Range Report: Custom CZ-75 Pre-B 9mm....

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. This report is not significantly different than the one done earlier on a different Pre-B. If interested that report can be found on several sites via a search.

For that reason, this report will be shorter, primarily focusing on the pistol which has had different sights added. There is more detailed information on the ammunition fired as well as some recovered, expanded rounds fired into water.

The Pistol: This is a CZ-75 I bought in the early '80's NIB and for considerably more than one can buy a CZ-75 today, "B" or Pre-B. They were just flat hard to come by then and I just had to have one or die. You all know the syndrome.

This pistol has had no work done on the trigger, but Kurt Wickman did install a set of Novak fixed sights, plain black on black and I've had the barrel and some internal parts hard chromed. Mr. Wickman refinished the slide as well and I'm more than satisfied with his work.

This CZ-75 has really had little done to it. It has Novak fixed sights using the rear sight meant for the 1911 as the CZ has a relatively high rear sight for the height of the front sight. The slide was refinished with polished blue slide flats and matte blue on top. This one has an 18-lb. Wolff conventional recoil spring and a buffer. I've removed the bow from the "magazine brake" and the magazine will fall freely if so desired and the hammer spur's been bobbed a bit. The grips are CZ factory wooden ones.

Ammunition:

Today's shooting involved only factory ammo with bullets weighing from 65 to 127 grains. The average velocities shown are based on 10-shot strings fired approximately 10' from the chronograph screens.


Aguila 65-gr. IQ HP:
Average Velocity: 1492

Corbon 100-gr. PowRball +P:
Average Velocity: 1431

PMP 115-gr. FMJ:
Average Velocity: 1076

Remington 115-gr. UMC FMJ:
Average Velocity: 1186

Federal 115-gr. JHP:
Average Velocity: 1151

Fiocchi 115-gr. FMJ:
Average Velocity: 1163

Fiocchi 123-gr. FMJTC:
Average Velocity: 1061

Hornady 124-gr. CQ (XTP) JHP:
Average Velocity: 1153

Federal 124-gr. Nyclad HP:
Average Velocity: 1162

Triton 125-gr. Hi Vel JHP+P:
Average Velocity: 1266

Corbon 125-gr. JHP +P:
Average Velocity: 1194

Winchester 127-gr. RA9TA JHP +P+:
Average Velocity: 1285

All of these loads grouped well. Out of this particular pistol the largest standard deviation was with the Winchester 127-gr. load and was 29 ft/sec. The smallest was from the Corbon 125-gr. JHP.

Shooting: It was hot today and I did NOT do any fifty-yard shooting.
The shots fired at 15 and 25 yards were done in slow fire and single-action. The group fired at 25 yards was also done seated with my forearms and wrists braced. The 10 yard target was fired with the first shot being fired DA and that shot is marked...as is the "miss."

15 Yards: Each group consists of 5 shots.

25 Yards: This group was fired with some ammunition I've not used in the past, the Fiocchi 123-gr. FMJTC "Combat" load. I have no idea why they call it "combat" as I suspect it's no better than standard ball.

10 Yards: Eight sets of controlled pairs were fired with the first set starting double-action. That was NOT the miss. It occurred firing single-action and was my fault.

I also fired the relatively new Corbon 100-gr. "PowRball" into water as well as the Hornady 124-gr. "CQ."

The PowRball expanded to 0.65x0.66" and the recovered bullet weighed 77.4 grains. No jacket was found. The 124-gr. Hornady bullet which acts just exactly like their XTP weighed 120.1 grains and the bullet expanded to 0.52x0.54." Each "weight" includes the fragment next to the recovered bullet.

Observations: In this heat, the wide, smooth front grip strap of the CZ did become mighty slick and I were I using this pistol for serious purposes, I'd probably have it stippled or at least do the skateboard tape.
There were zero malfunctions with ejection positive with all of the loads fired.

It's my belief that the CZ-75 or the "B" version remain extremely reliable and accurate handguns that are very viable choices for either the range, home protection, or carry.

Best.

PS: If interested, there's a very detailed post on the CZ-75 found at:

http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/CZ75.htm

 

[WonderNine]

Thanks for the range report Mr. Camp. Excellent as always. I have a question for you regarding CZ's and BHP's. What has been your experience regarding reliability with both? As I've mentioned, I've had a few Hi-Powers that I've put probably 2,000 rounds through total with no malfunctions even using cheap preban mags. I've had similiar experiences with Beretta 92's. Have you had this kind of performance with CZ's?

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. The only problem I've had with CZ-75 pistols and reliability has been with the really short 88 and 90 grain JHP loads and one warmish handload.
The latter was solved by adding a Wolff +10% magazine spring. As to the lighter, shorter JHPs, one of my CZ pistols "likes" them OK while another just refuses to be reliable with them.

With Browning Hi Powers, it depends on if you if you're speaking of the earlier models (Pre Mk II) that had the humped feed ramp. Some of those could be problems until the hump was removed. Since the Mk II and now the Mk III pistols have come along with the non-humped barrel, it's been my experience that the Brownings will run with about any JHP in the 115 to 147 grain weight. I've not shot enough of any that are lighter than that to really remember. I have seen a very few that would fail occassionally on the really blunt JHP's like Corbon's 115 and 125 grain +P JHP's, but not often and not many Hi Powers. Most have run fine with them.

