CZ disappointment

[StorkPatrol]

Well, after months of reading forums and saving pennies I got my CZ-75B in .40 S&W yesterday. I cleaned it up and took it to the range. I had two jams in the first two magazines. The rounds seemed to be getting hung up on the bottom of the feed ramp. Here's the scary part. After clearing both jams I found they the bullets had been unseated and pushed deeper into the cases! The noses of both bullets showed clear indentations from the feed ramp.

I was using (reloaded) Georgia Arms "canned heat" 165 gr FMJ ammo. I decided to stop shooting after the second jam because the bullet being pushed in like that could create an unsafe over-pressure situation. At this point I knew I had either $150 worth of bad ammo or $475 worth of bad gun.

I ran to the nearest Wally World and bought a 50 round box of Blazer Brass. Back at the range I ran though the box with one more malfunction... a single FTE. (On the upside, this gun is very accurate and fast to get back on target for follow-up shots.)

After reading so much good feedback on CZ's I really didn't expect to have any problems with this gun. It was supposed to replace my Kimber Custom Jam Machine as my main full size handgun, but now I think I have another lemon on my hands. Has anybody had problems like this with their CZ before? Any idea how to maybe fix it? Should I start looking at sending it back to CZ USA? Thanks for any knowledge you can share.

--Stork

 

[NGIB]

I've also heard that CZ's are not fans of the CCI aluminum ammo either. I'm not a fan of any gun (other than a .22) that is ammo picky. I shoot Georgia-Arms stuff in all my guns and have never had a problem...

 

[Curiousity]

So you bought a new CZ and you feed it reloaded ammo? then you head out to walmart and buy some cheap aluminum ammo? and now you are complaining? wow just wow.

Get yourself some decent ammo, then see what happens.....

i have had 0 malfunctions i have used fiocci FMJ, UMC....

 

[NavajoNPaleFace]

I shot good, cheap and reloaded in my 75B early on without a hitch.

There might possibly be some manufacture's defect(s) with yours and I would either take it to a qualified gunsmith for evaluation or send it back to CZ-USA in Kansas City for their inpsection and/or repairs.

 

[schmeky]

StorkPatrol,

I found they the bullets had been unseated and pushed deeper into the cases!

Obviously you have some bad reloaded ammo. The case was not properly resized, the case was not taper crimped adequately, or the bullets were slightly under sized. The bullet should not move in the case, even in a feed ramp "jam". Period.

Aluminum cased ammo. . . . you'll find some guns can shoot it, others don't like it. CZ's aren't perfect, but neither is anything else. I suggest you get some "good" brass cased ammo and give your tightly machined and fitted CZ a little time to loosen up.

 

[sig2009]

Break it in with some hot ammo like Fiochhi and also polish the feed ramp. There have been numerous complaints with the CZ mags and the factory was supposed to have rectified that problem. Maybe you have the old mags and not the replaced ones. I have a CZ 40P that will eat anything I feed it. Also that is a lot of money for a 75B. I just saw a consignment one in the store for $339 and after going through it it pretty much looks unfired. I think I am going to jump on it. Figure after I get the trigger and action job that all CZ'S need I will have another great shooter.

 

[NG VI]

I wouldn't worry too much about the rounds, they (unless they really suck, I like G-A though) can take a misfeed or two and not explode. Probably just needs some break-in time, and I wouldn't be surprised if it were an issue with your magazines, I bought a 40B recently and have been using the 12 round magazines in it, they load kind of awkwardly and the gun had a few failures. They were almost impossible to load and the follower/rounds seemed to stick at different points, so the rounds would be all loose but would snap back into place if I slapped it or shook it fairly hard. They are all good now.

 

[JR47]

I ran to the nearest Wally World and bought a 50 round box of Blazer Brass.

Guys, that's Blazer BRASS. Not aluminum cased ammo.

I would also mention that Georgia Arms ammunition is used by many police departments for qualifying. It has an enviable reputation. Probably as good as Black Hills reloaded ammo.

Clean the gun, thoroughly, and lube it. CZ ships their guns full of a heavy preservative. My CZ40P was dripping with it inside of the plastic bag. Shops normally spray-clean weapons, but don't strip them and make sure that they're clean, or properly lubed. The magazine is in the same boat as far as preservatives go.

 

[everallm]

CZ stand by their products, give them a call, explain the situation and see if the recommend a break in, a fix or a return to fix.

 

[atblis]

Sounds like a bad mag to me.

