Cz 75

[Tired_and_hungry]

Good Day All,

I will be purchasing a CZ-75 (not a C-75B as it has no firing pin block) that has a blued finish, a ring hammer and the frame/slide says "Made in Czech Republic". I estimate that the gun was made sometime in 1993/1994.

Is there any truth to the rumour that the earlier batches of CZ 75s were of higher quality (better fitting, better quality steal, better quality control) than more recent batches? Is a manufacturer likely to put more attention into quality control of its initial runs of guns so as to establish a good reputation?

 

[Ash]

Earlier batches of 75's had smoother triggers, but otherwise they are all about the same.

 

[PO2Hammer]

I don't think they intentionally make good guns at first so they can slip in bad ones later.
Labor becomes more expensive, manufacturing methods change, products change, not always for the better.

I'm very satisfied with the quality of my new 75B/Kadet.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

They're pretty much the same gun, with a lot of minor adjustments and changes to minor things. Most parts are available; some are unchanged. You'll likely have problems only with the OLDEST pre-Bs, and then only for a part or two.

You'll likely find the date of assembly on the slide, near the ejection port, in a small oval. (That was the case with many CZ-75s and 75bs, but it may NOT be the case with yours.)

Depending on the year of build, you may have difficulties finding after-market sights, as the dovetails for the rear sight is different, and some of the pre-Bs had "staked" front sights. Some of the later pre-Bs are what are called "transitionals" -- with features of both old and new guns. As they got newer and newer, they became more like the B model, similar in all respects except for not having the firing pin block.

If there is a small pin hole in the safety on your gun, be very careful when detail stripping the gun; there's a strange little spring inside that lever that will be difficult to replace, if lost or broken. Use a small pin or needle to hold it in place when disassembling.

Magazines for the new CZ75bs likely won't work in your gun, so you'll have to find old ones, or buy new ones from CZ-USA's website. (The mag well on the older pre-B is smaller at the top than with the newer guns; a gunsmith can open them up for a reasonable charge -- and that makes finding mags NOT a problem.) Only FACTORY 10 and 15 round mags are sure to fit the pre-B guns in their unaltered form.

I've had a bunch of CZs over the years, but no longer mess with the pre-Bs. They're all good guns and most have great triggers.

 

[Ash]

If it is an early 1990's CZ, even a pre-B, the magazines can work. I have some from that time period and they work fine.

 

[tekarra]

I have owned a number of cZ 75s and 75Bs over the last twenty years. In my experience, the 75 triggers are better than the 75Bs. However, this is based on a small sample of pistols. Walt has summed the differences up quite well and heed his words on magazines. With the 75s I ended up with a number of magazines that would not seat in the magazine well, listened to some "experts" who sold magazines. Fortunately the situation was resolved with my first 75B. In any event, enjoy your pistol.

 

[Kiln]

I've got a CZ75B. The trigger was a little gritty at first but after a couple hundred rounds it is nice and smooth now.

Excellent guns for the money and they'll serve you well.

 

[meanmrmustard]

I've got a CZ75B. The trigger was a little gritty at first but after a couple hundred rounds it is nice and smooth now.

Excellent guns for the money and they'll serve you well.

Concurred. Give that trigger many dry fires, and after a few hundred rounds at the range it'll be like butta.

 

[bikerdoc]

Concurred. Give that trigger many dry fires, and after a few hundred rounds at the range it'll be like butta.

Thats how all three of mine worked out.

 

[BCRider]

I've been using a ring hammer'ed pre-b for IDPA matches for a couple of years now. Other than it being a touch less muzzle heavy it feels and shoots as nicely as my tricked out and smoothened over IPSC Shadow but with a slightly heavier trigger pull due to "only" using a 13lb CZ mainspring.

You're in for a treat. They are great guns.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

Concurred. Give that trigger many dry fires, and after a few hundred rounds at the range it'll be like butta.

That works, to be sure....but I HATE shooting a gun with a crappy trigger. When I buy a new CZ (which I almost never do, anymore) I just get a local gunsmith to do a trigger job. It's less expensive than shooting all that ammo, and the trigger gets nicer quicker.

And if you happen to get NEW OLD STOCK, i.e., a 75B that was stuck away somewhere before being sold for the first time, and which has the roll pin for the firing pin block rather than a solid pin, consider using a snap cap when dry-firing.

 

[Tired_and_hungry]

Thanks for the comments and opinions my friends, I really appreciate it!

 

[jdh]

Look next to the ejection port. The will be an oval with two numbers in it. That is the year it was made.

The current production Mec-Gar 17 and +2 mags work in the original CZ75.

 

[Tired_and_hungry]

Just checked. Mine was made in 1995.

 

[dondavis3]

Good luck finding your CZ

They are great guns IMHO - I currently own 3 of them.

75 B / 85 Combat / P07 Duty

 

[Ash]

1995 is a very late year Pre "B" 75. It is likely a transitional model, with the "B" style frame and slide not that different in appearance from the CZ-85 Combat (except for the sights and the safety).

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

When did they put a ring hammer on a pre-B?

 

[Walt Sherrill]

Ring hammer on a pre-B.

Many of the last pre-Bs, what many of us call a "transitional" model, have all of the features of a B except the firing pin block. (That means same sights and sight dovetails, trigger guard shape, grips, hammer, etc.)

There may not be a LOT of them, but they do exist. I owned one and have seen several.

 

[Ash]

My "B" model 75 predates yours by a year. Are you sure it is not a CZ-75b?

 

[Walt Sherrill]

As it has been explained to me -- which may not be correct -- CZ makes up a lot of assemblies (slides, frames, etc.) and then puts them in inventory. They are not dated until they are assembled for delivery from the factory. Firing pin blocks were more important for US, and not so important elsewhere in the world.

It is entirely possible that some of the late pre-Bs were in inventory and were assembled, along with some of the earliest B models. The dates on the guns are NOT necessarily when the were made, but when the components were finally assembled. Dates and serial numbers have no clear relationship, for example.

 

[Ash]

I agree, except that the "B" I have came from Israel, and the Turks bought a ton of "B"'s dated just a year after. Interestingly, the Israeli CZ doesn't have the CZ logo on it at all, is stamped "Czech Made", and the only thing close to a logo is a C with a V above it.

However, the Czechs did keep up with parts and assembled pistols until the parts ran out.