Best.

 

[WonderNine]

I was thinking of putting the barrel from my MKIII in my 82' Belgian simply for the sake of being able to shoot HP's (which I never do anyways), but I found that the old gun is more accurate with the original barrel. Do you know when they removed the hump from the barrel? I was under the impression that anything after 1980 wasn't supposed to have it, but apparently that's not true as the serial number on the 82' barrel matches the 82' gun.

Should I decide to, what would you recommend to polish the feed ramp?

Will it make the gun more reliable with FMJ's as well? Although admittedly, I haven't had a problem as of yet, and I'm not the kind to fix things if they aren't broken. What was the original intent with the humped barrel? To me it seems as though it could cause the bullet to slide left or right instead of straight into the barrel. It seems there must have been a reason they put the hump on the feedramp of the older barrels.

 

[10-Ring]

Thanks again for another well made range report!

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. The first time I recall seeing the "straight" feed ramp was with the Mk II Hi Power, which was introduced in '82 or so. (I added the "or so" because FN's dates of production are not always exact. More like suggestions!)

When I do feed ramp polishing, I try and do just that...polish. I use a dremel tool with the felt tip that's long and tapered and use polishing compound. Just stick the tip in the hard wax-like stuff and let the felt get full of it. Have the barrel held in a vice to keep it steady and just shine her up. Again, unless you're familar with the operation, I would not remove metal and try to make a straight ramp out of the humped one. It's very easy to remove too much metal at the bottom rear of the chamber. Do pay particular attention to the lower portion of the ramp as well. It should make ball feed a bit slicker and might help with some of the JHPs. Your magazine will be critical here, too. It truly needs to hold the round to be fed upward a bit. It's been my experience that humped HPs frequently do quite well with Federal 115-grain JHP, Remington 115-grain JHP in std and +P versions, and it should feed Corbon's 100-grain PowRball +P just fine in the event that you decide to use that pistol for "serious" purposes.

For decades, about the only ammo that existed for the 9mm was either FMJ in either a round nose or truncated cone bullet shape. The humped ramp let the round actually go more straight into the chamber as the rim was hopefully sliding up under the extractor as it was being stripped from the magazine. Once it got past the top of the hump, it would be nearly a straight shot into the chamber. Worked like a peach with ammo having FMJ bullets having no sharp edges and generally of about the same LOA. With modern JHPs, we got ammo that was blunt, sometimes had edges on the bullet's meplat and frequently of shorter LOA. Eventually, FN got around to understanding that lots of folks shot other than ball ammo and removed the hump.

Best.

 

[WonderNine]

Thanks. I think I will leave it as it is. Perhaps someday when I get the gun refinished I would have a Barsto or other quality barrel installed. But that's off in the future. I like the gun the way it is now, so I'm not going to mess with it too much other than the grips which I already changed to Uncle Mike's and possibly put a white dot rear sight on and paint the front site. The only HP's I would probably shoot anyways would be +P+ 127gr. Rangers.

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello. I've not tried them in any humped bbl Hi Power so I have no idea how they'd do. They've been flawless in several Mk III pistols.

Best.

 

[PCRCCW]

Great review....as usual.

Feeding and reliability issues in CZ's are not unheard of. Just as Mr. Camp states and from what Ive experienced myself, they are usually Magazine related.

CZUB has a very spotty OEM spring supplier. I love CZ's and after 10 or so that Ive owned and more than double that that Ive shot extensively...the recoil and mag springs are the OEM's Weak Link.

OEM CZ mags are usually very very good...but with the addition of a Wolff recoil spring, the XP mag springs and a little feedramp polishing.

My Cz's have not missed a beat.............they are my choice for my CCW's and I take that very seriously.

Shoot well................

 

[Michael_2112]

Fantastic range report. I've read quite a few of your range reports and must say all are excellent reads.


~Michael

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello, sir. Thank you.

Best.

 

[Litlman]

Thanks again Stephen! Great report.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Wow that Fiocchi ball ammo looks like some accurate stuff! As does the federal nyclad.

I'm gonna have to do a range report on the FEGs one of these days.

Nice pistol Stephen.

 

[Stephen A. Camp]

Hello, Dr. Rob. We'll all be watching for the FEG report. Thanks in advance.

Best.

 

[doctorhumbert]

I think CZ 75 would receive much better recognition it deserves, if it were:

-Made in place somewhere other than Czech republic,
-Were not priced so darn cheap ,
-Not mentally associated with EAA import Witness & their cheesy bikini catalogs.

Judging from Stephen's report, if above was not a factor, and shouldn't be, CZ 75 would be an excellent buy.

As for me, CZ 75 lacks 'prestige' of well made American and German autos.
Rather it would been pretty cool if it were USSR/Russian made.

I bet that excellent pistol would sell twice as much somehow if were marked CZ 75 of Obendorf, and costs $600.

Cheesy EAA catalog

 

[Spackler]

If you're basing your firearms purchases on prestige, your priorities are screwed-up.

 

[doctorhumbert]

Sir. I see no reason for you to offend me. My priority is non of your business.

 

[Spackler]

Sorry if my opinion offends you. It is just that - my opinion. It's worth what you paid for it.

 

[doctorhumbert]

No problem . By the way, great report Stephen, please give us more whenever you come up with something new.