P series decocker/safety stiffness

[SteveSatch]

I've owned a half dozen decock only P series over the last 10 years. In the last couple months I've picked my my first safety/decocker models (two P94 9mm and one P95. All are used). They vary in stiffness to take the safety off from really easy to too stiff. I've oiled/lubed the parts. Is there normally a variance in how stiff the safety is? Is it just a matter of thousands of uses and it gets worked in well and is easy and smooth?

 

[November]

Repeated use might smooth it out. I had a P90 that was very stiff to flip up to the "fire" position. I got rid of it and got on the "DC" train. I've never loved the Ruger safety/decocker arrangement.

 

[roylt]

I have had very few safe style. but isn't the safty "held" by a little spring and pin that "pops" into a divot. Maybe that spring is warn or gunked up. The levers are very easy to take out and inspect. That is my suggestion. I believe the parts should even interchange between the 94 and 95 you have.

Good luck and post pics.

I don't have any safe style guns, DC only guy here.

 

[SteveSatch]

I'll have to look and see how to take them out and inspect them. The P95 I have goes up from the safe position to the fire position very easily, quickly, and without altering my grip on the pistol. I actually kind of like it. The stiff P94 isn't hard, but it isn't smooth and easy to do with your thumb without changing your grip on the pistol for a second. That's a negative to me.

 

[roylt]

Hey Steve,
This shows the detent pin I was talking about.

http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=97866&highlight=

Gary did a real good step by step on a 89 which I think you own one now right? Should be very close to the 94.

Keep us updated on your findings.

 

[SteveSatch]

That's a real helpful link. No I don't own a P89. I was going to buy TruthNotRealative's modified P89, but he was actually unable to sell it. I'll see if I can remove the safety and see if it's gummed up with any gunk. If I can get the P94 safety to be as smooth and easy to use as the P95 I bought then I won't mind the safety/decocker at all and I was a decocker only person forever.

 

[SteveSatch]

Well I found some gunk in the channel of the right side of the safety after taking it apart. I cleaned it out and it helped a little but it's still stiff to take off of safety. Both my P94 safety/decockers are. The P95 safety/decocker I have operates super easy. Just a light flick of the thumb. The difference is night and day. It makes me wonder if there was a change in the steel models to the poymer models. It's not that big of a deal. I don't really plan on using the safety anyway, but it would be nice if they P94s operated as nice as the P95 does. I wish someone here had a steel and a polymer safety/decocker model to compare.

 

[roylt]

I would think the levers and slide would be the same material. On the 95 and 94 etc I have stainless is stainless. The frame doesn't come into play as far as the safety goes.

Did you compare the lever parts from the 95 and 94? I thought they interchanged but maybe not? You could try switching the parts around just to see what it feels like.