Let's talk CZ pistols...

by Otony, Friday, July 08, 2016, 08:52 (2999 days ago) @ rob

I am a Hi-Power man, through and through, but the CZ-75 is a very close second, especially if equipped with VZ grips, which make an "almost feels like a Hi-Power pistol" into a GREAT feeling pistol.

Oddly enough, the blue 75 in 9mm is equipped with a single side safety, while the .40 caliber 75 has ambi-safeties. Another strange variation is that the stainless 75 in 9mm has an ambi-safety set up as well. Then there is the 85, which has ambi-safeties AND slide stops (a bit busy for me).

I mention all of this only to aid you in sorting through what you might desire in a CZ. I would advise staying away from the Omega versions, however. It has been widely reported on various CZ forums that the simplified internals of the Omega are more delicate than the original design, and somewhat prone to parts failure. The Omega was introduced to make complete disassembly easier, but it seems they designed the "toughness" out of the inner parts in doing so. I have no first hand experience in that regard, but have read it too often to ignore.

I too prefer the straighter trigger of the Omega, and I am fairly certain it can be retro-fitted into the original lock work.

Another point worth mentioning is that you can purchase a .357 SIG conversion barrel for the .40 caliber 75 from the CZ Custom Shop. Unlike the conversions of .40 Hi-Powers to .357 which have been problematic to some degree, the 75 has demonstrated that it will perform well with this cartridge. I am a fan of bottleneck cartridges, so this intrigues me quite a bit.

For me, the biggest single improvement you can make would be the VZ grips. I couldn't believe the extreme difference it made in the liveliness of the pistol by making it ever so slightly more slender. It is like handling two distinctly different guns.

Remember this, the CZ-75 even impressed Col. Cooper, who was known for his distaste of crunchentickers.

Otony