SP-01 safety is too tight to engage???

[Stafford]

Got my SP-01 in December and I don’t think I’ve ever tried to engage the safety. Because I shoot Production with a Shadow 2, I’m used to manually dropping the hammer manually and starting in DA for USPSA. The SP-01 is my back-up and I practice with it the same way. I’m also planning to use the SP-01 as my primary IDPA gun and I have a match tomorrow.

 

Though I plan to start hammer down, If the first shot of a stage is long or difficult, I thought I would start in SA with safety on. So, just now, I tried to engage the safety and couldn’t get it to budge. Either side, both sides at once. No way would it budge. Let my son the plumber give it a try and he couldn’t move it either. 

 

Went and got my Shadow 2 and the safety was easy to engage, one thumb and up/down, no problem. So, is it common for SP-01 safeties to be tight? Does it need some oil? Is this just a tight finish that needs to wear in? 

[45 Raven]

What division do you intend to participate in at tomorrow's IDPA match?  I'm asking, because it makes a difference on the condition of your pistol at the start of a stage.

 

To answer your question to the best of my ability . . . . I have never experienced an issue with a "tight" safety on an SP-01, nor have I any personal knowledge of other shooters experiencing similar problems.

 

You aren't attempting to engage the safety with the hammer down are you?

Edited May 23, 2020 by 45 Raven

[Stafford]

ESP 

[Stafford]

Trying to engage with the hammer back so I can carry cocked and locked if needed. 

[Stafford]

If finally broke free. It was just really really tight. After I got it up, it was surprising easily to drop it back to fire with one thumb. Still, it was very tight to push it back up, but I can finally engage it with just my thumb. Worked it a few times and it’s workable - and does prevent the hammer from engaging. 

[eric4069]

Might be easier to just shoot it the way you always do, hammer down, double action first shot , simpler to not add anything to your regimen

[SGT_Schultz]

6 hours ago, eric4069 said:

Might be easier to just shoot it the way you always do, hammer down, double action first shot , simpler to not add anything to your regimen

 

Agree.  That strategy of today I'll shoot DA and tomorrow SA is a recipe for disaster.

[SGT_Schultz]

7 hours ago, Stafford said:

Trying to engage with the hammer back so I can carry cocked and locked if needed. 

 

When would you need to carry cocked and locked that carrying the hammer down won't do just as well?

[SGT_Schultz]

8 hours ago, Stafford said:

Though I plan to start hammer down, If the first shot of a stage is long or difficult, I thought I would start in SA with safety on.

 

You're new at this.  The chances of screwing up go up exponentially when you try that mix at a match.

 

I strongly recommend that you both improve your hand and finger strength as well as your DA trigger manipulation so that long or tight shots are not a mental issue like they are now.

[Stafford]

O.K., back from the match. First time I tried the SA cocked and locked was a stage where I had to draw and shoot strong hand. Worked well and I shot pretty well. On the next portion of this stage, it went back to freestyle with both hands, so I went hammer down. And I flinched down in DA and shot low. A couple of other times during the day, I shot SA cocked and locked and drew and immediately pulled the trigger and got nothing. Oh yeah, I’ve got to drop the safety. 

 

It wasn’t a disaster, but it was a learning experience. In the future, I’d just pick one way and practice it first. Not sure how much I’ll ever shoot IDPA, so it’s probably better to just go hammer down and DA for the first shot. Because I shoot USPSA much more and it’s what I’ll be used to. 

[IHAVEGAS]

It can get a bit dicey going back and forth. Had to dq a friend for forgetting to put the safety on with hammer back after he switched to a different division, could have been a lot worse.

 

 

 

[Stafford]

Well, that video is a bit extreme. I bought a Fobus holster one time because the local gun shop had it and it fit a gun I had bought. Read up on it and watched a video or two, and returned it the next day. 

 

In any event, I’m not really interested in safety, cocked and locked for defensive purposes. And it was ok, but not great for gaming. So, enough of that. However, I still like DA/SA pistols, especially for gaming and maybe for defensive, hammer down.

 

Considering a Canik C-100, carried hammer down for carry. If I ever find myself in the grocery store with an attacker on the other end of the aisle (one of the IDPA scenarios today), I can always thumb the hammer back for a more accurate first trigger pull.