no CZ love, what's the deal?

[Guest CK1]

ARGH!!! the JEALOUSY...it's killing MEEEEE! That is a beautiful gun.

Thank you.

Remember, probably one of the coolest things about these guns is they'll let you experience champagne tastes on a beer budget... a standard SP-01 like mine can be had for less than $600 (a lot less if you look around a bit) and if you're really on a budget the $65 competition hammer is worth every cent and you could stop there.

IMO, I don't think there's a better marriage of Glock utility and reliability combined with the finer qualities in trigger-feel and inherent accuracy found in top-shelf 1911's, it's ergos beats all-comers and is in it's own league IMO, in 9mm I don't know if there's even really anything out there that can match it for all-around bang-for-your-buck.

If you're not a DIYer and you have the means for a $1200 CZ-Custom Shadow, just do it you won't regret it and for the money it's a steal.

[Guest 270win]

I'm looking hard at a CZ 9mm for a house and range gun after being eaten alive paying for 45 ammo in my 1911. I sold the 1911 to a family member. I like how you were saying that the VZ slim grips made the SP01 thinner than the 1911. The Smith Wesson M&P feels good with the smallest grip to my hands and also to my wife, but I just can't see any reason to pay all that money for a plastic gun, after selling a Glock. I like how all steel cuts down on recoil. I figure I could reload 9mm ammo pretty cheap, especially with all the 9mm brass I find at my gun club.

[Guest CK1]

I'm looking hard at a CZ 9mm for a house and range gun after being eaten alive paying for 45 ammo in my 1911. I sold the 1911 to a family member. I like how you were saying that the VZ slim grips made the SP01 thinner than the 1911. The Smith Wesson M&P feels good with the smallest grip to my hands and also to my wife, but I just can't see any reason to pay all that money for a plastic gun, after selling a Glock. I like how all steel cuts down on recoil. I figure I could reload 9mm ammo pretty cheap, especially with all the 9mm brass I find at my gun club.

I'd say the grip-size of an SP-01 with either the VZ's or thin aluminum grips is a similar size to the SM backstrap on an M&P except the grip is shaped way better than that, but remember, those grips aren't cheap ($75-85 a pair).

If you get the chance to shoot a CZ with a competition hammer installed you will buy one, period. If it's strictly for HD/Range, after installing a competition hammer you can remove the FPB and put in an SAO trigger, 3mm's total trigger movement, you may forget all about 1911's after shooting one set-up this way.

[Louisb]

Crimsonaudio

I am not a semiauto fan, but the CZ82 fits my had like it was meant to be there.

Shooting one is like shooting a 13 shot wheelgun, but maybe even smoother trigger pull, and

the 9X18 is sort like a 380 on low dose steroids.

[Guest Big-A]

I had a CZ 75 duo tone sold it and regreted it ever since . I try to buy it back from my friend but he wont budge. They are great guns if i come across a good deal i will get another. AL

[Guest 270win]

I picked up a like new in box SP-01 today in Memphis today from a gun store. I don't think it has been shot. The gun was still in the packing grease and came with the box, two mags, papers, and test target. This is going to make a fine house and range gun. I can't wait until this weather clears up to take the pistol to the range to shoot it.

[First Strike]

+1 on the CZ82. I have mine as my primary carry weapon. Smooth DA pull, and single action breaks clean. I have shot every thing through it, no problems. I've even limp wristed it, no jams. Plus 9x18 ammo is cheap.

[Guest CK1]

I picked up a like new in box SP-01 today in Memphis today from a gun store. I don't think it has been shot. The gun was still in the packing grease and came with the box, two mags, papers, and test target. This is going to make a fine house and range gun. I can't wait until this weather clears up to take the pistol to the range to shoot it.

Awesome. I'd recommend you order a 11-13lb (Shadows get an 11# and it'll be solid, but do a 13lb if you're weary) recoil spring as soon as you can so you can get acquainted without any drama, they come WAY over-sprung with like a 18-20lb spring from the factory and if you do some looking around you'll find that the spring change is just about ubiquitous among SP-01 shooters.

