Older CZ85

[Hoffman123]

I just purchased a used CZ85. It’s an older model, it stamped “CZ85”. It has the number “94” by the chamber on the slide. My question is that if this pistol is parts compatible with the CZ75 (sights,mags,grips etc)? What are the value of these pistols. I’d say it’s in “fair” condition. It shoots very well.

[Mike Irwin]

Some of the internals were updated to come up with the CZ85, so I'd say it's a craps shoot on whether there's parts interchangeability or not.

Mags and grips, yes, I THINK...

Sights? No clue.

[candr44]

The CZ85 is a variation of the CZ75. The main difference is the 85 has no firing pin block and came with adjustable sights. The magazines and grips are the same but the trigger and slide are a little different because of the firing pin block.
The 94 stamped on the slide is the year the gun was made and the 85 is also compatible with the CZ Kadet .22 conversion kit. As for value, the 85 sold for more than the 75 when new so condition being equal its value should be a little more than a used 75. They also aren't nearly as common as the 75 so that may add some value to it.

[WVsig]

The CZ85 is a CZ75 variant. The main distinction is an ambi safety, slide lock and some minor internal parts changes and as already noted no firing pin block. Most people simply consider it an ambi safetied CZ75. Parts are interchangeable.

[4V50 Gary]

Wasn't the CZ-85's safety changed to be ambidextrous and hammer decock? The older CZ-75 had a locked and cocked safety like the Colt 1911.

The one thing I dislike about the newer CZ-75s and 85s is that Gawd awful finger rest trigger guard. The older round ones on the CZ-75 are nicer.

[WVsig]

Originally Posted by 4V50 Gary

Wasn't the CZ-85's safety changed to be ambidextrous and hammer decock? The older CZ-75 had a locked and cocked safety like the Colt 1911.

The one thing I dislike about the newer CZ-75s and 85s is that Gawd awful finger rest trigger guard. The older round ones on the CZ-75 are nicer.

No decocker on the CZ85.

[chaim]

The main difference is the 85 has no firing pin block and came with adjustable sights. The magazines and grips are the same but the trigger and slide are a little different because of the firing pin block.

There were a couple variations of the CZ 85, just like there are a quite a few CZ 75 variations. What you are describing is the CZ 85 Combat. A friend had a CZ 85 Combat. Terrific gun, great trigger. I wish he thought to sell it to me when he decided to sell off his guns, but he did it almost on impulse- one day we went out shooting, a week later, he didn't own any guns anymore (he's always been very practical and thought he had too much money tied up in them for how often he shot, I think his then-wife had something to do with the decision as well).

The CZ 85B is a CZ 75B with ambi safety and slide stop and a reversible mag release.

Ambi options are nice. The better trigger of the 85 Combat without the firing pin block is very nice. It is a shame CZ discontinued them.

As for the OP's question, most parts should interchange between a CZ 75B and CZ 85B since they are the same pistol other than a few ambi or reversible parts.

[Walt Sherrill]

Originally Posted by chaim

...There were a couple variations of the CZ 85, just like there are a quite a few CZ 75 variations. What you are describing is the CZ 85 Combat.

Maybe. Maybe not. I doubt that the 85 being discussed in an 85 Combat.

There were pre-B CZ-85s (i.e., CZs made before firing pin blocks were introduced) available in Europe before the CZ 75Bs hit the U.S. market. Those were the CZ-75Bs in the original Turkish contract overrun. One of those was my first CZ. These 85s are DIFFERENT than the 85 Combat.

The 85 Combat was a later introduction sold primarily in the U.S., not offered when the 75Bs were first imported into the U.S. The 85 Combat came with several features NOT available with the 85B or the earlier 85s: drop-free mags (different mag brake), an adjustable LPA rear sight, a trigger with an over-travel adjustment (which required the rib at the rear of the slide to be milled off, an extended mag release and NO firing pin block. Early 85s might have a staked front sight and none of the extra features except ambidextrous controls.

The 85 Combat is, in effect, the equivalent of a late pre-B 85, because it has all of the features of the late pre-B 75s (called "transitionals") but the extra features listed above. (85 Combat's adjustable sight was a feature added to the guns exported to the U.S. to meet the "point" system requirements -- the absence of a firing pin block cost CZ import points.)

I've owned 4-5 pre-B 75s, and a number of 85Bs and one other 85 Combat in High Gloss Blue. I've only seen pictures of pre-B 85s, but a number were brought home from West Germany by Army and Air Force personnel stationed there; the guns were available through their Post/Base Exchanges; some of the available guns were modified by a gunsmith firm called Frankonia and were very nicely upgraded and sometimes bring a premium price.

