Zee CZ SP-01 Review

[Guest CK1]

I like zee best. But I also like zavings zee monie. When Gn'L offerz me zee used like-new CZ SP-01 at diz prize...I jump in it.

Been thinking zee 9mm 1911 for zee longest, but I's didn't want to beez one of doez guyz having zee problems getting zem to run correctly.

Zee CZ after zee trigger job is about as nice as zee nice 1911 without the headaches of trying to get zee gun designed for a longer .45 to work wit zee shorter 9mm.

Zee SA pull is now creep-free at 2.5lbs and zee DA pull is smoothy and as nice as zee nicest revolver at 6.5lbs. I am used to zee Glock 9mm's so I decided to runs it for a whiles without any of zee cleaning, zero malfunctions over 1100+ rounds untill I cleans it cause I is bored and feelz bad for it. Magz are expensive, otherwise I really likes it and recommendz it to anybodys.

Zee IPSC production guys seems to likes theez a lots, for zee IDPA yous need to lighten it ups a bit by changing zee grips ors a couple other things.

Zee new aluminum grips makes it thinner than zee 1911s.

Zee first 50 rounds at 15 yards, headshots from zee draw at 25 yards (I can do much better now that wees is has some experiences and zee trigger job).

Opulence, I has it.

Edited October 19, 2010 by CK1
added a couple pics

[Guest Bronker]

I actually went to my safe an hour ago and got out my CZ 75 SP-01 Phantom variant.

It is by far and away the most accurate pistol I have ever owned. I love it.

I haven't shot it in a few months, and I feel as if it has been neglected. May try to shoot it some tomorrow.

I love the ergonomics of it, the grip is perfect, and I have about 500 flawless rounds so far. I was able to purchase it here locally for $117 cheaper than one of the Nashville mega-shops. Can't beat that.

Not my actual gun, but a fine facsimile...

[Guest BEARMAN]

Zee whiz, CK, thats a mighty pudry gun and some dang good shootn' there bro.

One question though....whats with the "practicing French on Friday" thang?

[Guest CK1]

I actually went to my safe an hour ago and got out my CZ 75 SP-01 Phantom variant.

It is by far and away the most accurate pistol I have ever owned. I love it.

I haven't shot it in a few months, and I feel as if it has been neglected. May try to shoot it some tomorrow.

I love the ergonomics of it, the grip is perfect, and I have about 500 flawless rounds so far. I was able to purchase it here locally for $117 cheaper than one of the Nashville mega-shops. Can't beat that.]

Awesome. I've been thinking of getting one of those for carry actually since they're about 2/3 the weight of the steel versions but basically exactly the same otherwise.

It's strange, I've been pretty much a complete Glock die-hard for a while now but the CZ is just plain easier to shoot well with half the effort. Like you said, the ergos are just awesome, I know it's blasphemy, but with the aluminum grips I just picked up, I actually really think it feels better than a 1911.

FWIW, I've quickly gotten pretty well versed in doing the trigger jobs on 'em, so if you ever get the itch give me a shout and I'll point you to some good info out there on puling it off, not quite as easy as working on a Glock, but much easier than a 1911 IMO.

[Guest Bronker]

...FWIW, I've quickly gotten pretty well versed in doing the trigger jobs on 'em, so if you ever get the itch give me a shout and I'll point you to some good info out there on puling it off...

I shall do that! I just so happen to have an office in Hendersonville, so a powwow may soon be in order!

The DA trigger is as rough as passing a kidney stone, and takes as much effort. I hear that the best thing to loosen up the trigger is to shoot the fool out of them...

[Guest Bronker]

...whats with the "practicing French on Friday" thang?

It's Czechoslovakian, doofus.

[Guest CK1]

Zee whiz, CK, thats a mighty pudry gun and some dang good shootn' there bro.

One question though....whats with the "practicing French on Friday" thang?

Thanks. The "practicing french on friday" I do not get though? Just hanging at home tonight bored and wanted to post a review in case anyone out there may have been wondering about the CZs, but not too serious (so far it seems I've found that while kind of small in the USA, their following is strangely cult-like, guess I'd like to reel in some new members to the fold).

[Guest Lester Weevils]

In what ways is the SP01 newer-better than a CZ-85 Combat? I've read the various specs on the CZ-USA site, but am foggy about the differences.

Does anybody mount larger safety levers on em?

[Guest CK1]

I shall do that! I just so happen to have an office in Hendersonville, so a powwow may soon be in order!

