CZ-97B Question

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I was looking at one in a gun store today-I'd love to get one, grip size isn't a worry, because I've got big hands and even 1911s are almost too small to get a good two hand grip-and I noticed one thing. The magazine didn't drop free when the mag release was pressed. In fact, it barely dropped at all.

Store owner it was normal, the European makers don't make them drop free because the Euros don't like it that way. Funny, both my Sigs drop free, my HK drops free, every Beretta I've ever fired dropped free, Glocks drop free...

Is not being drop-free a CZ thing, or was he blowing smoke up my fourth point of contact?

I'm not going to buy from him anyway-he wanted $700 (before tax-another $63) for the USED CZ-97B. That's $125 more than the highest priced new one on gunbroker.
 
The CZ97B & most other CZ's utilize a magazine brake so that the mag will not drop free.

It's an easy task to remedy this, simply remove the grips & the pin that retains the brake. Straighten the bent angle part of the brake & reassemble.
 
Its a CZ thing... Its easy to bend the spring in the grip to allow the magazine to drop free.

I got mine for $430... so good call on staying away from that price.
 
Good to know that it's easily fixed.

I looked at CZ's website. $706 is their MSRP for a new -97B with the glossy blue finish. This guy was trying to get that for a used one.

Won't be shopping there much.
 
Wow, what a crazy price. And if it's anything like my 75BD, you can flatten the spring without even taking it out. I just used a large flat bladed screwdriver.
 
I paid $350 for a 97 a year ago. Used but used very little. It came with 3 mags also. They are a great pistol and they are very accurate. Keep looking you will find one.
 
The CZ-97B is about the softest shooting .45 ACP I own, great pistol for the range. The mag brake issue has been addressed, and I'll +1 the excessive price for a used pistol. It's high for a new one, actually, as others have pointed out. You might want to check Bud's Gun Shop online -- they've got them for $546, which is a reasonable price.
 
I'll be picking up my 97, that I ordered from Bud's, today. I've wanted one a while too, but I paid $546 for NIB.
 
Cz-97b

I got mine for $539 back in March.

I love this gun, it is so accurate right out of the box.
The perceived recoil is very light, it's kind of surprising.

I also have a CZ-75B (had it for over a year), and the magazine brake has loosened up enough now that the mags drop free. From what I heard, it's best to leave the mag brake alone and let it loosen itself over time. If you remove the brake, it exposes a sharp edge inside the mag well that can really scratch up your mags. Also the mags won't fit snug and can wiggle.

I really like CZ and Glock, they fit my hands the best.

CZ-75B (9mm)
CZ-97B
Glock 17
Glock 21

-HCrab
 
Cz 97b

I've got two of the CZ97's and they are the greatest .45 on the market. If you've got big hands. My wife shot mine and that's how I wound up with two.
Yes, all you have to do is pull the grips off and bend the mag. brake straight. Don't remove it. just bend it.
These guns are accurate(double action or single.) and reliable. I used to laught at a friend of mine, He loved the 1911 colt types. We worked at academy together and He would pick up a springfield .45 (1911 type) and say that all it needed was a new trigger, a special seer, and etc.
All the CZ97 needs is a little dry firing. I picked up one in Austin Tx. and did you know that you can dry fire one (CZ97) 3,000 times between Austin and Texas City. (what else you going to do at 2:00 am driving home with a new gun) People are amazed at how nice my trigger is on that gun. ANd the truth is funny.
YOu'll never believe this, but there's a few people that only know me as CZ.
 
Woohoo!

Finally picked up the -97 that I won on GunBroker last month (don't ask about the delay. Long story.)

$404, including transfer cost to my FFL. Used, with about the only wear I can see being on the outermost extremities of the safety and slide release lever. Oh, and weak but glowing 3-dot night sights.

And I can go to the range on Sunday!

*insert hilarious mental image of tall gangly white man with no rhythm dancing here*
 
You can use needle-nose pliers to bend the CZ mag brakes. Then there is NO
issue(s) about the missing brake causing problems.
 
Everything said about 97B is spot on, although it is for those with big hands, emphasis on loooonnnng fingers. My 21-yr old son's hands are no larger than mine but his fingers are longer, so he has pretty much claimed the 97, lol. Any larger grips and I could not handle the 97B, but it is one of those guns you'll never sell. Fabulous grip and balance, low recoil, high accuracy. I shoot it with my Kimber Classic I and I can never decide which I like better, because I fall in love with each one when I shoot it.

Great price you got, about what I paid years ago for mine.
 
I'm sorely tempted by the Witness version, especially for $200 less. Any experiences?
Click to expand...

The EAA Witness version is very different -- pretty much just a slightly enlarged CZ75 clone in .45ACP, although they take the same magazines. I have both.

The Witness fits my hand much better and feeds my lead SWC reloads where the CZ97 is not reliable with them (maybe if I messed with the OAL, but I'm really loading them for use the 1911s).

I'd definitely look at the steel frame Witness before buying the CZ97 which is just too big for a lot of hands.

You can get a 10mm upper for the Witness for ~$200, although EAA warranty and service is about the worst in the industry.

For either the CZ97 or the Witness the Mec-Gar magazines are the ones to get when you want spares, EAA only comes with one, my CZ97 came with two. Mags drop free in the Witness.

--wally.
 
I have a fullsized Witness .45 in the wonder finish, and it's been perfect so far, with about 1K rounds through it. I like the grip size better than the CZ-97B, and it was quite a bit cheaper, about 80 bucks or so. This is the first .45 I've had that I plan on keeping. Originally, I had planned to "upgrade" to a 97B later on, but I see no need to.

My previous 1911 .45's were disasters, both my AMT Hardballer Longslide, and Colt Combat Commander had major problems due to lack of quality control. The Colt was fixed at the factory eventually, but by that time, I realized that 1911's don't fit my hand very well, so off it went. The AMT was never right, and getting one mag though it without a jam was a major accomplisment.
 
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