Decocker Safety

[Texas_Bryan]

Team,

Thoughts on it?  I've got a Sig P220 and have been recently handling it and the implications hit me.  Should I reasonably expect some type of catastrophic failure causing the weapon to discharge when decocking?  I know that the Sigs P2xx series have got multiple levels of redundancy towards ADs, trigger disconnect, intercept notch, and firing pin safety, but is there a reasonable possibility it could happen?  Anyone here had, or heard from a primary source, a decocking AD with a modern handgun.  I expect that early semi's may have been plagued by them, for lack of internal safety features.  Also the whole sand bucket at the range turns me to think that there could be, or are those for plain old jackass idiots lacking the commonsense to keep the trigger clear while decocking.

-Bryan

[tombogan03884]

I'm not comfortable using them.

[Texas_Bryan]

I'm not comfortable using them.

Why not?  Bad experience, or just out of your training and use?

[Timothy]

I've had a Beretta 92 with a decocker, my daughter has a Sig P228 with one, the SIL has a P6 and a P226 with one and the POS Walter P22 has one as well.  I've never personally had a problem with them and no one I know has either.  I know the 92 had safeguards the prevented the hammer from striking the firing pin unless the trigger was pressed.

The Beretta safes and decocks with the same lever whereas the Sigs have no external safety of any kind.

[tombogan03884]

Why not?  Bad experience, or just out of your training and use?

It's the idea of dropping the hammer on a loaded chamber when I DO NOT want it to go bang, I'm not comfortable with that. I won't reject a pistol for having one, but I use my thumb to slow the fall of the hammer.

[Sponsor]

[TAB]

if your pointing it in a safe direction, it should not matter.  I've never heard of a modern gun going bang during this procedure.

[twyacht]

The CYA folks at the S&W Walther PPK/S plant in Maine, thought it was enough of an issue recall all of them going back several years. However, my FN9, which has a de-cocker, and a formerly owned S&W Model 411 in .40 NEVER had an issue.

To "de-cock" on a loaded chamber, as with lowering the hammer on a single action,... fundamental gun rules apply.

"Muzzle always pointed in a safe direction".

When one expects a bang and hears nothing but a click, that in and of itself is bad.

The same can be said the other way around.

Safety, Safety, Safety... But I have tested my de-cocker with my FN9 on a loaded chamber many times, muzzle down range, and have had NO issues.

I would expect a quality pistol like Sig to maintain that high of a standard as well.

Just my .02 cents.

[texcaliber]

I've had a Beretta 92 with a decocker, my daughter has a Sig P228 with one, the SIL has a P6 and a P226 with one and the POS Walter P22 has one as well.  I've never personally had a problem with them and no one I know has either.  I know the 92 had safeguards the prevented the hammer from striking the firing pin unless the trigger was pressed.

The Beretta safes and decocks with the same lever whereas the Sigs have no external safety of any kind.

.


sorry you are wrong, the p22 safty has to be engaged and trigger pulled to lower hammer.

[tombogan03884]

if your pointing it in a safe direction, it should not matter.  I've never heard of a modern gun going bang during this procedure.

Dude, I've got neighbors within 10 yards on 3 sides and below me, on the 4th side the next house is 40 yards away, There really ISN'T a safe direction.
I will restate though, I've never heard of one failing, but trusting them makes me uncomfortable.

[Fatman]

if your pointing it in a safe direction, it should not matter.  I've never heard of a modern gun going bang during this procedure.

...and to add to Tom's comment, was it you who bemoaned the 'pulling the trigger' disassembly procedure on Glocks, XDs etc?