Which is a good CZ for USPSA Limited Major?

[1eyedfatman]

I've been shooting only 9mm, so I've been shooting USPSA Production (as well as IDPA, Steel and 3-gun). I'm thinking about trying out USPSA Limited Major (.40 S&W). I have a CZ Custom Shadow 9mm and also a tuned Glock 34. I prefer to shoot the CZ in events where I can come out of cocked and locked instead of DA. I'm considering a Glock 35 for Limited Major, but wanted to check out the CZ's also because I do like my Shadow. I don't really want to go all out here and under $1k would be desirable. Any CZ models anybody would recommend me to go check out which would be great for USPSA? How about the CZ 75 Tactical Sport .40? Anything I need to be prepared to do to it like tune the trigger or buy from CZ Custom and have them tune it?

[TonytheTiger]

The TS is ready to win any match a winning shooter takes it to. There's lots of little things owners modify, but for the most part that's a combination of personal preference and just plain being nit picky. Assuming the gun is say 90% perfect, the laws of diminishing returns say your gonna have to dump in a lot of money to make any serious performance improvements.

[kneelingatlas]

Tactical Sport is THE CZ for Limited major.

[skatz11]

The CZ Tac sport is an amazing pistol. I have two club matches on my new TS and my only regret is not buying one sooner.

I'm a long time Glock shooter, and shot primarily production for the last two seasons with a G17 and G34. I went down the G35 path, and it was a huge waste of time and money.

The only downside is the large grip, but that can be fixed if needed.

[1eyedfatman]

The CZ Tac sport is an amazing pistol. I have two club matches on my new TS and my only regret is not buying one sooner.

I'm a long time Glock shooter, and shot primarily production for the last two seasons with a G17 and G34. I went down the G35 path, and it was a huge waste of time and money.

The only downside is the large grip, but that can be fixed if needed.

What did you find better about the CZ Tac Sport compared to the G35? As far as changing the large grip, just get narrow replacement grips? On my CZ 9mm Custom Shadow, I thought the metal grips were too slick, so I replaced them with VZ grips.

[skatz11]

I just thought the G35 took too much effort to shoot well. There's a reason Vogel puts a huge weight on his gun. I shot a CZC TS side by side with my G35 and it made the decision really easy.

As far as the grips, I like the VZ's as well. The area of the grip I was talking about is the front to back width. A TS with grip reduction fits feels like it was made for my hands. That being said, I'm happy with VZ grips and some grip tape over the cast checkering for now.

[accu9]

What did you find better about the CZ Tac Sport compared to the G35?

Weight, the TS completely tames major PF .40. AND the trigger! Absolutely the best factory trigger I have ever felt on any platform

[motosapiens]

What did you find better about the CZ Tac Sport compared to the G35?

well, the cz is a real gun, made out of metal, and built for competition. The stock trigger really is quite amazing, especially compared to a crappy plastic gun.

I have fairly normal sized hands, and with the stock grips, the TS was a smidge big for me, so I sanded the grips down flat and put a strip of grip tape on each side. Now it's pretty much perfect.

[Bart Solo]

Last year I shot a G35. I really struggled with it. Recently I bought a CZ Tactical Sport. I have just shot my 2nd practice match with it. The difference between the G35 and the TS is profound. First, the trigger. I have shot nothing out of the box that has anything like the CZ TS trigger. Amazing. The sights on the TS are made for action shooting. The sights on the G35 are made for throwing away. Then the weight and balance. They are simply outstanding. Fighting muzzle flip shooting major .40 is a memory. It all adds up to fast accuracy. Compared to the G35 the TS is a magic wand. The CZ TS is made for limited right out of the box. CZ knows how to build a competition pistol. All you have to do to it is make a few minor adjustments to suit your build and style. I have smaller hands than many. I bought thin grip panels. Perfect fit. You can get all that stuff from CZ Custom. My only wish is that it came with a better thumb safety, but I have short thumbs.

Edited December 17, 2014 by Bart Solo

[kneelingatlas]

The sights on the TS are made for action shooting. The sights on the G35 are made for throwing away.

[bmiller]

Last year I shot a G35. I really struggled with it. Recently I bought a CZ Tactical Sport. I have just shot my 2nd practice match with it. The difference between the G35 and the TS is profound. First, the trigger. I have shot nothing out of the box that has anything like the CZ TS trigger. Amazing. The sights on the TS are made for action shooting. The sights on the G35 are made for throwing away. Then the weight and balance. They are simply outstanding. Fighting muzzle flip shooting major .40 is a memory. It all adds up to fast accuracy. Compared to the G35 the TS is a magic wand. The CZ TS is made for limited right out of the box. CZ knows how to build a competition pistol. All you have to do to it is make a few minor adjustments to suit your build and style. I have smaller hands than many. I bought thin grip panels. Perfect fit. You can get all that stuff from CZ Custom. My only wish is that it came with a better thumb safety, but I have short thumbs.

I shoot 2011 and Paras. Is the thumb safety hard to get used to? I was told you can't just flick it like a 1911. It is more like a teeter totter than a lever?

Edited December 17, 2014 by bmiller

[skatz11]

The thumb safety takes some getting used to. I'm a lefty, so I just installed the CZC oversize on the RH side of the gun. If you don't ride it high and pressure the front it can rock back against your thumb and flip on during recoil. I'm going to give it some more time before making any mods.

