View Full Version : Surplus CZ75 Adventure
Hopefully this works. As kev Requested here is a picture of the general condition of 'Jenna II's' frame. She is a surplus, imported by Interarms, sold by Bud's.
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At this point I had used some Naval Jelly but not much else.
Okay, I've finally figured out how to upload pictures, let's see how this goes. This picture shows what I used to strip the frame, Klean Strip Aircraft Paint Remover, and one of my first attempts at using it:
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I finally figured out that use need to really blob it on:
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And then go into the house and chill while it does it's magic:
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More coming if these attach.
So this is where I am at now:
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I'm going to see how it turns out after sandblasting - it will be a hoot, I haven't sandblasted anything since auto shop in HS circa 1971.
I have some Norrell's Moly Resin in FDE inbound, and a brand new air brush set for my painter (wife) to use. We will see how it shakes out.
Nice pistola.
Please school me on picture posting sometime.
brickboy240
07-15-16, 10:00
I had a "pre-B" surplus CZ-75 that was a sweet shooter. Stupidly, I sold it to my cousin but he loves it and still has it.
Maybe someday I can buy it back from him.
Next to the surplus FN Hi-Powers, they are some of the best bargain surplus 9mm to own, if you ask me. Very accurate, too.
I had a "pre-B" surplus CZ-75 that was a sweet shooter. Stupidly, I sold it to my cousin but he loves it and still has it.
Maybe someday I can buy it back from him.
Next to the surplus FN Hi-Powers, they are some of the best bargain surplus 9mm to own, if you ask me. Very accurate, too.
About a year or so ago, I bought a new in box 1991 made pre-B CZ-75 that someone had squirreled away in a safe. I have owned CZ pistols since the mid 90's, and I do prefer the pre-B over my 75B slightly. It is a more elegant design with a somewhat better trigger due to no firing pin block. The pre-B's are getting a premium these days due to their rarity, and better aesthetics. CZ does release a "Retro" version every now and then which has the spur hammer, and rounded trigger guard.
I'm going to see how it turns out after sandblasting - it will be a hoot, I haven't sandblasted anything since auto shop in HS circa 1971.
Could you post a pic of the slide on the sandblasted frame? I'm a sucker for the custom 1911's of the 70s and 80's, and the dark slide/light-colored frame combo is a favorite of mine.
Thanks,
Okie John
KalashniKEV
07-15-16, 13:28
NICE!
And no pitting, rust, or barnacles- that's going to come out good!
Gel stripper can do some amazing things.
The pre-B's are getting a premium these days due to their rarity, and better aesthetics.
Dude... the streets are flooded with Pre-B's at can't-not-buy prices.
I picked up two of them, and I didn't even really want one.
was gonna do a restore on the one i got from cdi but it was in too good a shape
Could you post a pic of the slide on the sandblasted frame? I'm a sucker for the custom 1911's of the 70s and 80's, and the dark slide/light-colored frame combo is a favorite of mine.
Thanks,
Okie John
OK - I'll even put the frame together for the practice.
Next to the surplus FN Hi-Powers, they are some of the best bargain surplus 9mm to own, if you ask me. Very accurate, too.
I have a surplus FN, it is a good shooter, but I liked this CZ better. Probably because of the horrid sights on the Browning.
The Browning is in better condition than the CZ, it is going to be a safe Queen until I decide whether I want to have the slide done to mount decent sights.
still gotta pick up a real hi power to go with my FEG clone
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If you have your own blaster and AL OX, the CZ PreB is not a tough thing to refinish. The safety is tricky. They can come out VERY nice, and generally the old PreBs have better DA triggers. SA not so much.
This MIGHT be a good project gun: https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/411556276 . Its a transitional - nonB.
If you can detail strip (its very doable - and this gun MIGHT have the B style safety which makes it easier), you can polish the DA action. It will take regular CZ sights. Only problem is that the original round TG and vertical slide serrations make the PreB nicer to look at. But this gun ought to be totally reliable. If you have someone close by who refinishes you can have a nice gun for less than $500.
If you have your own blaster and AL OX, the CZ PreB is not a tough thing to refinish. The safety is tricky. They can come out VERY nice, and generally the old PreBs have better DA triggers. SA not so much.
This MIGHT be a good project gun: https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/411556276 . Its a transitional - nonB.
If you can detail strip (its very doable - and this gun MIGHT have the B style safety which makes it easier), you can polish the DA action. It will take regular CZ sights. Only problem is that the original round TG and vertical slide serrations make the PreB nicer to look at. But this gun ought to be totally reliable. If you have someone close by who refinishes you can have a nice gun for less than $500.
That is the batch I bought mine from. Mine is date marked 92. The picture is fairly representative, mine was a little worse exterior-wise, but not much. IDK if the remainder would get progressively worse or if they just reach into a bin and pull one, I did not see a best of batch pick option.
