CZ-75 How old are you?

[blackamos]

I remember back in 1981 my Uncle getting a CZ-75 from a friend coming back from Germany for $500, this gun looked like it was black spray painted, had crap sights but I fell in love with it. Today the CZ is a refined pistol and I still do not own one. The big question, Why don't I feel the need to buy one? Sell me please.

[Chesster]

Got a pair around '94 from Classic Arms at around $250 each with a pair of 10 rounders. Have an earlier model 85 with hi caps. Other than new mags, never saw the need to upgrade.

[Valerko]

Come by , I'll let you shoot mine. That'll be all the convincing you'd need

[cdbeagle]

I own three CZ handguns and two CZ rifles. For my money they are the best quality firearms in their price range. Their customer service is also outstanding and I do take that in to consideration when buying a firearm.

[JimmyR]

The CZ-75 is an all steel full size pistol. The all steel construction makes it very durable, and it absorbs percieved recoil beautifully.

The general consensus is that the CZ-75 is one of the most comfortable guns to hold on the market. Exhibit A is a thred here on TFL asking about Favorite Handling Guns.

Finally, due to it's internal slide (slide runs along grooves inside the frame) it makes the weapon extremely easy to conceal.

Words, however, mean nothing. I encourage you to pick one up, just to hold it. I think you will see what we mean.

[s3779m]

As close to maintenance free as you can get. No jams, no problems, conceals as well as anything else out there. Shoots great from 3 to 70 yards.

[Pilot]

Today CZ makes a full line of pistols (and rifles, etc). Some are full size, and all steel, some are lightweight, alloy framed, and compact, some are polymer framed. You can pick one that suits your needs, or several for different purposes.

I have owned the full size, steel 75B since the late 90's and it is a wonderful range, and home defense pistol. Accurate, reliable, with great ergonomics. I carry its lightweight, compact sibling, the 75D PCR. With the addition of the .22LR Kadet Kit, they both become excellent, accurate .22's in a few seconds with a slide swap.

[model18]

my flawless CZ75b has never jammed & eats EVERYTHING..........more important, it hits what I aim at, and feels great in my hand.

[blackamos]

Going to the range on Monday with a friend that has several for me to shoot. He wants to try my new Glock 19 gen 4 out so it works out well for both of us. I have a feeling my bank account will be getting smaller.

[jreXD9]

My 2075 Rami alloy 9 is the most accurate handgun I've had and that nbr is at 27 over the past 5 yrs. I went shooting today and was hitting empty 12 gauge shells at 20 feet. I've also had a Compact 75 and a P07 Duty and they were good but for some reason I shoot the shorter Rami better. It is the only gun I've had that will never be sold or traded. I've had Kimber, Springfield (XD's, XDm's), Glock (19,26), Ruger, MP9c, Sig, just to name a few.....HAD....For me, the CZ is tops.

[chris in va]

The first CZ I ever fired was a rental 75 in 40. It impressed me so much I got one in 9mm. The came the Kadet slide. And a 527 carbine. 8 years later I sold the 75 for a P01. Then came the 97b.

They grow on you like a fungus.

Now here's the thing. They're not perfect as-is. A used one with some round count will be a heck of a lot smoother than a new one. Springs are notoriously weak from the factory and may need replacing with Wolff springs for better reliability.

CZ's can be customized. It's fun adding grips, comp sights, trigger parts etc. Really wakes the gun up.

[g.willikers]

Even the 1911 guru, Jeff Cooper, liked them.

[Venom1956]

Get the SA or Stainless 75 with a beavertail. it is THE most comfortable gun i've ever held I prefer it to even the SP-01

[Walt Sherrill]

Originally Posted by chris in va

Springs are notoriously weak from the factory and may need replacing with Wolff springs for better reliability.

I keep seeing this claim on the net, but nobody ever provides evidence to substantiate the claim.

• At one time, the trigger springs on some CZ P-01s failed; it was apparently a single bad lot of trigger springs provided by a supplier -- CZ quickly made it good on those that failed. I saw no evidence, on the CZ Forum -- where I was moderator at the time -- of a great number of failures, nor mention elsewhere on the net. It was a small flurry and it seems that only P-01s were affected.

• The extractor springs on older models were weaker than the current ones, but I think that "problem" -- poor extraction when the gun got dirty -- had more to do with the design of the extractor and how it fit in the slide than the spring itself. Keeping the extractor area (in the slide) clean of gunk buildup seemed to stop extraction issues. The new stronger extractor spring also solves the problem. That was a spring that was arguably weak, but not so bad as to cause big problems -- and regular cleaning (or cleaner ammo) made it a minor- or non-issue.

• CZ once rated their 9mm full-size recoil springs at 14 lbs, but they typically measured 12 lbs. No failures or lack of reliability associated with that "problem." I suspect more problems are caused by HEAVIER recoil springs than light ones.

