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CZ PISTOL CLUBS => CZ75 History and serial range => CZ75, 75b, 75 SAO inc the Transitional => From then to now, the CZ 75 => Topic started by: Psyop96 on April 27, 2019, 06:21:04 PM

Title: 1975 - 1979
Post by: Psyop96 on April 27, 2019, 06:21:04 PM
**Last modified May 2023 for change in 1978 observed serial range**

Many thanks to Forum member Blackwatch for the heavy contribution on photos and information shown here. Classic12 has also offered the photos of superb specimens from his collection; these will be included in the near future.

On the bottom of this post is a link to a discussion thread going back over a decade on this forum regarding the Short-Rails. The Spanish produced cast frames mentioned in the old thread are addressed at the bottom of this post.

Special attribution/source data:
One of the most comprehensive sources of information on not just the CZ 75 but also the company and the various firearms it has produced is the “Legenda jménem CZ” book by David Pazdera. Published in 2016 with an update in 2017. It is written in Czech language thus requiring the use of translation apps which may not always be accurate and my rudimentary knowledge of the language that makes for a slow application of the knowledge from the book to here.

Edit (Jan 2021) His latest book, "CZ 75 Pribeh ceske legendy” (Story of a Czech legend written in Czech) was released in Dec 2020 and contains even more detailed information than his past works. Some of the information will be added or updated to the data here.

He also co-authored with Jan Skramoussky the “Zrozeni Legendy” book (2005) that focuses on the development of the CZ 75 from original concept of a small defensive, single-stack pistol to a large, double stack magazine fed pistol; from single-action to double-action system, and even a top extractor/ejection port design to the current right-side ejection.

1975:

1976:



1977:
First year of mass production. Serial number range started at 10001 (DP-p). Standard finish is blued. Commenced on 1  June, 1977, the first batch of 200 were produced by the end of August and a further 1,600 by year’s end (Zrozrni Legendy - Pazdera/Skramoussky).   **Notable change.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190507/ad996c7e9b134c5559d75bf9101c3ab4.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190507/14edb92e38d5a95f32395f81fe9125c0.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190507/464152dee3b5a410ada0aa5fd5f09d97.jpg)



1978:
Standard finish is blued but there are other finishes that appear as hard chrome/brushed stainless/duo-tone. Unable to ascertain which are factory original finishes. Units produced - 6,047 (DP-p)    **Notable change.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190520/649ae7aac45837f7ea6ae36720f82897.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190520/993d8ee7660fa61d1eba172a549f4f95.jpg)

1979:
Same as prior year. Units produced - 6,650 (DP-p)   **Notable change.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190520/9639b56411bf5a432e40d5575463dbbc.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190520/5546598478725220c893e75e6ef1a84e.jpg)


The Spanish Frames 1979:

The following information is culled from the Pazdera book, CZ 75 Pribeh cesky legendy (published late 2020) -
Most of the frames for the short rails were forged. CZ started moving to investment casting of the frames in 1978 but had made only 200 at year-end. With cast frame production capacity of only about 200 a month, the company sought to add capacity from another source. Negotiations on production of pistols outside of Czechoslovakia had already started in 1977 between Merkuria (Czechoslovak exporter) and the Spanish company, Alfa in Eiba. An agreement was concluded in 1979 to produce the cast frames. In March, 1979, tests on Spanish cast frames revealed cracks that were also observed on Uhersky Brod cast frames. It resulted in the decision to beef up the frame and slide for the second generation design. With this design change which took some time to implement, the first modified Spanish frames arrived in January 1980 and the design change was implemented into UB production in the Spring of 1980. While this co-operation did not meet expectations (quality and delivery issues slowed down production), it did help CZ significantly increase production in the early 80s.  By the mid-80s, CZ had ceased to use the Spanish source.

This would seem to indicate: The cracking issue observed was related to the cast frame production that started at the very end of 1978. Spanish frames were probably not used in short rail production since they didn't arrive until January 1980 after the design change. There are some 1980 proofed short-rails from UB as the design change was not fully implemented until Spring 1980 (see next chapter). No mention is made of the disposition/status of the fewer cast frame pistols produced before the cracking issue was discovered in early 1979 nor of any reports of mass failures nor recalls (different era of geopolitics).



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