The DA trigger is as rough as passing a kidney stone, and takes as much effort. I hear that the best thing to loosen up the trigger is to shoot the fool out of them...

No problem, I know you've helped me out by helping to get the MCTS range back together post-flood, so It'd my pleasure to help.

From what I've looked at, the decocker variants are pretty much the exact same routine as mine (SA/DA Manual Safety, NON-decock) except pulling the decock lever is a bit more tricky than pulling the safety, but, the decocker versions have only one hammer-hook to re-profile vs. two in the one's like mine. You'll need a lighter 13 or 15lb hammer-spring to really make the DA sweet (I got both and am saving the 15 for JIC but so far no light strikes running the 13 and from what I've gathered they're pretty rare, it what's stock/OEM in the pricier Shadow variants).

I'd also recommend getting a lighter 11lb recoil spring (I've got a 13lb you can have if you want), they run better and shoot flatter with 'em as they come way over-sprung from the factory.

A lot of this is not just my opinion either, there's lots of data out there on them as these guns a very popular in europe and asia and loads of IPSC guys have been running these things really hard for a while now.

[Guest CK1]

In what ways is the SP01 newer-better than a CZ-85 Combat? I've read the various specs on the CZ-USA site, but am foggy about the differences.

Does anybody mount larger safety levers on em?

Not better really if you like the 85C per se, just different. The rail changes the way the gun is balanced, more nose heavy, and the lower is more like a 75SA (higher, deeper beavertail) but has a slightly better grip shape and an under-cut trigger-guard... the 85's actually do not have a firing pin block so their triggers tend to be better out-of-the-box with a shorter reset, a little work can get them on the same echelon though. The 85C's are great though and plenty of guys still prefer them as they're lighter and they don't need a rail, honestly they're arguably better for IDPA as they make weight without any changes at all.

Larger safeties or just about anything else can be added as I've found most CZ models share specs and parts, www.czcustoms.com has pretty much everything and they've even actually come up with a few crazy hybrid guns where they stick an upper from one model onto a lower of a different model (for example their Sp-07 is an SP-01 lower cut-down with the slide and upper off a P-07 DUTY). Pretty neat, they're like euro-1911's in a sense.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Not better really if you like the 85C per se, just different. The rail changes the way the gun is balanced, more nose heavy, and the lower is more like a 75SA (higher, deeper beavertail) but has a slightly better grip shape and an under-cut trigger-guard... the 85's actually do not have a firing pin block so their triggers tend to be better out-of-the-box with a shorter reset, a little work can get them on the same echelon though. The 85C's are great though and plenty of guys still prefer them as they're lighter and they don't need a rail, honestly they're arguably better for IDPA as they make weight without any changes at all.

Larger safeties or just about anything else can be added as I've found most CZ models share specs and parts, www.czcustoms.com has pretty much everything and they've even actually come up with a few crazy hybrid guns where they stick an upper from one model onto a lower of a different model (for example their Sp-07 is an SP-01 lower cut-down with the slide and upper off a P-07 DUTY). Pretty neat, they're like euro-1911's in a sense.

Thanks CK1

OK, now I see the different beavertail shape and slightly deeper trigger guard undercut. The SP01 beavertail shape does look like it might be a little more ergonomic.

These pistols are about as thin as a Kahr except the safety/mag release and grips. Maybe some thin grips would help, because I can't get the beavertail perfectly centered in the web of the hand and still reach the trigger good enough for DA trigger (though I rarely use the DA).

Was wondering about the safety lever, because trying to develop the habit of riding the safety, it is pretty easy for the thumb to slip off the safety. And I can't get enough leverage on the small safety lever to reliably flip it back on safe with the shooting hand thumb. Have to flip it back to safe with the weak hand thumb. Dunno if it is an issue worth doing anything about. Would need to put a bigger "1911 style" safety lever on the thang to know if it would really be any improvement. Maybe go to all that trouble and find it no better or worse.

Perhaps thinner grips to better-center the pistol in the web of the hand would do the most for accuracy, dunno just guessing. At ten yards I can get 99% of bullets on an 8" target and get maybe 50% of bullets in the center 4", but your example target is lots better than that.

In my hands the CZ85 Combat is only slightly more accurate than a stock Italian Beretta 92FS Inox. So its probably the shooter rather than the gun. I tested a Beretta PX4 briefly, which seemed to promise slightly better potential accuracy than the 92 or CZ85. But a PX4 isn't on the immediate shopping list.

