Last month, after putting it off for far too long, I bit the bullet and bought my first gun. Since I was in middle school, I have always loved forearms, and early on I was a CZ fan. So, when I decided to actually buy a handgun, the decision was already made- CZ or nothing.
To my suprise, CZ had ALOT to offer. I hadn't been closely paying attention to the gun scene in quite sometime, so I was shocked to see just how many handguns they offered. Clearly, I had alot to take in and consider before I made the decision. I also had to consider my reasons for owning a gun. It wouldn't be for CCW or home defense- it would be for fun. Something I could enjoy as an all around hobby, at home and at the range. I also had to consider myself. At 5'9" and a scant 130 lbs wet, I'm certainly no giant. Starting out with anything above 9mm would be rather stupid.
Shopping-
I did my shopping on CZ-USA.com before hitting the local gun shop/range. Immediately, the CZ 85 COMBAT caught my eye, but then again, so did the SP-01 and 75 SA. I loosely knew what I wanted in my first gun- 9mm, fullsize, all steel gun with great ergonomics, decent accuracy, and good looks. All three of those guns offered those and more, and at a handsome price compared to similar performing Berettas and the endless 1911 clones available.
Then I saw (online) the Stainless Steel CZ 75B, and what an awesome sight it is. At that point, I knew what I wanted. It may not have been as high tech as the SP-01, or as functionally sound as the SA, but man, did that gun look nice.
Too bad the local shop didn't carry it regularly, and they could only get it for MSRP. I'd also have to wait longer than I wanted to, as I was getting pretty anxious (plus I had my Purchase Permit in hand, with only 10 days to use it). So, with a lack of reputable gun stores around me, and my own wariness about buying anything online, I compromised. Within an hour, I was the proud owner of a CZ 75B 9mm Luger in black polymer.
It didn't take long for me to accept the compromise, as I hit the range at that moment with it and walked out another hour later with a big grin on my face. I may be an awful shot, but the 75B would provide me with a great way to improve at a good price. I was also looking forward to gunsmithing as a hobby.
Up Close and Personal
I got the gun home and was finally able to have a good look at her without anyone looking over my shoulder, rushing me or my saleman. The shape of the gun, though modernized from the CZs I looked at as a kid, was still classic and had some great lines. At first, I wasn't fond of the squared trigger guard, but I grew to accept it and even use it from time to time. The tritium sights really did their job for me, as I had heard some people didn't like the still-smallish 75 sights.
The nose and muzzle area is a personal favorite sculpt of mine, though I think it could stand some tightening up. It makes alot of sense from an engineering standpoint, but some of the merely asthetic lines could be fine tuned. I cite the inch-long "divot" in the frame behind the dust cover. It seemed to be tapered in a slightly sloppy way, and the line behind that doesn't blend very well with the outline of the trigger area. For some reasons, this seemed to be a bit better executed on the Pre-Bs, but that could just be my perception. Also, the line that begins the flat indentation in the slide doesn't quite meet up with the frame as well as many of the Pre-Bs I've seen pictured. On my 75B and the otehrs at the store, they're about 1mm ahead of the frame.
Those are all very minor points from a man that enjoys sculpting as a hobby, so most people won't let such trivial stuff bother them, and it shouldn't.
The gun fits absolutely perfectly into my hand. At the store, I made it a point to handle a Browning HP, a Kimber 1911, a Glock 17, a SIG Sauer P228, and of course the other CZs I mentioned earlier. There is no question in my mind that the CZ 75 family of guns have the best hand fit a casual shooter could find.
The safety switch is placed very well, though I wish the switch itself had a slightly tweaked shape to it, like that featured on the 75 SA. The slide release is also well placed, and I haven't any qualms about the design. I wish the mag release button were a touch taller and use the indentation featured on some other 75 models for easier reach.
There was one glaring problem I had with the gun, though, and at was the cheap-looking and feeling plastic grips. I generally hate the look and feel of hard plastic on anything that is supposed to be of any value, and guns are absolutely no exception. The plastic grips seemed to soak up sweat and become slippery in no time, and I'm not a very big sweater, either. Needless to say, those were the first things on my list to improvements.
