Kadet SP-01 kit vs Kadet 2 kit

[Vertigo]

I have a Kadet 2 kit that I've put about 5000 rounds through.  It's 99% reliable with hi-velocity ammo, but only about 85% reliable with standard velocity.  Since I like to shoot standard velocity, this unreliability presents a problem.  I've done all the fixes, filed the ejector, checked the extractor, smoothed the slide everywhere, tried different lubes, dry, wet, not so wet, etc.  My Kadet 2 just doesn't like standard velocity.  So to try to fix the problem I ordered the SP-01 Kadet adapter.  The differences are significant.  The SP-01 kit slide is alloy, not steel, and like the 9mm, the slide and sights move with recoil.  Alloy construction will wear faster than steel, and I doubt the SP-01 kit will reach 5000 rounds.  The Kadet 2 slide is steel, and the sights are fixed to the same assembly as the barrel and do not move with recoil.  I would assume that this arrangement would lead to less accuracy with the SP-01 Kit.  The sights on the SP-01 kit make it hard to really judge accuracy, at least with my eyes.  The Kadet 2 sights are fully adjustable for elevation and windage.  The SP-01 sights are adjustable only for elevation and must be drifted for windage, which is a problem because they're held with two set screws that are loc-tited in.  On the plus side the SP-01 has sufficient metal to mill for a red dot.  A red dot can be mounted on the Kadet 2, but must rest on a plate which raises the sight uncomfortably.  The Kadet 2 magazines are steel and a pain to load.  The SP-01 kit magazines are plastic and have a button on the spring that makes loading easy.  No useful directions came with my SP-01 kit and it did require significant filing to fit my pistol.  The Kadet 2 kit came with pretty good instructions and required much less filing to fit.  So far, the SP-01 kit has handled all the ammo I put through it, with no failures after about 200 rounds.

If I were considering an adapter kit as a high volume shooter, unless I intended to shoot standard or sub-sonic ammo, I'd get the Kadet 2 and live with a high mounted red dot (if a red dot was in the picture).  The SP-01 kit would be a better choice for occasional plinking with whatever ammo was available and for mounting a milled in red dot.

[Tok36]

Thank you for the post. I have both the Kadet and the P-09 22LR slide that is much like the SP-01 kit that you described. I have not run them much so it is good to hear some input on them.

[larryflew]

The SP-01 kit slide is alloy, not steel, and like the 9mm, the slide and sights move with recoil. 

SP01 kit slide does work like the 9mm as the sights and slide do move. The original Kadet kit is built like the Kadet II if you can find one. Mine even works with sub sonic although I rarely shoot it since even the hottest 22 rounds don't make super sonic in short barrels. With the threaded barrel I have in it it's really fun to shoot suppressed.

[redlightrich]

Hello Vertigo. Thanks for the info. I have found the same things on the SP-01 kit.

With my Kadet 75 kits ( the steel one) I have found that kits that won't cycle SV ammo, responded well to a main spring (hammer spring)  change.

17# seems to be as low as you can go, and still get 100% reliable ignition. I had one kit that was really cranky in the beginning, but the MS change did wonders.

I didn't see you mention that you tried that. To change a MS is really a 5 dollar, 5 minute ordeal. It is worth a try, and as a bonus, you get a slightly lighter trigger too.

Good luck

Rich

[Vertigo]

Thanks for the info on the mainspring.  I'm running the stock mainspring, and my problems are not with ignition.  When I use standard velocity ammo, I get failures to eject and stovepipe jambs.  I suspect that if I could find a lighter recoil spring my problems would be cured.  I'm hesitant to cut coils of the spring I have and I have yet to order a spare to experiment with.  That's probably my next step.  In the mean time, I'm sending the SP-01 kit slide off to be milled for a red dot.

[painter]

The blowback also has to cock the main spring, so a 17 lb spring might make the pistol reliable with SV ammo. Lower than a 17 will cause ignition problems in most cases.

There's no reduced power recoil spring available for the Kadet AFAIK.

[Ruber]

After some cleaning and break in, I?m running a 15lb mainspring with my kadet 2.  It ignites pretty reliably, say 95% or better when clean.

It does cycle SV ammo reliably when clean and lubed, not quiets or cb?s.  After a couple hundred rounds, it will start to gum up.

I have no experience with the sp01 kit, but would like to give it a try.  I have aluminum slide conversions for the beretta 92 and 1911?s that have over 5,000 rounds and look great, I should hope a unit from CZ would hold up as well.