I think a Kadet is highest on the shopping list. Cheaper .22 practice with the same form factor as the CZ85. Kadets are supposedly pretty accurate. Some folks say it is better to get a CZ75 or whatever and a Kadet conversion slide. I could just put a Kadet conversion slide on my CZ85, but am too lazy to switch slides back and forth at the range. So getting a second gun would be more convenient.

[Guest CK1]

Lester, I'd try the larger SA-style safety, it's got kind of a shelf for you thumb, a lot guys like them better. I like the regular safety myself, but my support-hand keeps my thumb in-place on the safety. You can just replace one side or both if you want.

Man I'll say this about the grips, they're expensive, but they may just be worth every penny... I really liked the gun before, but with the thinner grips that fit my hand better I freaking love it.

I got the "thick" aluminum ones (called "thick" but actually thinner than all the other grip options except for the "thin" aluminum ones), makes my gun grip-wise about in-between a 1911 and a 1911 with thin-grips.

I tried grabbing a used set off the CZ forum to no avail, the ones the go up are gone in mere hours, so if you were to try some thinner grips, if you didn't dig them you could have someone take them off your hands in a flash.

I'm thinking the .22 Kadet kit is in my future too at some point as I've got a couple of young boys that I'll be teaching handguns soon.

Accuracy-wise, IMO it pretty much always has more to do with the Indian than the arrow, that said, I'm finding it is indeed more accurate than any other gun I've owned and FWIW I ran into TGO member Kano at the range and he's a bullseye expert and top-shelf 1911 aficionado and he managed to print a 1.5" group at 25 meters after only letting him put 10 rounds through the gun.

I think there is something to their design with the slide-inside-frame and really long rail-contact, the barrel lug lock-up is just like a 1911 too and the gun is tight with no rattles, think a really good 1911 could be more accurate as they lock-up at the lugs and the bushing, but think the CZ's long-ass rails bring them closer to that kind of fit. I'd put it out there that as far as I can tell I believe the CZ SP design would equal or beat most if not all of the sub-$1000 1911's on the market.

I may end up picking up an STI Spartan or Trojan in 9mm at some point and then maybe see how they stack up, although guys I've spoken with who own both have told me that in 9mm when you add up accuracy with reliability the SP is the champ.

When it comes to zee accuracy, zay has it.

Edited October 16, 2010 by CK1

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Thanks for the good ideas, CK1.

Sometimes have idly wondered, "How hard would it be to make some grips?" I got a pencil for tracing, a bandsaw, and a belt sander. In theory that ought to be enough to make some wood or aluminum grips.

It would probably be easier if also had a milling machine, for contour precision, especially on the inside features, especially with aluminum. But some feller with actual talent could probably get the job done with simple hand tools.

[mousegunner]

I jump in it! Very clever! YouTube - DirecTV 2010 Commercial - Rich Russian

[BigK]

The DA trigger is as rough as passing a kidney stone, and takes as much effort. I hear that the best thing to loosen up the trigger is to shoot the fool out of them...

I am a big fan of the whole CZ lineup, myself. I think the original CZ 75 is one of the two best 9mm pistols ever made (Browning Hi-Power being the other). Along with the 1911, it's probably one of the most copied designs out there as well. My only 2 complaints are that it's hard to get a comfortable overhand grip on the slide for quickly clearing a malfunction and like you said... the DA trigger is heavy and gritty.

Less than a month ago, I put almost 1800 rounds through my CZ P-01 (almost identical design, just smaller) in a single weekend. I believe that puts the total round count in mine somewhere in the neighborhood of 3500. FWIW the DA trigger is no longer gritty, but it's still fairly rough and uneven. As soon as I can afford it, I'm going to get it smoothed, but not lightened (decocker w/out safety).

[Guest CK1]

Thanks for the good ideas, CK1.

Sometimes have idly wondered, "How hard would it be to make some grips?" I got a pencil for tracing, a bandsaw, and a belt sander. In theory that ought to be enough to make some wood or aluminum grips.

It would probably be easier if also had a milling machine, for contour precision, especially on the inside features, especially with aluminum. But some feller with actual talent could probably get the job done with simple hand tools.

You're welcome, these are cool guns but the fact that they're not too popular yet in the US means info on them can be a little hard to come by so I'm happy to share anything I may have stumbled upon or figured out.

