1978 CZ 75 Short Rail- Musings, Review, and Too Much Praise

[FEG]

Someone on another forum I hang out on mentioned the same thing about having an RA-number and an apparent South African history, so I'm really curious and would like to get to the bottom of it as well.

You might be onto something there - Southern Africa as a region (Mozmbique, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Angola, Zimbabwe, Botswana, etc) are considered Southern African states - it doesn't take a long stretch of the imagination for someone to mistake one for the other - and a legend is born

I think we may have our winner.

I checked the above list against known Czech contracts from the 2001-2004 Annual Reports:

http://www.nisat.org/Export_Reports/Links%20to%20annual%20reports.htm

(Note that the 2003 and 2004 reports are the only ones with hard data for our purposes.? Also, this includes all Czech manufacturers, not just CZ-UB.)?

CZ-UB appears to have had military or commercial (civilian) contracts with Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and the Republic of South Africa itself.? SA appears to buy pistols and long guns for civilian sales and some light machine guns for their military.? The other three have purchased all sorts of stuff over the years.?

[Torokun]

It's amazing how one pistol can bring out so much history behind it.

[FEG]

It's amazing how one pistol can bring out so much history behind it.

There is a lot of history, and finding it is always sort of a challenge.  For one thing, the CSSR would never disclose to whom they were shipping CZ-UB products.  During the Cold War, that information was largely classified.  When the Czech Republic was formed, the Czech decided to become more "Western," with the goals of joining NATO and the EU.  This coincided with a period in which CZ-UB products became available here, but outside firms imported and marketed the guns (i.e. Action Arms, Magnum Research, etc.).  This tended to perpetuate a lot of misinformation. 

Before CZ-USA became the official importer and distributor in 1996, the only real source of info on the guns were shooters from other countries.  CZ has picked up the ball and helped out tremendously by publishing the CZ-75: Birth of a Legend book in English. 

[CM Rich]

Well, trudging forth, I'm in the process of cleaning up the '78 before my order from Duracoat comes in Monday. I've detail stripped the gun completely for the first time, and as soon as the frame was completely bare, I noticed a pecular sound I once dismissed as fiction. I tapped my fingernails to the frame, and a sound almost like thin glass being tapped rang out. I remember testing to see if my 2007 75B would make a similar sound when I had detail stripped that gun, but that eminated a no-nonsense metal sound, at least compared to what the '78 does.

It does go in line with the "legend" of the unusually hard metal that was said to be used in the early CZ75s, which would coincide with the reports of frame failures in the earliest examples. Harder isn't always better, and guns are no exeption. Much like samurai katanas, gun metal needs to have a balance between rigid durability and the ability to channel shock properly and absorb as little as possible (relying on the springs to do so instead). The higher pitched the note carbon steel makes when struck, the harder it is, and conversely, the less flexible it is. While stiffer metal would make for better accuracy, it would come at the cost of a shorter life, due to breakage.

****

I have now put around a thousand rounds down the pipe of the old CZ, most of it your run of the mill 115 gr. WWB, with some nice 124 gr. Hornady TAP FPD thrown in for spice. As I grow as a shooter and I learn from my mistakes, I'm starting to realize the true accuracy of the old short rail, which is my primary gun currently. I am now consistantly hitting 3 inch groups at 25 feet using either a Chapman/Weaver stance, or getting slightly less accurate results with a one-handed "Shotokan Punch" stance, which is my favorite stance. While those numbers aren't the most impressive, I'm pretty content with the progress I've been making since taking up this hobby in March of this year.

Most amazing, though, is what happened during my last session. I experienced a FTE with the '78 (first extraction problem, incidentally) and wrestled with the lodged cartridge for a moment. I was on my last 5 bullets, and my range time was up. Hurredly, and just a bit pissed off, I focused my front sight on the target and squeezed off the last few rounds. Incredibly, I had managed a 1 1/2 group with a single stray 2 inches from the center. I remain confounded.

This gun is still far more accurate than I am capable of delivering currently, which gives me a good goal to reach for.


