Decocker too hard to use shooting hand thumb

[harlo1]

I've used search but can't find answer to this...can you use your shooting hand thumb to decock your P-64? I can't. The decocker is so hard to move down I have to use my opposite thumb to push it all the way down to decock the hammer. I did round off the safety detent and removed one coil from the safety spring which has helped when moving the safety from the safe to fire position when the hammer is down...I can use my shooting hand thumb in that scenario. But, using the safety/decocker lever when the hammer is back, to actually decock the hammer, requires so much force that I can't move it down with my shooting hand thumb. Is this normal? Should I be able to actually decock the hammer using my shooting hand thumb?

[spareparts]

I try to decock it using my shooting hand thumb, but swipe at nothing but air.

Oh yeah, I'm a lefty.

[robhic]

I find mine a bit had to operate also. I think it's just the nature of the beast. I did as you did on one of mine, clipped the spring and rounded the detent. Helped a bit but still a little stiff. Detent and spring for a Walther PPK will work in place of the OEM parts someone wrote. I got some from Numrich and put the detent in with the OEM spring for the P64 and it seems a little bit better but it might just be imagination. They ARE tough little beasts aren't they?

[frameman]

Mine is working fine. There is just enough stiffness to make it feel proper. I took mine apart and thoroughly cleaned all the hardware then took a fine sanding stone and worked on the drum portion of the safety itself. I didn't remove any metal except where the I smoothed the rough edges of the detent registers on the drum. There were small edges on it from the machining process. Once they were removed it was GTG.

[gemini1]

The detent is locking in the hole on the safety drum. You need to use one of those dremel rotary file similar to this:



Grind the two sides on the safety drum where the detent slides in and out as you activate and de-activate the decocker.
DO NOT be aggressive, take your time. Position the rotary file at an angle, 10 degrees or less, and slowly let the file kinda like just kiss the drum/area to be filed. dont go too deep! you only need to make a small, shallow canal at the edge of the hole where the detent slides through when engaging the safety lever. Once you've created that small canal, polished the area with 1500 grit sandpaper. Again, do not be too aggressive, you may need to assemble and test until you get the result you want.
If you're concerned about over filing, better to just file it manually, instead of using the dremel.

My decocker used to be like yours, after doing the above, the safety slides in and out like butter.

[robhic]

If you're concerned about over filing, better to just file it manually, instead of using the dremel.

That's what I did. I lightly (KEY WORD!) filed the area(s) over the notch in the "barrel" of the safety where the detent pops into. This effectively shortened the depth of the notch and hence the resistance to the detent's moving in and out. Again, LIGHTLY did the trick and I do believe it had a positive effect as far as giving the de-cocker/safety a bit easier, smoother operation. And I DO like that rotary file attachment for the Dremel.

[harlo1]

Thanks to the excellent videos by juniustaylor problem solved...at least much better. Problem was with the disconnector. The disconnector had become worn and notched where the disconnector pushes on the sear when the decocker is activated. The decocker pushes down on the disconnector which in turn pushes on the sear to release the trigger. I took 400 grit sandpaper to the rough surface of the disconnector to polish it and now I can decock the gun using my shooting hand thumb. It is still very stiff and I suspect that is due to the strength of the original equipment hammer spring. Does anyone know if the decocker is less hard to use if I put on a lower strength Wolf trigger spring? Thanks.

[robhic]

Does anyone know if the decocker is less hard to use if I put on a lower strength Wolf trigger spring? Thanks.

I put 17# springs in 2 and 18# springs in 2 but found NO difference in the safety/decocker operation. You really need to dress the body of the safety where the 2 notches are. That and maybe cleaning up or rounding off the detent itself will help. As I wrote above, the detent and spring for a Walther PPK will substitute for the OEM P-64 detent and spring. I used the Walther detent (from Numrich about $3) and the P-64 spring. I think it might be a little smoother but could be my imagination. IMO, you're gonna have to do some grinding or filing.

[keith150]

Can try polishing the areas a bit mines hard but can still swipe it Down with firing hand

[gemini1]

The hammer spring has nothing to do with the decocker being stiff. My decocker slides smoothly up or down when I re-installed the OEM hammer spring, just as it did with the 18# spring.
Follow the above advice and you'll feel the difference.