CZ-97 as a BE Gun

[schmeky]

There are 2 problems with the stock CZ screw in bushing (in my opinion).  When you bottom the screw in bushing to the frame, you must then back the bushing out to align it with the recoil spring plug.  This guarantees a looser than optimal fit for target shooting.  Try it, with the bushing positioned for the recoil plug and you can wobble the bushing in the threads.

The bushing to barrel fit is combat oriented.  Clearance bewteen the barrel and bushing on my 97 was .004, not terrible, but certainly not optimal for accuracy.  Combine this with the inherent sloppiness in the slide/bushing threads, and it adds up.  

There is lateral play in the rear of the barrel (side to side) with the barrel in the locked position.  I have not set up a dial indicator to measure this total lateral play.  It should be held to .001", maybe less.  The lower locking lug under the barrel hood doesn't have a significant affect on barrel stability.  It's primarily a camming fixture for locking/unlocking and allowing sufficient barrel tilt to clearance the slide during extraction and chambering. 

Therefore, in order to acheive more consistent shot-to-shot lock up, we need to address these key areas.  The barrel bushing will be first for me.

[schmeky]

Here is phase 1 of this project.  Recieved the machined slide from EGW today and it took me about 2 hours to get the Ed Brown SS match bushing in the slide and clearanced for the CZ barrel.  Those Ed Brown bushings are made from some very tough SS material.  Barrel/bushing clearance is approximately .001", and at lock-up there is ZERO play at the barrel muzzle.  Holy cow!

Impressions:  Gun feels TOTALLY different.  Lock-up is quite literally bank vault tight.  Feels very much like my Les Baer 1911 Monolith .45. If you've ever handled a Wilson, Ed Brown, Night Hawk, or a Les Bear, you'll know what it feels like now.   Slide is glassy smooth but extremely tight, hard to describe.  The barrel hood has a distinct lock-up feel at full slide extension.  One thing I have noticed is the rear of the barrel no longer seems to have any lateral play like it did with the stock screw in bushing.  Didn't expect that.  I'll finish milling the recoil spring plug portion of the match bushing tomorrow evening. 

I'm hoping this will be the most accurate CZ-97 in the USA.  The proof is in how well it shoots.

Stay tuned for phase 2.

[Jack Straw]

  Wow, this is gonna be good.

[badge38]

 How much are you asking  !!!!!      (just a thought)

[schmeky]

CZ9,

Do you mean how much accuracy?  I'm hoping I can get some 1.0 - 1.25" 25 yard groups.  This would be 2.0 - 2.50" @ 50 yards.

[badge38]

 No ........... since you did so many great modifications,  I was going to buy it !   

[phrozenlikwid]

Awesome!!! 

Looks like that's gonna be a heckuva shooter.

So what are you going to be doing with the recoil spring/guide rod assembly?  Just mill out the bushing to make it fit?

I have a project of my own that I'm trying to visualize a reverse-plug setup with...... 

[schmeky]

CZ9,

Ha, not for sale, besides, I'd probably loose my shirt 

phrozenlikwid,

Yes, going to mill/modify the Ed Brown barrel bushing to fit the stock recoil spring guide plug, which I'll do tonight.  I'm trying to limit the mods to the gun itself. 

[schmeky]

It's done, however I need to do some minor finish/polishing on the SS bushing, but I think I'll wait to see how it shoots.  I plan on shooting this weekend.  I post the results, good or bad.

Sure does feel good.

[phrozenlikwid]

Can't wait for some pics and to hear what the word is.

This is going to be a cool project.

[schmeky]

I'm pretty confident I have figured how to precisely control lateral barrel play at the barrel hood.  However, it may not be necessary with stabilization at the muzzle.  I plan on taking precision measurements of my modified 97 to see just how much play there is. 

I now feel a CZ-97 as a BE gun is not only possible, but quite easy to accomplish.  With the muzzle end stabilized, there are only 2 other potential areas to address; I'll run these by the forum members for opinions, but only if I can measure rear barrel play. 

[Jack Straw]

schmeky, this is a really impressive project and I'm rooting for it......but, just to play Devil's Advocate for a moment I'm wondering if the average 97 barrel is capable of grouping in 2" at 50 yards?  I certainly hope it is but no amount of close fitting will overcome a bbl. that won't hold the desired group.  I guess we're gonna find out.

I recall a Clark Longslide .45 B.E. weapon I struggled with for two seasons.  Three esteemed 'smiths worked it over.  It spent more time in a Ransom Rest than in my right hand but the ugly truth was that barrel just would not shoot.  It was a one holer at 25yards.  At 50 yards it would not shoot inside 3" with any kind of load I could dream up.  Weird and frustrating. Nobody could figure it out.  I finally had Clark in Shrieveport fit a new barrel and that did the trick producing well under 2" groups from the Ransom.

Unfortunately by the time it was straightened out I gave up on the longslide.  They are very hard to shoot at 50 yards.  The sight radius is a help but, as several top shooters advised me, the "barrel time" of the projectile in that extra inch made for some very weird fliers.  The longslide needs a much tighter hold than I could achieve.

[Stuart]

great project..love seeing a CZ taken up a notch..great work, very interested in the results.

[schmeky]

Bill,

There is a very real possibility my 97 could shoot worse than before.  There are things I'm not aware of that could affect the outcome.  Even though I feel what I have done may be an improvement, I have to recall the accurate and poignant phrase . . . . "Best laid plans of mice and men".

[dapster]

"There is a very real possibility my 97 could shoot worse than before."

Why might that be if you're diminishing the degree of freedom in certain areas presumably without increasing slop in other areas? I'm thinking not of accuracy, but rather precision.

Perhaps the question reflects my naivete, but you do have me curious.