Author Topic: CZ Compact 40  (Read 1671 times)

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Offline Epguy80

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CZ Compact 40
« on: March 26, 2020, 04:44:00 PM »
Hi all. It's been forever since I posted last. Just wanted to show love for such an under appreciated pistol given that .40 prices seem to be lower than 9mm right now and much easier to find in stock. To think I almost ditched it because of several failures to feed as described in old posts on the forum. I know that sounds bad, but my troubles seem to have been the original 10rd factory mags. The 9/40 MecGar mags have been flawless with feeding. Anybody else bringing them or your P-06 (which I also snagged a few years ago) back out of the safe?

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Offline Tyerone

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Re: CZ Compact 40
« Reply #1 on: March 26, 2020, 09:52:18 PM »
I wish I had a compact 40!  I'd be tempted to hard chrome it, CZ seeming to cast aside any thoughts of all stainless compacts. 8)

Do you notice a preference for bullet weight re tight groups?  My Berettas drive tacks with 165gr. 180gr not so much.

Offline Epguy80

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Re: CZ Compact 40
« Reply #2 on: March 27, 2020, 04:15:33 AM »


Do you notice a preference for bullet weight re tight groups?  My Berettas drive tacks with 165gr. 180gr not so much.

This particular time I was shooting a mix of 155 and 180 at 5 and 12 yards. Mind you this is the first time I'd been to the range in months, so take that into consideration for the fliers. The steel frame and upswept beaver tail also do well in midigating recoil for better follow up shots.


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Offline Bret

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Re: CZ Compact 40
« Reply #3 on: March 31, 2020, 03:37:18 PM »
Epguy80, Can you post a couple of pictures of your 40S&W Compact?

Offline Epguy80

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Re: CZ Compact 40
« Reply #4 on: April 01, 2020, 12:19:51 PM »
Epguy80, Can you post a couple of pictures of your 40S&W Compact?
It's pretty standard for a CZ railed compact. Older style ambi safety which I have come to appreciate. My 99041 has the slim safety, but that's a pain on the range, I can't imagine trying to use it for self defense. They have the new extended left hand slim Shadow safety, but I think that would dig in depending on how you moved or sat. You can see the upswept beaver tail which I prefer to the regular one on the P-06 and absolutely detest on my 75D steel compact. I like the nitrided trigger and barrel, too bad it's not standard for newer models. The only thing I've done so far is swap out for a new recoil spring. I'll probably order the CGW pro package at some point. We have a pretty competent CZ gunsmith in town. He's fixed my poor attempts at getting the sear cage back together on my 75D. Just can't seem to get the lifter spring in right.

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Offline Mtb1083

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Re: CZ Compact 40
« Reply #5 on: April 01, 2020, 09:46:20 PM »
What's the model number for the 40 compact?

Offline Epguy80

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Re: CZ Compact 40
« Reply #6 on: April 01, 2020, 10:42:09 PM »
What's the model number for the 40 compact?
Internet search has it as model #01197. I couldn't tell you for sure, I bought mine from a gun shop auction on Gunbroker. It was just the gun and one magazine. I know they were discontinued some time ago, mine is date stamped 04. A search of the forum will turn up a thread post on lots of Failures to Feed being the reason that they were discontinued, not because they were ditching 40 guns. They were still producing good numbers of the P-06 until 2017 and still produce SP-01's, P-07's, and P-09's in 40 I believe. They do pop up rarely. I currently know of only one for sale online, but it's a non-railed Compact 40 converted to SAO by CZ Custom and as such commands a much higher price.

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« Last Edit: April 01, 2020, 10:47:52 PM by Epguy80 »

Offline Mtb1083

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Re: CZ Compact 40
« Reply #7 on: April 02, 2020, 12:39:26 AM »
Thank you and nice pistol!

Offline Epguy80

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Re: CZ Compact 40
« Reply #8 on: April 02, 2020, 01:12:00 AM »
Thank you and nice pistol!
Thanks and you're welcome. I had seen several replies from owners like myself who had problems with their guns and got rid of them. It was so bad at one point they were retailing for under $400 NIB as evidenced by any old retail page you find with Google. It was said that you couldn't give them away.
There were also several who stated they had problems with them but sent them off to CZ Custom or Cajun Gun Works and got back completely reliable pistols. Then you had other posters that said they were reliable as any other CZ and didn't understand why people  reported problems.

My problems seem to be limited to using the old steel bent lip magazine that came with it. Maybe CZ hadn't quite figured out the design geometry for reliable feeding of .40 S&W at the time? There have been no such failure to feed problems with any of the other 40's that followed. The P-06 has a different style magazine than my Compact 40 and has been totally reliable for me as well.

