Just ordered a used CZ 85 from AIM Surplus

[oldfrank]

I think when you are finally done you are going to have a CZ you really like and probably more expense than what you imagined.

I have done the same thing!

[M1A4ME]

I think when you are finally done you are going to have a CZ you really like and probably more expense than what you imagined.

I have done the same thing!

No doubt about your second point.  We'll have to see how it shoots to confirm the first point.

[M1A4ME]

I was really concerned about that skinny little post on the LPA front sight.

The original had a round post/tenon and the LPA front sight had a very thin rectangular post/tenon.  Narrower than the original but longer.  I filed the front/rear of the LPA sight enough to allow it to fit into the round hole but the combination of the thin tenon and no portion of the sight fitting down into the cut in the slide that is above the hole left very little side to side support for that LPA front sight.

So, I saw a 1911 tall front sight (red fiber optic) on e-bay and bought it ($22 shipped). 

It came in today.  It had a very wide/long rectangular post/tenon and a portion of the sight to fit down into the long slot in the top of the slide for side to side support.

I had to file the sides of the post down from 0.125" to an even 0.010 to match the slot in the slide.  The sight is aluminum, so filing was easy.    Then I rounded off the front/back of the post/tenon till it was a good snug fit down into the hole below the slot in the slide.

My staking tool from Brownell's sat in NC all weekend at the post office in Butner.  It got there Saturday and sat there till this morning when they sent it up this way (no record of it arriving yet).  I hope to get it tomorrow.

I also bought some of the black Loctite.  The stuff people tell you not to use because you can't take stuff apart again if you use it.  Well, that's what I want.  The front sight to stay in place.  I'm going to put black Loctite in the slot and on the post, shove/push/hammer the front sight into position and then stake it with the tool.  Since it's aluminum the hardened tip on the staking tool ought to spread it apart into the corners (can you have corners in a round hole?) of the hole in the slide pretty easily.  Hopefully, between the low recoil of a CZ 9MM, the black Loctite and the staking operation the front sight will stay put from now on.

I'll give it a day, or two, to set up the Loctite and then head to the range to see how it does.

Modified 1911 sight on top.  Modified LPA sight on the bottom.  It's easy to see the portion of the 1911 sight that sits down in the groove in the top of the slide to make it a tighter/stronger fit to the slide vs. the LPA sight.  It also has a wider base that sits down on the ribbed top of the slide.  You can see the amount of material removed from the front and rear of the post to make it round.  I enjoy doing stuff like this, especially when it works. 

[M1A4ME]

Got the staking tool today.  Took a grinder to it to open up the "jaw" in it to fit the smaller bushing/hole in the CZ 85 vs. the 1911.  Also had to grind the bottom outside corners to round them off, too.  That hole in the CZ 85 bushing is just quite a bit smaller than the 1911 slide with the bushing and recoil spring plug removed.

I also made a new point for it.  The point that came with the tool is too long for the round post that fits through the hole in the CZ 85 slide/barrel bushing.  So I made a smaller wedge point for it.

I got the tenon "mashed" some.  Put the black Loctite on it first.  It should be ready to shoot sometime tomorrow afternoon but I may have to wait till Thursday to go to the range.

I had to stop after about 3 "whacks" with the big brass hammer as the new point moved upwards into the tool (opening up the jaw removed the stopping point and lets the point move upwards - you just can't tighten the set screw enough to hold the shaft of the point.  If I have to do this again I'll cut a notch in the point to allow the set screw to tighten into the groove and hope that holds the point from moving upwards.

I got done with it (tenon visibly mashed in a couple directions to better fill the hole in the bushing) and put the barrel back in only to find the barrel was binding.  I got it back out and found that when the point had moved up in the tool the tool had gouged the inside of the bushing about 3/8" back from the outside edges of the bushing (not visible with the barrel in it).  I had to take a small round file and smooth those high spots out around those gouges, then the barrel dropped right into place.  Got it all back together (had to wipe the sweat drops out of the slide and I even had managed to drip sweat into the barrel somehow) and lubed up inside and outside.

