You cannot avoid replacing springs, even if you are completely satisfied with your CZ just as you took it out of the box. They are subject to wear and tear, so from time to time you have to replace them for purely maintenance reasons.
Spring stiffness also fundamentally affects the behavior of the gun – how unpleasant the recoil is for you, how easily the gun racks, how reliably it ejects the casing, or how hard you have to pull the trigger.
Different shooters require different things from their pistol:
- sports shooters prefer a light trigger,
- those who have guns for self-defense, on the other hand, do not want it to fire accidentally.
To help you understand what each spring affects and how changing its stiffness changes the handling and behavior of your pistol, we have written a series of articles for you about individual springs. In this article, we focus on the recoil spring. You can find other articles here:
ATTENTION: For CZ models, we must distinguish between two versions of pistols: classic hammer-fired models (e.g., CZ 75B, CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow 1, CZ Shadow 2, TS 2) and modern striker-fired models (CZ P-10 series). Each of them has its own specifics, also when it comes to springs.
Where to find springs on our website
You can find complete tuning spring sets, individual springs, and original CZ parts in several places:
- in the Springs category (focused on tuning sets),
- in the Spare parts category (original CZ parts),
- and in the Spare parts and Springs subcategories for individual models under the By model category.
TIP: Also check out Pins, which the springs cannot do without.
Main spring
It is located in the rear part of the grip behind the magazine well only on pistols with an external hammer (for example CZ TS 2, CZ Shadow 2, CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow, CZ 75B).
How the main spring works
The main spring provides the force for the hammer to detonate the cartridge.
- In SA mode, when cocking, the strut connected to the hammer moves down, thereby compressing the main spring, which is then held by the sear. As soon as you pull the trigger, the sear releases it, the spring rapidly expands, hurls the strut upward, the hammer strikes the firing pin and fires the round.
- In DA mode, you cock the hammer by pulling the trigger, which compresses the main spring. At the end, the hammer is released and the spring hurls it forward.
The main spring fundamentally affects the trigger pull – the force you have to exert to pull it. In DA mode, you will noticeably feel this on the first shot. The stiffer the main spring is, the more force you need to apply. In SA mode, you then overcome the force of the spring pushing against the sear.
When to replace the main spring
Unlike the recoil spring, the main spring is almost "immortal." Some people never replace it during the entire lifetime of the gun. The replacement interval again depends on its stiffness:
- Factory stronger springs are replaced less frequently, sometimes between 30,000 and 50,000 rounds.
- Thinner sports springs last less, and we recommend replacing them after approx. 15,000–20,000 rounds.
How to recognize a worn-out main spring
- Light strikes increase – you pull the trigger, but there is no ignition because the spring does not have enough force for a corresponding blow to the hammer.
- The gun cannot reliably detonate ammunition with harder primers.
- In DA mode, a suspiciously low pull weight compared to the initial state.
Replace the factory main spring with a lighter one? Yes or no?
The factory setting of CZ models is designed to reliably detonate almost any ammunition, so it does not take into account the specific ammunition used by individual shooters. The factory main spring usually has a pull of 16–20 lbs, and the trigger pull therefore feels quite stiff.
This usually does not suit shooters with smaller hands, women, or sports shooters because they tend to flinch while overcoming the resistance of a stiff spring. The solution is simple: replacing the factory spring with a weaker one.
You will overcome the resistance of a weaker spring much better, and the trigger pull will be light and smoother. The choice of spring weight depends on what ammunition you use and what you use the gun for.
What if I install a main spring that is too light?
If you overdo it with reducing the main spring resistance, the trigger will be very sensitive, but the spring will not have enough force to detonate the round.
Recommendations for sports shooters
Sports shooters, firing less powerful ammunition (reloaded), can afford to install a lighter main spring. They usually choose the 11 lbs version and combine it with an extended firing pin.
If you are a hobby or recreational shooter, or if you use factory ammunition for sports shooting in your discipline, then rather reach for a 13 lbs main spring to avoid potential light strikes.
Advanced competitors sometimes go to extremes and install a 9 or 10 lbs spring. Such a trigger is indeed light as a feather, but you need special reloaded ammunition with the softest possible primers for it.
TIP: If you decide to mount a Kadet kit on the gun and train with rimfire cartridges (.22 LR), a light main spring will not detonate them. In that case, you will have to reinstall the factory spring or a special spring for rimfire conversions.
Recommendations for self-defense
In self-defense, you need to hit well, but not fire by mistake. With a factory main spring, it can happen that you flinch and miss while overcoming its resistance. But forget about light sports variants, as the risk of a light strike and accidental discharge is very high. The unwritten safety limit that softens the trigger pull while eliminating the risk of failure is 13 lbs.
Can I replace the main spring myself?
Yes, if you are not holding a hammer in your hand for the first time. This is a common user tuning. You only need a standard 3mm pin punch, which you can find in the Tools category in a set with other sizes.
Striker spring on CZ P-10 models
On CZ P-10 striker-fired models, do not look for a main spring. Instead, a striker spring is slipped directly onto the striker inside the slide, which hurls forward when the trigger is pulled and gives the striker the energy to detonate the round.
Sports tuning
Sports shooters install a lighter striker spring because a weaker spring is sufficient to detonate reloaded ammunition. This gives the trigger a smoother, lighter, and more predictable pull.
Firing pin spring
The firing pin spring is slipped directly onto the firing pin (on hammer-fired models) or onto the striker (on striker-fired models of the CZ P-10 series).
How the firing pin spring works
It constantly pushes the firing pin backward, away from the cartridge. Its force works against the force of the main spring. There are two major reasons for this:
- Safety: If a loaded gun drops on the muzzle, the firing pin would fly forward without this spring, which could lead to an accidental discharge. The firing pin spring prevents this and keeps it in a safe position.
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It returns the firing pin to its original position to prevent a discharge with an out-of-battery slide or the breakage of the firing pin tip by the next cartridge fed into the chamber by the slide during cycling.
When to replace the firing pin spring
Like all springs, the firing pin spring also wears out over time and requires replacement. We recommend replacing it during a major cleaning of the slide interior, after approximately 15,000 rounds.
How do I recognize a worn-out firing pin spring?
Insufficient force of this spring will manifest as the ejected casing getting stuck on the protruding firing pin or the new round dragging on its way from the magazine.
On the ejected casing, you may observe a smeared mark from the firing pin strike. Do not delay replacing the firing pin spring; you will save the firing pin, as it faces the risk of breaking due to its poor function.
Recommendations for sports shooters
The firing pin spring acts against the pressure of the main spring. If you replace the main spring with a lighter one, you also need to replace the firing pin spring with a lighter one so that the gun detonates reliably.
TIP: Don't want to think about how to match individual springs to each other? Get a sports spring set, which work together perfectly.
Recommendations for self-defense
To maintain safety and reliable detonation, we recommend keeping the standard factory stiffness of this spring.
Can I replace the firing pin spring myself?
Yes, you need a 2mm pin punch for this.