Help! CZ P-01 jams!

[Walt Sherrill]

Feeds great with 4 in the magazine. Does not feed with 10 in the magazine. Five times with 10 in mag (I'm in restricted CA) I had to eject 6 misfeeds before one would load into the chamber correctly. After shooting I field stripped the gun. Nothing sticky or unusual noticed but I thoroughly cleaned and lubed including the slide rails. Hoping for a better day out next time. cheers!

I have not previously read or heard about problems with compact CZ 10-round mags, but knew about problems when they first introduced .40 round mags for the .4o compact guns (starting with the CZ-40P.)

THAT does sound like a magazine issue. To help you clarify, if you have any friends or acquaintances with full-size 10-round mags, they'll work in the gun, and THAT should show you whether it's the original mags are what's causing the problems. If so, you can just contact CZ and see if they'll swap mags with you.

If you can find some on the 'net, just buy one or two some Mec-Gar 10-rounders (for compacts) or, believe it or not, some Pro-Mag CZ Compact mags. (I've used them off and on for years in the compact CZs and they work well... but I've never had good luck with the full-size CZ mags from Pro-Mag.)

Way back during the hi-cap mag ban period, we used CZ-75B Compact .40 mags (a gun they never really built, but which Pro-Mag made mags for in anticipation -- as high caps in our 9mm compact CZ. I once saw a BATF letter ruling that said they wouldn't say anything if those 10-round .40 mags were used in 9mm guns. (Had copy of it, but the hard drive crashed, and the back up went south, too.)

CZ .40 mags wouldn't work in the full-size or compact models if you change the caliber of the rounds in them, as their .40 mags had too big a gap between the feed lips, and they wouldn't retain the 9mm rounds. Pro-Mags .40 and 9mm compact mags worked fine in the 9mm compact gun. (Because the .40 mags are MARKED as 10-rounders you can't really tell they're hi-caps!) I don't know whether that prior letter ruling still holds... (I suspect the BATF ruling would have no relevance in a state-enforced magazine limit.)

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[chris in va]

I vote for mags too. My 2013 P01 simply won't jam no matter what I give it. Granted, first thing I did was swap out the limp noodle factory mags for MecGars.

Please don't give up on the gun, it's an amazing piece of machinery.

 

[Brewer LJ]

I want to update this because I know there are some real CZ fans out there. I took the gun to the shop and it misfed several times for the salesman so I know it's not me. However, he said he had the same issue with his CZ when it was brand new. He and the shop owner both say the tolerances on the CZ are so tight that this is common with new CZ guns before break in. The heavy spring tension in the new magazines he thinks makes it worse.

I bought different rounds with intention of shooting but the range was closed today. So I stripped a few magazines through it with different rounds to test it since I couldn't shoot and it only jammed once. American Eagle 115 gr rounds ran through it ok. The Magtech 115 gr, still problematic.

Upshot is, it might smooth out after break in of 300-500 rounds, but if not, guys at shop said CZ will probably polish slide rail on warranty.

Thanks again and I'm confident this will iron itself out

 

[Pilot]

I want to update this because I know there are some real CZ fans out there. I took the gun to the shop and it misfed several times for the salesman so I know it's not me. However, he said he had the same issue with his CZ when it was brand new. He and the shop owner both say the tolerances on the CZ are so tight that this is common with new CZ guns before break in. The heavy spring tension in the new magazines he thinks makes it worse.

I bought different rounds with intention of shooting but the range was closed today. So I stripped a few magazines through it with different rounds to test it since I couldn't shoot and it only jammed once. American Eagle 115 gr rounds ran through it ok. The Magtech 115 gr, still problematic.

Upshot is, it might smooth out after break in of 300-500 rounds, but if not, guys at shop said CZ will probably polish slide rail on warranty.

Thanks again and I'm confident this will iron itself out

CZ-USA has excellent warranty service. This sounds like gun shop BS to me. I've owned, and shot CZ's for almost 20 years with none of the problems you indicate. None. Tight tolerances? They are no tighter than any other well made, modern pistol. They should run out of the box with a rudimentary cleaning, and lube.

If the problems persist, call CZ-USA, and send the pistol in to them per their instructions.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

In the meantime, see if CZ will send you (swap with you?) a new mag... You shouldn't have to suffer so much. If it's springs in the mags causing problems, be sure to leave them LOADED when they're not in use. With a 10-rounder that may take a bit longer.

