Author Topic: My newly reassembled Frankensteel P01 - The Wee Beastie  (Read 2311 times)

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Offline SEAKPhotog

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My newly reassembled Frankensteel P01 - The Wee Beastie
« on: June 23, 2020, 09:35:08 PM »
So I managed to find a steel frame P01 from the recently imported batch at a reasonable price.  Shot it.  Loved it.  It's just a smaller version of my beloved SP01.  I immediately decided to trick it out a bit for the range and fun local steel comp and other games.  I ordered a pro kit with ring hammer and 11.5ib main spring from CGW and got to polishing the internals. I also ordered a left side Shadow 2 safety since I wanted a more beefy and easy to use lever as well as perhaps a place to rest my thumb.  This is my first safety model CZ75 - my others are decockers - so the idea of being to use the safety as a thumb rest is intriguing. In order for the Shadow 2 safety to work without having to file its exterior I had to remove the stock long slide stop and install a shorty I had left over from my PCR (in which I had already installed a long stop). I did have to file/fit the Shadow safety a bit so it'd fit into the right side safety tho.  I also knew I wanted to install an optic and decided to take the SRO from my 5in PPQ M1 and use that.  My SP01 has an SRO on an optics plate installed by CGW but with the P01 I wanted to try a CZC plate so I could have the option to change optics or install a rear iron sight down the line. While the CZC plate isn't as aesthetically pleasing as the CGW plate, it is more versatile and does sit a bit lower, both of which are nice. Also installed are Lok palm swells - my go-to grips - as well as CGW aluminum base plates on 14 round mags.  I still need to shoot it now that it's all back together (tomorrow morning!) but if I love it as much as I did when I first got it I'll likely strip it all down and send it off for some wild cerakoting job that befits the Wee Beastie's Frankenstein nature.  Maybe a super distressed or corroded look or similar - anybody have any suggestions?

Oh, and trigger pull weights are: DA 3lbs 4oz, SA 1lb 14oz (10 pull avg with my Lyman gauge). Both DA and SA are smooth and very nice.  I love the results one can get from spending some quality time with one's CZs polishing the internals and installing some springs. It's crazy. And for the record, I think dealing with those 2 tiny safety detents is just as hard as dealing with the decocker's sear assembly  ;)

p01 steel frame by Joe, on Flickr

Offline puddintame

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Re: My newly reassembled Frankensteel P01 - The Wee Beastie
« Reply #1 on: June 25, 2020, 08:17:09 AM »
makes me think of Slash's tophat ;D

Offline SEAKPhotog

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Re: My newly reassembled Frankensteel P01 - The Wee Beastie
« Reply #2 on: June 25, 2020, 01:31:55 PM »
 :D

Offline Metallicat

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Re: My newly reassembled Frankensteel P01 - The Wee Beastie
« Reply #3 on: June 25, 2020, 10:42:40 PM »
Your DA pull is as light as the SA pull on my Shadow.  Your SA pull coming in at under 2 lbs is insane, in a good way.  I am happy with mine now, with just a basic CGW spring kit.  I added a light to mine and changed out the sights to red FO front and black low profile rear.  That is probably about as far as I am going to take it.  Mine is primarily a home defense weapon, carry on occasion, and a range joy toy.  Sounds like you did some good work on yours!

Offline SEAKPhotog

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Re: My newly reassembled Frankensteel P01 - The Wee Beastie
« Reply #4 on: June 29, 2020, 01:30:36 PM »
Your DA pull is as light as the SA pull on my Shadow.  Your SA pull coming in at under 2 lbs is insane, in a good way.  I am happy with mine now, with just a basic CGW spring kit.  I added a light to mine and changed out the sights to red FO front and black low profile rear.  That is probably about as far as I am going to take it.  Mine is primarily a home defense weapon, carry on occasion, and a range joy toy.  Sounds like you did some good work on yours!

Thanks!  Turns out I really enjoy the zen of painstakingly polishing the internals.  It certainly helps the trigger pull weights and feel, that's for sure.  Nice thing is if I just reinstall a 13lb main spring or even a heavier one, I'll have a good, if slightly heavy carry gun.  Right now I'm using a PCR for that.

Offline mkd

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Re: My newly reassembled Frankensteel P01 - The Wee Beastie
« Reply #5 on: June 29, 2020, 03:22:06 PM »
seakphotog!    i agree on the safety detents on the safety models!i have a p-01 decocker and a new sp-01 safety model and it has been taken apart three times so far and not fired yet. although the sear cage is easier, the detents are a pain. had trouble with the right detent and right side safety first thing. seems a slight burr on the safety cam going into the fame and the safety just didn't want to rotate down into place .  your single and double action pull weights seem very light? what springs and mods did you do to the action? i have the same scale ( lyman) and my p-01 has been polished internally, 15 lb hammer spring, cgw ring hammer, extended firing pin and the light firing pin and firing pin block spring,  light trigger return spring, 85 c trigger, cgw reach reduction kit. all the work i did some time ago and i recently went and added a new part or two and done some more polishing. i get 2 lbs 6oz. single and 6 lbs 10 oz. double.I did have a 13 lb hammer spring in it and it only made a differance of a few ounces on each pull weight. since getting the sp-01 i wanted to increase the pull weights on the compact for conceal carry . wondering how you achieved such a low double pull weight?