Man, I'll tell you, if you or any guy out there decided to figure out how to make grips for these things it could pretty much become an instant side business if wanted as there's quite a demand and the number of options are few (options get even fewer if you're a fan of the CZ-related Tangfolio guns). Out of the limited options out there, 2 or 3 of the only guys making nice wood grips are Euros located out of the country and if a guy wants a pair of them he's looking at like 6-8 weeks. The cocobolo grips that you can get a hold of from CZ or CZ-Custom's are indeed thinner than either the plastic or rubber ones and are reasonable at $50, but if you want to make the gun thinner it gets more expensive and means either aluminum ones for $90 or so or getting thin custom wooden ones for $100+ and the wait....

I wish just 10% of the 1911-grip-maker's out there would produce some grips for the CZ's too to give us more options. Currently, the only well-known 1911-grip maker that I know of is VZ-grips who makes G-10 ones and they are nice and thin too at about the same thickness as mine and aren't too bad at about $75, I may have to buy a pair down the road to make weight for IDPA sanctioned matches as my gun is within an ounce or so as-is, but if I want to shoot it with the thinner grip-profile I may need to lose an ounce, bigger matches are pretty strict and scales have +/- variances and different interpretations on weighing practices too (could become long story...), there's a chart showing weights and thickness' of grips on czcustoms.com.

I jump in it! Very clever! YouTube - DirecTV 2010 Commercial - Rich Russian

Thanks, knew someone would get it...

[Guest CK1]

I am a big fan of the whole CZ lineup, myself. I think the original CZ 75 is one of the two best 9mm pistols ever made (Browning Hi-Power being the other). Along with the 1911, it's probably one of the most copied designs out there as well. My only 2 complaints are that it's hard to get a comfortable overhand grip on the slide for quickly clearing a malfunction and like you said... the DA trigger is heavy and gritty.

Less than a month ago, I put almost 1800 rounds through my CZ P-01 (almost identical design, just smaller) in a single weekend. I believe that puts the total round count in mine somewhere in the neighborhood of 3500. FWIW the DA trigger is no longer gritty, but it's still fairly rough and uneven. As soon as I can afford it, I'm going to get it smoothed, but not lightened (decocker w/out safety).

Nice. I may be picking up a P-01 soon too (just waiting to see if CZ-Customs will make me one with a safety instead of the decocker, so I can have the same manual-of-arms and grip-index I'm used to).

Shooting them a bunch will smooth them out, but some take longer than others and personally, patience is a virtue I do not possess, if you're brave you can do a DIY trigger job by following the instructions here: Trigger job for BD/Decocker guns - decocker-model guns are about twice as hard as the models with the safety because removing/installing the sear-cage is trickier do to the extra parts, otherwise the trigger job itself is pretty straight-forward once you get a handle on certain CZ operational-specifics (fully understanding the differences between negative-engagement and positive-engagement).

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Man, I'll tell you, if you or any guy out there decided to figure out how to make grips for these things it could pretty much become an instant side business if wanted as there's quite a demand and the number of options are few (options get even fewer if you're a fan of the CZ-related Tangfolio guns). Out of the limited options out there, 2 or 3 of the only guys making nice wood grips are Euros located out of the country and if a guy wants a pair of them he's looking at like 6-8 weeks. The cocobolo grips that you can get a hold of from CZ or CZ-Custom's are indeed thinner than either the plastic or rubber ones and are reasonable at $50, but if you want to make the gun thinner it gets more expensive and means either aluminum ones for $90 or so or getting thin custom wooden ones for $100+ and the wait....

I wish just 10% of the 1911-grip-maker's out there would produce some grips for the CZ's too to give us more options. Currently, the only well-known 1911-grip maker that I know of is VZ-grips who makes G-10 ones and they are nice and thin too at about the same thickness as mine and aren't too bad at about $75, I may have to buy a pair down the road to make weight for IDPA sanctioned matches as my gun is within an ounce or so as-is, but if I want to shoot it with the thinner grip-profile I may need to lose an ounce, bigger matches are pretty strict and scales have +/- variances and different interpretations on weighing practices too (could become long story...), there's a chart showing weights and thickness' of grips on czcustoms.com.

Thanks CK1

I suspect I could probably muddle my way thru some grips for personal use, but my usual quality of workmanship ranges from "complete waste of perfectly good materials" up to "usable product but with serious cosmetic flaws." Only time I get time to make anything is on vacation once a year.

