believe AnyOne read thru this entire original posting ....   

Can't believe you took the time to post on a thread with no additional information to detract from it. But hey it's enos. 

[PatriotDefense]

#Tip-Tuesday - The BOLO pin can actually be used as a slave pin for the trigger return spring and aide in re-assembly when re-installing your trigger/trigger bar back into the gun. There it is... #gamechanger

[ryridesmotox]

Hey that reminds me of my life hack for the plunger strut pin... 

If you rocket that little bastard into intergalactic orbit, take a large paperclip and cut a small portion that will fit into the plunger strut and allow the plunger shoe to move properly. 

I've been Like that for about 1k rounds. I Don't Like it, but it works

 

[PatriotDefense]

1 hour ago, ryridesmotox said:

Hey that reminds me of my life hack for the plunger strut pin... 

If you rocket that little bastard into intergalactic orbit, take a large paperclip and cut a small portion that will fit into the plunger strut and allow the plunger shoe to move properly. 

I've been Like that for about 1k rounds. I Don't Like it, but it works

 

Speaking of plunger assemblies, have any of you guys seen the ones that come with an E-clip securing the the shoe to the plunger rod? Just wandering when they moved away from the small pin to this new E-clip design....

[johnbu]

I've  seen two of them and one with a split top and a roll pin.

The e-clip "sucks".

 

It requires the inside top hole in the plunger be mirror bright and ripple free as the clip will catch.

[PatriotDefense]

2 minutes ago, johnbu said:

I've  seen two of them and one with a split top and a roll pin.

The e-clip "sucks".

 

It requires the inside top hole in the plunger be mirror bright and ripple free as the clip will catch.

My same observations john.....

[johnbu]

2 hours ago, Hi-Power Jack said:

WOW!!!

I cannot believe AnyOne read thru this entire original posting ....   

Actually i can't  believe he wrote that in a dr. Waiting room!

[MissionaryMike]

7 minutes ago, johnbu said:

Actually i can't  believe he wrote that in a dr. Waiting room!

Right?  Might be time to find a new primary cuz that's a long wait. 

Edited January 10, 2017 by MissionaryMike

[MemphisMechanic]

2 hours ago, ryridesmotox said:

... take a large paperclip and cut a small portion that will fit into the plunger strut and allow the plunger shoe to move properly. 

I've been Like that for about 1k rounds. I Don't Like it, but it works

 

If it'll make you feel better, use a cutoff wheel to slice a bit off an Allen wrench or drill bit to make a pin out of higher strength material.

[billthemarine2862]

I am impressed that you typed up that whole post on your cell phone!  At a Doctor's office no less!  That is some top notch doctoring there!  Was it a VA clinic? 

[billthemarine2862]

My S3 set is up pretty close to yours.  Love that Canik trigger pin from CGW!

[B_RAD]

4 minutes ago, billthemarine2862 said:

My S3 set is up pretty close to yours.  Love that Canik trigger pin from CGW!

Not to be confused with the CGW trigger pin for the CZ.  While it does fit, it will work itself out.  Ask me how I know. 

[dogtired]

I went a little crazy shining up the trigger bar where it touches the frame and it won't reset.  I will be a little less enthusiastic on the new one.

[MemphisMechanic]

I'm trying to picture...

You can't mean the sides of the trigger bar in the magwell. But that's the only place it really contacts the frame.

In the back it doesn't touch the frame where it looks like it does. It's riding on the underside of the sear cage, under upward pressure from the plunger assembly.

Did you change parts during this?

What parts are in the gun EXACTLY?

Does it fail to reset in SA or DA? I assume you mean single action, which is a function of the disconnector-to-trigger-bar fit.

Edited January 11, 2017 by MemphisMechanic

[ryridesmotox]

3 hours ago, billthemarine2862 said:

I am impressed that you typed up that whole post on your cell phone!  At a Doctor's office no less!  That is some top notch doctoring there!  Was it a VA clinic? 

 

7 hours ago, johnbu said:

Actually i can't  believe he wrote that in a dr. Waiting room!

Not a VA... Specialist for my kid. Shit happens.

2 hours ago, dogtired said:

I went a little crazy shining up the trigger bar where it touches the frame and it won't reset.  I will be a little less enthusiastic on the new one.

Take pictures of how you have everything installed and post it up so we can see it. Polishing won't stop it from resetting. But putting something in wrong again will. It happens... My trigger spring went in backwards once... Didn't want to reset. Had to swap it... Was in a hurry night before a match... It happens

[dogtired]

Well I tore it apart to take pics and discovered it was assembly error.  I did not have the trigger spring tensioned.  OOps.  Thanks.