Century CZ-75B

[nebeel]

Looking for a little information on a CZ-75 that I have.

Here is what I know:

- CZ-75 B
- Polished Stainless (I think)
- CAI Import Markings electro penciled on
- Minor rust/wear around grips and on left end of slide
- '9' stamped behind ejection port

I'm just curious about the history of this pistol. Am I correctly assuming that it was made in 1999 based on the '9' stamped behind the ejection port? Also, I'm not sure if it's actually stainless since there is some rust/pitting. Could it be nickel or chrome plated? It does not appear to be refinished over the Century import marks, so I assume it is original. It is well worn, but fires fine and is a great addition

Thanks!

 

[Pilot]

Can you post some pictures? Are you sure it is a "B" model? I doubt it is stainless, although stainless can also pit, or rust if not cared for well enough. I have never heard of any CAI imported CZ's.

 

[nebeel]

Here are some pictures, just some crappy cell phone ones.

The other thing that I know is the slide stop has been replaced, and the hammer doesn't look original to me.

 

[MIL-DOT]

I'm pretty sure someone took some un-oiled steel wool to that thing (or at least something heavier than 0000 ). And I don't think that's hard chrome or nickel, I'd bet it's stainless. I'm curious to know more about this,too.

 

[Pilot]

It could also be steel in the white. I am perplexed.

 

[JDGray]

Also CAI imported, and also has minor rust that was repaired on the rear of the slide, then was cerakoted. Hammer looks like the op's too...

 

[Walt Sherrill]

The number in the oval near the ejection port has been a two-digit number on all of the CZs I've seen. Mine, an 85 Combat, shows "99" for 1999. I don't know whether "9" means 2009 or something else. (Others here with newer CZs on hand may be able to help.)

YOU POSTED PICTURES WHILE IS WAS KEYING MY RESPONSE... I've looked again and adjusted my comments..

It is UNLIKELY that it's stainless -- as that is a relatively NEW CZ material and it would be a rare Stainless CZ that has made it's way in Century's coffers. Then, too, the CZ Stainless guns have a slightly different frame than standard 75Bs, and this one in your photo does not have the extended beavertail seen on stainless CZs. While stainless CAN rust, it's not something you see a lot; seeing it on the grip and slide also suggests that it it's something else.

It may also be a satin-nickel gun that has been polished with a heavy hand, or a gun refinished here in the US after it was imported; either way that might explain why the controls (except for the slide stop) and the sights are also silver. Slide stop can break and have to be replaced, and it's hard to find one that isn't black.

Regarding the slide stop: you can probably polish the black off, and make the controls all look alike. The early satin-nickel and stainless guns all had dark-colored controls; not sure about the hammers. I'm almost positive its not stainless, but it may be a "refinished" gun -- which might explain the controls and sights being MOSTLY silver, too. If you want to "normalize" the gun, by darkening the sights and controls, Dupli-Color auto body touchup paint (in matte black) is the same color as black polycoat -- but won't hold up as well, and will need to be touched up from time to time.

The hammer style -- a rounded hammer rather than the older-style "spur" hammer -- seems correct. If it's a non-CZ replacement, I don't know what they'd use, as most of the "clone" gun parts just don't work in CZs.

Years ago I took the painted (before polycoat) finish off of a 75 (not a 75B) and t after I polished it up with a soft wire wheel, it looked a LOT like the gun in the photo... Like Pilot, above, I am also perplexed. While it may be a finished/polished or refinished nickel gun, the rust hints also at "white metal."

In response to an earlier question -- the pin through the slide, which is the firing pin retention roll pin is only seen in the 75B models.

A local gunsmith might help you understand better what the finish or frame/slide materials are.

 

[9 fingers]

Check the gun with a magnet. If it is SS it will have very little attraction.
9 fingers

 

[nebeel]

Just checked it with a magnet and it doesn't have much attraction at all.

