A few weeks ago I had a 9mm "shootoff" from a range of contenders from my gunsafe. Included were a Glock 17, a CZ-75B, a Browning Hi Power MkIII and a Beretta 92FS. The goal was to choose one for competition in USPSA 3-Gun competitions. I have been around the block shooting .45ACP, .40 Auto and .357 Magnum but I consistantly find that I prefer shooting 9mm.
After a few hundred rounds I came to the conclusion that the most inexpensive pistol of the lot was the best of them! The Browning was a close second but needs a bunch of smithing to be even close to competition material. The Glock was, well, a Glock, and as such has many things going for it but I like a responsive trigger. The Beretta wasn't really in the running, it was my first 9.
But the CZ-75B just rocked. Having already had the CZ-75B SA 9mm in mind I hopped on the Web, found a good price and sent my FFL the necessary documents. It arrived soon afterwards and is it a beauty!
My 75B was built 1996 while the 75B SA was put together in late 2001. The difference in frame, fit and feel are quite dramatic. I had been expecting a pistol that was simply a 75B more attuned to single action fire than DA/SA permitted. Instead the whole nature of the 75B SA is inclined toward higher ergonomic performance. The hammer is lighter and is apparently taken from the PCR model. The beavertail is more pronounced. It has an extended mag release with a drop-free mag well and more ample, ambidextrous safety levers. The front slide lug is fuller, giving it the appearance that is strangely 1911-ish. The trigger is a composite flat chord type with a set screw to adjust over travel.
The pistol came with two MecGar 10 rnd mags, two snap caps (not feedable), a cleaning brush, a patch rod, a gun lock and the obligitory 25m bench group. It was positively soaking in light oil and required a quick take down and cleaning for adequate handling. My FFL, who hadn't experienced many CZs, was very impressed with the product for the price.
Dry firing revealed a nice single action trigger with a moment of take up and just a hint of gritty creep (probably the firing pin block) but not enough to erase the crispness of the trigger pull. The differnce between the 75B and 75B SA 's single action trigger is significant. My 75B's single action pull is rather gentler (but not mushy) and longer than the 75B SA. The SA's trigger isn't match quality but is very good and will only get better with break in. Also a trigger job from CZ-USA is only $65!
Taking the CZ-75B SA to the range revealed a pistol with the same firing characteristics I enjoy with it's close relative the 75B. There were a few negative differences, however.
The oversized safeties are rather angular on their bottom, 'safing' side to the degree that they dug into my thumb to the point of being an annoyance. The safeties are large and easy to disengage, however, but their size makes accessing the slide release lever more difficult than normal, too. I think this factor actually caused me to trip the slide release lever with my supporting hand's thumb during rapid fire because of the lack of space between the safety and slide release.
Accuracy seems just as fine as my 75B, which is outstanding. I did 30' prelims followed by 30' rapid fire, 50' slow fire and 20' double taps at standard silhouettes. No suprises. Later at an outdoor range I grouped 11 of 15 to a paper plate at 50 yards and even hit a silhouette twice out of 15 at 100 yards (I don't often shoot pistol at that range).
Lastly I hear that the heavy lugged slide of the 75 SA makes finding a good molded holster difficult for the time being.
In any case this one is off to CZ USA soon for a trigger job (including replacing the polymer one currently installed with an alloy one) and night sights. I'm really looking forward to spending more time with it.