Did it come with two mags? And if so, does it do it with both mags.

Giving it a good cleaning and proper lube would be a good idea before assuming it's broke.

 

[StorkPatrol]

JR47, You are right about the gun being thoroughly greased up for shipping. I took it home and cleaned the gun well, but I didn't think to clean the magazines short of just wiping the grease off the outsides. I'll have to get in there and clean them inside and out as well. Thanks to everyone for your responses.

--Stork

 

[357wheelgunner]

Very few metal auto pistols run right out of the box, they all need some kind of breakin.

Did you take it apart and degrease everything before relubing it with something like Breakfree or Remoil?

You were shooting junk ammo in a nice gun. I'd buy some brass cased, factory loaded ammo and try that.

I've heard great things about CZ customer service. Try that if the breaking and cleaning doesn't work.

 

[ZeSpectre]

You were shooting junk ammo in a nice gun

I strongly disagree, Georgia arms is not junk ammo.

Really sounds like a magazine issue.

 

[ImARugerFan]

You were shooting junk ammo in a nice gun.

Wrong.

 

[sqlbullet]

OP - Are you sure that the GA stuff was reloads? All the canned heat I have purchased from them is NEW ammo. That is all that is listed on the website as well. I live in the west, and so I don't see them at gunshows, maybe they sell re-manufactured stuff that they won't ship.

If it is the same 'canned heat' from the page, I have not found it to be low quality at all. It is new starline brass, and very consistent. Feeds perfectly through both my Witness pistols. I would suspect the magazines.

 

[GZOh]

Could be mags could be ammo... could be feed-ramp...
Try a box of WINCHESTER Whites (from WMT) and see what happens. All my CZs love this ammo!!!
If it still 'fails', I'd call CZ (Mike Eagleshield-Gunsmith) and see what he suggests.

 

[skinewmexico]

Problem one, you believed all the stuff you read on the internet!! If it's lubed properly, I'd send it back to CZ. Nobodys perfect. Although I have run 11 cases of Blazer aluminum thru my XD in IDPA without an FTE or FTF. It's fine ammo.

 

[StorkPatrol]

sqlbullet, The GA stuff I have here is definitely reloaded. The brass seems to be a mix of Winchester and Speer, though I have shot some of that "star" brass stuff in my Makarov. I've never had problems with Georgia Arms in the past except for in the afore mentioned Kimber. I guess the Blazer Brass wasn't the best 'control' ammo for a reliability experiment, but it was all I had access to at the time. I will have to clan the mags and get a few boxes of name brand factory ammo to run this weekend. Thanks again for all of your inputs.

--Stork

 

[Rmac58]

Yeah, be patient.
It may need breaking in, as some mentioned.

 

[atblis]

Georgia Arms does sell remanufactured ammo (aka reloads). They do also sell "new" ammo manufactured from new brass (often Starline). I've used both and never really had a problem with either though I'd hesitate to call some of it high quality.

Blazer brass is normally perfectly good ammo though manufacturers do crank out a bad lot now and then. CZs generally aren't ammo sensitive.

1) clean gun thoroughly and lube properly
2) Try another brand of ammo just in case you got a bad lot
3) Try different magazines. USe factory or MecGar mags.

After that, probably time to give Mike at Cz-USA a call.

If it does prove to be a mag issue, I would try and get the mag replaced under warranty.

 

[Blue .45]

I only had one stovepipe jam, when I first shot my CZ75(9mm). I neglected to clean the extractor and the inside of the magazines before taking it to the range. I hosed the entire extractor blade with Gun Scrub, applied a couple of drops of oil, then thoroughly cleaned the mags. No more jams.

 

[KiltedClaymore]

send it down to me, i'll break it in for ya

 

[CountGlockula]

Sorry to hear about your troubles.

If there's still issues at around 500+ rounds with various cartridges, send it back to CZ.

 

[burningsquirrels]

ammo shouldn't have its bullets pushed into the cases. i returned a 1000 round box when i took out ten random rounds and just manually pushed six of the bullets into the casing using nothing but my bare hands.

start off with some winchester white box ammo and go from there before trying anything else... please.

 

[jdc1244]

I shot good, cheap and reloaded in my 75B early on without a hitch.

As did I, also a .40 S&W.

As correctly noted call CZ and ask to speak to a gunsmith. I had an excellent C/S experience when I had a problem with my 452. They’ll make it right and you’ll be back in business.