(I've actually got a brand new 13lb Wolff I'll drop in the mail for you if you want to PM me your address, I'm sticking with the 11lb ones, works great with the cheap 125-130pf wallymart federal champion I like to use and limited amounts of +P now and again.)

Going to a lighter hammer-spring is also a great cheap and fast upgrade that won't compromise reliability (15lb to be safe, but a 13lb is better if you'll be shooting mostly Federal primers or are willing to liberate a couple coils off of the firing pin spring to avoid any light strikes), again the factory over does it here as stock is an 18-20lb spring (Czech mil-surplus ammo must be pretty hard to set off!). Hammer-spring weight matters more to the DA weight more so than the SA, but even in SA it gets slightly nicer by going lower (and has a little bit to do with how the gun cycles as the slide's momentum coming back re-cocks the hammer).

Running the 11lb recoil/13lb hammer-spring set-up (as is stock in the custom-tuned Shadow's) with 125-135pf target fmj makes the gun a total *****cat: recoiling like a .22 with little to no muzzle-flip, and making it virtually impossible to induce any kind of limp-wrist jam, it's just awesome. Works fine with SD +P stuff too and won't do any harm other than throwing brass into low earth orbit (unless you plan on shooting boatloads of it of course).

If/when the time comes, feel free to PM me if you decide to install the competition hammer, if you're reasonably handy these guns are actually pretty easy to work on yourself and $63 just for the hammer sure beats the $200 it'd cost to ship to Czcustom's if you're up to it. Don't underestimate what a huge difference the comp hammer makes, takes the SA pull from "ok" into creep-free top-shelf 1911 territory, eliminates any and all grit and is a big help to the DA pull too...

Congrats!

Edited November 15, 2010 by CK1

[A.J. Holst]

Well, there may be a CZ75B Omega in my near future...my best friend has just returned from Afghanistan and gifted himself with quite a few new guns, including a Browning HP.

When we were talking he sez, "since I just got a new hi-cap 9mm, I will give (yes give) you the CZ since you shoot it well and like it so much."

I am in shock and feeling pretty guilty over his generosity. I would want to pay him something for it, but another gun is not in the budget in the near future. I offered a less than fair trade, my Ruger P95 to ease my conscience. I was not at all suprised when he refused, simply saying when I sell the Ruger, just send him whatever money I get for it.

All I can say about this particular CZ, the first time I shot it I was able to walk it right to center of the target and I am not that good a shooter.

[Guest 270win]

There is a lot of packing grease in this gun and mags that I had to remove before shooting! I could tell it was never shot even though it was 'used'. My wife and I went to the range Monday and ran a hundred rounds of cheap FMJ 115 grain ammo through the gun and no problems with the two factory 18 round mags that came with the gun. It is a lot of fun and very easy to shoot because the gun is so heavy and well balanced. I like how the pistol can be kept cocked and locked like my old 1911 that I can still borrow from family when I want to shoot it for fun. I think it will make a great house, range gun, and hiking/hunting gun when I don't mind openly carrying in the woods. My wife said the gun was EXTREMELY easy to shoot and she is a new shooter and mainly likes to shoot my 22 Browning Buck Mark. She likes having the gun cocked and locked instead of hammer down because of the familiarity with the Buck Mark. The ambi safety is nice for practicing left handed shooting. Now I just need to get some Speer Gold Dot 124 +P ammo like I used with my old Glock 19 and see how that runs through this gun.

[Guest simboden]

Just picked up an 82 after reading up on CZs. Love the trigger. Will hopefully be taking it out to the range in the next couple of days, but next week at the latest

[Steelharp]

Well, my old beloved CZ Compact will be returning to me in the next couple weeks. It was always my favorite 9mm, and I'm looking forward to its return. Doubt I'll put it back in regular use, though; it's way heavier than the Glock I've become accustomed to in its absence. CZ's are indeed awesome.