Read online about making wood grips, and the generic procedure for handmade one-offs was about as expected. No rocket science involved, but some skill required.

Making real thin wood grips could be heartbreaking if the wood splits near the end of manufacturing, wasting however many hours labor just to destroy the item right before you get to use it. Aluminum, plastic (or steel for the masochist), seems more promising for real thin grips. I've broken nearly-complete plastic items with dumass mistakes like letting the piece get caught on a polishing wheel and thrown across the room. So aluminum is probably the thang. For a pretty aluminum piece probably needs anodizing after completion.

It does sound like grips for niche markets could be a fun small-time biz for the right feller. Maybe the prime tool to get quality and productivity up, and price down, would be a modest-sized CNC milling machine. Haven't seriously shopped lately, but probably a $10,000 to $20,000 tooling investment.

[Guest CK1]

^^^hmmm... Lester, ya know your post made me think of something, it wood suck to have the wood split on you or having to buy a $20k milling machine... What about Kydex? I mean many holsters that guys pull off are way more complicated than a pair of panels for a CZ would be, they're just a panel with a rectangular dovetail that's double or triple thickness to mate with the frame, and then one stinking screw hole per panel, could probably even use a freaking cheese grater to give 'em a pro-looking texture... I don't know, might be a future project, think all the kydex it'd take would be like $7... Kydex is durable as hell, light, and easy to work with, who knows, might try it...

[Guest Lester Weevils]

^^^hmmm... Lester, ya know your post made me think of something, it wood suck to have the wood split on you or having to buy a $20k milling machine... What about Kydex? I mean many holsters that guys pull off are way more complicated than a pair of panels for a CZ would be, they're just a panel with a rectangular dovetail that's double or triple thickness to mate with the frame, and then one stinking screw hole per panel, could probably even use a freaking cheese grater to give 'em a pro-looking texture... I don't know, might be a future project, think all the kydex it'd take would be like $7... Kydex is durable as hell, light, and easy to work with, who knows, might try it...

Hi CK1

Yes Kydex might be good. It is tough and difficult to break. If it will machine and sand well, maybe you could find a sheet close to the max desired grip thickness. Then make a template copy of the shape of the pistol grip frame, and vacuum form the kydex down on the template. Then cut it out of the sheet and use a belt sander to smooth up the outside profile. Hopefully it would be pliable enough to make a nice sharp 'edge' on the interior profile when vacuum-formed.

Nylatron is another tough plastic, but it isn't a thermo plastic and would need machining to shape.

A good cheap easy-to-find thermoplastic just to play around with, is ordinary PVC pipe. It is fairly tuff stuff. Ferinstance, cut off a piece of 4" PVC pipe and slice the piece down the length. Take a heat gun to it, and after a certain temp you can just flatten it out to a 12" long sheet, then put a weight on it til it cools. Then you can cut it to shape and use the heat gun to bend features in. Of course it won't make real tight right angles. The bends have a certain minimum radius.

I'm real ignorant of all things mechanical. If one wanted a small biz making real nice grips, a small CNC mill would pay for itself. But you can get small manual mills to make one-offs for about the price of a CZ-75. Been wanting a mill for awhile, but the basement is not very big and it is so full of tools that I haven't yet figured out where to put a mill. The little lathe ate up the last piece of floor space.

Edit-- One thing about plastic for grips-- A big selling point of many plastics is low coefficient of friction. Maybe a low-friction material wouldn't be the first choice material for pistol grips?

Edited October 22, 2010 by Lester Weevils

[Angus]

Opulence....I has it! My wife hates that I love this commercial.....Nice pistol, I too was looking at it, and I hate you for buying it! But we can make up and be friends again if you are heading to the range anytime soon?

[Guest CK1]

Opulence....I has it! My wife hates that I love this commercial.....Nice pistol, I too was looking at it, and I hate you for buying it! But we can make up and be friends again if you are heading to the range anytime soon?

Angus, I'll be hitting the range this weekend for sure, PM me if you already have a membership at one of the local spots, I usually go to Gn'L, Nrange, or Asherbranner's depending on how much time the boss says I have to get lost, I'll let you know, you can put as many rounds through it as you want. - Chip

[Kano]

That is one Good Shooting Pistol !!!!!!

CK1 was doing some great groups with it...

I saw him a few Months back and his Skill level

improved off the charts from the last time I saw him.

He was a good shooter before but now is fast & Very Accurate with his new Toy .....