Surplus Pistol For Concealed Carry - What Parts To Replace?

[Walt Sherrill]

I carried my CZ-82 before I finally found a holster that works well for my Glock. The only thing I noticed was a problem (and replaced) was the slide stop spring. The spring broke right after I got it and every shot would pop up the slide stop and lock it back. I don't know anything about the CZ-75, so I have no idea if they use a similar set-up on that. If so, I would recommend replacing that.

While the 82 and 75 (and 75B) are totally UNRELATED designs, the slide stop springs worked in much the same way, but so do the slide stop springs in many other semi-autos. Never heard of one breaking before, but have heard of them bending or slipping out of position.

Great gun.

 

[lsudave]

Most of the other springs will begin to show wear by functioning less robustly. (Recoil Spring: slide not closing completely.

A weak mag spring will be the most common thing you'll encounter, with a weak recoil spring or extractor spring next. All are inexpensive springs and easily installed.

I recently bought a 1989 vintage CZ 75 (not B) for my son from Cole's, at a reasonable price. The gun was quite dirty, but after cleaning it up we took it to the range. Dead-on accurate, but it seemed like the slide would not fully close all the time until we'd shot a few rounds and the gun warmed up.

I ordered a standard 14 lb recoil spring from Wolffs. The new spring was almost an inch longer than the old one.

One thing that I keep looking at, for this one and my own pre B: opening the magwell up a hair to accept the newer mags. The older CZs are just a little too tight for the new (and Mec Gar) mags.

A nice thing about my son's pistol, is that I can't find any import marks on the slide or frame. Only thing I can find is that they etched something (CDI) on the barrel, out of sight until you break it down. While the polycoat is in rough shape currently, there is no rust, and I'm thinking that gun will get a nice refinish sometime down the road.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

Isudave:

If you have a 75, unless it's a VERY LATE 75, what you see isn't polycoat, but a crappy enamel. (My first CZ came that way.) Strip the gun and use auto paint remover (available at most auto parts stores in spray cans) will take it off quickly. It's just paint.

If it's a late 75 (and one made in '89 might be), it may be polycoat, but its a very anemic form, which has continued to evolve and improve over the years. It's almost impossible to remove. Even the early polycoat didn't look ratty after being banged around, but would chip. The early enamel finish often made the gun look like it had chickenpox.

Note: CZ had a knack for making many components, storing those components (maybe slides this time, frames the next, etc.) and then assembling the guns later and dating them at that time. The date tells you when it was assembled for final production and shipment, but that doesn't tell you when the frame or slide were made. Now that demand has increased, that may not be their practice.

Re: new recoil spring a lot longer.... That's typcial, as the springs will take a "set" soon after they're installed. Check your gun a few weeks from now and you'll probably find that the new spring is now quite a bit shorter, too -- but it will work just fine!

(Warming UP the gun, in theory, is supposed to make the slide-inside-the-frame design run tighter. I've always been skeptical of that claim, and your experience confirms my skepticism. That said, I've probably had 20+ CZs over the years, and a number of pre-Bs [the name most used to describe a gun made before the adoption of the firing pin Block.]) I never found the guns getting more accurate as they warmed up. That may be, in part, due to the fact that slide/frame fit accounts for a relatively small part of a gun's precision.

The CZ recoil spring is supposed to be rated at 14 lbs., but many will measure 12 lb. It doesn't seem to make a big difference unless, as is your case, the slide won't close. That could also be due to anemic ammo or slightly-out-of-spec (dimensionally) cheap ammo.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

gotboostvr: "An all new set of springs is always a good idea with used pistols." Post #4

This is a point often overlooked with used auto loading pistols. Hammer and recoil springs are balanced new to help control recoil. You can have aged weakened hammer and recoil springs that will fire and function, but will allow recoil to beat the gun to an early death. (Parts that impact and look peened are a clue.) New springs are a small investment to make, especially if you got a good buy on a used gun.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

I usually carry my CZ75B in a hip holster almost everyday along with a Makarov in my pocket. I've never noticed them to be too heavy.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

Hammer and recoil springs are balanced new to help control recoil.

