mattwaage Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 Hello All, I am getting the open gun hankering. I have a bone stock 9mm tactical sport I would like to turn into an open gun. I do not want to build a czechmate clone, I want to do a few things different and I need some advice from all of you: I am going to list things number here that I intend to do to the pistol so If you are listing something you would do different just type the number (eg: 3: I would do this) 1: Grip reduction. I have a Shay Akai grip reduction on another 40 cal TS I bought from a member here and it is decent. Anyone else to try? 2: Slide/Barrel Shortening. It has a 5.4 inch barrel now and after you add and inch at least of comp to this this pistol starts to get pretty long. I would like to shorten the barrel and slide, if there is a smith who can do this and if it is cost feasible. Shorten slide and barrel to 4.5" barrel, threaded for comp. 3: Along with the slide shortening scallop all extra metal off slide and port it. 4: The frame will more than likely have to be cut away at the front alone the frame rails to clear the comp and shorter barrel. 5: Large Magwell (no clue on a good on) 6: Drill and tap for mount. Any recomendations on the best mount or optic setup to use here? 7: Big safeties, mag catches, etc for my medium sized hands. 8: Flat grips with tape of course. Add in anything else you guys think I might need or like. Thanks for the help, the biggest hurdle is if its even possible to shorten the slide as I would like, If not maybe I should just give up and buy a new czechmate, but they are so long... Thanks alot! -Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leas327 Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 Could you cut the dust cover and use a regular SP01 or 75 slide? Then you could thread the TS barrel and cut it back to the length you want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattwaage Posted August 27, 2013 Author Share Posted August 27, 2013 I just slide a 75b slide on and it fit, except the TS hammer is wider and wouldnt contact the firing pin. but looking to get a little shorter than that even. maybe a compact 75 slide with threaded barrel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kneelingatlas Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 I may be the guy to talk to here... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kneelingatlas Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 The first thing you should know when modifying the TS is that it doesn't have a 5.4" barrel, but a 5.1" barrel; don't take my word for it, break out your ruler. If you want a thin grip and a short barrel, why not start with a 75B? Or an SP01? I have a Tanfoglio Open shorty with a compact slide and it takes a lot of powder to make Major and I wouldn't expect it to last very long that way. Compact barrels only use one lug whereas full sized barrels use two. I have my TS based Open gun, a Gold Team and the Tanfo shorty; I would be happy to share info and parts compatibility info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattwaage Posted August 27, 2013 Author Share Posted August 27, 2013 THat was pretty much what I had imagined it looking like. Do share the story behind building that? What comp/slide/barrel setup is that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kneelingatlas Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 When shopping for my first pistol for USPSA, I looked at the Czechmate as I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to resist Open for very long, but $1K vs $3K I ended up buying a TS .40 and shooting Limited. I immediately started tinkering with my TS: mag well, race hammer (the best mod by the way), but I always had an eye on an Open gun, so when the opportunity to buy an SP01 slide arose the project began. what I have there is a 9mm TS barrel in an SP01 slide threaded M14X0.75 to match the factory tread of a small frame Witness compensator I bought from Numrich. Unfortunately their only three port comp was advertised as 9mm, but turned out to be .40. They've since changed the description, but I have scoured the internet for a better comp and have come up empty. With my new 100gr load the comp works pretty well, but they had some double feeds because they're so short, I think 115s will be perfect. I have a project in mind to fix the comp which I'll detail with pictures when I'm finished. Unfortunately there are no commercially available comps which work easily with the TS. In your case, starting with a 9mm TS, I would have a smith cut back the slide/frame and fit a custom cone comp. I've collected much of the Internet's collective knowledge on the subject of CZ/Tanfo interchangeability, so if you have any questions, just ask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattwaage Posted August 27, 2013 Author Share Posted August 27, 2013 Hmmm I will have to look into those options... Or maybe just sell this and buy a czechmate, dont want to have to try too hard to make 9 major and have durability issues like you said. Just measured the barrel every which way too, 5.1 like you said. Wonder why they advertise them as 5.4? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kneelingatlas Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 It's a long story, but I've had some correspondence with both CZ USA and CZ UB and been told it will be fixed in the 2014 catalog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kneelingatlas Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 Selling your TS and buying a Czechmate is certainly the easier way to go; my project is a labor of love and I've done all the work myself, but it's not quite perfect just yet. Not including my labor (lots of it), I barely saved any money over just buying a Czechmate, although I do have a .40 top end/mags for Limited Major and some great experiences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gose Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 I too was looking around to get a TS built into an open gun, but the very few guys that said that might be able to do it quoted me prices that were the same or higher than a new Czechmate. Didnt really seem to make much sense to do that, so I kept my TS and bought a Czechmate instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattwaage Posted August 28, 2013 Author Share Posted August 28, 2013 yeah maybe just get a cone comp installed like atlas suggested and a frame reduction, some slide lightening, and a drill and tap, and deal with how long it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leas327 Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 I thought the Czechmate slide was the same length as the TS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kneelingatlas Posted August 28, 2013 Share Posted August 28, 2013 I thought the Czechmate slide was the same length as the TS? As I understand, they cut back the slide and install a cone comp; the barrel is the same length. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bigtuna Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 I have since added a racker in the rear sight dovetail. SP01 done exactly as descibed in the previous post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Dog Howie Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 I have since added a racker in the rear sight dovetail. SP01 done exactly as descibed in the previous post. Boy that gun looks familiar Oh Yea i have one just like it. Lol. Now it has a C more CTS riding on it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bigtuna Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Big dog , when did you ditch the cmore? Do you like the CTS better? Did you have Jimmy machine it into the slide? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Dog Howie Posted September 24, 2013 Share Posted September 24, 2013 Big dog , when did you ditch the cmore? Do you like the CTS better? Did you have Jimmy machine it into the slide?My bad actually it's the RTS and yes I like it a lot better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver_Surfer Posted September 27, 2013 Share Posted September 27, 2013 Hey guys where you getting thoes scope mounts with the gas peddal? Who instaling them? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kneelingatlas Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 Mine is an air soft thumb rest I modified to fit, although it broke off last match so I plan to d&t the mount and bolt it directly on tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kneelingatlas Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 (edited) I'll post some close ups. Edited September 28, 2013 by kneelingatlas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kneelingatlas Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 The rest is nicely contoured but the little binding post it bolts into was thin aluminum and it broke, so I plan to screw it directly to the mount at two points without the adjustment capacity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver_Surfer Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 Nice! My issue/problem is I'm a lefty and need it on the right side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kneelingatlas Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 I've actually been looking for a leftie air soft thumb rest and can't find one, so you might be stuck buying a real one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gigglemonkee Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 The rest is nicely contoured but the little binding post it bolts into was thin aluminum and it broke, so I plan to screw it directly to the mount at two points without the adjustment capacity. Rht makes a left and right handed thumbrest. You have to order it straight from them but they are fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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