Offline SEAKPhotog

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Re: My newly reassembled Frankensteel P01 - The Wee Beastie
« Reply #6 on: June 29, 2020, 05:50:25 PM »
seakphotog!    i agree on the safety detents on the safety models!i have a p-01 decocker and a new sp-01 safety model and it has been taken apart three times so far and not fired yet. although the sear cage is easier, the detents are a pain. had trouble with the right detent and right side safety first thing. seems a slight burr on the safety cam going into the fame and the safety just didn't want to rotate down into place .  your single and double action pull weights seem very light? what springs and mods did you do to the action? i have the same scale ( lyman) and my p-01 has been polished internally, 15 lb hammer spring, cgw ring hammer, extended firing pin and the light firing pin and firing pin block spring,  light trigger return spring, 85 c trigger, cgw reach reduction kit. all the work i did some time ago and i recently went and added a new part or two and done some more polishing. i get 2 lbs 6oz. single and 6 lbs 10 oz. double.I did have a 13 lb hammer spring in it and it only made a differance of a few ounces on each pull weight. since getting the sp-01 i wanted to increase the pull weights on the compact for conceal carry . wondering how you achieved such a low double pull weight?

Howdy, I hand polished every friction inducing internal surface I can, pretty much following the guide in this thread:

 https://czfirearms.us/index.php?topic=42537.0

I also polish additional parts where it looks like they need it. Not sure that link suggests polishing the entire firing pin block but I do that plus the interior of the slide, not just the surface that rubs against the lifter. I've polished the frame just a bit where the trigger bars rub and where the trigger sits, I've slightly polished the area of the frame where the hammer could possibly rub, etc.  All the usual suspects too: trigger bar, sear, disconnector, etc. I usually start polishing with 800 or 1000 grit sand paper then use soft micro mesh sanding pads that start at roughly 1500 and go down to 12000.  Then finally I use a jewler's/rouge cloth. Most parts get to a mirror or near mirror polish with the exception of spots with heavy machine marks where I don't want to over do it. I haven't tried the Dremel polishing method but keep meaning to.  I use a bit of moly grease on the frame sides of the trigger bars when reassembling.  For springs I'm using the CGW pro pack springs (lighter plunger spring, light lifter sprint, lighter trigger retaining spring) with the addition of the 11.5lb main spring.  I just remeasured the DA with the Lyman gauge (10 pull average with the gun braced on a table) and came out with 4lbs, 1oz this time.  I think a lot depends on where the gauge sits on the trigger but I'm trying to pull consistently from the spot where the gauge naturally rests in the curve of the trigger.

Offline mkd

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Re: My newly reassembled Frankensteel P01 - The Wee Beastie
« Reply #7 on: June 30, 2020, 05:52:13 AM »
Seakphotog!  i used a dremel and chrome polish for most of the work after sanding by hand with 1000,2000,3000 grit paper. another great tool to polish with is the cardboard q tips chucked in a dremel . i remove most of the cotton or all of it and use the q tip shank dipped in polish.  you can use the end of the qtip for small area and the shank of the q tip for along rails or larger flat surfaces. it worked very well !

Offline sunsetIE

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Re: My newly reassembled Frankensteel P01 - The Wee Beastie
« Reply #8 on: June 30, 2020, 05:32:23 PM »
Man that red dot sits high!

Offline SEAKPhotog

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Re: My newly reassembled Frankensteel P01 - The Wee Beastie
« Reply #9 on: June 30, 2020, 06:42:00 PM »
Man that red dot sits high!

It's a low as an RMR footprint dot is gonna get on a P01/SP01. Need that adapter and it sits a tad lower than a similar adapter used by CGW (it's the one used by CZC). Doesn't really bother me at all, thankfully. The SRO on my SP01 sits higher on a CGW adapter and I've got a Venom on a dovetail adapter on my CZ97 that's even higher. I do have a Venom directly milled to my PCR. That sits nice and low.

Offline SEAKPhotog

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Re: My newly reassembled Frankensteel P01 - The Wee Beastie
« Reply #10 on: June 30, 2020, 06:42:51 PM »
Seakphotog!  i used a dremel and chrome polish for most of the work after sanding by hand with 1000,2000,3000 grit paper. another great tool to polish with is the cardboard q tips chucked in a dremel . i remove most of the cotton or all of it and use the q tip shank dipped in polish.  you can use the end of the qtip for small area and the shank of the q tip for along rails or larger flat surfaces. it worked very well !

Thanks! Maybe I'll try that on the next one😁

Offline BrandonP

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Re: My newly reassembled Frankensteel P01 - The Wee Beastie
« Reply #11 on: July 03, 2020, 10:42:00 AM »
Very cool. The red dot looks humongous on that P01!

Offline SEAKPhotog

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Re: My newly reassembled Frankensteel P01 - The Wee Beastie
« Reply #12 on: July 04, 2020, 02:24:14 AM »
Very cool. The red dot looks humongous on that P01!

Thanks and agreed but it works great 🙂 I may end up with a Holosun on it eventually. I just had an SRO on my PPQ that wasn't getting much use lately and figured I'd give a try.

Offline Brutale

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Re: My newly reassembled Frankensteel P01 - The Wee Beastie
« Reply #13 on: July 06, 2020, 02:58:23 AM »
Looks great! I have a very similar setup that I just got back after having it milled and black nitrided by Fire4Effect. I have an RMR on this and an SRO on my SP01 Shadow and they're both great combos!




« Last Edit: July 06, 2020, 03:02:42 AM by Brutale »

Offline SEAKPhotog

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Re: My newly reassembled Frankensteel P01 - The Wee Beastie
« Reply #14 on: July 06, 2020, 12:55:24 PM »
Looks great! I have a very similar setup that I just got back after having it milled and black nitrided by Fire4Effect. I have an RMR on this and an SRO on my SP01 Shadow and they're both great combos!





Nice!  The RMR is a much better "fit" aesthetically, that's for sure. That's an interesting adapter. Gonna have to check out Fire4Effect.  Haven't heard of those guys. Thanks!