Some of the older 85s have different front and rear sights, but nearly everything else (except the safety and parts for the slide release) is interchangeable with the standard 75Bs. (Early 75s had hammers that were narrower than later models, but I don't know about the 85 in question.)

Magazines MIGHT be a problem with this 85, but pre-B mags are available if they are. (Because it's dated 94, it'll probably use current magazines.) But, there are ways to modify the gun so that modern magazines will work, if they don't fit. The OP needs to join the CZ Forum (here: https://www.czfirearms.us/) for instruction on how to do that -- its not hard.

The date for the gun can be found in the small oval near the ejection port -- that's the "94" previously cited. That info and the serial number will let you ask about parts interchangeability if you call CZ-USA.

I've had a satin nickel 85 Combat since late 1999; it's a great gun.

[chaim]

Walt, of course there were pre-B 75s and 85s. Everyone thought they had better triggers due to the lack of firing pin block, so CZ brought out the CZ 85 Combat to emulate that. However, the full set of characteristics candr44 mentioned that I was quoting included the adjustable sights which were a feature of the CZ 85 Combat and not typically a feature of the pre-B 75 or 85 (I don't know if there were available aftermarket adjustable sights for them, though I assume so). Hence, my saying that the set of characteristics he was listing were for the CZ 85 Combat.

I really wish my friend had thought to sell me his 85 Combat when he got out of guns. I often was cash poor back then (or really, just plain poor) and he knew that so he probably figured he wouldn't offer. However, I would have found a way to come up with the cash (even if I had to sell another gun). His was also nickel like yours. If you ever decide to part with yours, let me know. Right now I have 4 CZ 75 based pistols (my 75B, a 75 Compact, a PCR and a P01) so I do have higher priorities, but if I have made a few other purchases by then, I'd love to add a nickel 85 Combat.


Anyway, I was responding to candr44 and not the OP. As for the OP's gun, when did CZ switch to the B models? His has the 94 year stamp, mine is a 96 or 97 and it is a 75B. Were they still making the pre-B in 94, or had they moved to the 85B by then? Is his likely the pre-B or possibly a frankengun with a pre-B slide but made after the switch? Of course, if his is a pre-B (which I didn't think about in my earlier post), only a few parts (15 and maybe 16 round mags, grips, and a few internals) will be interchangeable with current 75Bs.

[4V50 Gary]

Is the stamp on the slide near the ejection port the date stamp?

[chaim]

Is the stamp on the slide near the ejection port the date stamp?

Yes, it has moved on my new ones, but on my CZ 75B and the CZ 40B I used to have it was right next to the ejection port.

[Walt Sherrill]

Originally Posted by chaim

. However, the full set of characteristics candr44 mentioned that I was quoting included the adjustable sights which were a feature of the CZ 85 Combat and not typically a feature of the pre-B 75 or 85 (I don't know if there were available aftermarket adjustable sights for them, though I assume so). Hence, my saying that the set of characteristics he was listing were for the CZ 85 Combat.

The ORIGINAL POST (by Hoffman123) made no mention of any of those extra features. He seems to have a transitional pre-B 85 (as indicated by the 1994 date.) As I read your comment, it wasn't exactly clear that you were referring to Candr44's comments, so I assumed you were talking about the original poster's gun.

And Candr44 may have been a little off in his comments, for as far as I know, none of the transitional 85s ever came from the factory with adjustable sights. Candr44 may have been mostly talking about CZ-USA imported guns. The 85Bs imported to the U.S. by CZ-USA, didn't come with adjustable sights, and the 85 Combat had other features not seen in the 85Bs, as already noted -- something Candr44 didn't mention.

There werent that many variants of the full-size CZ-75s, but there were a LOT of variants based on the compact frame/slide combinations, including semi-compacts (full-size frames, compact slides, a few .40 85B Compacts, and a number of other unusual models, including a couple of Compacts (capital "C") with alloy frames and safeties rather than decocker. I always wanted one of those gun, as it seemed the best of all possible CZ features.

As I mentioned earlier, the addition of adjustable sights was a CZ-USA "fix" to make the CZ-85 Combat -- which didn't have a firing pin block -- LEGAL for import to the US.

• The adjustable sights added points to offset the lost points caused by the absence of the firing pin block. The U.S. market was the only place that mattered.

