The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - SP-01 Mags in Pre-B CZ 75

Walt Sherrill · September 2, 2011, 08:23 AM

The mag channel in Pre-Bs is tighter near the top than on the later guns.

As far as I know -- and I'm pretty in touch on this topic -- there's really no such thing as a pre-B mag. There are just factory-made (or factory delivered) 10 and 15 round mags. Any of the factory (OEM) 10 or 15 rounders should work fine in the pre-Bs. CZ and a number of different suppliers made those mags; I've had some PRO-MAG 10-rounders that came in a CZ factory wrapper, that worked perfectly in a pre-B. The springs held up, too. Still have one or two, I think. Made to CZ specs, they were, in effect, CZ mags.

But Mec-Gar 15-rounders sold in the after-market will likely be a problem with a pre-B. The later 16+ mags that come with the gun are made to a slightly different spec, and I'd be surprised if they fit in the pre-Bs. Ditto the 16+ rounders sold directly by Mec-Gar. I think they all use the new design "tube" with different followers (and, maybe, different base plate.)

Don't expect the higher capacity mag springs to last as long, if you keep them fully loaded. Most of them use the same springs as the 10-rounders, and that's a lot of extra compression and work for the same spring.

Many of the Tanfoglio mags will work find in a pre-B, so take your gun to a gun show and hunt around.

A better alternative: a competent gunsmith can open up the top of the mag column in the grip a bit for a reasonable fee, making this a non-problem in the future. That will probably cost you less than paying $80 for a single mag, and you'll never have to worry, again about mag compatibility. In fact, you may be able to do it yourself, with a Dremel, and the stuff you can put on mags (or other gun parts) to show where they're "catching."

I'd be surprised if CZ-USA has any pre-B mags.

They charge an arm and a leg for new mags, that you can buy from other sources for half the price; I'd hate to think what they'd charge for NEW older ones.

I've had a number of pre-Bs, and finally gave up on them -- while the triggers ARE better, you can get "B" triggers to be pretty darned good, and there's never an issue about parts or warranty. I(There are a few parts in some pre-B models that are getting hard to find, and if they break, you can be up the creek.

(Safety-lever parts can be an issue on some of the early pre-Bs, if yours has the little hole in it, be careful disassembling it. Use a pin to capture the spring inside. I don't think that safety can be adapted to use the newer design. Sights are also an issue -- with older guns using a different method and dovetail.)

I do like the way the trigger-guard on the pre-Bs look compared to the newer models. I almost bought one of the "B" series "RETRO" models that came out a few years back, because it was prettier than the standard B model. <grin>.)

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September 2, 2011, 08:23 AM	#4
Walt Sherrill Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 1999 Location: Winston-Salem, NC USA Posts: 6,348	The mag channel in Pre-Bs is tighter near the top than on the later guns. As far as I know -- and I'm pretty in touch on this topic -- there's really no such thing as a pre-B mag. There are just factory-made (or factory delivered) 10 and 15 round mags. Any of the factory (OEM) 10 or 15 rounders should work fine in the pre-Bs. CZ and a number of different suppliers made those mags; I've had some PRO-MAG 10-rounders that came in a CZ factory wrapper, that worked perfectly in a pre-B. The springs held up, too. Still have one or two, I think. Made to CZ specs, they were, in effect, CZ mags. But Mec-Gar 15-rounders sold in the after-market will likely be a problem with a pre-B. The later 16+ mags that come with the gun are made to a slightly different spec, and I'd be surprised if they fit in the pre-Bs. Ditto the 16+ rounders sold directly by Mec-Gar. I think they all use the new design "tube" with different followers (and, maybe, different base plate.) Don't expect the higher capacity mag springs to last as long, if you keep them fully loaded. Most of them use the same springs as the 10-rounders, and that's a lot of extra compression and work for the same spring. Many of the Tanfoglio mags will work find in a pre-B, so take your gun to a gun show and hunt around. A better alternative: a competent gunsmith can open up the top of the mag column in the grip a bit for a reasonable fee, making this a non-problem in the future. That will probably cost you less than paying $80 for a single mag, and you'll never have to worry, again about mag compatibility. In fact, you may be able to do it yourself, with a Dremel, and the stuff you can put on mags (or other gun parts) to show where they're "catching." I'd be surprised if CZ-USA has any pre-B mags. They charge an arm and a leg for new mags, that you can buy from other sources for half the price; I'd hate to think what they'd charge for NEW older ones. I've had a number of pre-Bs, and finally gave up on them -- while the triggers ARE better, you can get "B" triggers to be pretty darned good, and there's never an issue about parts or warranty. I(There are a few parts in some pre-B models that are getting hard to find, and if they break, you can be up the creek. (Safety-lever parts can be an issue on some of the early pre-Bs, if yours has the little hole in it, be careful disassembling it. Use a pin to capture the spring inside. I don't think that safety can be adapted to use the newer design. Sights are also an issue -- with older guns using a different method and dovetail.) I do like the way the trigger-guard on the pre-Bs look compared to the newer models. I almost bought one of the "B" series "RETRO" models that came out a few years back, because it was prettier than the standard B model. <grin>.) . Last edited by Walt Sherrill; September 2, 2011 at 08:34 AM.