CZ-75B-SA Trigger Job & Sights: Great Job CZ-USA!

[Zak Smith]

Just got my CZ-75B-SA, the 9x19 single-action only model, back from CZ-USA. The work order was:

1. Install enclosed PT Night Sights.
2. Replace factory plastic trigger with steel "Champion" trigger (has overtravel screw)
3. Single-action trigger job.

I asked for a "about 4lbs" pull, with clean, crisp break (no creep), and to reduce the reset distance. The result: the take-up operates the firing pin block only, and it's pretty smooth even though you can feel it engage the block.

The second stage has no movement before it breaks, though as it breaks, there is some movement. I don't count that as creep. All in all, I'm totally satisfied with this trigger job.

Reset distance has been reduced. Not quite as far as my Glocks, but almost.

PT Night Sights aren't the best nor the brightest. The tritium is less bright than my few-year-old Trijicons and Meprolights. The metalwork seems decent enough, but the vial mounting in the sights looks a little rough. The rear right would be much more useful if it were low-mounted and larger. But night-sight choices for the CZ's are limited and these are good enough for this mostly-range-use pistol.

Can't knock CZ-USA for the sights, but they should really contract Novak or Heine to build high-quality low-mount sights for the 75/85/97 series.

The sights were installed perfectly. It was damn cold and threatening rain on Wednesday night, but my first shot went through the X at 7 yards. Repeating the result was merely an exercise in "front sight - press" (and trying to stop from shivering)..

This pistol is so easy to shoot; rapid fire (think: IPSC) yielded a 2" group for 10 shots at 7 yards. I can't wait for some better weather to bench this thing at 25 yards.

Besides the Danish surplus 9x19 (115gr @ 1250fps), I shot some carry-equivalent loads (124gr @ 1280fps). Recoil was hardly noticable as more than the target loads.

Damn, I love this pistol.

Big thanks to CZ-USA and their gunsmith Mike for the great work and service.

The turnaround time for this work was 34 days door-to-door.

-z

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. This matches what I've heard from others who've had Mike at CZ-USA work on their pistols. Thanks for sharing your good results.

Best.

 

[Zak Smith]

The SA model has a tigher chamber than my Glocks. I don't have another CZ to compare to, however. My SA was choking on some reloads that would be digested fine by other pistols. They would stop about 1/8" out of battery when the case neck where the bullet seats was thicker.

-z

 

[caz223]

That's what I've seen as well.
Reloads with bulged case necks need not apply.
They shoot fine in my 5904, but neither CZ75 I own will drop them into battery in the middle of a mag.
If I use it as the top round in a mag, they'll lock up on it and will fire, but won't eject until till the round is fired, no backing out or ejecting by pulling the slide back.
CZs are tight, but last time I checked, that's a good thing.

 

[Zak Smith]

While shooting today, when I was unlucky enough to jam on one of these, pulling the slide back was impossible. The only way I could remedy the situation was to whack the rear of the slide with my the heel of my left hand while keeping the pistol pointed downrange. Once it went into battery, the round shot and ejected fine.

I posted a thread in the Reloading forum,
Ogive, those OAL blues..., going into a little more detail on a related issue with the CZ.

The rifling on the CZ starts sooner than my Glock. As a result, some bullets require a significantly shorter OAL to chamber in the CZ. I had no problems with Gold Dots, but Hornady XTP and Laser-Cast 124gr RN would not seat fully using the OAL I use for my Glock.

Having less free-bore is probably better for accuracy, but it also means that with the offending bullets, you are limited to a shorter OAL, and so you won't be able to extract the full ballistic potential of the cartridge (since a longer OAL load will have less peak pressure than one with the bullet seated deeper).

-z

 

[Zak Smith]

Oh, as for "tight is a good thing" - it has advantages and disadvantages.

In a gun used for self-defense, you want 100% utter reliability, which means the ability to digest rounds that are slightly out of spec or dirty, etc.

-z