****

In the next few months, once I'm more confident in my shooting prowess, I'll apply for my CCW, and no doubt attempt to pass with Ol' Irene. Either way, I plan on packing her in a Ross M43A vertical shoulder holster. I'm a really slender guy, so shoulder carry seems like the best option, since I'm already used to wearing opened button up shirts in the middle of summer anyway. Plus, there's that whole cool factor about shoulder holsters.

CCW is serious business, but you can feel like Sonny Crockett AND be ready for a real fight at the same time. You CAN strike a balance somewhere along the line.


****

As Ol' Irene sits in her acetone bath, attempting to extract what little grease may be built up in that fairly new Parkerization she wears, I'm getting ready for the Duracoat stuff to arrive, and hopefully have the gun done by the middle of the week. I'm on vacation, and this is my little project, so I think this goal is very doable.

I went with Duracoat after extensive research because its the most friendly to my current situation. I live in an apartment and don't have access to big mills or other nice machines, but I am trying to do as much gunsmithing as I can by myself. I'm really trying to get into it professionally, so I'm putting my all into the guns I've got. If I can get good results from Duracoat on my first try, I'll be very pleased.

At first, I was going to send the gun away to get it redone professionally. I was originally going to have it hot blued and polished to get the factory look, but I reconsidered when I thought about how much care a real blue job takes in order to properly maintain. I discovered AWP Cogan during this time, and liked their line of CeraKote finishes. Unfortunately, I wasn't very impressed with their customer service via e-mail, so I reconsidered my options.

Duracoat's Gun Blue caught my eye and got my gears turning. Since they also offered a gloss clear coat, I immediately wondered if it'd be possible to get the looks of the classic hot blue finish, but have modern day durability. I decided to give it a shot when I read that it could be applied over Parkerized finishes, as long as all grease and oils were driven out beforehand (hence the acetone bath). I ordered not only the Gun Blue color, but Matte Black and Royal Blue in case I felt the need to tune the color. I also ordered Diamond Plate Silver for the trigger, hammer, and barrel, and both matte and gloss clear coats, as well as a basic airbrush kit.

The '78 has only a few spots of very minor pitting that I will attempt to fill in with Durafill. I'll have to be careful of the roll marks and what not. I've also come to realize that some of the lines of the short rail have softened, most likely due to a rushed sandblasting job to remove the original finish and Park it.

That's fine with me, though. This is my shooter. Ol' Irene ain't no safe queen! But my hope is that she'll look like one once I'm finished with my Duracoat adventure.

I'm also hoping to borrow a camera for some decent pictures of her during and after the process.

****

Even after refinishing, I'm still a long ways to go until the vintage Model 75 is "complete". I have alot of parts I want to order.

I plan on getting all new springs through CZ Custom, firstly. The trigger is already as smooth as glass with a 15 lb hammer spring; a 13 lbs spring may just be heaven.

I've already ordered a set of fully checkered, red shellac finished Walnut grips from Marschal Grips. I can't wait to see how they'll look on the newly "blued" gun.

Direct from CZ-USA, I'll be after a CZ 85 Combat-style, drop free mag spring, which I'll hand bend into non-drop free form. The thicker metal used in this piece adds just a bit more security in my mind. I'll also get whatever spare parts I can, such as slide stops from the 75 Retro (if they have any around), a new spur hammer, an extra firing pin, and maybe a set of their cheap-o plastic ergonomic grips. I like having lots of grip options.

From Jim Miossi Gun Works, I'd say his Custom Hard Sear of the Pre-B variety is a no-brainer. The original sear is starting to wear out already, and its obvious that a harder sear really does make sense. A few more sets of grip screws won't hurt, either.

And finally, I've contacted EFK Fire Dragon, and I hope they'll get back to me soon. I've asked if they'll put together a special barrel that has the proper channels and replica markings. With their fancy, high tech laser-etched bores, could there be a better replacement if they're willing to replicate the vintage stock? Their "Frame Saver" Dual Spring system also intrigues me, as that may be just the thing I need to keep my frame and slide safe from its own super-stiff metal. If it can cut down recoil as much as they claim it will, then the new barrel and spring combo may put this short rail into diety status.

