TFin04 Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Hey guys, I am relatively new to CZ pistols and have some confusion on models, parts, upgrades, etc. I shot Mike Pannone's 75 BD from the CZ Custom Shop and fell in love. I am looking to buy an SP01. I shot a factory one and the trigger was pretty terrible. My question is, how much better is the $200-$300 action job from CZ Custom or CGW compared to buying the parts from CGW and installing them myself? Looks like the parts to install would be around $130 without the wait time. Money is a factor. It would be a DA/SA gun used for IDPA and as a defensive pistol. I know the focus is a bit outside this group but I trust the guys who shoot a lot vs the collectors over at CZ forum. Ultimately I am looking for an SP01 for competition/home use and a P07, P01 or PCR as a carry gun. I would like them to be set up as similarly as possible. I can't afford a CZ custom shop gun at this time. Any advice you have would be great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eerw Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 There is a great thread here by Kneelingatlas as well as over on CZfirearms.us for how to do your own. Get the key parts, follow the instructions and you will do a nice action job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gng4life Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Although I haven't done it, the write-up by kneelingatlas (aka Professor Atlas) is very detailed and looks to be extremely accurate! There are many great and knowledgeable people (atlas, eerw, etc.) on here that know so much about CZs that would help if you get in a bind. Nothing like a professional doing it but there is a ton of support here to help you. Don't forget to thank all of them for helping, you guys rock! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czman Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 +1 to recommendations above. I have bought the parts and done a few CZ's myself. I usually get the following depending on model and intended use of the gun: Springs - reduced main spring, trigger spring, de cocker lever spring (if needed, get a few - this one flies easily), sear spring, FP spring, and FP block spring (if you need it) Pins: trigger slave pin, sear cage slave pin, trigger pin, FP retaining pin (if needed), a few hammer pins Other parts: race hammer, extended FP, tuned FP block lever, and upgraded disco (if needed). Tools to polish. Flitz A few punches, hammer and vice. I think you can get a very comparable outcome by doing it yourself in a few hours. First time took me 4 hours since I was learning, my last one (sp01) took an hour. At a recent steel match, compared my SP01 home tuned to a friend's professionally tuned. Guess which one was unanimously gaged to be better done? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillR1 Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Agreed with the above. I've done the triggers on all 3 of my Shadows and they came out really nice. Get the parts and do it yourself. You can get great results and you'll learn a lot about your gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vixty Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Agreed^^ I've done 2 czs and can't tell the difference between a custom shop job and my own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eerw Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 (edited) Mine feel better after I work them over Edited June 7, 2015 by eerw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewtac Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Either company will do well, however you get what you pay for. Don't expect every little detail polished to a mirror finish. They will work the major areas and it will be a vast improvement, but they can't stay in business and spend the amount of time on as if you did it yourself. Not a knock on either company, both are outstanding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFin04 Posted June 7, 2015 Author Share Posted June 7, 2015 (edited) Thanks guys. I am pretty handy and probably already have the tools I need. I think I'll start looking for a good deal on a couple base guns. Edited June 7, 2015 by TFin04 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tok36 Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 (edited) Here are some good guides. These helped me gain perspective on CZ DIY gunsmithing and what these projects entail. I found DIY gunsmithing to be quite rewarding. CZ Tuning 101 with Professor Atlas http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=191773 Complete disassembly/assembly of a CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow handgun http://www.olegnikitin.com/news/complete-disassembly-assembly-of-cz-75-sp-01-shadow Smoothing the Action http://www.czfirearms.us/index.php?topic=42537.0 Edited June 8, 2015 by Tok36 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranger Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 With Glocks and M&Ps - I bought the parts and did them myself. I decided to try a CZ P09 and for the first time I just wrote one check and had a CGW Pro Package P09 delivered to my local FFL. It was nice to just get the pistol tricked out with one purchase. Now, if I could just find some cheap P09 mags........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennJeep1618 Posted June 8, 2015 Share Posted June 8, 2015 I'd like to add my +1 to installing the parts yourself. If you don't need the rail for HD use, I would look into the 75 over the SP-01. It gives you more flexibility should you ever decide to shoot ESP. On top of that, I would consider a Shadow over a normal 75 or SP-01. After building up an off-the-shelf 75B with lots of CGW parts and following kneelingatlas' guide, then buying a Shadow SA, the Shadow's trigger was almost as good out of the box as the 75B's was after all of the modifications. Since then, I've swapped a handful of CGW parts into the Shadow and now the trigger is phenomenal, even though I haven't taken the time to polish anything yet. Given that, I feel like the Shadow is a better platform than an SP-01 or 75B to build and is worth the extra $$$ (you get an extra mag, better sights, no FPB, etc). My experience has mostly dealt with SA, but I thought it might give you some more perspective regarding your purchase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFin04 Posted June 8, 2015 Author Share Posted June 8, 2015 If you don't need the rail for HD use, I would look into the 75 over the SP-01. It gives you more flexibility should you ever decide to shoot ESP. On top of that, I would consider a Shadow over a normal 75 or SP-01. After building up an off-the-shelf 75B with lots of CGW parts and following kneelingatlas' guide, then buying a Shadow SA, the Shadow's trigger was almost as good out of the box as the 75B's was after all of the modifications. Since then, I've swapped a handful of CGW parts into the Shadow and now the trigger is phenomenal, even though I haven't taken the time to polish anything yet. Given that, I feel like the Shadow is a better platform than an SP-01 or 75B to build and is worth the extra $$$ (you get an extra mag, better sights, no FPB, etc). My experience has mostly dealt with SA, but I thought it might give you some more perspective regarding your purchase. I am still debating models. I plan to shoot them DA/SA because my carry gun will be DA/SA. Cheap mags and lower recoil were leading me toward a 75 based gun, but light rails and weight seem to make the P09/P07 make sense. I am borrowing a CGW P09 for a week or so and will compare it to Pannone's 75BD and decide from there. Really liked the 75BD but I cant afford a dedicated game gun at this time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snapcap Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 I bought the CGW kits and followed the Atlas thread to perform my own SP-01 work. It is exponentially better than stock. I do still want a CZ custom shopped shadow though; just to compare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhunter Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 I did the CGW/Atlas thing yesterday to my wife's new Shadow. It's better than my CZC triggers. Details were posted yesterday in the Atlas thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now