There were adjustable sights available from LPA for transitional 75s and 85s, and later 75B/85B models, but I don't think I ever saw or heard of any of the earlier pre-B guns coming from the factory with adjustable sights.

Note: There was no "point system" in effect when the pre-B guns were initially imported to the U.S., and no need for adjustable sights to make the guns legal. I'm pretty sure Frankonia offered them on a few of their upgraded guns, and those guns made their way here via G.I. bring-backs from West Germany.

While the 85 Combat was probably the only centerfire 75-based gun with factory-installed adjustable sights, you could buy the sights from CZ-USA (and later CZ Custom) for the 75B and 85B guns.

The same LPA sights were also standard on the .22 Kadet Kits used for the 75B/85B pistols. (I'm not sure whether the dedicated .22 Kadet CZ came with adjustable sights or not, but I suspect they did.) There were Kadet Kits for pre-B 75s/85s, too, and I saw one or two of them over the years. hey were very rare.

If you added the adjustable sights to a 75B or 85B, you were supposed to mill off the raised rib at the rear of the slide (behind the dovetail and beneath the rear of the sight) so that the sight could be lowered properly.

My 85 Combat and Kadet Kit have identical sights.

[ROCK6]

Walt is pretty much spot on. I have one of the early transitional 85's. Odd, because I've seen them with the rounded Pre-B 75 trigger guards, and mine had the newer 75B trigger guard:



Mine came with fixed sights which I swapped out for a tritium set, but works well with the Kadet slide. Another odd thing that none of my other CZ's do, is that I can activate the safety on a half-cock...not sure if anyone's CZ85 can do that, but none of my 75's can do that?



Mine is a later model transition and I only say that because the newer 75B magazines work fine in it whereas they won't fit in my Pre-B 75.

ROCK6

[Walt Sherrill]

I've always heard that when the safety works when the hammer is setting on the half-cock notch, something is worn and should be replaced. (Determining which part or parts are worn is above my pay grade.)

[4V50 Gary]

Rock6 - older CZ-75 (round trigger guard) safety cannot be operated on half-cock.

Which models had the hammer block safety? CZ-85B?

[Walt Sherrill]

Originally Posted by 4V50 Gary

Which models had the hammer block safety? CZ-85B?

I think the SAFETY function has remained basically the same for all traditional 75 models, both pre-B and B models -- this means all CZs with safeties that weren't using the newer Omega design.

There were, over the years, minor changes in how the lever detents and related springs were mounted inside the frame, but they all worked in the same way. Decocker models just did away with the safety.

The only CZs safeties that would work with the hammer at half-cock were assumed to have a functional problem (i.e., something was not right.) I don't think ANY CZ left the fatory that way on purpose.

[ROCK6]

The only CZs safeties that would work with the hammer at half-cock were assumed to have a functional problem (i.e., something was not right.) I don't think ANY CZ left the fatory that way on purpose.

I've had it torn down and can't see anything "worn", but it is odd. No functional issues, and it's the only CZ I've seen do this. Just curious if this is a design flaw or some other aberration...

ROCK6

[Hoffman123]

Mine has no decocker and has ambi slide release. The sights are removable with tools(front sight with Allen wrench rear driftable). I only have one mag for it. After reading all this, I am still confused on magazine compatibility. The gun isn’t a gem but it shoots very well. I just put 350 round through it yesterday with no problems. I got it cheap, 300 bucks. I’m considering getting a newer variant (cz75b) if I can’t find parts for it anymore.

[Walt Sherrill]

Originally Posted by Hoffman123

Mine has no decocker and has ambi slide release. The sights are removable with tools(front sight with Allen wrench rear driftable). I only have one mag for it. After reading all this, I am still confused on magazine compatibility. The gun isn’t a gem but it shoots very well. I just put 350 round through it yesterday with no problems. I got it cheap, 300 bucks. I’m considering getting a newer variant (cz75b) if I can’t find parts for it anymore.

If your CZ 85 was made in 1994, you've got a late Pre-B -- a "transitional" model that has most of the features of the current 75B/85B models except for the Firing Pin Block (which is what the "B" in the model name indicates). The firing pin is a little different, but the "B" model pin will probably work (and the one from an 85 Combat certainly will).

You should have NO problems with parts or magazines. Buying a newer one would get you nothing not already there but the firing pin block safety. That's nice, but not critical. You've got a gun that many CZ lovers would really like to have... so if you feel compelled to sell, you can probably get at least as much as you paid for it.

Join the CZ Forum (a link is shown in message #8, above) and get feedback from folks who really know the gun you've got.