I got the soft rubber grips installed on the CZ 75 Compact. I kept having trouble with the first side I wanted to install. The screw would just not line up and thread back in. I took the other side off and the grip panel screw lined right up, no problem.
So I took the easy one off again, and fought with the stubborn one till I got it installed. Then put the easy one on. I had to, very firmly, push the rear edge of the grip towards the front in order to get the screws to line up.
I did remove the skateboard tape and the soft rubber grips made all the difference in the world with that slick satin nickel coating on the Compact.
I did notice one thing, later, while working on the new P01. The P01 also has soft rubber grips (the reason I hoped they'd work on the Compact) but the screws have lock washers between the screw and the grip. The type often called "star" lock washers. The Compact did not have these (originally hard plastic grip panels) nor did they come with the new grip panels. I'll have to keep an eye on the Compact to see if the screws try to work loose.
For the P01 I'd ordered a lanyard style hammer spring plug. I took the grips off so I could see the old plug and the new plug a little better when pushing in on the plug to get things lined up to push the pin out. Just like the Compact, one grip panel lined up just right and the screw started right in. The other side was a bear. The screw tried to cross thread (to darn easy in an aluminum framed gun) on me a couple times and I finally took the easy one off and worked on the stubborn one (again) till I got it right, then put the easy one back on it.
Those magazine bottoms/extensions were a real surprise. I thought I'd ordered 10, but there were two per bag, not one. So I got twenty of them. It took me awhile to figure them out. If I'd have gotten one of the 18 round mecgars out of the pouch and looked at it I'd have seen how they went together right off the bat.
Now I've got several 16 round magazines that will hold 18 rounds. They fit fine in the P01 and Compact but leave a small gap between the bottom of the frame and the magazine extension.
I tried them on the 14 round Compact magazines and the fit fine - but the magazines will not lock into the frame on either pistol. The plastic hits the bottom of the frame and will not let the magazine insert far enough to lock in. I removed the slides from the frame and looking through the slide stop hole you can see the front/top of the magazine is an 1/8" or more lower than the longer magazines (when those are locked into position).
Now I'm wondering if the 16 round magazines will lock into the CZ85 when I get it (read about modifying the mag. well on the Pre B pistols to allow the use of modern magazines) with those mag. extensions installed. I guess I'll find out when it gets here.
Fun afternoon, working on stuff that goes bang.
