Has anyone ever actually witnessed a decocker fail and discharge the gun?

[KarateHottie93]

I've read a billion times about always pointing the firearm in a safe direction to decock it, because decockers can fail. Obviously that rule is common sense regardless of what you're doing but that's besides the point. I understand the reasoning people say it entirely.

The thing is that when it comes to internals, I really only know about the CZ decockers. I can't speak much on Sig, Beretta, etc. The CZ ones seem unbelievably safe though. So safe that I would call the mechanism fail proof if we were talking about anything other than firearms here.

I've spent hours upon hours trying to find one chink in the CZ decocker. I've dropped the hammer on my RAMI well over 1000 times now while trying to smooth out the action a bit. I simply see no room for failure. The only way I could even imagine it to be possible is if the internals were severely and obviously damaged.

Even then if the hammer did slip all the way passed the half cock position, you would still have the firing pin block.

Again I haven't really paid much attention to the mechanisms of other decockers, but the CZ 75 ones seem remarkably reliable.

Has anyone on here ever witnessed a decocker failure with any firearm...especially a CZ?

If so, has anyone ever witnessed both a decocker and firing pin safety fail at the exact same time and discharge a round?

 

[earlthegoat2]

The Sig decocker (at least on the metal frame pistols, dont know on the polymers) is interesting in that as you engage the decocking lever the hammer lets go but stays "cocked" and as you let off the decocking lever the hammer rides down.

I suppose it could still fail and just manage to fall from full cock and hit the firing pin.

The Beretta 92 decocker works by more or less firing the gun with the firing pin block safety engaged. Never heard of one of those failing and there are untold zillions of those out there.

 

[Frulk]

Never. I had P89/P90 and PX4 Storms.

 

[KarateHottie93]

The Sig decocker (at least on the metal frame pistols, dont know on the polymers) is interesting in that as you engage the decocking lever the hammer lets go but stays "cocked" and as you let off the decocking lever the hammer rides down.

I suppose it could still fail and just manage to fall from full cock and hit the firing pin.

That's how it works on the CZ as well, except with a half cock notch instead of what Sig calls an intercept notch. I could definitely see how the hammer could slip through with some extreme amounts of wear, but it just doesn't seem likely.

To have both a decocker and firing pin safety fail at the same time though seems impossible.

Thanks for clarification on the Baretta. I guess it makes sense why it's both a safety and a decocker.

 

[Alex Clayton]

Never but still makes me cringe a little when I use one

 

[HPJeep]

Never have in my decades of shooting various platforms. Ironically I recently got a CZ 75 variant and this one has a decocker. So now I'm playing with this platform.

 

[indy1919a4]

The French made P-38s (The Gray Ghost) made at the Mauser Factory in 1945-46 are notorious for either having faulty decockers or missing parts. I have seen 2 fail and fire when the decockers was engaged. After the pants cleaning all agreed not to trust end of war p-38 decockers.

 

[cslinger]

No, but I have read of one or two instances that I am fairly sure are true.

That said unless I am at a range, I always decock with thumb between firing pin/slowly lower the hammer.

lit is literally a precaution for something WAYYYYY NOT LIKELY TO HAPPEN, but ounce of precaution and all that.

Old Walther’s PP/PPK/P38 seem to have a failure point in decocking/Safe’ing.

It’s simple insurance to slower the hammer slowly where possible. (Decocking). Not pulling the trigger unless that is the method of “decocking” ala CZ75.

 

[MedWheeler]

I still guide the hammer down with my thumb or finger when using a decocker. I'm far from comfortable with the sound of a snapping hammer when I really don't want to shoot.

 

[JohnKSa]

Ironically, given the comments in the OP, the old CZ-52 pistols were known for having a decocker that would turn into a second trigger over time. There was a modification that was supposed to fix the problem.

https://harringtonproducts.com/cz-52-safety/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CZ_52

I've never seen one go off during decocking because I was aware of the problem before I got any and always lowered the hammer manually, even when using the decock function.

 

[KarateHottie93]

Ironically, given the comments in the OP, the old CZ-52 pistols were known for having a decocker that would turn into a second trigger over time. There was a modification that was supposed to fix the problem.

https://harringtonproducts.com/cz-52-safety/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CZ_52

I've never seen one go off during decocking because I was aware of the problem before I got any and always lowered the hammer manually, even when using the decock function.