(I gree with Pilot: Some of the gun shop comments about close tolerances sounds like gun shop BS because they didn't know what else to say.)

CZs are great guns but you shouldn't be having the problems you're having. It's not typical. It sounds like bad mags (or simply TOO strong springs.) I've not been around any 10-round compact mags, so I can't really suggest any short-term solutions except keeping them loaded if the springs are just too strong. They will relax with time (having been kept fully loaded.)

 

[ohbythebay]

I am with Pilot

He and the shop owner both say the tolerances on the CZ are so tight that this is common with new CZ guns before break in. The heavy spring tension in the new magazines he thinks makes it worse.

This is BULL. No one has ever reported a CZ out of the box with FTF issues UNLESS something was defective. Bite the bullet (no pun intended) and contact CZ. It may be the mags, it may be the gun but CZ's out of the box are tight and flawless. They just get BETTER (trigger and tight slide release) with time but they don't start with feed issues. Wouldn't it give you peace of mind to have the manufacturer look it over instead of some local guy feeding you bull? I know its a PITA to ship, etc. but they can cut you a shipping label, arrange pickup..etc.

 

[group17]

Had the same problem with my PO-1 and HP ammo. Changed ammo and all was good.

 

[DPris]

I've not encountered such "tight" tolerance issues.

Did you try using the barrel as a gauge, as I suggested?
Denis

 

[armoredman]

I've had a few brand new CZ pistols, (11 and counting over the years), and I've never had that type of feed issue, so I think it's a little less common than the dealer might make it out to be.
If you need a different magazine, I might be able to help - I have two 10 round Compact magazines, one I use for a friend who tends to shoot until the mag is dry, (helps her slow down and aim more with limited rounds), and another I haven't tested since I had it stashed away. I'll try the other one out in my P-01, (it's an old model, curved metal base plate, no makers marks), and if it work reliably in my P-01 I'll send it out to you. I really have no use for a 10 round magazine out here except for that one issue, and I've got a CZ made one that works perfectly. Of course, my P-01 has had so many rounds through it that I have had gunsmiths accuse me of having a trigger job done. Nope, just natural CZ smooooothness...
Again, CZ-USA will help if nothing else works. They'll be back in the office on January 3, IIRC.

Sorry that isn't working for you, sir - if you do get it right, do you plan on carrying it on a CA permit since they SHOULD be a little easier to get nowadays?

 

[oneounceload]

I don't believe a gun should be so finicky that a clean, lubed out of the box gun should not operate.

Unless I missed it, you still didn't say whether or not you cleaned it first and relubed per the owner's manual. Guns are shipped with a rust preventative which is not always the best for lubricating and it needs to be cleaned/degreased and then done per the manual.

If you have done that AND tried different ammo and magazines, then a call to CZ is in order

 

[JDGray]

I vote for mags too. My 2013 P01 simply won't jam no matter what I give it. Granted, first thing I did was swap out the limp noodle factory mags for MecGars.

It was my understanding that MecGar supplied factory magazines for CZ. I've been wrong before, and certainly will be again....

 

[Walt Sherrill]

It was my understanding that MecGar supplied factory magazines for CZ. I've been wrong before, and certainly will be again....

As a general rule that is true. But it hasn't always been the case. And it's not always the case with a new model. Probably is with the P-01. But P-01 mags sold as OEM mags (factory) may not be exactly the same as Mec-Gar brand mags sold for the P-01. There may be differences, but they won't matter. When they were having problems with .40 compact mags, I think those were CZ-made mags, not Mec-Gars. That was a number of years ago. I don't know whether Mec-Gar is making mags for the P-07 and P-09, but I'm sure they will, eventually, if they're not already doing it.

I have never had problems Mec-Gar after-market mags for any CZ to be bad, but then I have never found factory mags to be bad, either -- and I read complaints on this and other forums about "wimpy" factory mags. That just hasn't been my experience with MANY CZs over the years. This discussion points to a few 10-round "compact" mags that just aren't right, and all of the discussion suggests mag issues.

All older CZ factory mags (10 and 15 rounders) that came with 75Bs would unfailingly work in pre-B CZ-75s, but aftermarket Mec-Gar mags for the 75B would NOT.

If you need them and can find a source for 10-round compact Mec-Gar mags you should buy them.