Dopey CZ 75 question

[kBob]

I have heard/read that the original CZ 75 does not use the same magazine as the CZ 75B and later CZ 9x19mm pistols and that CZ 75B magazines will not fit much less function in an original CZ 75 with no letter marking.

Is this true?

While I have been happy with the number of mags I have for my original no letter gun, the threat of future bans has me thinking I might want to pick up a few extra in case they can be grandfathered if a ban occurs.

Also what after markets should I look for and which should I avoid?

Thanks.

-kBob

 

[gifbohane]

I cannot answer your question but I can tell you that I called CZ yesterday (800 955 4486) and did not spend any time on hold or in "Press 6 for English." Spoke to a knowledgeable guy and liked his answers and his help..

 

[gotboostvr]

Some of the Pre-B guns take the latter mags.

The geometry inside the magazine well near the shoulder of the magazine is a little different. I've heard tale of some enterprising people removing material there to allow the new magazines to fit.

There's a chance you might not need to do anything.

I'd grab a new mag and see. If not, you might be able to squeeze the new mags to work also.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

First off - absolutely NOT a dopey question. I was sincerely distressed when I found out that the mags had been changed.

So - Yes?....
Many (most?) of the original CZ75s (the best, by the way!) will NOT take 75B mags easily.

I thought this was the case with ALL true 75s until reading the post above mine.

To buy? I ONLY by Mecgar and have been 100% pleased with them. Might be others worthwhile but I figure why would I bother?

Todd.

 

[1KPerDay]

FYI don’t buy ACT mags. I got one to try in my 75B Omega and it won’t lock the slide reliably and has to be stripped out when it does.
Mec-gars and OEM have been flawless

 

[rbernie]

I have heard/read that the original CZ 75 does not use the same magazine as the CZ 75B and later CZ 9x19mm pistols and that CZ 75B magazines will not fit much less function in an original CZ 75 with no letter marking.

Correct, within the limits of frame / magazine tolerances. Sometimes you can get lucky and find a way to make a non-B pistol work with a lightly modd'ed B magazine, but not often.

The geometry inside the magazine well near the shoulder of the magazine is a little different.

And this is why.

I've heard tale of some enterprising people removing material there to allow the new magazines to fit.

Ten / fifteen years ago, it was not uncommon for folk to try this, to get 'B" mags to work reliably in a pre-B. Since CZ-USA currently sells pre-B magazines (albeit for a premium), I can't help but think that modifying the frame is now the most expensive of options.

 

[gotboostvr]

I was unaware they were now selling "pre-b" mags.

Yeah, they're more expensive than the current standard ones, but they're still cheaper than SIG/HK mags on the upside!

 

[sevt_chevelle]

Mec-Gar was/is the OEM supplier of mags to CZ. I have a CZ75 made in 1994 I believe, its called a transitional model. It's basically a bastar*d of a pistol, has both features of the Pre B and B models guns, I run the current style of mags, 17+2. I believe Greg Cote LLC also carries Pre B mags.

I took my gun to Brownells in Iowa, told them what the story was about mags, they brought one out for me to test fit. I ended up buying 3 mags from them. So you might be able to see if a local dealer has a CZ75 in stock and let you test fit the mag in your gun.

 

[ClemY]

I have a pre-B CZ-75 which works just fine with current mags. I just got a couple of hicap extended mags that work just fine.

 

[I6turbo]

Re: CZ magazine suppliers, I have a bunch of CZ factory mags and a couple of Mec-Gar branded ones. The Mec-Gar ones that I have are actually smoother than the factory mags. You can clearly feel it when loading rounds. I would NOT hesitate to buy Mec-Gar branded magazines for a CZ, and in fact, would probably prefer them based upon my experience. Nothing wrong with the factory mags, though.

 

[kBob]

A local guy called ArchAngel has some CZ mags that are in packages just marked CZ75 so I will take the gun by there tomorrow and try the one that is open. $38 though Yowzer.

-kBob

 

[jonnyc]

My Pre-B will not use later model mags. I have managed to scrounge 4 original mags that work perfectly, and two more that work very well. The last 2 required an excessive amount of "smoothing" to fit properly.

 

[ATLDave]

I would NOT hesitate to buy Mec-Gar branded magazines for a CZ, and in fact, would probably prefer them based upon my experience.

The same is certainly true for Tanfoglios. In fact, after having some difficulty making (or sourcing elsewhere) mags that would run reliably, Tanfo' eventually adopted MecGar as OEM... the factory mags now are MecGar mags.

 

[kBob]

Just an item of interest while I have the attention of CZ folks. A buddy obtained a CZ75 that was an early no letter gun that had been picked up in "Central Africa" by a USAF load master and later sold to the buddy. It was a pre letter gun … but the finish was shall we say military rather than that high polish deep blue the early guns were known for and the machining was less than pretty. The safety flopped about without a sharp lock on or off. He believed it to have been a military contract for whatever country the loadmaster was in when he bought it ( at the foot of his loading ramp of a C-130 as I understand it) My buddy believes the gun was what the Russians of the period would have called a "Monkey Model" a piece of military equipment with out all the refinements expected of a European military for sale or support of a third or forth world military.

You have to wonder how that African explained to his superiors that his CZ had disappeared.

My mags worked in that gun and buddy was a bit miffed I would not sell him one of my "spare" magazines this being before CZ's were importable commercially.

Mags from the first TZ 75 (slide mounted safety) I ever saw functioned or at least fit in my pistol and vice versa.

I had a parts breakage that had me out of action for a while, the slide stop broke not the pin it self or the block but the flat bit that lies along the frame connecting the two. The break appeared to be from Crystalization. I had to replace it with the larger (wonder if they made it that way because this was a problem on other guns) later style slide stop with a matte finish. I was shooting my first magazine of 147 grain Subsonics at the time and initially blamed them, until I recovered the broken off bit and got good look at both halves of the break.

-kBob

 

[kBob]

Well, they mechanically fit and lock back the slide. Some times this week I will burn up a box or two of 9x19mm to see if they function under fire.

Just lucked out on finding three locally. Nice folks they were also.

Some one suggested I find a collector and trade my pistol for a B or later different numbered model. The newer model would not be the pistol I actually carried on occasion in the service or imported as a returning service man or showed off when the east was still closed and there were darn few in the US and they were almost mythical. I carried it stuffed in a GI "1914" .45 1911 holster and stuffed in a GI chest rig, and in a little Bikini belt holster inside the belt. Also tossed in my brief case on Pay Officer duties ( I delighted in throwing different Personally Owned Weapons on top of all those Dollars and D Marks. Looked neat and some of my troopers thought so as well) Still the best 9x19mm pistol in my hands (Sorry Glock-folk, Berettaians, HK-politains and SiG-Volk)

And now I have more magazines!

-kBob

 

[bannockburn]

kBob

My brother has a no letter CZ75 that he got from a buddy of his many years ago. When he couldn't find any spare mags for it I suggested he try some TZ75 mags like you did and sure enough they worked just fine.