Gonna add some potential milling/rear dovetail plate options. For weight purposes I really only have two choices for CZ - the SP-01 Phantom, or the Tristar T-120 (a CZ clone). I'm not including the CZ P-09 because I'm not a fan of the grip and the two guns I'm looking at have magazine compatibility with my P-01 (although the 15 rounders won't fit in the longer grips.)
Mill/Dovetail Option 1: Tristar T120
Pros:1) Full-size CZ clone that is well made for the money spent.
2) Aluminum Alloy Frame
3) Full rails because of the metal frame
4) Should be compatible with nearly all CZ grips.
5) Has many interchangeable CZ parts.
6) Should be compatible with CZ-75 sights with some minor fitting.
7) Weight around 30 ounces
8 ) Can be almost half the cost of a Phantom
Cons:1) Currently difficult to find.
2) Stock sights are terrible.
3) One complaint is that sights are often off and need adjusting.
4) Different slide from normal CZ-75s, less ideal dovetail plate options
5) Manual safety instead of decocker.
6) CZ has better customer service.
7) Small aftermarket, less holster options.
8 ) No front cocking serrations.
Mill/Dovetail Option 2: CZ-75 SP-01 Phantom
Pros:1) Classic CZ-75 grip.
2) Very reliable.
3) Comes with a decocker.
4) Uses normal CZ-75 sights.
5) Full-length picatinny rail.
6) Can fit holsters designed for the standard SP-01 metal variants.
7) Weight around 29 ounces.
Cons:1) Discontinued and hard to find.
2) Very expensive.
3) Terrible factory sights.
4) Decocker lever is plastic and feels cheap.
5) Doesn't use interchangeable grip panels.
6) Only two back panels to change grip, doesn't make a huge difference.
7) Not designed from the ground up to work with a polymer frame. Adds more recoil to back of the gun.
8 ) No front cocking serrations.
9) Won't fit all SP-01 holsters due to polymer frame being thicker.
For a project gun that may get milled, I'd definitely prefer the Tristar T-120. My local gun store has had an SP-01 for months and can't seem to sell it (they refuse to let it go below $700) so I'm to look at it again and compare it to the slide of a normal CZ-75 and see if the rear-dovetail plate has all the options I'm looking for. I like Vinny's idea with the JPoint and Deltapoint Pro plate that hugs the CZ rail very close to the slide for minimal lift. Doing this could make the Phantom a more attractive option despite how expensive it is. However, if milling is the better option than I think the Tristar will be better since milling it and maybe even giving it a basic trigger job or new sights will cost less than the Phantom.
Another concern with the Phantom is that it wasn't designed to work with a polymer frame from the ground up like the P-07 and the P-09, so I've heard it doesn't have a full internal rail for it to ride on like normal CZ-75s and thus produces more recoil to the back of the gun. I've read there are better springs to use that will reduce that recoil, but I'm not sure if there are heavier guide rod options to help balance it more in the front.
What do you all think?
