KWA KZ75 Questions

[ardo]

I'm about to get a KZ75 for home practice, but my production gun is SP-01 Shadow, so I have a few questions:

1. Is KZ75 very different from the Shadow in terms of ergonomics?

2. Would it fit my Bladetech DOH holster?

3. How's the accuracy? Are there any upgrades, like tight bore barrels that can be done?

4. Does KZ75 fire in both double-action & single-action, or is it SA only?

I have used a Tanfoglio Limited Custom for a few months, then the slide cracked. Accuracy was so-so, but it fit the holster OK.

[CZinSC]

I'm about to get a KZ75 for home practice, but my production gun is SP-01 Shadow, so I have a few questions:

1. Is KZ75 very different from the Shadow in terms of ergonomics? VERY VERY Close. It really is exactly a CZ75, so if you know how they are dimensionally, you'll understand. But either way, its as close as you are going to get.

2. Would it fit my Bladetech DOH holster? My KZ75 fits very well. Not exact, but so close you won't want to use anything different.

3. How's the accuracy? Are there any upgrades, like tight bore barrels that can be done? Accuracy is decent. Shoots a little high even with the Hop up turned all the way down. Don't know of any tight bore barrels, then again, I've never looked.

4. Does KZ75 fire in both double-action & single-action, or is it SA only? Only fires in SA only. If you try to lower the hammer, it just fires.

I have used a Tanfoglio Limited Custom for a few months, then the slide cracked. Accuracy was so-so, but it fit the holster OK.

The following is a copy and paste from another thread about the KZ75 that I've written, thought you might find it helpful. If you have any other questions, let me know.

You may end up chopping off the back of the hammer after you use it for a while. If you have a high hold where the webbing of your strong hand is up under the beaver tail, the hammer will hit your hand. Doesn't hurt too much, but after using the gun for practice for any length of time, your hand will get sore.

Also, be VERY Careful of the magazines. Handle them CAREFULLY, especially when they are really cold after shooting off a whole mag worth of BB's. If you hit the base pad at the wrong angle, which isn't hard to do, the flanges that hold the base pads on will shear right off. It has happened to me twice. And believe me, I'm not talking about dropping on concrete from a shooting position. I'm talking about a 3" drop onto my work bench. KWA replaced the first one, but it took several weeks. I didn't feel like going through the same process the second time so I just deal with it. You can still use the mags after the flanges break off, but it's kind of crappy. I would NOT practice reloads with the KZ75. #1 you will break the mags, #2, not real enough for good practice. Stick to dry fire with your Shadow and real mags for reload practice.

As for the Green gas, its expensive and hard to find, but the propane is just awful. If you are shooting inside, you will probably not want to use the propane. The smell is just awful in an enclosed area. I really wish there was a CO2 version of this airsoft. I would buy it in a second. My buddy has the Tanfo Airsoft that uses the CO2 and the felt recoil is the SAME as the KZ75 with the green gas, so that functionality is a tie. But the availability and easy of use of the CO2 FAR outweighs the green gas.

[ardo]

Thanks! Your answers make my decision a no-brainer.

I did read your post before, very helpful.

I've read on another airsoft forum that CO2 makes the gun not as accurate as GG, due to a rapid expansion from high pressure.

I have no intention to practice reloads with a KZ75, that's what dry-fire is for.

I practice from 5-7 yards, what group size could I expect from that distance? The tanfoglio gave me groups of about 1.5", but there were occasional flyers, going off by as much as 3" in slow-fire. The tanfo also shot high. Overall, I could live with that, but the slide cracked after about 3,000 rounds.

I forgot to ask: what size BBs are you using? Is your gun shooting high even with .28g BBs?

Edited January 31, 2013 by ardo

[CZinSC]

i've only used .20g BB's. Here are two pictures for you. The Red dot is a 3" dot. The POA was at the bottom of the red dot, where you can see the X. I didn't go slow, so the groups are probably a little wider than it could be. But you can get a real view of where it hits at 7 yards. The first one is with the Hop Up set all the way down, the second one is the Hop Up set all the way up.

[sperman]

Is that a full size target? How do you get any value out of practicing with a gun that is that far off?

[CZinSC]

Is that a full size target? How do you get any value out of practicing with a gun that is that far off?

That is a 1/3 sized airsoft target. I don't use the airsoft for actual shooting anymore. Got tired of loading the bb's. and the accuracy. i use it now for the recoil impulse and watching the front sight. Dry firing the SP01 in DA every shot blows. I've read where some people take the first shot DA, and then just don't let it reset and do sort of a SA mimic. I don't like that because I dont want to get not letting the gun reset ingrained in my muscle memory. This way the Airsoft simulates SA good enough.

[sperman]

Even on a 1/3rd size target, the POI is pretty poor. The group size is probably acceptable for an airsoft, but it should hit somewhat close to where you are aiming.

One of the things I like about my CZ is being able to dry fire DA on every pull. If I can hold the sights steady during that, actually firing the gun in SA shouldn't be any problem at all.

[redial]

My KWA 1911 shoots awfully high as well. I'll probably have to swap out the front sight, assuming that the dovetail isn't some odd Bulgarian size ...

Mark

[Rhandhali]

I did a little write up on my KZ-75. I shoot a CZ85 so there are some differences. It does fit in my Blade-Tech holster but I have to tighten it just a bit. Handles pretty much the same, the trigger is even similar now that I've swapped out some springs.

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=164199

Mine appears to shoot high using 25g BBs. It says on the box that it's designed for 25g or heaver so that's what I bought. I haven't put enough through it yet since I'm still getting settled in from being overseas for two years/moving again into a new city and starting full time work. I'd kind of like to see a writeup on the Tanfoglio airsoft. It looks neat, but I've got enough sunk into the KZ75 already and I need to get things like belts, mag carriers and so forth before I get another airsoft gun.