Also, I have two newer CZ's and both have a two digit number in the oval behind the election port.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

Did you try the magnet on the newer CZs? Those slides will be steel even if the frames are alloy. If your magnet seems to stick to those slides with the same force, you'll know its not Stainless. If their frames are alloy, the magnet may not stick at all.

If you can determine that it's stainless you have a very unusual CZ. I'll be more than perplexed -- I'll be amazed.

 

[nebeel]

Good suggestion, I just tried it. It seems like it's being attracted about the same amount between the two pistols.

So, not stainless?

 

[wow6599]

Could it be Czech police or Israeli? It looks to me like it was severely neglected, and someone put it to a wheel to remove the finish (rust) and it's just bare steel. Look at all the pitting that thing has........pretty rough for a gun that can't be all that old.

 

[nebeel]

That's entirely possible, although I'm not sure the finish has been completely removed from the whole gun. It looks to me like it's only damage is where there was corrosion.

 

[wow6599]

That's entirely possible, although I'm not sure the finish has been completely removed from the whole gun. It looks to me like it's only damage is where there was corrosion.

The only part I see with "finish" is the slide stop. And besides actual pitting, the steel just looks very rough in a lot of places.

It's carbon, right?

 

[nebeel]

I believe it is carbon based on the magnet test Walt suggested. If so, I may look around at refinishing it. It's rough, but it doesn't look bad enough that a refinish wouldn't cure it.

Thinking maybe a brushed/satin type of look.

I'm still really curious where this came from, but I suppose it may just be one of those mystery fun guns

 

[Walt Sherrill]

How does the gun shoot? What's the trigger like?

If it's not a great shooter and the trigger is only So-so you may not want to put a lot more money into it (and refinishing it in nickel or hard chrome could easily double what you've already got in the gun, or more.) It will probably take some extra cosmetic work (I mistyped that a second ago as costmetic -- and that may have been correct) by the firm doing the refinishing to get it right. If you look closely at the front of the slide near the sight, a good bit of metal is missing below the sight, on the front top (seen clearly in the 4th photo. Looks like it hit the ground hard, or was abused in some way.) There are probably more areas like that not so easily seen.

If it's a great shooter, I'd ask the guys doing the refinishing to clean it up the best they could -- maybe making the other side match it the damaged side. Then only the real CZ aficianado will ever notice the slightly irregular lines.

Note: CZ-75Bs that a polycoated get a workman polishing's at the start. The gun then, get a Parkerized (manganese phosphate) undercoat and then the polycoat is applied. (Getting polycoat can be a real pain and some refinishers charge a good bit, because it doesn't always come off easily.) The thick polycoat finish can cover a whole warehouse of surface sins. Only the high-gloss blued models gets the level of finish refinement that's seen on some other guns (primarily because it's the polishing that makes a blued gun "pop.") That this gun was originally polycoated may account for some of the rougher finish people are addressing.

Note, too, that unless you're living and shooting in a particularly harsh (humid) environment, or you'll be carrying it a lot where sweat gets to it, a periodic wipedown will keep rust at bay, and you'll be happy with it as it is. Keeping it lightly (very lightly will do it) with stuff like CLP will keep it from rusting.

(If it were mine, I'd color the sights and other controls to match the slide stop and leave it as it is; I'd certainly do that if I had it refinished. Tip: get a spray can of just about any auto-body touch up paint in matte black. The spray paint is thinner and easier to apply if you're using a brush. You can also spray these parts -- just stick them in or through cardboard and spray paint them. They can then be reinstalled very carefully. (You'll probably have to touch up the rear sight after its reinstalled and centered.)

Your gun could end up looking like a stainless 75, and unless you tell them otherwise, most folks might not know the difference.)

Afterthought: if they have to do a little work when refinishing, see if you can get them to round up the trigger guard to look like a Pre-B. I've always loved the pre-B trigger guard shape, and hated the "B" guard.