[Jonnin]

I like CZ but they have little that I do not already have. I do not like massive pistols, I like guns 6.5 inches or less so I can opt to pocket carry, and a lot of their stuff is just too big. They also have heavy triggers, which I do not care for. If my makarov ever fails or wears out I will get an 82, if I can find one. And they have a nice small platform, the RAMI, that I looked at for a couple of weeks before choosing the PX4 beretta instead. It was a close call though.

So, hmm, maybe if they produce a lighter trigger rami like gun or a small, pocket makarov .... !

[Guest Topgun121]

I have the CZ P-01. About the most reliable and most accurate gun I own. I find it a little bulky and heavy for concealed carry every day, but I will toss it in a holster and in the car when I just want to have something reliable near me. Fun to shoot at the range, and if I had to grab a gun in a SHTF scenario, it would be this one. I feel it has the reliability of a Glock, but much more comfortable to shoot and more ergonomic. NATO approved and heavily tested by them for reliability. If I HAD to make one complaint on it, it would be that I feel that it has a slightly long trigger pull. For that reason, I am a big 1911 fan. Love the clean crisp trigger break of the 1911. But for reliability and capacity, I love my P-01.

Edited December 21, 2010 by Topgun121

[Guest underbrush]

My first CZ was the P-01 and I still love it. I owned an XDM until I made the mistake of picking up the CZ in the store. Now I own the P-01, the SP-01 ( which is probably going on the auction block), and my new favorite the 40P. As has been said many times already, they just feel great in your hand, are reliable, and very accurate.

[tercel89]

The CZ52's blow my mind, great guns for a 60 year old design. That certainly says something to me for the rest of them. I love them so much I got two. I think if they were made by Remington or Colt they would be a $1,000 firearm.

I also have a P01 that is a great pistol. More accurate than my Glocks and as realiable. It's a great gun as well.

I think if CZ had better marketing they would gain two or three times the market share.

The main draw backs for the CZ's is a correct holster is hard to find (dare I say impossible) and it would be nice to be able to get a mag without ordering one. If I could find a holster for my P01 it would certainly get some carry time.

Don Hume now has one . I got mine through Top Gun supply . It is by Don Hume which is GREAT!!!

Here is the link ..... It also fits my full size CZ 75B !!!!!

http://www.topgunsupply.com/don-hume-cz-holsters/

Edited December 22, 2010 by tercel89
adding info

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Been liking the CZ 85 Combat, but reaching both the safety and trigger was a bit of a stretch, and the safety was a little too nubby to get a good grip on it.

This CZ 85 is only a couple of years old, but the safety is the "old style" tumbler mechanism. CZ Custom has some real big extended safeties that fit the "new style" D mechanism, but apparently fitting those nice big ones to mine would require replacing several parts.

The old-style Tumbler safety as used in CZ 75 single action and a few others, has a slightly wider thumb area, and the SA Safety thumb area is perhaps 1/4 inch lower than the standard DA/SA CZ 75 or 85 safety. CZ Custom verified that the SA part would fit my CZ 85.

Installed the SA Safety (left side only) and CZ Custom's grip tape thin aluminum grips. Those two minor dimensional changes has made the safety and trigger easier to reach, and it is much easier to work the SA Safety.

Wonder why CZ doesn't put the SA-style safety on all their CZ 75's and 85's? The SA style safety seems obviously superior and it couldn't make any difference in manufacturing cost. Perhaps the smoothed-off standard safety works better for every day carry?

[mikegideon]

My P01 (CZ75 variant) is SA/DA with a decocker and no safety. I like that setup a lot.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

My P01 (CZ75 variant) is SA/DA with a decocker and no safety. I like that setup a lot.

Thanks Mike. Didn't think about the decocker variants.

Ain't got no objection to the decocker variants. Am quite fond of Beretta 92FS which is similar size to the CZ75/85 and has that decocker thang goin on.

The 85 Combat is just a range toy. Because it has no firing pin block, if I ever was to carry it, cocked-and-locked seems the safest way.