[Walt Sherrill]

Take measurements before you order any of these parts. 

A new spur hammer, for example, can be problematic, as CZ had several different pre-B hammer.  Different widths, with and without half-cock notches.  My oldest CZ did not have the half-cock notch.  Few of these are really interchangeable.   The last spur hammer I found from a pre-B came form Jack First (and it was installed on an AT-84s after purchase.)  Nobody else had one.   


Parts for the oldest (internal spring) safety aren't available in the US -- maybe from a source in Europe.   


I think you're going to have a lot of frustration getting parts -- which is why I gave up on pre-Bs some years ago.  For the time and effort and money required, I'd rather get a newer  B model (or 85 Combat) and have them improved with a trigger/action job.

[CM Rich]

Luckily for me, all of my parts seem to be in excellent condition, so I'm not in a tremendous hurry to locate these parts just yet. I just want to have them on hand "just in case".

My hammer appears to be the oldest version, as it lacks the safety notch, and is very wide compared to the newest commander-style hammer. It is completely unmolested, lacking any sort of post-factory polishing job or resurfacing. I suppose this is just one of those things I'll have to keep an eye out for, but I'm not too concerned about needing a replacement. Afterall, you don't often hear about hammers breaking on CZs. Hell, the only thing I hear about in terms of breakage issues are slide stops and the occassional extractor (which may be a problem, since pre-B extractors are also hard to come by). If I can nab some Retro slide stops and get lucky with some pre-B extractors, and maybe an extra spur hammer and trigger, I'll be set for a very long time.

I also once heard that certain click pen springs may work as replacement safety springs. I don't know if that's true or not, but it sounds interesting. I may also try the local, old school hardware stores that carry random items like tiny springs. If it works, it works.

I think that, ideally, I should look for an early 80s pre-B that is on the verge of death and scavenge as many parts as I can from it. I may even attempt to retrofit newer parts to it at that point from the CZ75 Retro. That'd be a hell of an extensive project, but it'd make for a pretty interesting challenge.

I've got a new 75B, and I like it very much...But they don't quite fit my definition of what a great CZ should be. When I think "CZ", the image of a pre-B fills my head. Yes, they're expensive to maintain, and parts will never again be readily available, with some being pretty much extinct, but that makes them a true labor of love. There may be better guns out there, and its true that the current CZs are excellent models in and of themselves, but they just don't appeal to me as much as the originals. I know that when I've finally finished my '78 "project gun", I'll be able to take great pride in it, no matter what I do with it.

[Walt Sherrill]

I think if you take one of the old safeties apart, you'll find that a ball-point pin spring won't work.  A flat coiled spring might -- and some gunsmiths have the knowhow and the equipment to make one that is compatible.   And if you don't lock down that safety, when disassembling, wiht a pin or needle (through the hole in the safety) you'll find out all about finding lost springs and reassembling them.  (What a pain.)

The only time you will likely have to replace the hammer is when the hammer hooks get damaged.  (On one of the AT-84s I owned, the gun would lock up when cocked, and it was only after replacing both the sear [a Miossi hard sear] and the hammer, that it could be made to work, again.  (My gunsmith spent a lot of time trying to tweak the hammer/sear interface, with no luck.)

[CM Rich]

I've already been through the nightmare that is the pre-B safety assembly. Before that, I always wondered what that small hole in the safety switch was for...

Luckily, I've figured out my own technique for getting it back together, and I can now do so in about a minute. It involves putting the safety switch face down in a chunk of modelling clay and mooshing it in. Then, I insert the spring, followed by the arrowhead using a set of needlenose pliers, while at the same time forcing the spring into its hole with another set of pliers. As soon as the arrowhead is in place, I carefully exchange one set of pliers for my slave pin and viola- ready to go. The clay allows the slave pin to go far past the surface of the hole, thus avoiding a zing.

