CZ shooter dipping toes into 2011 waters

[muncie21]

I shoot the CZ TS Orange in Limited and really love this design.  Provided you feed it the right length (OAL) bullet it does its part and performs 'boringly' (I'm blaming EM for that phrase) reliably.

 

I'm considering moving/switching  (in 1-2 years) to Open Division, as age/eyesight  is catching up to me. Before I invest the family jewels (first born already spoken for- thanks IRS) in an Open rig, I wanted to try out the 2011 platform to determine if the CZ or 2011 was the best path to Open for me.

 

My question is for those that have transitioned from CZ to 2011 or vice versa,  what are your thoughts/suggestion?  Anything you would have done differently? 

[aandabooks]

I would have started with a CZ and never looked back.  If you have an Orange you are already most of the way to open.  Under $1k will get you the rest of the way and you'll still have your Limited gun.  Optic mount, optic, 9mm top end and a barrel threaded with comp.

[Dranoel]

I went the opposite direction. Been a 1911 man since I was 12. Just bought a CZ75 TS .40. Already had it all apart making it better.

But now you own the top two pistols in the world, How could you go wrong?

 

Welcome to Club.

 

[Kilrb]

I am on the fence as well have a Tactical Sport now, looking at either Chezmate or 2011 kind of torn. Like the CZ’s as they just run 2011 heard and seen both them do both

 

 

Edited October 17, 2018 by Kilrb

[muncie21]

I decided to pick up a used 2011, practice this winter and shoot it next season.  If I like the 2011 platform over the CZ, I'll go the 2011 route for Open.  If not, I'll be getting a CZ CM.

 

I've been spoiled (or so I'm told) by the reliability of the CZ TS/O platform.  These things just run, no tweaking or mag tuning required.  Let's see how the 2011 treats  me.

[yigal]

cz tso is  the best gun that cz designed. with sub 1.5-  2lb trigger out of the box. and very reliable.

 for same reliability  for 2011 platform u will need good gunsmith.$$$$$$ but after it will run 100% u will never look  back.

redesigned 2018   2011 platforms   can work  much better than  tso .

[Luck2011]

I was shooting the Tanfo Limited and went to the 2011 Akai Nitro 40 with PT EVO and I was blown away. I had a hard time justifying it but I'm glad I did 

[zzt]

I shot Limited with my CZ TS and loved it.  When I decided to move to Open I bought a top end for it.  It worked well, but I was dissatisfied with the compromises.  At the time, there was no CM or TSO, so my upgrade options were limited.  If I were making the switch today, I'd more than likely go with the CM.

 

Since it wasn't available at the time, I bought a used, full custom 2011, then another as a backup.  I've been shooting them for the past two seasons.  I sold the CZ Open upper and decided to stick with the 2011s.  I can work on them myself, because I build my own 1911s.  I'm now building two new Open guns.  One is a 1911 fro Steel Challenge.  The other is a 2011 for USPSA.

 

As aandabooks wrote above, your easiest path to see if you like Open is to buy a complete new Open top end for your TSO.  The only additional thing you'll have to do is shorten the frame and relocate the serial number.  If this option was available when I switched to Open, that is precisely what I would have done.

[aandabooks]

8 hours ago, zzt said:

I shot Limited with my CZ TS and loved it.  When I decided to move to Open I bought a top end for it.  It worked well, but I was dissatisfied with the compromises.  At the time, there was no CM or TSO, so my upgrade options were limited.  If I were making the switch today, I'd more than likely go with the CM.

 

Since it wasn't available at the time, I bought a used, full custom 2011, then another as a backup.  I've been shooting them for the past two seasons.  I sold the CZ Open upper and decided to stick with the 2011s.  I can work on them myself, because I build my own 1911s.  I'm now building two new Open guns.  One is a 1911 fro Steel Challenge.  The other is a 2011 for USPSA.

 

As aandabooks wrote above, your easiest path to see if you like Open is to buy a complete new Open top end for your TSO.  The only additional thing you'll have to do is shorten the frame and relocate the serial number.  If this option was available when I switched to Open, that is precisely what I would have done.

 

It's not necessary to shorten the frame and relocate serial number if you just run comp in frame.  Don't have to worry about holding the comp with guide rod with if it is in the frame.  No rotation.

 

 

I have a little bit of a thing for CZ handguns.  The Shadow 2s are my son's for Production.

[yigal]

7 hours ago, aandabooks said:

 

It's not necessary to shorten the frame and relocate serial number if you just run comp in frame.  Don't have to worry about holding the comp with guide rod with if it is in the frame.  No rotation.

 

 

I have a little bit of a thing for CZ handguns.  The Shadow 2s are my son's for Production.

very nice  cz collection .

 i feel that i can recognize my old Skoda in few of your guns.

  

Edited October 19, 2018 by yigal

[muncie21]

Well I've got a 2011 on the way.  Let's see which one (CZ or 2011) goes up for sale next year

[Hi-Power Jack]

Few comments re:  it being difficult to make a 2011 run flawlessly.

 

I bought two TruBors (the cheapest 2011 Open guns there were), and they

both run flawlessly until the springs go - replace the springs every 3-6,000 rounds

and it would have been perfect.

 

We had a guy at our local club used to shoot CZ's in both Ltd and Open - he

switched to 2011's for both, and hasn't looked back - he's now a M level

shooter      

[Kilrb]

I just bought a 2011 yesterday been shooting CZ’s for the last year. Going from TS to 2011 .40 Brazos HP Edge.....

