Looks like its review time!!!
On Thursday (6-9-05) I picked up my new CZ 85 Combat 9mm Nickel Satin finish from the gun shop. Overall it looks beautiful and I had to resist writing a review on it right then. I wanted to write this after I took it shooting so I could comment on how well it faired at the range. The feel of the gun in my hand is real natural. It fits nicely and I can reach all the levers with no problems. The hands-free mag drop is also a nice touch, and actually one of the reasons I chose this model. I like the green sites and didnt notice they were green until I got to the range (the lights in my room made them seem white). I wasnt too thrilled about the slide being inside the gun. I figured it would be a lot tougher to pull the slide back when compared to a gun with the slide on the outside. To my surprise its not bad at all. The only time it gets hard is if Ive been doing it a while, in which case Ill pull the hammer back, then pull the slide back (to lower the resistance). I dont use the safety feature that much (because I only load a clip right before I shoot) but its easy to switch with my thumb and hasnt given me any problems. The gun itself is real light, which is good. But keep in mind that with a full clip of 15, its going to get a lot heavier, naturally. For most of my groups at the range, I kept it at 10 rounds. Not because of the weight, but because the paper gets cluttered after 10 rounds or so.
Ok, now onto the accuracy. Up until now Ive tried all different 9mm pistols at the range, I even tried a CZ 75B. Unfortunately, all the rental 9mm autos Ive tried havent been accurate at all. And I didnt do too well with the 75B rental either. I tried not to let that deter me from getting an 85 Combat though. I also have to factor in that the rentals probably never get cleaned. Anyway, the 85 Combat was far better than any of the other guns Ive tried before. Several of my groupings with the CZ were comparable to the groupings I get with my .357 Magnum (with a 6 barrel). Switching between the guns made my accuracy go down though, because I was still use to shooting the previous pistol. A friend of my dad was at the range and he was shooting the CZ with amazing accuracy, so I knew any accuracy problems I had were my fault, and not the guns fault. Changing the ammo also altered the results. The first couple boxes I shot was ammunition purchased online from theoutdoormarksman.com. I ran out of that and purchased a couple boxes of Winchester from the gun shop. The first couple groupings I had with the Winchester ammo turned out better than the groupings I had before. Next time I might buy a few different boxes to see what shoots better. So that was my experience with the CZ at the range. Definitely a keeper and just as accurate as I hoped.
When I got back I cleaned it. I wanted to strip it down before I took it to the range but the pictures in the book were a little confusing. Being a guy, I naturally skimmed the manual for pictures on how to strip it, rather than read the text :-p For all newbies, keep in mind that the manual is made for all 85s, not just the Combat. What confused me was how some of the pictures showed the user moving the safety around in a circle. With the Combats its much easier. Pictures 7 and 8 in the manual are all you need to take it apart. Simply line the notches on the side together and knock the slide release out from the right side of the gun (using the magazine) and everything comes apart. I couldnt believe how easy it was the take apart. The CZ was easier to field strip than my Browning .22LR!
1 bad thing about this gun, and all autos, is the fact that you have to clean a lot of stuff when you take it apart. Some of the notches were hard to clean for me and rather than struggle; I just let some bore cleaner soak in there a while then did my best to wipe it clean. Another thing I didnt comment on yet was the trigger pull. When I first got the gun I wasnt too impressed with the trigger pull. Im not that familiar with other autos (seeing how this is my first) but the hammer sits on a metal ledge, and when you pull the trigger, the metal ledge moves up and that causes the hammer to release. Anyway, when I dry-fired it for the first time, there was some creek to it. I could feel the trigger creeking as I pulled it and that turned me off a bit and thought I might need to have a trigger job done. When I took it apart, all the trigger mechanics were easily accessible and I dropped some oil on the trigger springs and the metal ledge. I noticed a significant change in the trigger pull and its a lot smoother than before. That being said, I recommend stripping it and putting a little oil on the trigger parts before you take it to a gun smith. I also know that mine will get a lot easier over time, so if youre patient you could let the gun work itself in naturally. Reassembling it is even easier than putting it back together. Its virtually impossible to get confused on where the parts go because its just too bleep obvious :-p When I took mine apart for cleaning, I had 5 separate pieces (not including the magazine). The only thing you have to watch for is that the spring is straight. Its easy to put it back and have the spring sit crooked. Moving it around a little bit is all you need to get it to line up straight. So once again, a good experience with the CZ.
Taking everything into consideration, I am happy to have picked this as my first 9mm auto. The look of it is beautiful, it shoots very accurate, its easy to field strip for cleaning, and the mechanics are outstanding. Its going to be hard to find another 9mm auto (in the same price range) thats as good as the CZ 85 Combat. : )
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I have 1 question, which the book can probably answer, but Im too lazy to go downstairs and grab it. I see a screw on the trigger that I didnt see before. Am I correct in assuming that it adjusts the trigger pull?