I used to work at Office Max, which had seemingly millions of different pens, many of which I tried out. You'd be suprised at how many different kinds of springs you'd find in these pens. Today, I've even begun tearing down some of the pens I happen to have around. I think I may have a winner, but with the gun disassembled and in an acetone bath, it'll have to wait. If it works, I'll let you know what brand of pen it is.

[CM Rich]

Well, for all intesnive purposes, Ol' Irene is finished. Or should I say, RE-finished?









I put her back together about two days ago after a week long project of DuraCoating. I made a custom color to try and get that polished blue look (using pictures of the famous Colt Royal Blue finishes of the 50s and 60s). I wound up using a formula of 8 parts Matte Black, 2 parts Gun Blue, and a half part of Diamond Silver Plate with one part of hardener. After that, I applied a 10:1 formula of Gloss Clear with a few drops of Royal Blue.

While the results I got don't necessarily look like authentic blue (nothing will), its many times better than the stock Gun Blue color DuraCoat offers, which is nothing but a fancy-named Navy Blue. The Matte Black and the little bit of silver help things along, but the blue-tinted glossy coat really bring out the full effects.

As a bonus, I found the very last remnants of the original blue finish hidden beneath the rear sight, and I used that to help match my color as well. It ended up being fairly close, but if I had to do it again, I'd probably reduce the amount of silver and add another part of black. As you can see in the photos above, the color is very blue and shiny in direct light, but can be almost black otherwise.

In a month, when the DuraCoat has finally fully dried, I'll wet sand with 1000 grit paper and buff smooth to get rid of a few flaws and scratches caused by reassembly. This will also help to subdue the "paint look".

Before the actual painting, though, I used DuraFill, which can be compared to bondo on cars. This did a fairly good job of filling in the light pitting found on the frame and slide, but if I were doing it all over again I'd repeat the process a few more times to completely get rid of them. One application and sanding session did totally eliminate the minor scratches, though, and for the most part the surface of the gun was glass smooth.

All in all, though, DuraCoat is very straight forward and pretty easy to work with, aside from the strong fumes. With the abilty to add varying levels of shine, along with a huge array of colors, its a pretty good option. I won't be able to say much on durability until a month from now and I can start my usual abusive habits again, but its evident that DuraCoat works by absorbing and displacing impact, almost like rubber. Thankfully, it doesn't feel like rubber, but it doesn't feel like hard metal or plating, either. Its very slick to the touch, especially when its glossy.

Most definately, you should avoid reassembling for as long as possible. I made the mistake of reassembling my gun after 24 hours after the final coat (as it says you can do so in the instructions), but that is far too early. The DuraCoat is still soft at this stage and prone to damage. You have to be careful of your tolerances, though, as it will build up with every coat. I made sure to lightly test fit as many pieces as I coat as soon as it wasn't tacky, and I sanded down what was needed.

Right now, the frame to slide fit is perfect, thanks to the DuraCoat, but I don't expect that to last. Same with barrel lock up. This wasn't my intention, but it is a pleasant side effect. However, my mags are very tight, despite using the thinnest coating possible on them and sanding the inside of the mag well. A drop free mag brake may help alleviate this problem.

I took the hammer and barrel down to the white and polished the breech face, crown, and the top of the hammer, while leaving the sides and back of the hammer with a brushed finish, along with the barrel tube. I also gave this same treatment to the trigger.

Grips are from a Swiss ITM, and are stand ins until I get my custom Marschal grips (walnut, full checker, red shellac finish).

[Walt Sherrill]

A very nice project and a very handsome result.   

You may want to avoid working the action for another week or two -- as that finish will continue to cure and harden.  Then the tightness won't be as likely to go away (from wear.)   

My favorite pre-B was slightly newer than that, with the same smaller oval trigger guard which is, I think, the most attractive of all of the designs.

[MM]

Hi there.? This was an extremly interesting thread to follow.? I think you did yourself proud with not only the work you did but the detailed descriptions that went with it.