Then I noticed I'd busted the tip off the front of the fiber optic rod so I had to put another piece in it (that's easy to do).

Then it was time to walk the dogs and come in for supper.

More pics tomorrow of the (hopefully) finished pistol and maybe even some targets.

[M1A4ME]

I am officially "happy."

I went to the range this morning with the 85.  Didn't shoot a lot.  Shot some 124 hollowpoints (Berry's bullets) that don't shoot all that well in my guns.  The only failure I had, a failure to feed, was about round #3 out of the second 5 round magazine.  The group was just about target sized, not the black circle, the square paper.  All the shooting was at 13 yds.

Then I shot ten rounds of the Federal 115 grain FMJ ammo that shot so well in my P09 that first trip after the RMR installation.

Then I shot some of the 115 grain Precision Delta hollow points sitting on 8.0 grains of Blue Dot.

At this point I figured it was time to start adjusting the rear sight as well.   Both the Federal and the reloads were shooting low left.  I had to, in steps, move the groups up and slightly to the right.  I'd shoot five rounds and make an adjustment and shoot five more.

Man, it was muggy/warm even at 0930 this morning.  I'd get one good shot, sometimes two, before I'd have to lay the pistol down and fan my glasses around to get the fog off of them.  I forced 3 shots a couple of times but I noticed I was shooting at the holes in the target (I could see the light coming through them) vs. the center of the target.

I quit fighting it after the last group was pretty much centered.

First 5 shot 115 grain reloads group (I grabbed all kinds of other 9MM ammo but only two magazines of the 115 grain hollow points, so I shot 5 shot groups with them.)  Range was 13 yds.



This target has five rounds, still low/left and five round after the last adjustment put them where I wanted them.  Then I loaded up my stuff and walked back up to the car.  Range was 13 yds.



Went back through this thread on 9/25/17 to replace all the old PB links with imgur links so the thread made some sense again.

[M1A4ME]

Picture of the Brownells 1911 front sight staking tool I modified to work on the CZ 85 Pre B.  The tip in the little bag is the Brownell's 1911 tip.  It was way too long for the small round tenon on the front sight.  Rather than modify the factory tip I just made myself one and installed it.  It moves upward after a couple/three whacks with a hammer but I think I can fix that by grinding a step/notch in the shaft of the pin.

You can see where I removed material from the Brownell's tool to allow it to fit into the much smaller bushing/hole on the front of the CZ 85.  I ground some off the top corners, too, to give the tool more clearance in that bushing/hole.  I almost ground some off the bottom corners but decided not to.  Not sure how long it'll hold up if I used it regularly but I don't expect to use it again anytime soon.

[Raining_Brass]

Awesome! Nice work, man!

[M1A4ME]

Sorry, I forgot pictures of the pistol.



Front sight.  I broke the fiber optic rod while staking the front sight in.  Replacing that was super easy.  Cut to length, fire up a cigarette lighter, get the flame almost close and the end mushrooms back to the metal sight real fast/easy.



Rear sight.



Funny how blue the slide looks under the camera flash when it looks almost black in other light types.

[M1A4ME]

Fixed all the picture links tonight after running across this one while looking for something else.  imgur is way better/easier to work with than photobucket was.

[bmo]

Fixed all the picture links tonight after running across this one while looking for something else.  imgur is way better/easier to work with than photobucket was.

Thanks for taking the time to update all the pics. Getting ready to buy a surplus 85 myself so it?s good to know what I?m getting myself into 

[M1A4ME]

Well, hopefully you won't need to replace the barrel (most expensive part I replaced) and just a general tune up and/or refinish job to make it run good and look good.

I sort of miss mine.  It's almost cold enough to start the open carry around my house/property again.  Then I'll be carrying it and the Compact will sit in the house all winter.

[bmo]

Assuming nothing major needs replacement, I?ll likely just replace springs and sights. Keep it stock. Don?t really have a ?basic? CZ.

[schutz85C]

Excellent thread!
Nice work.
Thank you!

[ccrbum]

awesome job! I picked up an older 85 combat and used it as a project gun.. still got some work to do but man it shoots well!