If you're on the hunt for one, just be patient. I hadn't seen one for a long time until the FBI switched back to 9mm and people started dumping their 40's. They were going for upwards of $750 on the auctions. I got lucky with mine and managed to snag it for $425 if I remember right. Maybe it was too much for a used gun with only one mag, but mags are easy to get and all steel guns are hard to find these days and they retail for more brand new when they're released. Look at the CZ SP-01's, 99021, 99041, 91197, and Walther Q5 and Q4 SF.

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Offline Hammer Time

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Re: CZ Compact 40
« Reply #9 on: April 02, 2020, 09:24:03 AM »
Very nice. I still really like .40 S&W (and 10mm), even though we apparently figured out how to make 9mm "just as good."  ::)

Offline Epguy80

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Re: CZ Compact 40
« Reply #10 on: April 02, 2020, 01:55:39 PM »
Very nice. I still really like .40 S&W (and 10mm), even though we apparently figured out how to make 9mm "just as good."  ::)
Imagine if we could successfully convert a Compact 40 or P-06 to 10mm? Unfortunately the only handguns that I know able to handle it are S&W 4013 & 4014 single stacks. Internet rumors suggest that those pistols were developed as compact 10mm, but the FBI requested 40 instead. Apparently there are several owners who have done the conversion and are quite happy with it.

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Offline Hammer Time

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Re: CZ Compact 40
« Reply #11 on: April 02, 2020, 02:31:58 PM »
Very nice. I still really like .40 S&W (and 10mm), even though we apparently figured out how to make 9mm "just as good."  ::)
Imagine if we could successfully convert a Compact 40 or P-06 to 10mm? Unfortunately the only handguns that I know able to handle it are S&W 4013 & 4014 single stacks. Internet rumors suggest that those pistols were developed as compact 10mm, but the FBI requested 40 instead. Apparently there are several owners who have done the conversion and are quite happy with it.

Now yer talkin! A 10mm version would be incredible, though a handful in a compact. I'd even settle for a 4.4"-5" barrel version.

Offline Bret

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Re: CZ Compact 40
« Reply #12 on: April 02, 2020, 02:38:52 PM »
Imagine if we could successfully convert a Compact 40 or P-06 to 10mm?
That can't be done because they're small frame pistols.  The term "small frame" is in regards to the length of the cartridge that will fit in a magazine.  9mm, 40S&W, 357Sig, etc. are all small frame cartridges.  45ACP, 38Super, 10mm, 9x23Win, etc. are all large frame cartridges.  You can actually chamber a small frame cartridge in a pistol that has a large frame, but not the other way around.  CZ has the CZ97 which is chambered in 45ACP.  In theory, they could chamber it for 10mm and make a compact version.  Tanfoglio (EAA) has made 10mm compacts for years.  I have a Tanfoglio 10mm that has steel frame and another that has a polymer frame.  I also have a 9x23Win that has a steel frame.  So, there are options.  It's just that you have to go outside of CZ to find them.

Offline Epguy80

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Re: CZ Compact 40
« Reply #13 on: April 02, 2020, 03:09:35 PM »


Imagine if we could successfully convert a Compact 40 or P-06 to 10mm?
That can't be done because they're small frame pistols.

Yes, I am aware as I own both a 4013 and 4014. The magazines have an insert in them that allow for the shorter 40 cartridge to work. The double stack magazines in a 4013TSW were specifically designed for the 40 S&W round. The barrels are also thicker than the barrels on a 4013TSW. Theoretically a 97 conversion could work because the 4013/4014 have 4513 barrels reamed for 40. The recoil springs are also different. The single stack has a nesting double spring that takes it to between 22-25#, the double stack has a single spring at about 20#. The conversion process to 10mm in the aforementioned pistols involves simply enlarging the chamber and removing the magazine insert. It was these features that led people to believe that the 3.5" single stack 40 3rd gen S&W's were originally developed as a 10 mm back up gun for the FBI's legendary 1076. Unfortunately they were developed just as the FBI dropped 10mm in favor of the 40. S&W for years denied it as they didn't want to court liability issues for non-factory conversions. Older S&W factory trained gunsmiths are the ones that still offer to do the conversion. Last time I checked, only 2 were left and that was about 3 years ago.

The problem for a CZ conversion would be a reliable magazine that fit. My comment was just wishful thinking as I prefer P series CZ's for their interchangeability of parts.

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Offline eastman

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Re: CZ Compact 40
« Reply #14 on: April 02, 2020, 09:46:12 PM »
... and still produce SP-01's, P-07's, and P-09's in 40 I believe. ...

Those have all been discontinued. The only current CZ in .40 is the TacSport Orange.
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