As regards the use of the CZ as an issue firearm here in SA, I have to confirm what has been said previousely about them not being issued to members of the SA police.? We do however have police agencies other than the SAPS who used and are still using CZ's extensively.? A good example is the Traffic Officers of the Cape Town Traffic Department.? I happen to be the head firearms instructor here and can confirm that we have had CZ's in daily use since the early 80's.? A very few are the short rail version but all have the safety notch on the hammer.? All still run just fine although some now look their age.

[tekarra]

MM,
Thanks for joining in and passing on that info.  This is a truly international forum.

[CM Rich]

Hi there.  This was an extremly interesting thread to follow.  I think you did yourself proud with not only the work you did but the detailed descriptions that went with it.

As regards the use of the CZ as an issue firearm here in SA, I have to confirm what has been said previousely about them not being issued to members of the SA police.  We do however have police agencies other than the SAPS who used and are still using CZ's extensively.  A good example is the Traffic Officers of the Cape Town Traffic Department.  I happen to be the head firearms instructor here and can confirm that we have had CZ's in daily use since the early 80's.  A very few are the short rail version but all have the safety notch on the hammer.  All still run just fine although some now look their age.

Wow, so that may be the answer to the mysterious RA number, as well as the reports of "South African 'Police' CZs" that always pop up. If so, this is extremely useful information that could put to rest this issue! Thank you very much for the info!

...Any way any of us could possibly buy one of those old looking short rails? I could always use another. (Haha, I kid).

Unfortunately, I have bad news to report about my CZ, and that it is once again stripped and sitting in an acetone bath. I jumped the gun (pun intended) and reassembled her, and in doing so marred her up badly. I could have lived with that, but I wanted to try and repair it. Pretty soon, a small patch job turned into a large one, and eventually I said the hell with it and disassembled her all over again.

Having learned from this painful lesson, I'm going to be taking alot more time in refinishing her. I'll be wet sanding inbetween coats, and I'll be using a much darker color set up; matte black with gloss clear coats with gradually more royal blue tint in each seperate coat. If I'm right, this will yield a near perfect deep blue finish that will be as smooth as glass. I've found that wet sanding starting at 600 grit and working up to 1000 and then polishing it totally eliminates the "paint look". Providing I wait for the Duracoat to completely dry and settle between sanding sessions, it'll survive it and look breathtaking.

Since I'll be letting it air cure between coats, this will probably take the better part of two months. Its going to be a long, painful process. But, the things that are worth having the most are also the things worth fighting the hardest for.

This will also give me time to buy all of the high performance replacement parts and have them ready for her final assembly.

Wish me luck, ladies and gents. I'll need it.

[Walt Sherrill]

I think you can BAKE that finish, if you do it right, hanging it properly.  Check with a nearby pawnshop for a good (cheap) toaster oven, and figure out how to do the "hanging" so that you don't mar the finish.

You talked about clearcoat -- is that duracoat, too?  If not, you're asking for trouble.  If so, you may be building up too much thickness, filling in detail, etc.  Be careful.

[CM Rich]

Yup, its a gloss Duracoat clear coat. I also have matte that I may coat the barrel, hammer, and trigger with.

You can indeed bake the finish. However, it STINKS. Bad. I did it with my mags to experiment, and after only 15 minutes at 110 degrees, I couldn't take it anymore. It lingered for days and I had a bad headache as a result. That pretty much leaves me with the old air dry method, which will take forever.

The sanding is going to be the real challenge. If it hasn't dried and cured enough when I go to sand it, the Duracoat will come off the corners and edges astonishingly fast, even with 600 grit.

One of the things I'm going to incorporate will be the use of sanding lines that will deliberately show beneath the gloss. In many quality bluing jobs you can literally see the gunsmith's hard work in the form of uniform and clean lines from sanding and polishing. This gives an optical illusion of a brushed look at certain angles, but glass smooth in others, all while having a very slick and even feel. Its also, from what I've observed, close to the original style factory finish this gun would have come with. That's what I'm going for now. It'll be alot more than just painting on a few different colors this time around.