[Rader1812]

I owned the TS and TSO. I loved them both. However, also have sold both due to me liking the 2011 better. I did the same thing the OP did. Started with the CZ, jumped to open with the 2011. It comes down to personal preference. But just remember there is also a lot more after market support for the 2011 platform than CZ.

[StandardError]

On 10/18/2018 at 7:29 PM, aandabooks said:

 

It's not necessary to shorten the frame and relocate serial number if you just run comp in frame.  Don't have to worry about holding the comp with guide rod with if it is in the frame.  No rotation.

 

 

I have a little bit of a thing for CZ handguns.  The Shadow 2s are my son's for Production.

So does that mean an open top end can drop in to a TSO frame?

 

Also where does one even get open top ends? I am in a similar boat to the OP and have heard that CZs are notoriously hard to get just the slides for them.

[muncie21]

Update

 

Had a chance to shoot a Brazos STI Edge and SV (both in .40) yesterday.

While both shot fine, neither was head/shoulders above the TSO in terms of accuracy or ergonomics.  Although the STI mags were tuned by Brazos (grams followers/base pads) some of the mags would only hold 19 rounds.  The factory SV mags only hold 18. 

 

So +1 for CZ consistency relative to mags.  No 'tuning' required and with grams followers/springs + CZC base pads, without a doubt you'll get 20 rounds, reloadable.

I also found that the STI didn't like my short (1.13) OAL that I run in my CZs.  Sometimes the first round would jam directly into the feed ramp and stop.  So I loaded up some new cartridges at 1.17 OAL and plan to test them today.

 

Finally, I chrono'd both pistols using the ammo I normally shoot in the CZ.  The SV chrono'd about the same as the TSO (170-172 PF),  the STI was a hair less at 168-170 PF.  I didn't change the powder drop when I adjusted the OAL for today's test, so it will be interesting to see how much the PF drops as a result of increasing the OAL.

Edited November 4, 2018 by muncie21
added pics

[aandabooks]

On 10/29/2018 at 2:34 AM, StandardError said:

So does that mean an open top end can drop in to a TSO frame?

 

Also where does one even get open top ends? I am in a similar boat to the OP and have heard that CZs are notoriously hard to get just the slides for them.

 

A top end can drop right onto the frame.  You have to build the top end yourself.  I've acquired mine from members here either as a 75SA or SP01 slide.  The 75SA requires a 6" barrel to be cut and threaded.  The SP01 you can just buy a threaded barrel.  

[StandardError]

3 hours ago, aandabooks said:

 

A top end can drop right onto the frame.  You have to build the top end yourself.  I've acquired mine from members here either as a 75SA or SP01 slide.  The 75SA requires a 6" barrel to be cut and threaded.  The SP01 you can just buy a threaded barrel.  

 

And I am assuming that this runs 9 major, then? Do you need to use a throating reamer to load long? 

 

 

[aandabooks]

I didn't do anything to my chambers.  I run 115gr PD HPs at 1.145".  They feed fine and make PF easily.

[StandardError]

4 hours ago, aandabooks said:

I didn't do anything to my chambers.  I run 115gr PD HPs at 1.145".  They feed fine and make PF easily.

 

 

Thanks for all this info. When compared to 2011s, do you find a CZ platform open gun to be lacking?

[kneelingatlas]

8 hours ago, StandardError said:

Thanks for all this info. When compared to 2011s, do you find a CZ platform open gun to be lacking?

 

There are many pieces of the puzzle.  I confidently assert the Czechmate is the best off-the-shelf Open gun on the market, so if you want to buy an Open gun, load ammo for it and shoot, the Czechmate is a great choice, but if you want something custom, unless you want to do it yourself, the 2011 is going to be the easiest way to go.

 

I prefer my custom CZs to my custom 2011s, but then again, I'm the CZ guy.

[Lastcat]

On 10/16/2018 at 5:19 PM, aandabooks said:

I would have started with a CZ and never looked back.  If you have an Orange you are already most of the way to open.  Under $1k will get you the rest of the way and you'll still have your Limited gun.  Optic mount, optic, 9mm top end and a barrel threaded with comp.

 

This. If you are handy and can build it. Or, get a CM.

[aandabooks]

18 hours ago, StandardError said:

 

 

Thanks for all this info. When compared to 2011s, do you find a CZ platform open gun to be lacking?

 

I'm done switching around guns every other match like I did in my first 5 years in the sport.  I've landed on the CZ TS as my go to gun and that is all I've run in competition since the spring.  I have 2 setup for open and one for limited.  I shoot them so much that when I put a 1911/2011 in my hand at the range it feels abnormal.  I don't feel like the platform holds me back at all.  I can guarantee that they can shoot just as fast as any other gun on the market and can be just as accurate.  The magazines are simple to run.  

[obsessiveshooter]

Dumb question here. If I were to build an open top end for my cz ts limited gun, what would be the disadvantage of a slide mounted optic, vs the typical setup? Seems like the dot movement would start and stop at the same time for both, and the dot would jump relative to your muzzle rise for both. Kinda like a standard front sight vs an island barrel. Yet it's clear that open shooters prefer one setup over the other.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[MemphisMechanic]

Because all of us carry Optics shooters are constantly battling optics that break. Even the most durable ones out there are dying when the shooter runs 20-30k a year through their guns. I have 5k flawlessly on my Deltapoint Pro and I know eventually it’ll go down.

 

Slide ride beats them to death, and we’re shooting minor. Lighten the slide and feed major 9 to the gun? No thanks.

 

Edited November 6, 2018 by MemphisMechanic