CZ P01 questions

[Rittmeister]

My CZs have been multiplying again...

I recently picked up an SP01 Phantom, as a companion to my all-time favorite CZ, my regular steel SP01. Sadly I wound up selling the Phantom off again very quickly; it shot well and of course was very lightweight, but it didn't agree with my large collection of MecGar magazines.

I flipped the cash on the smaller sibling to my SP01, a P01, something I've been interested in for quite a while. I have a few questions.

1. It came to me wearing a brand-new set of TruGlo TFX Pro sights. It's never been shot since they were installed. I like the sight picture, but I don't much care for the way they look otherwise; in my opinion they ruin the lean lines of the CZ pistol. I plan to remove them - what might they be worth? The factory sights were included, but they're regular 3-dots; I plan to replace with factory Meprolight TruDots, which I like a lot on my SP01.

2. What are considered the thinnest grips for CZs these days? My full-size gun has a set of G10s on it but I would consider something else in the interest of getting the gun as compact and thin as possible. It's got the factory rubber grips on it now.

3. Finally - those MecGars I mentioned above. Obviously they fit and function in this gun, but being 16-rounders intended for the full-size pistol they stick out the bottom of the grip. Does anyone make a Pearce-style grip extender to fill the void between the bottom of the grip and the baseplate? Or is there another trick that'll do the same thing? I've done some searching but come up dry. I'd like to be able to use the longer mags at the range, but I'm not interested in the pinch that I fear awaits my little finger.

I'm looking forward to getting this thing to the range. It feels great in the hand (no surprise there) and I'm still surprised when I pick it up, expecting the heft of my SP01 but feeling the lightness of the aluminum frame... I suppose it might make my P07 obsolete in my collection.

Thanks!

 

[gotboostvr]

1.
I'm not sure how much they'd be worth. I might be intrested in them however. Shoot me a PM when you decide on a price.

2.
There's thin G10, aluminum, and carbon fiber grips out there. Ebay, Amazon, CZCustom, and Cajun Gunworks all carry them.

3.
The factory baseplate for the SP01 18RD magazine will fit on a 16rd magazine and shore up the space difference on a P01. They're avaliable from copes distributing for a few dollars.

 

[guyfromohio]

Aluminum grips are the way to go. Look at both CZ custom and cgw.

 

[bannockburn]

Rittmeister

When I bought my P01 they also had a P07 in the display case. I tried it out first then handled the P01. The P01 definitely had the better ergonomics and overall "feel" to it versus the P07. Do think it needs some better grips; maybe a pair of checkered wood from CZ Custom. Let us know what you decide to go with: the G10 or the aluminum grips.

 

[viking499]

What was wrong with the MecGar mags and the Phantom? If they worked in the SP-01, they should also work in the Phantom.

 

[jjones45]

What was wrong with the MecGar mags and the Phantom? If they worked in the SP-01, they should also work in the Phantom.

I was just about to ask that same question. I thought they used the same mags as the phantom is also a sp01

 

[Rittmeister]

The MecGars fit and functioned fine in the Phantom but would not drop free. Hit the mag release and they'd come out 1/4" or so and hang. All of the MecGars I have did this. The factory 18 rounders fell out (as did the ones from my SP01). I did some Googling and apparently it's a very common issue; some folks have taken files and sandpaper to the magwell to alleviate the issue. I did a little of that and it seemed to work, but my first shooting session with the gun was outdoors in the cold and it went right back to having the mags stick.

Some of my research indicated that factory CZ 16-round mags would drop out some of the time but weren't guaranteed to do so, and the only ones people had consistent good results with were the 18 rounders. I have a good number of the Mecgars; I like them for range use and the fact that they fit flush (and of course they're half the price of factory CZ mags), and part of the reason I wanted the Phantom was the compatibility. I wound up deciding not to fool with it any more and sold it off in favor of the P01. I may try one of the new ones as they come onto the market; we'll see if they have the same issue or not.

That, or get another P09. I had one a while back and sold it; but there are aspects of that gun I like better than the Phantom.

 

[viking499]

Sounds like your mag break was working. If you bend it in a little, that will let your mags drop free.

 

[guyfromohio]

I run MecGars in my PCR and P-01 with zero issues. I can't tell the difference unless I put on my specs and really look closely at the stamp.

 

[Rittmeister]

viking499 - The Phantom has no mag brake. Nor does the regular SP01, or my new P01. I reiterate, based on a fair number of Google results, the MecGar vs. Phantom issue is apparently fairly well-known.

guyfromohio - ditto here. The MecGars seem to have no similar issue in the metal-framed guns. They certainly don't in mine.

 

[gotboostvr]

I can't speak to the phantom, but my P07 ran just fine with Mec-Gar 75B 16rd mags.