The infamously tough out of the box trigger lived up to its infamy, and it wouldn't take long for me to develop an overwhelming urge to use the gun in single action at all times. I did my own trigger job, dry fired a few hundred times (now in the 1000s), and switched out the stock spring for a 15lbs spring, and installed the Competition hammer, which all conspired to create a dream-like trigger. Its just a shame that it took about 70 bucks in parts and a few hours of dry-firing to accomplish it. It just seems like CZ could have taken a few more minutes with each gun and offered a drastically better gun in the process, but I digress- this is meant to be an economical gun of high quality, and it is. I do think that the tough out of the box DA trigger might scare off a few customers, though. As a fan, I want CZ to succeed.
The one blemish I've noticed on my particular gun is on the finishbetween the trigger's staked pin and the trigger itself. It looks as though they tried to repair it at the factory, but you really can't unless you were to pour more cost into the gun. Obviously, they can't be re-refinshing every other gun due to a minor, superficial mark like mine, but its still disheartening to realize it after you get it home. I don't think this alone would warrant a return, but I do hope this sort of thing isn't very common.
Home Improvement
It doesn't matter what it is- a man's always got to try and perfect what is already perfection itself. My 75B and I are no exception, and within a week I had a slew of parts on the way from Angus Hobdell, who provided very prompt service. As I awaited my new parts, I did my own trigger job using the two guides featured on this forum, which were extremely useful. Unfortunately for me, I was far too anxious to reap the benefits of my work, and I ended up grinding down my sear into a near-useless nub. I also managed to break the flimsy mag brake after disassembling the gun a mere 10 times. None of that deterred me from continuing, though.
I recieved my parts- rubber grips from CZ, the rubber mag butt for my primary mag, the Comp hammer, and a pack of calibration main springs (13, 15, and 16 lbs). I ended up selecting the 15 lbs spring due to the 13 lbs spring light striking (though that may yet be due to a still over-ground replacement sear). I also, in my amatuerism, bought a 10 + power mag spring and a 25+ extractor spring that made me mayor of Jam City for a day. Those parts were immediately replaced with tehir factory counterparts, and I was impeached as the mayor. Gotta learn somehow.
The rubber grips, in my opinion, should be standard on all 75s. Period. They are heads above the cheap-o plastic parts and feel phenomenal, especially at their dirt cheap price (21 bucks on CZCustom). The mag butt also adds more shape to the gun, making it look more developed and meatier while providing a legit function for drop free mags. The Comp hammer is a wonderful work of art that is so much better than the stock ring hammer (that ground against my thumb like sandpaper) its not even funny.
With the thicker drop free mag brake on the way, in addition to more sears and disconnectors for future mangling, I'm looking forward to buying and installing the SA adjustable trigger, the extended slide stop from the SP-01, the slightly extended mag release from the 85 COMBAT, and Comp sights (front and rear). I'm also considering switching in the SA's ambi safety, which has a much more me-friendly design. When thats all said and done, she might be going to Robar to be given a new satin black dress.
All in all, I know I made the right choice. I may not be a phenomenal shooter, but I'm doing what I meant to do with my gun- I'm having fun. I think thats the most important thing to me and my gun ownership. Its a responsibility, yes, but I thoroughly enjoy my 75B, even if she is a "compromise".
In the end, I'd say the CZ 75B is a fantastic way to introduce yourself to the world of handguns, as it provides a fantastic platform to start on. There's so many options to choose from, both from the beginning and what you can do to it after the fact. Its low price and generally high quality make it the undisputed king of the sleepers, the best of the unknowns. Its pretty hard to go wrong with this gun no matter what you plan on doing with it. It has the accuracy you'd expect (and more), high quality materials (plastic grips excluded), and its impossibly comfortable to handle and use.
To CZ or not to CZ? Now that's a stupid question.
