CZ 75 compact Transformation

[Scarlett Pistol]

What are you planning to use for refinishing?Gunkote,Moly or Poly?

Not totally sure.... Since I did the frame on my Compact and my restoration Pre B I may try and learn to cerakote.

[Chydes35]

Great post thank you for the information! I just picked up one of the semi compact Massada's and am debating doing these mods. If I only have access to a Dremmel tool instead of a belt sander what attachments do you recommend I use? Thanks again!

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[Scarlett Pistol]

Great post thank you for the information! I just picked up one of the semi compact Massada's and am debating doing these mods. If I only have access to a Dremmel tool instead of a belt sander what attachments do you recommend I use? Thanks again!

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I use the little sand paper drums of varying grits. I would still recommend ordering some 1x30 sanding belts to use to sand by hand. I cut them to about 1/4" wide by maybe 5" long. I have a really rough grit, medium grit, and fine grit. Maybe 80, 160, 1000... For the beavertail those were the bulk of my shaping and finish work once I used the dremel for initial material removal.

[M1A4ME]

Scarlett Pistol, have you thought of making a "tool" to hold the strips of belt?  Thought just hit me when I read your post (just above this one).

Take a piece of wood (length uncertain at this time without some more thought or trials/testing) and cut out a U shape and handle.   Handle part of/attached to one leg of the U at the tip of one of the open ends.

You'd need a couple of pieces of wood, to screw to the tip end of the legs to clamp the belt into.  The "curve" you could get on the melt would be controlled by the width of the U, the length of the legs and the length of the belt piece. 

Once you get the tool cut out and belt piece attached you could use a sawing motion to run the belt pieces back and forth on the metal.  Should conform to the shape pretty well.

Might not be the greatest thing for actually shaping the piece but it might work well for even smoothing and polishing.

Just a lightbulb type idea after reading your post.  If I was going to sit down and make one, I might try a piece of plywood as that might be both strong enough and warp resistant enough to work pretty well.

[eastman]

Scarlett Pistol, have you thought of making a "tool" to hold the strips of belt?  Thought just hit me when I read your post (just above this one).

Take a piece of wood (length uncertain at this time without some more thought or trials/testing) and cut out a U shape and handle.   Handle part of/attached to one leg of the U at the tip of one of the open ends.

You'd need a couple of pieces of wood, to screw to the tip end of the legs to clamp the belt into.  The "curve" you could get on the melt would be controlled by the width of the U, the length of the legs and the length of the belt piece. 

Once you get the tool cut out and belt piece attached you could use a sawing motion to run the belt pieces back and forth on the metal.  Should conform to the shape pretty well.

Might not be the greatest thing for actually shaping the piece but it might work well for even smoothing and polishing.

Just a lightbulb type idea after reading your post.  If I was going to sit down and make one, I might try a piece of plywood as that might be both strong enough and warp resistant enough to work pretty well.

in other words, a homemade version of these - http://www.flex-i-file.com/flex-i-file.php

[Scarlett Pistol]

Oh interesting... Is that Flex I File what you're thinking of M1A4ME?

[The Guardian]

Ahh you found it!

I'd love to throw that spur hammer in the compact! The only problem is that I worry about hammer bite. With the new beavertail I can get a high enough grip that the spur hammer on my Pre B drops down and behind the beavertail and hits my hand. It eventually breaks flesh after 50 rounds or so. The Compact will have the same problem for me... 

Not sure how much the hammer extends or drops down behind the beaver tail but would shortening it a bit be an option to still get that look? 

[M1A4ME]

Close.  I was picturing it as handled/used more like a small saw.  With the frame perpendicular to the belt surface.  And with more slack in the belt, so that it could conform to the shape of the metal/wood in a larger contact patch.  That might not work.  It's just how I pictured it in my mind.

As to removing part of the hammer spur, well, I didn't have to do that on my Compact (no pinch, no spur to beavertail contact) but I did slightly chop off the tip of the hammer on my last Colt Series 80.  The hammer was contacting the beaver tail (one I added, not the factory piece) and making a nasty gouge in it, so I removed a very short piece of the spur.  The way the top of the hammer was grooved it was pretty easy to just take off a "couple of grooves" and get the necessary space/room.

Not sure what the CZ spur hammer would look like with a 1/8" to 3/16" removed.  Then again, if it was yours and you shot it all the time, pretty soon you'd get used to the way it looked and in youre eyes/mind it would be "normal."

[bigdave24]

I do the same adjustments on all my CZs.  Recontour the beavertail, round the trigger guard, and undercut the trigger guard.  I had it cerakoted locally after the recontouring.

[Scarlett Pistol]

Had some time to work on details today. There were just some little things about the beavertail that I wasn't satisfied with yet. Same with some spots on the classic trigger guard and some undercut areas. Here's the frame with the grips back on and the slide on.

I need to give it a full deep clean next, go shoot it and see how it feels inaction. As for now, it feels pretty darn nice!



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[Scarlett Pistol]

Looks fantastic big Dave!

Interesting thoughts on the tool. Let me know if you ever mock it up, I'd be curious how it works out.

Hitting the beavertail stuff in the other thread with some pics.

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[delphidoc]

Scarlett, that rounded trigger guard is just plain awesome. IMO CZ messed up when they went to the squared trigger guards- they're hideous. They take away from that curved edge that goes from the grip to the dust cover and mirrors the trigger guard.

[Scarlett Pistol]

Thanks DelphiDoc! I'm glad a few members mentioned doing it on this project and I listened.

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[John1125]

Good Job!

I also abhor the square front trigger guard.

Kirk

[Scarlett Pistol]

Good Job!

I also abhor the square front trigger guard.

Kirk

Thanks and thank you for the help and pointers! I like the way it looks a lot more now!

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