Hello All,
I was on the old CZ Forum under "Wild_Rice.fz1ownersgroup" but could not figure out how to transfer over here with the same user name, so I reregistered. I have a P-01 9mm with a Kadet Kit. I figured out how to disassemble and reassemble my decocker (not at all easy) in order to perform a hone action job on my sear which improved the single action trigger pull greatly.
Last week I bought a new SP-01 Phantom from the same dealer who sold me the P-01 and Kadet Kit. I almost did not buy it as the single action trigger pull was stagey (like my original P-01) and the slide stop was sticky (would not release a locked back slide if the slide was pulled back sling shot style). Still, the grip feel, slide/frame fit, and other controls were nice. I figured things would break in and I could perform anther sear action job. I also liked the fact that it would accept my Kadet kit and standard 16rd CZ75 mags, of which I have a decent supply.
The sear mechanism (integral with the rear inner metal frame rails) is pinned into the polymer frame and I did not want to risk botching it at this point. What I did do was what I call an "in situ" sear hone. I field stripped the gun, zip tied the hammer all the way back to the beaver tail, and zip tied the trigger back. This exposes the sear engagement area. I then used a thin file and performed a mild honing job. The single action trigger is much, much better. It is not quite were I want it yet, but I am hoping the rest will smooth out with break in and dry fire. I do not recommend this to the home gunsmith. I got very familiar with the sear on my other CZ so I knew where, what angle, and how much to hone. It would be easy for someone to botch their gun with this modification.
The sticky slide stop broken in after 100 rds and it will now reliably release a locked back slide via the sling shot method. I helped it along by honing the front of the groove in the slide stop shaft were the slide stop retaining spring rests for more rearward downward spring pressure on the slide stop. The Kadet kit fit fine, but the kit's 22 mags will not hold the side back on the last shot (despite the PCR slide stop I use on my P-01/kit, which will lock back on the last round on the P-01). My Mec-Gar's CZ75 spare mags with flat metal bases fit and function fine and don't protrude much past the mag well, as do the two supplied 18rd Phantom mags.
The frame of the Phantom has sharper frame edges behind the trigger. With dry fire, the skin of my trigger finger was getting pinched behind the trigger during overtravel. I Super Glued a thin rubber bumper to the back of the trigger guard to act as an overtravel stop and beveled one edge along the back of the trigger guard. This helped some. As it turns out, with live fire, I don't get any trigger finger pinching (recoil must work in my favor here). I don't recommend installing an overtravel stop as it is one mod that can keep your gun from firing properly.
The grip is the best of any CZ75 I have tried with the molded in "checkering" and texture making the gun stick to your hand like Velcro, with no shift during recoil and no need to readjust the grip between shots. Yet my hands were not torn up like on the grips of some other polymer-framed pistols. I did not have to knock down any of the "checkering". I comes with a round or flat interchangeable back strap, but both feel very good and I am having a hard time deciding which one to use permanently. The recoil is very soft for a light gun due to the muzzle heavy balance and the energy absorption of the polymer frame. It is a very pleasant gun to shoot and is very good as a range gun. You can shoot box after box and not get fatigued.
The slimming slide cuts stop near where the extractor is loacted. The back of the slide is still normal width. The resulting transition point from slim to wide makes the slide very easy to rack. The "inside the frame" design of the slide is a criticism of the CZ75 design as it can be harder to grasp/rack. The Phantom slide is much easier to grasp and rack than the P-01 slide.
It fed FMJ and hollowpoints 100% with no malfunctions after 500 rds. However, I noticed that most of the shell casings were landing softly on top of my shooting hat. When cases hit you, it can be because the cases are ejecting too vertically, but when this happens they come back hard, not soft. As it turns out the cases were ejecting too laterally, hitting the bottom edge of the slide's ejection port (leaving tell-tale marks), and causing them to bounce back at me, softly. I solved this by altering the ejector tip angle for slightly less lateral ejection. The casings now eject cleanly through the port and smartly off to the right side, out of my way.
With my sear hone and good ergonomics and grip, this is a very accurate pistol. I like it a lot despite a few early teething problems.