East European tough-girl develops finesse, style

The all-steel CZ Compact showed itself out of the box to be impressively accurate but, to put it generously, "unrefined." DA trigger pull was really pull - Farmer Brown thick wrist required. "Creep" better described as "jumps." Single action positive engagement that was so visibly obvious as to be measurable with a wooden school ruler.

Invested: one weekend learning to take it all apart and polishing the machining marks away from the contact surfaces, substitution of a couple of inexpensive (but key) parts and viola! A Cinderella transformation.

I suppose many would say that these firearms should not require such effort and should be sold "properly finished," but then the price would be how much? Besides, doing the fine stuff was fun.

For those considering a "crude" CZ, what they say is absolutely true. With a little effort and not many dollars, you can make it into your own world class pistol.



Changes:
CZ Custom competition hammer (about $65)
CZ Custom stainless guide rod (about $25)
Wolff 17# mainspring (about $8)
Walnut grips (father/son shop project, no charge )

Thanks to schmeky, a real THR CZ ace, for the coaching and encouragement!

 

Now a little linseed oil for the stocks and that will do.

Looks real good. I do wish all companies would STOP MAKING THE HOOKED TRIGGER GUARD (and that includes Glocks, which I use so much!)

Go back to the rounded trigger guards guys. It looks so much better.

Deaf

 

Roswell,
Glad to hear you finally received your pistol. It looks good.

Deaf Smith,
Agree with you 100% on trigger guards.

 

Sounds good! Were you following someone's instructions from the web or in person/just figured it out.


My SP-01 has only seen about 400 rounds so far (working on that!), but I'll consider doing trigger work if it is still a bit "crude" at 200 rounds, which is where many say it smooths out a bit.

Nice grips too!


What advantage does the competition hammer provide? I would image it is lighter, but being a newbie, I'm not really certain how it would make the gun work better.

 

Very nice! I must be really the odd man out, never needed a trigger job on 10 CZ pistols so far, or maybe I'm just crude myself. ;D
The PCR is darn near the perfect CCW pistol, IMHO. If I had the $ for one, I'd get the Angus Pro Tek 1 PRC for a CCW pistol.

 

Roswell Kid

Sounds like time well spent. Like the grips and the custom hammer looks great.

 

trigger guard

i dont mind the serrations on the trigger guard like that; its nice to know that if i need to use my CZ in a home defense role, those serrations will help me butt it up against a door frame, counter, etc.

EDIT: weapons are tools first, and beautiful (or not) second...lets not forget this

 

Gun makers.... ARE YOU LISTENING?

Deaf

 

I´m with you Deaf, tekarra and bds. The trigger guard should be a roundy. IMO the can opener trigger guard fad should have long since gone the way of the beehive hairdo.

If squared off serrated trigger guards offer a shooting advantage, why aren´t they found on contemporary revolvers?

 

!!!

 

Thorgrim,

Maybe it's just a 'tool' to you but to Gen. Patton it was a statement. Many a great man had pistols made up for them that were more than just 'tools'.

Now yes, some guns like Glocks, well they are functional. Highly functional but well, still just functional and they way they are put together kind of takes the ‘art’ out of martial arts. But there is no reason a gun can’t be pleasing to the eye as well as effective on the field (or street.)

But you see, that special pistol, the one that rode the river with you for 20 years, is not just some 'tool' anymore. And that is why a weapon that is pleasing to the eye AND very effective tends to draw people.

I have a 2 ½ inch Combat Magnum .357 that, with Secret Service stocks, is a mighty handsome gun! And my Ruger 2 ¾ inch Security Six I altered to round butt and graced with Secret Service stocks is right behind in looks and well as deadly function (and those two I have carried and will carry now and then till I one day push up daises.)

I’d love to get ahold of a Colt 1911, made around 1954, tight and reliable. I’d turn it into a first class weapon AND a statement to!

And happily my two SIG pistols, a 239 I used at LFI-1 and a 229, both have rounded trigger guards. One day I will install some impressive wood stocks on them to.

Just yesterday I ran into a Smith&Wesson 3906 9mm that had a rounded trigger guard. $550 and I was tempted as it had the original box. Tempting it was! With just a tad of engraving and better stocks, it would make a statement…. and still be quite a combat handgun.

BTW, using the finger on the hook of the triggerguard is fallen out of style as they have found uneven pressure on the trigger guard can throw groups all over the place.

Deaf

 

!!!