I figured it's easier to make a software change before cutting the safety up.

[motosapiens]

I shoot 2011 and Paras. Is the thumb safety hard to get used to? I was told you can't just flick it like a 1911. It is more like a teeter totter than a lever?

I didn't find it hard to use at all. I have no problems switching between 1911 and cz safeties.

[accu9]

I shoot 2011 and Paras. Is the thumb safety hard to get used to? I was told you can't just flick it like a 1911. It is more like a teeter totter than a lever?

I didn't find it hard to use at all. I have no problems switching between 1911 and cz safeties.

I second that. Safety wise, TS and 1911 platform feel quite similar to me.

[Bart Solo]

I shoot 2011 and Paras. Is the thumb safety hard to get used to? I was told you can't just flick it like a 1911. It is more like a teeter totter than a lever?

I didn't find it hard to use at all. I have no problems switching between 1911 and cz safeties.

I second that. Safety wise, TS and 1911 platform feel quite similar to me.

I just need an extended thumb safety. The TS and 1911 platforms are very similar. Isn't the CZ 75 based on the Browning Hi Power?

Edited December 17, 2014 by Bart Solo

[kneelingatlas]

The TS and 1911 platforms are very similar.

Similar insofar as they both go bang and bullets come out the front right?

Isn't the CZ 75 based on the Browning Hi Power?

No. The HP is a frame in slide design like the 1911, but the CZ75 is a slide in frame design; the internals of the HP are completely different than the CZ. While the idea of a double stack 9mm may have been inspired by the HP and the grip shape is similar, that's about it.

[Bart Solo]

The Hi Power and the CZ75 have more similarities than that. I suspect the Kouchy brothers spent a lot of time looking at a Hi Power before they started designing the CZ75. Of course, I think Gaston Glock did the same thing, but you will never get him to admit it.

Edited December 17, 2014 by Bart Solo

[kneelingatlas]

Glock is a HP clone too?!?

I've shot and worked on both CZs and HPs and I would love to hear that list of similarities

[TonytheTiger]

I guess CZ must've straight up copied the Sig p210 at that rate.

[cpa5oh]

I despised the Tactical Sport safety so I built this

Edited December 18, 2014 by cpa5oh

[bmiller]

I despised the Tactical Sport safety so I built this

Does it work like a 1911 safety?

[kneelingatlas]

The pivot point of a 1911 safety is ~1/2" further back, so it's never going to feel the same, but I'm sure it's an improvement.

[cpa5oh]

What it does is allow me to have my strong hand thumb high with room for my weak hand to get high as well. The stock safety was too low and dug into the palm of my weak hand, not to mention I had to deactivate the safety and then get my thumb up out of the way. It's not like a 1911 safety because like kneelingatlas said the 1911 safety is further back. But with this safety I can get the nice high grip I like to get with no issues deactivating the safety.

[CK34]

I despised the Tactical Sport safety so I built this

How did you attach the larger paddle to the safety?

Welding?

[Bart Solo]

Glock is a HP clone too?!?

I've shot and worked on both CZs and HPs and I would love to hear that list of similarities

The CZ isn't a knock off of the HP, but I am not the first to notice the similarities between the CZ and the HP. The two designs share a lot of common features. It would be crazy to assume the designers of the newer CZ didn't look at the Hi Power for ideas. Not doing so would have been professional malpractice. Here is a list of similarities I found on the internet. In fairness the same post lists a number of important dissimilarities.

aThe Hi Power was born of two fathers, John M. Browning and Dieudonne J. Saive after first being "conceived" about 1926.

Likewise, the CZ-75's earliest versions hit the ground during 1975-76, fifty years after the Hi Power was a sparkle in the eye of John Browning, but it, too, had two fathers. They were the brothers, Josef and Frantisek Koucky. A parallel continues. A large firearm manufacturer also employed both of these men. Where Browning and Saive were at FN, the Koucky brothers were with CZ in Czechoslovakia.

So far, the story sort of sounds like the "parallel world" thing sometimes shown in science fiction stories doesn't it?

Other similarities between the Hi Power and the CZ-75:

Both are chambered for 9mm. (Later versions of both are also chambered in .40 S&W.)

Both were conceptualized for military use.

Both are similar in size & weight, with the CZ being slightly larger.

Both have a 1:10 twist.

Both utilize barrels with locking lugs, which is straight from John M. Browning.

Both are recoil operated.

Both have the mainspring below the barrel.

Neither uses a detachable barrel bushing.

Both pistols' grip panels are secured with one screw each.

Both have external hammers.

Both have thumb safeties.

Both are capable of cocked-and-locked carry.

Both use detachable double-stack magazines.

Both use external pivoting spring-loaded extractors, although the early Hi Powers used an internal one.

Both use pivoting triggers.

Both have a relatively few number of internal parts compared to some other designs.

Both guns have lightening cuts on the front of the slide. (Later versions of the CZ-75 do not.)

Both guns (CZ-75 Pre- use a slide stop retaining plate to secure the firing pin and spring.

Both guns use a push-button magazine release located at the rear of the trigger guard.

Both guns originally came with ring hammers. (The Hi Power and CZ-75 were produced with spur hammers for a number of years. CZ went back to an abbreviated ring hammer. The Hi Power used the old factory ring hammer in the Practical model.)

Both use a one-piece feed ramp.

Both have been copied and used outside of their respective nations of origin.