CZ A01-LD: Your Impressions

[Zaydok Allen]

In another thread I expressed that I am decluttering and downsizing my life. This includes my firearms, as I see little or no point in owning a bunch of guns that sit in a safe. I would rather have a dozen guns that are a bit higher end (for me), and a lot of fun to shoot that I'll take out frequently, rather than two or three dozen guns that sit in a safe.

Last year I picked up a CZ Shadow 2, as I've said several times, and it very quickly shot to the top of my favorite autoloader list. It just works for me. so in the spirit of downsizing I've identified three guns I no longer need or care about.

Ruger No 1 chambered in S&W 460 magnum. I really don't enjoy shooting it.

An HK45 with 5 magazines (three brand new) and a Safariland level 2 Duty Holster. I don't care about this gun much any more as I greatly prefer my Dan Wesson 1911.

A Wilson Beretta 92 Brigadier Tactical with six 15 round magazines and three 30 round magazines. I shoot my Shadow 2 A LOT better than the Beretta, and honestly I've just soured on the 92 series anyway. This gun actually has a Wilson tuned trigger, but the Shadow 2 stock trigger is better. It's smoother and breaks more crisply. I actually shoot my Shadow better than any of my other guns, and am planning to press it into a home defense role.

I used to be the type that would say "I'm NEVER selling that gun." Yeah well, innovation can change that notion, and I do not have a disposable income or house large enough to accommodate that mentality. I believe I can sell all three and scrounge up enough money to purchase a CZ A01-LD and a few extra magazines.

https://czcustom.com/czc-a01-pistols/czc-a01-pistols/zczusa-a01-ld.html




Before doing this though I wanted to see if anyone has any experience with this gun from the CZ Custom Shop, and can comment on it's comparison to the Shadow 2. Everything I've read is that the A01-LD is different in some regards, but is a step above the Shadow in fit, finish, smoothness of action, trigger crispness, and is priced appropriately for what you are getting.

The only intended purpose of this gun is a fun range gun that is a pleasure to shoot, and is refined enough that I'll notice an enhanced experience over my other guns.

Please share any thoughts or opinions on the this offering, and if you think I'm just going to be totally redundant with the Shadow, that's fine to state also.

@Nature Boy, I recall you saying you handled one last year I think. I know you were impressed, but I was wondering if you have any other thoughts after the I want meter dropped to a more reasonable level. Still dreaming of it, or have you moved on?

 

[Nature Boy]

I recall you saying you handled one last year I think. I know you were impressed, but I was wondering if you have any other thoughts after the I want meter dropped to a more reasonable level. Still dreaming of it, or have you moved on?

Still dreaming, still want.

I’m not a pistolero like some of you guys are, but I say this without embellishment.

I’ve never held a pistol in my hand that I connected with like I did with that A01-LD.

 

[JR24]

Handled one at the shop when I picked up my Wilson EDC X9. Very, very nice trigger. But still a CZ with a CZ safety so not for me.

Guy at the counter said it seems like a test run for the DWX, and it does to have a similar profile.

I'd wait to try the DWX myself.

 

[Erief0g]

Owning a shadow 2 also. It's a toss up until I can get my hands on that and the dwx.

I'm in a similar boat where I've decided that my collection has all it needs and just keep shooting what I've got and accessorize it.

My czsp01 tactical got a cajun gun pro package.
My shadow 2 has been at primary machine eight weeks this week getting the slide lightened, a trijicon sro cut away for the slide, and black nitride coating.

Thinking of a scope for my 44 mag but the red dot already installed is very functional.

With all that said I've been hoping to hold a dwx and a A01 just to see which one I should be saving for. For me the discretionary saving won't even start until last quarter this year as I've met my current allowance...

 

[bannockburn]

460Shooter

No experience concerning the CZ A01-LD (I see so few CZs in my neck of the woods it probably would be another decade or two before I even come across one)! Having said that and making note of it's price of admission (a pretty steep one at that), I would say that if by divesting yourself of three other guns that no longer hold much sentimental attachment to you, then by all means go for it!