While it's true that you can use the hammer and recoil springs to change the recoil impulse (i.e., how the recoil feels when the gun is fired), I'd argue that recoil management is a relatively minor part of their role. When the two springs are matched/balanced, it probably has more to do with assuring proper function than to manage recoil.

The main function of the recoil spring is to store part of the force from the slide moving back so that the slide can load and chamber the next round. Too light a spring, and it may not be able to store enough force to load the next round (or it'll send the spent case into orbit.) Too heavy a spring and the gun may not cycle given the current load.

The main function of the hammer spring is to store force from the slide moving back (or from a manually-cocked hammer) so that it can be used to hit the firing pin and ignite the chambered round. Go too light and the trigger may feel great, but the hammer may not ignite the primer. Go too heavy and you'll hate the trigger pull, and the slide may not be able to cock the hammer.

Some guns (probably MANY) can be fired without a recoil spring installed without damage -- but they just won't cycle and load the next round. Those who do it don't really notice a bigger "recoil" hit as the gun is fired.

Other suppressed/silenced guns can be fired with the slide locked -- again without damage to the gun, but they also won't load the next round.

1911Tuner, a sometime participant here, can be seen on YouTube doing this with 1911s -- without damage to gun or shooter.

 

[Pilot]

One thing that I keep looking at, for this one and my own pre B: opening the magwell up a hair to accept the newer mags. The older CZs are just a little too tight for the new (and Mec Gar) mags.

My CZ-75B Mec-Gar magazines fit, and function fine in my 1991 made 75 Pre-B.

Walt, do you know if the 75B slide stop will work in my Pre-B? I bought my Pre-B new in box, so it should be fine for a while, but I'd like to have a spare.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

My CZ-75B Mec-Gar magazines fit, and function fine in my 1991 made 75 Pre-B.

Walt, do you know if the 75B slide stop will work in my Pre-B? I bought my Pre-B new in box, so it should be fine for a while, but I'd like to have a spare.

The later pre-Bs were evolving, and many of them were VERY SIMILAR to the B models except for the absence of the firing pin block. The late ones will use the newer mags, too.

(The old ones can use the newer mags if you open up the top of the mag well a bit, which can be done with a flat file -- if you're patient.)

The slide stops are interchangeable, but the newer design doesn't look as good as the old one when used with a pre-B. I have a pre-B slide stop stashed away, but I'll probably never get another pre-B.

The older-style (waffle-like patterns) grips are much-sought-after by pre-B collectors.

(If you have a pre-B with the old style safety -- one with a pin hole in it -- don't take the safety out of the frame unless you use a needle/pin or piece of wire in that hole to help control the spring. If that spring gets lost, you may not be able to find a replacement -- and the newer safeties won't work.)

 

[Pilot]

(If you have a pre-B with the old style safety -- one with a pin hole in it -- don't take the safety out of the frame unless you use a needle/pin or piece of wire in that hole to help control the spring. If that spring gets lost, you may not be able to find a replacement -- and the newer safeties won't work.)

Walt, My Pre-B safety does have the pin hole in it, and the old style slide stop. It has newer style plastic grips with the old CZ logo at the bottom, not the waffle grips.

 

[Walt Sherrill]

Walt, My Pre-B safety does have the pin hole in it, and the old style slide stop. It has newer style plastic grips with the old CZ logo at the bottom, not the waffle grips.

Check your parts diagram and compare it to one you can download from the CZ-USA site. (If you don't have the manual, you might be able to find one on the web at one of the many sites that has a database of owner's manuals.) I've got a copy of the armorer's manual for the pre-B model, somewhere -- it's a really early one. When comparing parts, you'll see only a few subtle differences. Some gunsmith's might be able to make you one of those springs if you ever need one.

If you NEED to remove the safety, use a pin or jeweler's screwdriver to hold things together, and do it all with the gun inside a big clear plastic bag. You can wrap electrician's tape or masking tape (or transparent tape) around the lever to hold things together when it's out of the gun. Then if the spring get's loose, it can't go far.