CZ 75B Compact L + Steel Frame 99041 = ???

[Condition2]

A unicorn on a unicorn? A super unicorn?

All right… short story long…

I’ve started out my CZ journey with a second hand P-01 Omega won on gunbroker already cajunized. I’ve done my own work on a Tanfo and a Ruger in the past, but I was feeling a touch lazy and the price was right considering all the extras. But I wanted a second slide so I could send it off to be milled so I’d ultimately have the option of iron sights or red dot.

I bought a parts kit on gunbroker. Needless to say the slide does not fit because only Omega slides will fit an Omega. I’m not great with doing research prior to making decisions, but really good after the fact. Turns out I bought a pretty rare slide and parts kit from a Compact L. Came with the wood grips, the steel guide rod and all the polished internals. So one of the ones CZC made for CZ USA. Still pretty cool. At first I thought I’d just go ahead and sell it because I couldn’t use it but held on to it for a bit… just in case. Had also bought the extended firing pin and the spring for the firing pin block and whatnot I’d need from CGW - held on to that for now rather than return it right away for the same reason. Something told me to wait…

Well… I just won a 99041 Steel Frame the other day on gunbroker. I promise no more guns no more auctions for a while. But now I have a purpose for all these parts and pieces.

I’ve already put an order in to CGW for the standard kit with a competition hammer - the 99041 I got is from 2020 and doesn’t sport the typical hooked trigger, so happy enough with that for now until the armory craft trigger restocks in black. That’s the one I really want. But did buy the disconnector for the reach reduction kit, as well. And two bushings. Didn’t bother with a bushing for the omega for now.

So this freak unicorn I’m going to be putting together… some questions…

I guess A - I understand the hammer that came on the Compact L is not a typical ring hammer, but a modified shadow hammer? Is that right? Which would be better - this one or the CGW Competition hammer?

B - can I use the reach reduction disconnector with this modified shadow hammer?

C - did the CZC made for CZ USA variant of the Compact L come with the regular firing pin or an extended one? In which case stick with the 15lb hammer spring or can I use the 13lb spring?

D - can I use the extended firing pin with this shadow hammer?

I guess what I’m really getting at is should I just return the CGW Standard Kit stuff when it comes in and use just the CZC internals I already have? Or mix and match and experiment a bit?

Any tips? Advice?

Thanks!

PS - originally posted in the gunsmith section but realize probably a better section here

[Condition2]

By the way - if this isn’t the best place for this post please feel free to relocate it. I’m the newbie here, so… whatever works.

[Tok36]

A. The modified (milled) shadow hammer is a compromise primarily to adhere to competition rules. The CGW Hammer will have shorter hammer hooks.

B. The reach reduction Disconnector is compatible with any Hammer that has a hole for Disconector. For the RRK to work, it requires a DA/SA Trigger with a DA pretravel set screw. This allows one to adjust out the increased DA pretravel that the RRK Disco creates. The DA reach is not reduced unless the Trigger is held reward by the set screw.

C. Not sure on this one. A good question for CZC if another forum members dose not chime in. Metering the FP or live fire testing may also give you an answer here.

D. The Extended FP can be used with any Hammer. The Hammer Spring can be a limiting factor depending on the ammunition used.

[Condition2]

A. The modified (milled) shadow hammer is a compromise primarily to adhere to competition rules. The CGW Hammer will have shorter hammer hooks.

B. The reach reduction Disconnector is comparable with any Hammer that has a hole for Disconector. For the RRK to work, it requires a DA/SA Trigger with a DA pretravel set screw…

Thanks for clarifying that about the RRK. I didn’t realize there was a screw in the trigger itself that took out the pretravel. Knew there was one for over travel. Good stuff. So another part I can probably do without for now until the trigger I want restocks.

Can you clarify what you mean about the shadow hammer being a compromise to adhere to competition rules?

I found the shadow hammer on the CZC site. Description seems to point to it being modified so it would fit the slide properly and that it was the first hammer developed by CZ with shorter hammer hooks. But I guess the hooks on the competition hammer are even shorter by the sound of it?

Maybe it would help if I clarify my purpose with these pistols. The Omega is probably going to end up being a carry gun and the 99041 is probably going to serve double duty - primarily as a home defense gun and eventually a competition gun (when my work schedule gets back to normal). And if I get the 99041 in my hands and it’s not completely impractical may fold into that edc space, as well - we’ll see.

[Tok36]

Can you clarify what you mean about the shadow hammer being a compromise to adhere to competition rules?

I found the shadow hammer on the CZC site. Description seems to point to it being modified so it would fit the slide properly and that it was the first hammer developed by CZ with shorter hammer hooks. But I guess the hooks on the competition hammer are even shorter by the sound of it?

Can you link the Hammer that you are asking about so that we can ensure that we are on the same page.

[Condition2]

I believe this is the hammer that came with the CZ Compact L

https://czcustom.com/cz-parts-all/hammers/shadow-hammer-narrowed.html

I believe this would be the original hammer that CZC narrowed to fit

https://czcustom.com/cz-parts-all/hammers/cz75-sp01-factory-shadow-hammer.html

[Tok36]

Alright, it looks like we were taking about the same parts.

   There are factory part requirements within the rules of some competition shooting sports. Sometimes the factory Shadow Hammer is the best part that is legally available under the rules. Generally, CZ owners choose them to satisfy the rules. Outside of competitions there are no part limitations.

   If you take a CZ 75 variant factory Hammer and shorten the Hammer hooks in an attempt to reduce the perceptible Single Action Trigger creep, eventually you run into hammer follow and kill the Hammer.

   After market Hammers from both CGW and CZC alter the geometry of the Hammer/Sear interface to allow for shorter Hammer hooks while avoiding the issues that arise with factory Hammers. These design alterations throw the Safety Lever function out of wack because they change the Sear position with the Hammer fully cocked. This is why the CGW Adjustable Sear exists. It allows you to regain Safety Lever function, while avoiding the hand fitting that is otherwise necessary when swapping to after market Hammers. After market Hammers available from CZC and CGW have the shortest Hammers hooks and using them offers the greatest likelihood of the least perceptible SA Trigger creep. Less SA Trigger creep is generally perceived as an improvement when trying to achieve a "crisp" SA Trigger pull. Let it be known that not all CZ owners agree about optimum Trigger dynamics, this is a subjective topic to some extent.

To be clear, CZC and CGW Hammers are widely used in SD/HD pistols. "Safe" Trigger pull weights can be obtained with the use of the correct Hammer Spring and or other tuning. This is also a subjective topic.

[Condition2]

I gotcha.

Sounds like diminishing returns to me then. If the shadow hammer already has somewhat shortened hooks and is used in competition already by those competing in divisions that require only factory parts it’s already a pretty good hammer by the sound of it. Maybe the third party competition hammers have a slight edge but for my purposes it will probably be a pretty good fit.

And in terms of SD/HD safety and reliability sounds like that’s where the hammer spring is what I’ll be tooling with the most. At this point I’ve already got a #13 and two #15 springs between these pistols and parts kits and a couple of factory springs, as well. So I probably just have to play with them a bit and see which one I feel most secure with for my purposes.

Seems like the only thing I’m probably keeping from my CGW order for the time being is going to be the bushings and maybe the extended firing pin and associated springs. I suppose I can just take the slide apart and figure out what FP it has by holding one I have up to the other. Only way to know for sure what’s in there now anyway regardless of what it came with from CZC.

Thanks for the help. Think I know how to proceed now.