 

[Zaydok Allen]

460Shooter

No experience concerning the CZ A01-LD (I see so few CZs in my neck of the woods it probably would be another decade or two before I even come across one)! Having said that and making note of it's price of admission (a pretty steep one at that), I would say that if by divesting yourself of three other guns that no longer hold much sentimental attachment to you, then by all means go for it!

Yeah it seems a better use of previously spent money than leaving it sit unused.
The only one that gives me a little pause is the Wilsonized Beretta, but only because it’s a very nice version of the 92. But I just don’t shoot it any more. It’s just taking up space that could go to something I’ll enjoy.

Maybe I should shoot it one more time to make sure.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Handled one at the shop when I picked up my Wilson EDC X9. Very, very nice trigger. But still a CZ with a CZ safety so not for me.

Guy at the counter said it seems like a test run for the DWX, and it does to have a similar profile.

I'd wait to try the DWX myself.

I’ve considered the DWX also. It definitely interests me and I might pick one up in the future. I’m not going to stop buying guns so one may come home at some point. I’m probably going to go through this again in another 10 years or so.

The carry version of the DWX is the one that really interests me.

 

[JR24]

The carry version of the DWX is the one that really interests me.

Me too.

Though, the CZ compact grip just does not fit my hands as nice as the full size does, which was one of the reasons I decided to just go with the EDC X9.

If you like CZ the A01-LD will make you happy, the trigger was pretty amazing, even next to some of the other nice CZs they had, TSO and the like.

 

[jmohme]

I stopped in at a nearby gun shop and go to handle one. It is actually the only one I have ever even seen.
It looks to be a beautifully built firearm. It felt really good in my hand, very well balanced, and had a great trigger.
If I had the money in my pocket at the time, it would have come home with me.

I did come down off of that high once I left and bought a Shadow 2 a few weeks later. The S2 is more than adequate for me, and I doubt I will ever be able to shoot as well is it is capable of.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Me too.

Though, the CZ compact grip just does not fit my hands as nice as the full size does, which was one of the reasons I decided to just go with the EDC X9.

If you like CZ the A01-LD will make you happy, the trigger was pretty amazing, even next to some of the other nice CZs they had, TSO and the like.

Maybe some palm swell or thin grips depending on your hand size?

Im fiddling with my Beretta and comparing it to my Shadow 2. Decision made. The Beretta does nothing for me now. The CZ spoiled that thing for me. It suits me better in every way.

I don’t need to shoot it again.

 

[JR24]

Maybe some palm swell or thin grips depending on your hand size?

Im fiddling with my Beretta and comparing it to my Shadow 2. Decision made. The Beretta does nothing for me now. The CZ spoiled that thing for me. It suits me better in every way.

I don’t need to shoot it again.

Sounds like a good decision.

For the compact CZ it's the beavertail location and geometry, I always want to get higher on the grip for whatever reason and longer range sessions leave me with really sore hands.

Im sure I could adapt eventually if I really worked at it, but my hands know what they like at this point and life is too short to shoot guns that are painful if you can get more comfortable options.

 

[I6turbo]

Maybe some palm swell or thin grips depending on your hand size?

Im fiddling with my Beretta and comparing it to my Shadow 2. Decision made. The Beretta does nothing for me now. The CZ spoiled that thing for me. It suits me better in every way.

I don’t need to shoot it again.

I understand. I sold these two after the 85 Combat and 97 B with CGW parts caused them to get left in the safe time after time when there was an opportunity to go shooting. These were guns that I THOUGHT I liked a lot. Especially the 1911. You can kind of tell from the photo how much use it'd seen. The Beretta had been enjoyed more than the condition might indicate, but I'd taken very good care of it and it was still pristine. But the CZ epiphany struck and they were goners. I'd imagine an A01-LD would smack other guns down even harder!

