After purchasing my P07 and doing the obligatory reliability check, it has become my EDC pistol. However, when I do malfunction drills, I have a real problem with getting good purchase on the slide do to its size and dimensions. It’s no big deal for initial loading, and I use the slidelock for reloads.
Anyone else have this problem? Any suggestions besides growing daintier hands to grip the thin slide?
I had the same issue with the P07. I found it easiest to grasp the slide at the rear in a slingshot grip rather than overhand. I eventually sold the gun because of this as I am accustomed to working the slide in front of the ejection port which was a nonstarter with the P07.
PS: That’s in no way inferring that it’s not a good gun. Just wasn’t compatible with me w/o some real retraining time.
Just keep doing it. It will become second nature to keep everything tighter against the hand.
Biggest thing is to use the serrations if they’re anything like the 75 compact 40 serrations. You don’t have to grab hard so if your a little on the frame it shouldn’t matter.
I too grab the slide in front of the ejection port. It seems I grab as much of the frame as I do the slide. Mega, have you been able to adjust to the small slides?
I had a cz 75 compact 40. I’ve since moved to the M&P but the cz was my first pistol and took some time to get used to. When I first got it, I could barely cycle the slide, but quickly got it down. I too, grab the front of the slide. Iirc the serrations are the same size.
I moved from a Sig 229 to the 07 and I’m loving it. I’ll continue working on it. Thank you for the input!
It took me a little bit of time to get it. I just grab the slide . I have adapted by gripping the top of the slide as compared to a Glock.
It for me is a similar grip as other pistol just got use to not having as much hand wrapping around the slide. More of a pinch than before
I’m probably not explaining it well
The CZ slides are lower profile than most other pistols which makes gripping them slightly more difficult.
The bigger obstacle to running the slide is the heavy factory recoil spring tension of ~20lbs on the P-07.
BTW, the P-09 and P-07 use the same flatwire spring on different length guide rods.
Many users have replaced this with a lighter spring assembly, but I just left the slide locked back for about 3 weeks as an accelerated break-in.
This reduced the spring force to more normal levels.
Function has been perfect ever since and running the slide is much easier.
Good to know I have that to look forward to, as in the spring giving in a little. I’ve decided to devote the summer to actually becoming proficient again after letting my abilities seriously atrophy. Hopefully I’ll have enough rounds through it for it to loosen up some soon.
Try leaving the slide locked back for a week at a time to see if it softens up.
Leaving the slide locked back will not soften the spring, cycling the slide will. I suggest you keep practicing ranking the slide, the spring will loosen plus you learn muscle memory.
Sent from my SM-T210R using Tapatalk
I understand the theory that “a properly designed spring will not take a set if left compressed and only cycling the spring will produce a set”.
This may only apply to round wire springs and not so much to flat wire springs.
My experience in two separate pistols, an M&P 9C and the P-07, both with flat wire springs, shows the springs DO take a set from being stored while locked back.
In the case of the 9C, the spring was pretty weak afterwards and was replaced with a factory fresh spring.
In the case of the P-07 with a BLUE recoil spring, it softened up to reasonable levels and quit short stroking with American Eagle plinking ammo.
I read that the latest P-07s are shipping with a plain colored spring that is supposed to be softer than the blue spring.
That small slide has always been my complaint with CZs.
I can work the slide with no problem but my wife has trouble with it. I had her practice pulling the slide but she said it hurt too bad to do it for long. I’m currently looking for an alternative for her.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Women with limited strength should try cocking the hammer before running the slide. Admittedly, an additional step and thus not as fast as running the slide normally in a malfunction drill, but makes it do-able.
Yes, the hammer contributes significantly to the slide force.
With the hammer cocked, a “broken in” blue recoil spring provides approximately 11 lbf in battery that increases gradually to approximately 18 lbf at full recoil.
With the hammer lowered under a CGW gold 15# mainspring , the initial 11 lbf spikes to 18 lbf within the first 1/4" of slide travel, then roughly maintains this level of force all the way to full recoil.
Intetestingly, the decreasing mechanical advantage of the hammer mechanism almost perfectly compensates for the increasing force of the recoil spring over the majority of the slide travel.
I consider this a solid advantage of hammer fired pistols.
I was at the LGS the other day and looked at a P-09.
The slide felt significantly easier to rack than my well broken in P-07.
I’m not sure why the P-09 can get away with a lighter spring or why the P-07 comes with such a heavy spring.
There may be differences in slide weight and travel before unlocking that cause the differences.
Has anyone compared them side by side?