• Mec-Gar springs on their aftermarket CZ mags seem stronger (i.e., the mags are harder to load) than factory mag springs, but most of the factory mags are now made by Mec-Gar, so it's hard to know which mags -- if any -- are a problem. I haven't heard of a lot of reliability issues there. I've also owned a BUNCH of CZs over the years, and probably close to a hundred CZ factory mags, and haven't seen any more problems from those mags than from the mags from my other (non-CZ) guns.

• One of the first things most CZ enthusiasts do with a new CZ is go to a lighter hammer spring, down a pound or two from the stock weight. It lightens and seemingly smooths the DA trigger, with no loss of reliability. The main spring/hammer spring is arguably too heavy, NOT too weak.

Does anyone here have more information about the nature of this "notorious" CZ weakness that isn't based on what they've read on the internet? If so, please share it with us. Personal experience would be appreciated, but evidence of more than just YOUR problems would be nice, too.

[triumph666]

always loved cz firearms....just bought a cz 75bd police.....took 3 types of ammo and mixed them up in mags (rn's....hp's....plus p's) and she worked great.....50 ft groups under rapid fire were inside 10 inch group.....and slow fire groups were in 3 inch group....love this new purchase

started with CZ by getting a CZ 82 which is amazingly acurate and smooth.....and the trigger pull on my new cz75 bd is very nice!

[hAkron]

I have a safe full of CZ's and CZ clones. I'm going to buy myself another safe this Christmas and fill that one up with CZ's too.

[Sheriff Gotcha]

The CZ-85B (top) was my very first gun and I can't say I've been disappointed with it in any sense of the word. It's heavy (which I like), handles great, fits my hands to a 'T', shoots straight, isn't a picky eater by any means and has functioned near flawlessly. I had some double feeds, but I'm pretty sure they were user error, possibly a lack of cleaning as well. I have to say I think its weight helped me as a first time shooter with deterring the development of a flinch tendency, I'm sure that has no affect on you though as you are not new to shooting. It's always the first gun I let people shoot when I take them with me as first timers, great learning firearm.

All in all I love it and look forward to adding more CZ's to my collection in the future.

[chris in va]

Does anyone here have more information about the nature of this "notorious" CZ weakness that isn't based on what they've read on the internet? If so, please share it with us. Personal experience would be appreciated, but evidence of more than just YOUR problems would be nice, too.

You know what, forget it. I was going to write a list of spring failures from fellow CZ owners but it won't change your mind.

But anyway I used my 97b in a match and was shocked how well it did. Can't wait to get some competition sights.

[Walt Sherrill]

Originally Posted by chris in va

You know what, forget it. I was going to write a list of spring failures from fellow CZ owners but it won't change your mind.

Please DO write that list -- if not for me, for others. Even if you don't change my mind -- and you might -- you might still show others here that your claim was justified.

I was a senior moderator on the CZ Forum for about 6-7 years, constantly interacting with members about CZ-related issues. Even back then, there were literally thousands of members. I'm more familiar than many folks with the CZ design and features (but totally unfamiliar with newer P-07 or the new Omega system). The issues I encountered on the CZ Forum over a span of years were outlined in my earlier response. There used to be a lot of claims about broken slide stops, too, but that seldom seems to come up, nowadays.

I've seen claims here and on The High Road about CZ's notoriously weak springs, but have NEVER seen those claims backed with any kind of evidence. Many of the claims about problems attributed to weak springs could easily have been spring problems, or any number of other things. When asked for details, you'll almost always get a tale about a single owner and HIS problems, and almost nothing more. And, interestingly enough, it's not often that any one person posting has a number of friends with CZs -- as they're still relatively rare weapons -- so citing friends who have had problems can be tough.

I like CZs, but I have a number of other guns I like as well. While I'm often accused of being a CZ Fan Boy, I generally only speak up when I see what I consider unsubstantiated complaints and general statements that don't seem to conform to the real world that the rest of us live in.

At the moment, I have a Kel-Tec PF-9, a Kahr CM9, a T-series Browning HP, a custom AT-84s, a couple of Rugers, three SIGs (all high-end, one tuned by Gray Guns), two Glocks, a highly tuned S&W M&P Pro (prepped by Speed Specialties), and a single CZ - a CZ-85 Combat with a Kadet Kit. That's hardly the collection of somebody who's a blind fan of CZs or who has imbibed of the CZ Kool-aid (like many Glock fans). And I really like Glocks, too. How many CZs have I had? I've lost count, but I trade guns a lot. Had a bunch of SIGs and Glocks, too. (If I weren't retired and living more frugally than was the case a few years ago, I'd probably have more of all of the above.)

So give us the details; you could be doing others a favor. And if you think any of the statements I made were incorrect, tell us why.

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