[Guest CK1]

Wonder why CZ doesn't put the SA-style safety on all their CZ 75's and 85's? The SA style safety seems obviously superior and it couldn't make any difference in manufacturing cost. Perhaps the smoothed-off standard safety works better for every day carry?

Think you're correct, people probably just tend to associate the larger safety with a range gun and the smaller one with a carry piece.

As for just fitting the 75SA's safety to all the models, you're not far off from where they may be heading: seems Angus has been trying to get them to just switch all the 75-variants imported to the USA over to the SA-style frame (higher up-swept beavertail frame, which makes the safety seem lower and easier to get to) and then have the older-style frames (smaller straight-beavertail like your 85C) come on models as a "classic" series.

Think I'm going to plunk down and get the new short-dustcover 75 Shadow, mainly just to get all my favorite CZ attributes all on one gun for the first time: higher-upswept-beavertail frame + NO FPB, on a gun that's easily light enough for IDPA and that can even run an SAO trigger and still be legal for IDPA ESP.

Just waiting until after ShotShow to make my final decision as Angus is meeting with IDPA HQ and USPSA to see what divisions it'll be approved legal for, hoping it'll be approved for both USPSA Production and IDPA SSP too with the DA/SA trigger installed, as $1200 before extra mags and accessories for a CZ that'll only be legal in one IDPA division is pretty steep even if I do get to use it in awesome SAO-glory.

There's still a chance the regular/original Shadow might end up being the better overall choice depending on how the approvals shake down for a guy like me who plans on shooting it a bunch and wants it to be legal for gun-games...

Here's a 75 Shadow: CZ 75 SHADOW T DUO TONE

And, in-case you're wondering what an SAO trigger is like when installed in a NO FPB CZ check out this vid at about :45 seconds in (Henning and an Tanfoglio open-gun, but pretty much the same thing...), almost no pre or over-travel and will give a nice 1911's trigger a run for it's money:Installation Part IV (adjusting for pre- and over-travel)

Edited January 16, 2011 by CK1

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Thanks CK1

All three of the CZ 75 Shadow models have the same SA-shaped safety that I retrofitted on my CZ85. A quarter inch lower may not sound significant, but the changed position plus slightly larger size and a sharper edge on the lever, seems to make a big improvement.

An interesting pistol in their line-up is the standard factory CZ 75 B SA, which CZCustom sells for less than $500--

CZ 75B SA PolyCoat 9mm

OK, the firing pin block might not be ideal. Or perhaps the firing pin block would make insignificant difference for the non-expert plinker?

Admittedly the CZCustom expensive fluffed'n'buffed SA models are probably much finer guns than the stock model.

Am curious how much better, for a person who does not compete and does not mind a bit of trigger pre-travel? Perhaps the bog-standard SA model + possibly add thin grips, would be a heck of a gun without doing anything else?

While ordering the thin grips and SA safety lever, was tempted to get the competition hammer you recommended, or perhaps even get parts to convert the CZ-85 Combat to SA only. Decided to take it one step at a time and see how just changing the ergonomics would affect the handling.

Am tempted to eventually get the standard SA to decide if I like that a whole lot better. Then decide if it would be worth converting the CZ85 to SA. I never shoot the 85 DA, so its not like I'd be losing any capability, but OTOH perhaps it would be going to a lot of trouble to get a gun I can't shoot any more accurately than the way it is right now.

[A.J. Holst]

I've been shooting and carrying my 75B Omega (DA/SA with safety) for 120 days now; it's definitely a keeper!

While I'm not at competition level good, I shoot it the best out of my small collection.

Got to be the comfort, for a double stack mag it fits my hand well and for me, a natural pointer.

SA trigger is great and since I'm use to DA revolvers, the creep doesn't bother me at all.

Being a lefty with right handed controls, I like the fact I can carry at half cock, safety off and utilize the long DA pull.

Edited January 17, 2011 by Gotthegoods

[Guest CK1]

Thanks CK1

All three of the CZ 75 Shadow models have the same SA-shaped safety that I retrofitted on my CZ85. A quarter inch lower may not sound significant, but the changed position plus slightly larger size and a sharper edge on the lever, seems to make a big improvement.

