CZ PCR Slide gritty when racking?

[bm303]

I just picked up my CZ PCR today. The only negative I've found is that the slide is quite gritty when I am cycling the slide. My SP-01 came from the factory smooth as butter. But this slide has some significant 'grit', especially when releasing it forward. To make sure, I had them get another PCR from the back to try. Sure enough it was also gritty. Is this something that will smooth out with rounds down range or what?

[Tok36]

Have you thoroughly cleaned the pistol? If so i am unclear on the "grit" you are talking about. Do you mean to say the slide is overly tight to the frame?

[bm303]

Have you thoroughly cleaned the pistol? If so i am unclear on the "grit" you are talking about. Do you mean to say the slide is overly tight to the frame?

I shot about 50 rounds through it, took it home and thoroughly cleaned it. It still has the 'grit'.

The best way for me to describe it is that the frame is tight but not smooth. When I rack the slide back and slowly release it forward, in the final inch or so it feels like there's excessive friction going on. Almost as if there is some sand in the frame. It's not horrible but it's nothing like the smoothness of my SP-01.

BTW there is an audible sound of friction that you can easily hear. The other PCR off the shelf also had this issue, so it can't be an isolated problem.

[Tok36]

Interesting, while it may just wear its self in i would keep an eye on it to see if any odd ware marks show up. Is it functioning alright otherwise?

[bm303]

Interesting, while it may just wear its self in i would keep an eye on it to see if any odd ware marks show up. Is it functioning alright otherwise?

I had one possible malfunction, other than that it had no issues over about 75? ish rounds. And I shot it with the factory grease on it, prior to lubing and cleaning.

I put one round in a mag, chambered it, decocked it. The slide did not lock back. I assume that is a malfunction but I have never chambered a single round before, decocked, fired and then observed the slide. From what I understand it should still lock open regardless.

I may post a video later of me racking the slide so you can get an idea of what I am talking about. I hope it's not a defect in the gun but I assumed there is no way when the FFL tranferred gun I picked up had the same issue as the one they had on the shelf at my LGS.

[Tok36]

I consider most of the stuff that pops up in the fist 500 rounds break in with a new CZ. Not locking back can have a few different causes, i wound not worry about it until you have more rounds through your PCR.

[bgriff008]

Mine felt gritty first time I racked the slide. But I feel most new hand guns have that clunky feel and sound. Shoot my Shield still sounds awful. Anyway, I shot my PCR then went home and cleaned it. Applied Brian Enos Slide Glide and the gun operates like butter. Slide Glide is the best product I've ever used and use it on all my hand guns. It quiets everything down too. Love this stuff. Been using it for years.

[bm303]

I'll check out that grease. Ty!

I heavily lubed the rails on both the frame and slide. Seems to be very slightly better so far. But it's also so difficult to rack the thing, regardless of the gritty feeling.

Is there any reason I should not try a lighter recoil spring? The stock is 18#, I was thinking about trying a 14#er. I mainly shoot 124g TMJ and use 124g standard pressure Federal HST for defensive purposes.

[Tyerone]

Maybe the anodized Al frame rails need to grind away some more with shooting.

... or I'm recalling the scratchy sound of a Bersa 380 and a buddy's newer Rem 700 bolt action rifle that I attributed to less quality metal surfaces/forgings.  The less microscopic fissues/gaps, the more surface area friction contact.  Maybe our run on CZ products forced them to bring in raw stock from an inferior source?

BTW the scratchy arms mentioned work just fine, but certainly are not ball -bearing or butter smooth like most Beretta 92s or CZ Matte Stainless samples Ive experienced.  My PCR of this year's vintage feels fine.

[ThompsonCustom]

Is there any reason I should not try a lighter recoil spring? The stock is 18#, I was thinking about trying a 14#er. I mainly shoot 124g TMJ and use 124g standard pressure Federal HST for defensive purposes.

As long as it doesn't fling your brass a mile away and beat the frame to death it's always nice to lower the recoil spring, makes racking easier and sight tracking better. Ejection distance should be 6 to 8ft for spent brass.

The first thing I would do is figure out what is causing the gritty feeling by eliminating possibilities one by one. For example by removing your recoil spring you will be able to more easily detect were rough/problem areas are or by removing the barrel you remove the gun unlocking and the barrel rubbing the slide you can also remove the hammer to see if the hammer and slide contact is causing you issues.

Sometimes the angles on the back of the slide where it contacts the hammer are pretty sharp and adding a bigger radius can really improve racking. Also the bottom side of the slide that rubs the hammer when you pull the slide rearward can be a little rough and polishing that up is never a bad idea.

[bm303]

Is there any reason I should not try a lighter recoil spring? The stock is 18#, I was thinking about trying a 14#er. I mainly shoot 124g TMJ and use 124g standard pressure Federal HST for defensive purposes.

As long as it doesn't fling your brass a mile away and beat the frame to death it's always nice to lower the recoil spring, makes racking easier and sight tracking better. Ejection distance should be 6 to 8ft for spent brass.

The first thing I would do is figure out what is causing the gritty feeling by eliminating possibilities one by one. For example by removing your recoil spring you will be able to more easily detect were rough/problem areas are or by removing the barrel you remove the gun unlocking and the barrel rubbing the slide you can also remove the hammer to see if the hammer and slide contact is causing you issues.

Sometimes the angles on the back of the slide where it contacts the hammer are pretty sharp and adding a bigger radius can really improve racking. Also the bottom side of the slide that rubs the hammer when you pull the slide rearward can be a little rough and polishing that up is never a bad idea.

I visually inspected the internals today to see if I could find anything. Nothing. No unusual marks on the frame or slide. When I took out the barrel and just manually racked the slide back and forth it felt much smoother. So I wonder if the recoil spring is just extremely stiff and that's what is going on.

Now that I think about it, I did have some ejected brass hit me in the face yesterday. I wonder if the stiff spring isn't ejecting brass very far because I have never had this happen before.

Although the gun was covered in the factory grease, I noticed that the internal rail on the frame was quite dry. I stripped the factory grease and covered the rails today. It seemed to help somewhat.

I just ordered a compact 14# recoil spring for my PCR and another 14# for my SP-01. I'll check the casing ejection distance next time I am at the range.

The stock recoil spring is 18# so combined with that being on a compact package maybe I am just mistaking the grittyness for stiffness. It definitely 'hangs' up more than I think it should though. I should know when I throw in the 14# recoil spring if that's what it was.

I'll be swapping out my hammer spring tomorrow for a 15# or 13# so I'll see if that makes any noticeable difference. The hammer does feel very stiff and dramatically more difficult to cock than my SP-01. I assume that's because I am used to the 13# hammer spring I have in my SP-01.

Thank you very much for the suggestions.