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I didn't expect much traffic on this thread as the A01-LD is not a terribly common gun, and is geared heavily towards competition. It's also a pretty new gun from CZC (2019).

After reading some reviews, particularly on the Brian Enos forum, and watching a few reviews on YouTube, I decided to take the plunge. Yesterday I sold off three guns, and put enough money in my pocket that I just ordered one of these. From three guns I've lost interest in, to one single fun gun that I'm pretty sure will be one of the best in my lineup. That sounds like a good idea to me, and I am finding it very liberating to downsize the amount of stuff I own. I don't want to be totally weighed down by possessions.

My LGS offered me within $50 of what I wanted for the three, so we shook hands happily and now I need to go to the bank. I love working with those guys. It's really a pleasure when you establish an ongoing positive customer and business owner relationship.

Assuming the gun ships tomorrow, I should be able to pick it up next weekend.

 

[TomJ]

Congrats, 460. My SP01 with the CGW Ultra Lite trigger is a great shooter. A number of months ago we were at our gun club and a member let us try his Shadow 2, which IMO was a step up from my SP01. I can only imagine how good the A01 - LD will be.

 

[JR24]

Look forward to some reviews!

If I was a CZ guy, the one I picked up probably would have come home with me and I'd be in the dog house with the wife.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Congrats, 460. My SP01 with the CGW Ultra Lite trigger is a great shooter. A number of months ago we were at our gun club and a member let us try his Shadow 2, which IMO was a step up from my SP01. I can only imagine how good the A01 - LD will be.

I was actually worried that the A01-LD would be too similar to my Shadow 2, and would seem redundant. However after watching some comparison videos and reading some accounts, it really sounds like the A01 is a significant step above.

When I consider how much my Shadow 2 has overshadowed my other pistols, no pun intended, I’m pretty excited to see what I can do with this thing. Even if it’s just a prettier Shadow 2 as far as performance goes, that’s fine. It’ll be my looker of a blaster, and my Shadow 2 will be a home defense and range fun beater.

 

[Nature Boy]

For self preservation reasons, I’m seriously considering hitting the “ignore” button so I can’t see your review

 

[Zaydok Allen]

For self preservation reasons, I’m seriously considering hitting the “ignore” button so I can’t see your review

LOL!

Im sure your wife is a very understanding woman. And don’t worry, I’m sure this pistol will be a steaming pile of crap. Won’t even be worth talking about.

 

[Reinz]

Congrats 460 on scoring a favorable deal!

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Yesterday was a relatively frustrating mixed bag. As I stated in a different thread, I picked up an A01-LD two weeks ago.

I finally had cooperative weather yesterday and after an hour of looking I found a good spot to shoot.

I started off shooting one of my revolvers, cuz I felt like it. I popped off 50 rounds of hot 357 magnums, and then 100 rounds of 38 special. It was fun, but then I moved on to my CZ.

In the first 100 rounds I had two failures to feed. I found it a little disheartening but I never really sweat it with a brand new gun. After those initial bobbles, I had another 100 trouble free rounds of fun blasting. The gun is calibrated for 115 gr ammo, but I found it shot 124 grain ammo to POA at 25 yards. This is good, as it's my preferred weight bullet.

The heavy weight and bull barrel of the gun really absorb a ton of recoil and the muzzle flip is mitigated as well. I found the gun very easy to run fast when I wanted to, but I was more focused on just getting a feel for it in the first 200 rounds. I was shooting at 6" targets at 20 and 25 yards. The steel target was swinging readily and the paper target had holes in it.

