muggia59;
Thanks a bunch for the response. I appreciate it.
I thought I might give a little update on my Sphinx 3000 and our ?bonding?.
I was correct that a gentle tap on the right end of the slide release axle (while the slide was in the take down position) released the shaft from right slide release lever allowing the pistol to be stripped down in normal fashion. The right slide release lever can then be removed from the frame by rotating it ninety degrees counter-clockwise and removing it from the slide. There is a notch on the slide release axel and on the right lever barrel. A strong hairpin spring retains both of these items.
One thing that made the slide release axel a little more difficult to remove is that it had not been out since the gun left the factory and the original shipping grease had become quite stiff. The slide rails, frame rails, and barrel (inside and out) were coated with this old stiff grease.
I don?t know if Sphinx cleans their pistols after test firing them or if, like most manufacturers I have had experience with, they just pack them up and ship them out. At any rate the pistol had been shot very few times and the factory shipping grease had not been cleaned up.
I have been in contact with Sphinix, both in Switzerland and Sphinx-USA concerning the pistol.
The USA National Sales Manager informed me that,
?There are also some things to keep in mind regarding the Sphinx 3000 ?, such that the 3000 was a custom one off gun for every one manufactured ??.As I mentioned I am pretty confident that this pistol has never been apart since it left the factory and has been shot very little since that time, if at all. There is absolutely no evidence of anything being broken or damaged. Apparently whoever ordered this pistol wanted the decocker to work as it does.
I?m a retired Tool & Die Maker, Machinist, CAD/CAM Operator, CNC Programmer / CNC Machinist and have a working knowledge on machining and precision.
I?m sixty-six and got my first real handgun when I was nine. In that interim I?ve had quite a few guns but this is my first Sphinx or CZ75 type pistol. I?ve owned some Custom Shop pistols from a Colt, S&W, and Magnum Research and the Sphinix 3000 is as well built, if not better, than any of them.
In years past I shot SAS CAS & Wild Bunch, IDPA, a little IPSC, Benchrest Rifle, and a few other forms of competition. I?ve been building up my own competition revolvers, pistols, and long range varmint rifles for almost thirty years. The Sphinx doesn?t leave me much to do although I might get the parts from Sphinx-USA and convert it to DA/SA with the cocked and locked capability, if I don?t sell it.
I took a few pictures of it and as time permits I?ll take some more and post them on this thread.
As I mentioned a few times this is my first CZ75 type pistol and I find its functioning interesting.
After a very thorough cleaning, inspection, and lubing I did manage to get it down to my range yesterday afternoon for a little test firing. The weather was not that great and I was pressed for time so I only put about fifteen rounds through it. As I suspected it functioned flawlessly and initial accuracy was certainly acceptable for the first time I shot it.
I have been ?thinning out the herd? in the last year or so and as of yesterday we have sold about fifty-two or so (I actually took the Sphinx in on trade). After a dozen or so I bought a new S&W Pro Series 1911 9mm that I had been looking at since they came out a few years back. I had shot one box of WWB hardball through it and so I took it down yesterday for a few shots alongside the Sphinx 3000 using the same handloads.
Both guns have been shot very little and hopefully I can get a little better with them as I have opportunity to shoot them more.
Thanks again for the input.
HK