[ardo]

Thanks for all the info, guys. Waiting for my KZ75, will be here in a week or so.

Speaking of group sizes and POA/POI mismatch, my Tanfo was giving me better results than I see in CZinSC photos. Typically, the POI was about 1" higher than POA, with group size 1-1.5". It even got better after a couple of mags, when the CO2 pressure dropped somewhat. But now the slide is cracked, and I won't be investing in another Tanfoglio until spare slides & other parts become available.

[Rhandhali]

Thanks for all the info, guys. Waiting for my KZ75, will be here in a week or so.

Speaking of group sizes and POA/POI mismatch, my Tanfo was giving me better results than I see in CZinSC photos. Typically, the POI was about 1" higher than POA, with group size 1-1.5". It even got better after a couple of mags, when the CO2 pressure dropped somewhat. But now the slide is cracked, and I won't be investing in another Tanfoglio until spare slides & other parts become available.

Yeah that's one of the big advantages of the KZ75; KWA has a US based office so in theory parts and support should be readily available. Haven't had to test that though, thankfuly.

[MikeSLC]

KWAs 'support' is at a snails pace.

On a related note, anyone have any luck replacing the front sight? I would like a FO.

[sperman]

It baffles me that I can't find a high quality airsoft. What do the guys who shoot Airsoft competitions do? Rebuild their guns before every match?

[ardo]

It baffles me that I can't find a high quality airsoft. What do the guys who shoot Airsoft competitions do? Rebuild their guns before every match?

There are several quality airsoft guns available, most notably the Hi-Capa 5.1 from Tokyo Marui or KWA. However, they are 1911-based guns, so the trigger feel may not be of any benefit to production shooters.

In general, Tokyo Marui gas blow-back pistols are very accurate. There are lots of upgrade parts available, including match-grade barrels, aluminum slides (TM comes with a plastic slide), etc.

[Rhandhali]

KWAs 'support' is at a snails pace.

On a related note, anyone have any luck replacing the front sight? I would like a FO.

I don't see how you could; on mine the front sight is cast as part of the frame. You might be able to jury rig something, but I wouldn't try it on a functional slide.

[sperman]

Based on the comments in this thread (and on others on the KWA KZ) it doesn't sound like their quality is any better than the rest. Maybe their 1911 based guns are better.

I just looked at the 2 broken 1911's in my collection and they are both WE.

I don't shoot an STI in limited, so I've avoided any airsoft gun with that frame/grip. Unfortunately, that limits my options.

[ardo]

I got my KZ75 last night. Guess what: it shoots in full auto.

No, this is not a feature. The dealer I got it from promises a quick response, so we shall see...

[Rhandhali]

Let us know how it goes. Can you tell is who the dealer is?

[ardo]

Let us know how it goes. Can you tell is who the dealer is?

The dealer is in Canada, and so is the distributor. The dealer is reputable, so I'm hoping for a quick resolution.

[CZinSC]

I got my KZ75 last night. Guess what: it shoots in full auto.

No, this is not a feature. The dealer I got it from promises a quick response, so we shall see...

All the time, or when the gas starts getting low? I think most Airsofts will go full auto, kind of, when the gas is nearing the end. I know mine does. But on a full charge, it does not, ever.

[ardo]

All the time, or when the gas starts getting low? I think most Airsofts will go full auto, kind of, when the gas is nearing the end. I know mine does. But on a full charge, it does not, ever.

Thanks, this could be my problem: I was running it with duster gas, not green gas. I will try to find GG quickly so I can re-test.

[ardo]

OK, got green gas, and the gun is shooting fine in single-action, no more bursts.

However, just like CZinSC's gun, mine is shooting ridiculously high, the POI is about 3-4" above the POA at 6 yards. This is with the hop-up all the way down, moving it up makes it even worse, as expected.

I can't see how this pistol can be used as a training tool for what we do. I feel like an idiot after spending $240 on a toy.

OTOH, I've had some success with my Tanfoglio Limited Custom, after having the cracked slide repaired. I took out the hop-up bracket and wrapped the bucking with plumber's tape, extending the tape over the whole inner barrel. My group size improved by almost 50%, and I no longer get those occasional 'flyers'. I am now getting under 1" group size at 6 yards, with POI being about 3/4" above POA. With 1/4 scale IPSC targets at 6yards, I can live with that.

[redial]

Ooops! Pulled mine off the shelf this morning and noticed it's actually a KJW, not KWA. Still shoots too damn high, though.

Mark

[ardo]

An update: I molded a little piece of clay to fill in the barrel's hop-up opening. I then sanded off the mound on the inside of the hop up rubber. This (almost) disables the hop up function. My KZ75 now shoots only about .5"-1" high. However, the group size is around 3", about the same as CZinSC's. Which makes it useless for serious training, trying to shoot 4" plates with this thing is an exercise in frustration. To add insult to injury: I slapped the mag in (like we do with real steel guns) and had the base pad brake off.

I think the best overall option for airsoft training for those shooting the Shadow is the Tanfoglio Limited Custom. Quality issues aside - I think mine was a lemon - I now have my Tanfoglio shooting nice groups that are under 1". If spare parts were available, this would be an easy decision.

[CZinSC]

i've started using mine without the BB's. I just jam a piece of paper in the mag follower so you can keep shooting even with an empty mag. I know it's not the same as shooting the BB's, but at least it spices up dry fire a bit. It gets the slide moving and you dont have to worry where the BB's are going. It's helping me learn how to call my shots better anyway. When i need to work on real gun handling skills, i just go back to the real gun.