I was getting ready to head home as I was getting cold after the initial 200 rounds. Then the clouds parted as I was picking up brass and the sunshine meant it was go time again. So I decided to slow down and see how I did. Now keep in mind, my eyes aren't fantastic by any stretch of the word, I'm no bullseye shooter, and I had already fired 350 rounds, so I was somewhat fatigued. Below is a picture of 5 rounds, 10 rounds, 15 rounds, and then after 200 rounds. There's some flyers in there, but after the first 15 shots of relatively slow fire, I started speeding up again. I'm guessing a better shooter could do much better with it accuracy wise, but this isn't too awful for my first outing. Also, that piece of cardboard that it's on is well used so many of the holes on it were already there. It does make gauging my shooting a bit harder as I'm sure there are a few misses in there, and there are a few rounds on the edge. But for a fun blaster, it does what I want.

The action of the gun is very smooth and I find the trigger on par with my Shadow 2. I can't really say that I feel it's any better than the Shadow 2 though. I think someone involved in the gun gaming world would find it very decent to operate if it fit into a category that interested you. The Tactical Sport Orange I handled a while back definitely has a better SA break, but I think that's to be expected from a SAO gun.

One thing that threw me off was the rear sight can not be adjusted for elevation. For me, it's not going to be a problem. Others might not like that.

I was a little thrown off by the safety as it looked too small to ride, but too large to be unobtrusive. It is serrated, and I found that the recoil of the gun was so minor that I actually could ride it easily, and the magazine springs are strong enough that my off hand thumb could rest on the slide stop without causing a failure to lock back on the last shot.

I also decocked the gun and found it a very pleasant and easy DA transition, and one thing that stands out is that once the trigger resets, it does NOT move forward at all. So there is no takeup after reset. Just a bit of creep before firing, which is what I'm used to on my Shadow 2. So all in all I was quite happy.

Then I got home and decided to strip and oil it again so it's ready for my next outing. Took her down, clean, oil, grease the rails, reassemble done. WRONG! Once I slid the slide stop back in, I pulled the trigger a few times to ensure function, and on the 4th or 5th pull the trigger felt like something was catching, and then it and the slide completely locked up. Like only slight movement on the trigger and slide. Ummm……. What the hell? So I managed to push the slide stop out and get it back apart, but I could not for the life of me figure out what happened. Everything looked like it was where it belonged, but it happened a second time. Now I'm noticing that it seems linked to the DA pull. After four or five trigger pulls, it feels like something is catching, and then I have to manipulate the slide as the trigger is pulled to get it working. SA seems ok. I'm somewhat perplexed, and more than a little disappointed. I'm going to disassemble it again tonight or tomorrow and see if I can spot the issue, but I have a feeling I'll be contacting CZC for a return label. This sucks because I don't know with the increasing COVID-19 crap going on when I'll actually have time to drop it off at Fedex.

Mixed bag here. Great shooter, but something ain't right here.

 

[JR24]

Hope you get that issue sorted out!

 

[guzzi]

I don't know the A01-LD.

Are there a pre-travel and over-travel adjustment screws on the trigger?

Are they secure and not backing out?

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I don't know the A01-LD.

Are there a pre-travel and over-travel adjustment screws on the trigger?

Are they secure and not backing out?

Not that I can detect.

I took the gun apart again. Pulled the trigger many times in single and double action. Can’t see a thing wrong. Trigger mechanism seems fine. Double checked the slide assembly and it’s all put together as it should be. Reassembled the gun, dry fire, and same problem is happening. So it’s got something to do with the slide’s interaction with the trigger mechanism.

Nothing is apparent so I’ll be contacting CZC tomorrow. I may be able to make a quick 80 mile trip to the FedEx joint. Sigh......

 

[Reinz]

Glad your first outing went well. Sorry to hear about the issue afterward.

I hope the folks at CZC are still working so they can get right on it.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

My pistol came home today. Says on the work order they staked the hammer pin. So either the old staking gave way and the pin wasn’t secure or the thing was never staked to begin with.

No charge to me. Total turnaround time from Fedex to doorstep was 10 days. Great service.

Looking forward to taking her out again, if it ever warms up that is.