 

[hAkron]

There are some older SS CZ 75's, and StainLESS steel can/does rust, but not as rapidly as carbon steel. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but I wouls say it's just as likely that the finish was removed from this gun. The date stamping should be 2 digits which could have been polished enough to obscure one of the digits, and the circle by the front of the trigger guard looks a little worked.

A disturbing trend I've been seeing in clueless 'customization' is people polishing off the finish of guns to make them 'stainless'. I've seen this on armslist and various Facebook trading groups lately, and it makes me more annoyed than stippling and color filling.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

...There are some older SS CZ 75's

Could be, I suppose. CZ has turned out a variety of unusual guns from their factory over the years. That said, I never saw (or heard of) one in stainless until they brought out their current stainless line, and this is a topic I've followed pretty closely since the late 1990s. I have heard of (but not seen) stainless Tanfoglios, and owned two stainless Sphinxes (frames only).

If you're right, I'd love to see a stainless 75, or an earlier stainless version of the 75B. They might have some collector value just because of their relative rarity. I don't think this is one of them, however.

 

[nebeel]

It's a good shooter, not great, but good. Trigger is only so-so, but fairly typical of the other CZ's that I have. Smooth (long) double action, but a fair amount of creep on the single action pull.

I'm not opposed to leaving it as is since I'm not after a show pistol, just want to make sure it doesn't sustain anymore damage or corrosion. As long as I can keep it in reliable shootable condition, I'm happy.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

The gun can be reblued fairly inexpensively. If you get it cleaned up and polished a bit, and cosmetically improved, you might end up with something pretty nice for $100 - $150 extra spent.

Here's a picture of that pre-B I stripped and polished many years ago. I used Brownell's OXPHO cold blue and another cold blue paste in many coats. It held up pretty well. I've since sworn off of pre-Bs, as some of the parts are getting a little hard to find for the early ones. (There's a small coiled spring inside the safety lever on this one that is almost impossible to replace, and it will take off if you don't insert a pin into that opening on the lever when removing it from the gun...) This one has been gone for many years, now. It was a handsome gun -- and had a wonderful trigger.

If you use a good cold blue you might have to touch up the front and back straps of the grip from time to time. If you do the reblue yourself, just follow their instructions. (Or save your time and have a gunsmith do it using hot blue!!) The original finish on this one was like cheap paint -- chips everywhere. That finish came off easily. That's not the case with the newer finishes.

 

[nebeel]

That looks good!

I think I'll probably just keep it the way it is for right now and keep an eye on it and make sure to keep it oiled.

 

[Jlr2267]

Check the gun with a magnet. If it is SS it will have very little attraction.
9 fingers

400 series stainless steels are magnetic, 300 series (austenitic) are not.

 

[hAkron]

Could be, I suppose. CZ has turned out a variety of unusual guns from their factory over the years. That said, I never saw (or heard of) one in stainless until they brought out their current stainless line, and this is a topic I've followed pretty closely since the late 1990s. I have heard of (but not seen) stainless Tanfoglios, and owned two stainless Sphinxes (frames only).

If you're right, I'd love to see a stainless 75, or an earlier stainless version of the 75B. They might have some collector value just because of their relative rarity. I don't think this is one of them, however.

Maybe I'm thinking of nickel. Either way, the one I remember seeing was a transitional ring hammer pre-b model anyway (which this gun clearly isn't)

 

[nebeel]

Another little piece of information that I noticed is the country or origin stamp. On the left side of the frame, it has the stamp "CZECH MADE" instead of "MADE IN CZECH REPUBLIC" on both my newer CZ's.

Also, above the 'C' in CZ 75 B on the slide is a little check mark looking symbol.

Could this be a clue as to it's age/origin?

 

[Walt Sherrill]

Czechoslovakia dissolved and became the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1991.

"Czech made" might also be post 91. I think some of the older (pre-Bs) might've said "made in Czechoslovakia"

This is conjecture, as I've not paid a lot of attention to those markings over the years and don't know of reference sources that address the variations in that "source" marking. \

The Fjestad Blue Book says that the "B" series was introduced in 1998.