CZ75B guide rod question

[WSH]

Okay, this is probably going to seem like a silly problem....actually not much of a problem at all, but here goes. I have a CZ75B in .40 S&W. Bought at gun show couple of years ago.....didn't really need it but was too good of a deal....yeah, one of those. Gun was like new...actually I couldn't really tell if it had been fired. Bought it and shot it a couple of times and stuck it in the back of the safe. Maybe 200 rounds through it. This guns shoots flawlessly and I haven't had any sorts of failures. But I always noticed that it is very difficult to rack the slide, very tight. I can almost no longer rack it with my left (off hand).. I have to switch the gun to my left hand and use my right hand to rack the slide. I have the same gun in 9 mm and it is very easy to rack the slide. The .40 has a much stiffer spring and the guide rod is heavier and longer than the one in the 9 mm. I am assuming that whoever first had the gun must have changed out the guide rod and spring. That's an assumtion. Don't know for sure. How can I tell? The guide rod in my 9 is about half as long as the one in the .40, is that normal? The spring is also heavier (thicker). This is not a gun that I carry so this is really not much of a problem...but it is bugging the hell out of me. Just one of those irritating things. There is nothing stamped on the guide rod. How can I find out if this is the right setup for this gun? Since I get most of my firearms information from people on this board I'm sure someone out there must know. Thanks in advance.

 

[Navy87Guy]

My CZ 75 is a 9mm, not a .40 S&W, so others will probably jump in, but...

As far as I know, all the CZ 75 models use a standard (i.e., short) length guide rod. It sounds like the previous owner installed a FLGR in your gun. It also sounds like he replaced the recoil spring with something other than factory original. Is the guide rod steel or plastic?

I bought a steel replacement guide rod from JackAsh Custom (www.jackashcustom.com). I just felt more comfortable with a steel guide rod instead of the factory plastic.

It's almost impossible to identify springs visually. You might just want to order a replacement recoil spring from Wolff (www.gunsprings.com) in the factory standard weight and go from there. They list all the factory standard strengths on the web site.

You might also try putting your 9mm guide rod and recoil spring in your .40 and see if it changes the feel. The factory 9mm spring is 14 lbs and the factory .40 is 16 lbs. So the 9mm is supposed to be a little lighter, but if the difference is huge, then it's probably a safe bet that the spring you have isn't factory standard.

Finally, you could go ask the real experts on the CZ forum at www.czshooters.com

Good luck!

Jim

 

[Walt Sherrill]

The 75B in 9mm and the .40 versions don't have same guide rods.

The slide on the .40 version of the 75B is quite a bit different than on the 9mm. The 9mm uses a short guide rod, and the front of the slide is NOT OPEN. (You can't use a full-length guide rod on the 9mm version unless you open up the front of the frame.)

The .40 has a full-length guide rod and as a result, the front of the slide must be open to allow the longer guide rod to extend when the slide is locked back. The rails on the slide are different, too, and extend all the way to the muzzle.

As to your difficulty in racking the slide: the prior owner of the gun probably installed a HEAVIER recoil spring. You can order them from Wolff Springs (www.gunsprings.com). The Wolff site will tell you the factory weigth, and show both lighter and heavier weights. Go for one at the factory weight. (The springs are in the EAA Witness section of the site.)

But, if the gun functions properly, you'd do well to just leave it alone!

Two ways to deal with racking the slide:

1) cock the hammer first -- that'll make it a little easier.
2) Hold the gun down in front of you, hold the slide steady, and PUSH the frame with your strong hand. Holding it steady with your weaker hand (and pushing with the strong hand) is easier.

 

[Navy87Guy]

The 75B in 9mm and the .40 versions don't have same guide rods.

See -- you learn something new every day!

 

[WSH]

Hey guys..thanks for the replies. I will check out the wolf site. I have already tried racking the slide by pushing down the way Walt suggested.... my left hand just won't grip tight enough to rack it with any degree of comfort. can do it by holding slide with strong hand and pushing down with the off hand. Good idea about cocking the hammer first...I bet that will help. I think I will try to get the correct weight spring. I bet that will fix the problem.... Thanks again.

 

[konikg]

http://guiderod.com/

 

[armoredman]

1-800-955-4486, ask for Justin in parts for the correct equipment.

 

[chris in va]

Konikg, the thread is 2.5 years old.

 

[HorseSoldier]

Steve Bedair does make good guide rods, even if it is a thread from the dead.