Yeah a lot of those older guns tend to be a bit less refined. I love the CZ 52 but I don't trust the safety features of anything chambered in Tokarev.

 

[AJC1]

Of all the negligent discharges while in the navy for 23 years none of them were from the baretta decocking lever. Inadvertent repell borders drills are not fun

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Never but still makes me cringe a little when I use one

Never seen one discharge upon decocking, but I saw a Bersa hammer snap in two when it was decocked.

The Walther guys say its a bad idea to decock a PP or P38 type gun for this very reason.

 

[JohnKSa]

Of all the negligent discharges while in the navy for 23 years none of them were from the baretta decocking lever.

The Beretta 92 decocking function is pretty nearly bulletproof. The firing pin is a multi-piece part and the decocking lever actually rotates the back portion of the firing pin by about 90 degrees, making it completely impossible for the hammer to strike it.

 

[retDAC]

I saw a VIS 35 (commonly called the Radom) fire one time. Upon disassembly, it was obvious the firing pin retainer had been crudely sabotaged by grinding it thinner, Probably done at the factory by slave labor as this was made under Nazi occupation. Was not apparent until removed from the slide. A surplus retainer from Numrich solved that problem.

 

[billtool]

Yes - it happened to me. S&W make "Walther" PPKs. Clicked the de-cocker and BOOM. It's the real Brown Sound. Subsequent research showed there was a recall for this potential safety issue. Traded it in that very next weekend.

 

[Rock185]

Yes, a CZ 52.

 

[bluecollar]

The Walther PPK decocker is an inherently weak design. Not the fault of S&W. The design has basically stayed unchanged since 1929. I had an Interarms iteration and always assisted the decocker by using off hand to lower hammer while employing safety decocker. Another thing about that gun. Never carried it with safety off. Mine was not drop safe.

 

[Blkhrt13]

My son swears his px4 had a malfunction and discharged decocking it. Not sure about CZ as mine are clones and don’t have decockers. Never had a nd from my 92s. All of the ones I’ve heard of were ppk, makarov cz52 related. I always catch the hammer or point a gun to the ground out of doors. Won’t trust the Bersa either knowing it’s lineage.

 

[RON in PA]

If memory serves Walther recommended in its manual that when decocking a P-38 one should place the thumb between the frame and hammer.

 

[edwardware]

I've read a billion times about always pointing the firearm in a safe direction to decock it,

Methinks you've confused decocking a gun not equipped with a decocker with the use of a mechanical decocking feature.

Decocking via thumb and trigger on a weapon not designed for the same is broadly acknowledged as a good way to hear the second loudest sound ever.

Using a mechanical decocker should not require any special attention, beyond pointing the gun in a safe direction, which you should be doing anyway.

 

[jeff-10]

While anything is possible, I have my doubts a decocker could fail on a modern design such as a M9 or 226. Still, I always decock mine pointed at the ground unless I am at the range.

 

[HPCadm17]

My understanding of the SIG is that the firing pin block is still engaged until the trigger is fully depressed, so you would need a double failure in order to discharge while decocking. More knowledgeable folks can correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Schlegel]

The Walther PPK decocker is an inherently weak design. Not the fault of S&W. The design has basically stayed unchanged since 1929. I had an Interarms iteration and always assisted the decocker by using off hand to lower hammer while employing safety decocker. Another thing about that gun. Never carried it with safety off. Mine was not drop safe.

Early safety pp design was milled out quite a bit more and has been seen to break after a lot of decocking. Later they thickened it up. Other than the specific S&W recall I have not seen reports of much breakage in post-war PP series, although a lot of guys do use 2 hands as a just in case habit because of the older guns. No harm in doing so. The only time I use it is if I'm loading but not firing the gun, and in that case I have plenty of time.

 

[748]

There was a police video from Atlanta I think, supposedly the gun was a Beretta 96 the lady cop hit the decocker and almost put a bullet in a cufed perps head.
I couldn't tell from sure if it was a Beretta and I don't think it was.