An interesting pistol in their line-up is the standard factory CZ 75 B SA, which CZCustom sells for less than $500--

CZ 75B SA PolyCoat 9mm

OK, the firing pin block might not be ideal. Or perhaps the firing pin block would make insignificant difference for the non-expert plinker?

Admittedly the CZCustom expensive fluffed'n'buffed SA models are probably much finer guns than the stock model.

Am curious how much better, for a person who does not compete and does not mind a bit of trigger pre-travel? Perhaps the bog-standard SA model + possibly add thin grips, would be a heck of a gun without doing anything else?

While ordering the thin grips and SA safety lever, was tempted to get the competition hammer you recommended, or perhaps even get parts to convert the CZ-85 Combat to SA only. Decided to take it one step at a time and see how just changing the ergonomics would affect the handling.

Am tempted to eventually get the standard SA to decide if I like that a whole lot better. Then decide if it would be worth converting the CZ85 to SA. I never shoot the 85 DA, so its not like I'd be losing any capability, but OTOH perhaps it would be going to a lot of trouble to get a gun I can't shoot any more accurately than the way it is right now.

Lester, honestly your 85C can be made every bit as good as the most expensive Shadow model that CZ-Customs may offer... you've already got NO FPB which is important, you just need that competition hammer! I've said it before, I'll say it again, that hammer is magic and worth every last penny, will transform the gun and make it better than you likely ever thought it could be.

The 75 SA has one major thing going for it: it has the better (at least IMHO) frame with the higher upswept beavertail, it comes with the larger safeties too but more the anything it's the newer frame that distinguishes it from the usual 75, and of course it's SAO with an over-travel stop on the trigger (but it still has a FPB which means a fair amount of take-up in the pull).

Is having NO FPB that big a deal? To me, YES, I think it is, as it means less than half the trigger-reset distance and a much cleaner pull.

I'm going to end up paying about a $400 premium all to just get the optimum combination of things in a gun that's still legal in games on a sanctioned level, but if one wasn't entering matches like that they could just buy a regular 75 SA, remove the FPB, install the hammer and pretty much be there for $300+ less...

I'd say this, if I were you and I already had an 85 combat, I'd order the competition hammer and adjustable SAO trigger right now and start getting ready to be blown away...

[Guest janwbrown616]

I actually carried a CZ75 on duty for several years. Until the feds said I had to carry something with a hammer drop...duhhh. Anyway it was an original made in Czech before we had them here. No import markings either. Wish I'd have kept it. It usually put the other guns to shame on the range....

Edited January 17, 2011 by janwbrown616

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Lester, honestly your 85C can be made every bit as good as the most expensive Shadow model that CZ-Customs may offer... you've already got NO FPB which is important, you just need that competition hammer! I've said it before, I'll say it again, that hammer is magic and worth every last penny, will transform the gun and make it better than you likely ever thought it could be.

The 75 SA has one major thing going for it: it has the better (at least IMHO) frame with the higher upswept beavertail, it comes with the larger safeties too but more the anything it's the newer frame that distinguishes it from the usual 75, and of course it's SAO with an over-travel stop on the trigger (but it still has a FPB which means a fair amount of take-up in the pull).

Is having NO FPB that big a deal? To me, YES, I think it is, as it means less than half the trigger-reset distance and a much cleaner pull.

I'm going to end up paying about a $400 premium all to just get the optimum combination of things in a gun that's still legal in games on a sanctioned level, but if one wasn't entering matches like that they could just buy a regular 75 SA, remove the FPB, install the hammer and pretty much be there for $300+ less...

I'd say this, if I were you and I already had an 85 combat, I'd order the competition hammer and adjustable SAO trigger right now and start getting ready to be blown away...

Thanks CK1

Will probably eventually get the competition hammer out of curiosity if nothing else.

To convert to SAO, are there other sundry parts needed in addition to the competition hammer and the single-action trigger?