 

[Rittmeister]

My P07 does also. The 75B mags are a bit narrower side-to-side than the P07 mags, so no problem getting them in there(though I would only use them on the range). I keep waiting for MecGar to make less expensive P07 mags; I'd much rather pay $22 than the $45 or so they seem to cost since you can only buy OEM CZ so far.

In my Phantom, the mags were tight front-to-rear; side to side there was plenty of clearance. I don't know if this was the case with all the folks who had the same problem, but if I inserted the stock 18-round mags partially and "rocked" them side-side or fore-aft, there was a bit of play in both directions; the MecGars had about the same side-to-side but didn't move fore and aft. It's my assumption this led to the binding problem.

As I said, I did some careful sanding of the magwell; specifically in the area at the rear, where you can see the mainspring. There are two "rails" there that distance the mag from the hammer strut and the spring. In room-temperature conditions it helped a lot, but as I said above it was no-go in the cold

 

[ichiban]

I prefer these
http://lokgrips.com/gun-grips/cz-75/grenade/grenade-grey-black-g10/
But I think these are a little thinner. Not sure if they fit a compact.
http://lokgrips.com/gun-grips/cz-75/thin/bogies/black-g10/

 

[Litlman]

I run mec gars in all my CZ's. PO1, 85 combat, 75 B, 75 compact. No problems. I thought that mec gar made the CZ mags but the branded CZ mags were more expensive.? I like being able to po an 18 rounder or 16 rounder in the smaller gun. I don't use spacers or mag bumpers on bottom. PO1 is a fine weapon! They all are.

 

[I6turbo]

... my all-time favorite CZ, my regular steel SP01.

The first one of these (SP-01) I ever saw was a few weeks ago. It was NIB but had just been worked over by CZ Custom. I still think about that gun even though I do NOT need it given that I have my 85 Combat set up perfectly for me. But what NICE gun! Even in bone stock form I'd love to have one (though I would certainly add the CGW Ultra-Lite kit to it).

You should consider buying one of these for your SP-01. http://www.opticsplanet.com/crimson-trace-cmr-203-rail-master-universal-green-laser-sight.html
I bought one for my P-01 and now I wouldn't dream of having a HD gun without a green laser. I used to use night sights but the green laser is an order of magnitude better for low light sighting, IME.

 

[Rittmeister]

I actually have the CT Railmaster that's just the light. Super bright. I also have a SureFire X400, light and red laser. TBH though I'm not a huge fan of lasers, at least so far.

Litlman, I've always heard MecGar made the factory mags as well. I can only guess that maybe the finish is different on the "oem" mags? Resulting in the issue with the Phantom... I don't know. I sold it, and moved on. Still waiting for time to get the P01 to the range.

 

[I6turbo]

I actually have the CT Railmaster that's just the light. Super bright. I also have a SureFire X400, light and red laser. TBH though I'm not a huge fan of lasers, at least so far.

Others may see it differently but IME, for sighting in low-light conditions the green laser is quite different from red lasers. Green is so bright that I don't need or want a flashlight for night-time in-home conditions (my home) because the green laser provides illumination of the target. IMO, having to use conventional night sights to aim is a big disadvantage because I have to concentrate too much on the sights themselves in order to maintain a precise aim, and therefore I find it much quicker and easier to place rounds precisely in low light conditions with the laser. The brightness of the green laser lets me focus the big majority of my attention on what the "target" is doing, yet I can constantly maintain as precise an aim as possible. Therefore I'm better able to make what might prove to be the most important decision in the remainder of my life; pull the trigger, or (if there's any possible way to avoid it) not.

 

[Pilot]

I run MecGars in my PCR and P-01 with zero issues. I can't tell the difference unless I put on my specs and really look closely at the stamp.

I use Mec-Gars in my 75B, PCR, and 97B. They also surprisingly fit and function in my 1991 made Pre-B 75 which has slightly narrower magwell. No issues, and I can not tell the difference from my CZ factory mags. Mec-Gar makes most if not all of the CZ mags, but to their specs.

 

[armoredman]

I have two in the box new Mecgar 17 round flush fit SP-01 magazines. The reason they are still in the box new is because they wouldn't fit in my SP-01 Phantom. CZ-USA brand OEM magazines work just fine. Also, this is the OLD Phantom, as the one coming out this year is apparently slightly reworked with better polymer as well, maybe they will work. However, I can personally attest to the MecGar magazines not functioning in my Phantom. Too bad, because Mecgar mags are worth every penny they cost.

 

[armoredman]

I6turbo, I have a set of Crimson Trace Lasergrips in the safe for the P-01, probably the last set of originals in existence. They quit working some time ago, probably something cheap and easy to fix, but CT never answered my questions on them, and they quit making CTLGs for CZ some years ago. I do agree, they do make things easier and faster in low light aiming, but I still want to illuminate my target!