This is the batch I bought my FN HP from: http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=F1FNHP&name=FN+Belgium+Hi+Power+9mm+Pistol+Standard+Mk+2&groupid=5389 The finish is just about what in indicated on the picture. I knew this going in, the expensive thing is getting the slide milled for the front sight. I think I'll probably just have that done and get some Gunner Grips.
CZ does release a "Retro" version every now and then which has the spur hammer, and rounded trigger guard.
Yes. Yes they do. Last one was in 2013, I believe....
http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p549/FLICK16801/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsh16enhr6.jpeg (http://s1155.photobucket.com/user/FLICK16801/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsh16enhr6.jpeg.html)
That is the batch I bought mine from. Mine is date marked 92. The picture is fairly representative, mine was a little worse exterior-wise, but not much. IDK if the remainder would get progressively worse or if they just reach into a bin and pull one, I did not see a best of batch pick option.
I'll let you know tomorrow when mine shows up. My first CZ and should be a fun refinish project.
And following on to my post late last night, I picked mine up this evening. It's an old 85 dated one. The finish isn't worn too badly, just a little surface rust around the grips. I'll replace all the springs and refinish it, but other than that it's just got some shooting in its future. It's got an excellent trigger in both DA and SA with a decent reset.
The mag it came with was a ban-era Mec-Gar that is completely beat to hell and won't come out of the gun without a pretty good tug.
Couple questions:
I was reading there was a way to modify the older guns to accept the newer mags...anyone have a suggestion for that?
The silver pin at the top of the trigger walks out, and can actually block the trigger from moving aft. Anyone had that issue?
http://i.imgur.com/pXzLzvT.jpg
That is nice looking.
The armorers manual I downloaded talked about peining some material on the othe side before inserting the pin to keep it from walking.
According to the guy from Cajun Gun Works you should be able to see where you need to remove material from the frame when you insert a 75B mag into a 75. I ordered mags from CZ USA for the 75 so didn't worry about it.
Mr. Greene
07-21-16, 00:21
Yes. Yes they do. Last one was in 2013, I believe....
http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p549/FLICK16801/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsh16enhr6.jpeg (http://s1155.photobucket.com/user/FLICK16801/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsh16enhr6.jpeg.html)
Wow if they released this again I'm all over it. There's just something about the retro look. Especially the grips, those are awesome.
I wonder why they still have the squared off trigger guard since that shooting style has gone away, that they haven't gone back to the rounded one.
Wow if they released this again I'm all over it. There's just something about the retro look. Especially the grips, those are awesome.
I wonder why they still have the squared off trigger guard since that shooting style has gone away, that they haven't gone back to the rounded one.
They have a Cold War Commemorative model out right now:
https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/21_82/products_id/70851/CZ-USA+CZ75+COLD+WAR+COMM+9mm+*LTD
It doesn't have the round trigger guard though.
Mr. Greene
07-21-16, 18:33
Saw that one, it just doesn't have the look without the rounded guard and old style grips.
UPDATE: Well, got pretty busy with household chores and some training and consulting stuff - which was a pleasant surprize since I wasn't marketing myself in that respect since retirement. Any of you other retired guys notice your working harder/longersince you've retired?
Anyways I bead blasted the frame - it was quite the adventure. After the first 3 seconds I realized the media I was using was too big, so off to the Farm supply to get some Garnet - 35.00 for 50 pounds versus 7.00 for 50 pounds with the Black Diamond. Got it blasted, wasn't able to get rid of the deeper rust areas completely w/o grinding, but I think it will look OK.
Then on to applying the Norrell's Moly-Resin. The guy is a genius. I've never airbrushed anything before, so I sand blasted some square tubing I had and gave it a shot. Seemed to do okay. So I reread the instructions/tips from Norrell one last time. This is where the genius part comes in, I read this snippet and took it to heart:
After you have coated your parts adequately, they parts should be cured in an oven. Inspect your parts carefully before curing to make sure you sprayed them to your standards before final curing. Moly Resin can be removed with Acetone or MEK before curing. After curing you can’t remove it with a chemical so you will need to re-blast.
I immediately went to the hardware store and bought a gallon of MEK, a friendly little chemical I'm familiar with from our go-kart racing days. So far I've painted it 3 times. I think the MEK has actually penetrated my chem gloves :bad: I think Norrell has a deal with Kleen Strip and Ace Hardware.
I didn't think to take any pictures of it painted, but here it is after my last strip job:
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I'll get back on it today or tomorrow, I think I'm going to try to find a cheap single action airbrush.
Okay, here the frame is with the slide. I had to order some pins and spring from CZ so it took a backseat to other projects for a while.
The slide is pretty representative of the whole weapon when I got it. Notice the rust pits on the hammer and the general poor finish. This pistol had been rode hard and put away wet.
The grips were caked with old grease and crud on the underside, I wanted to put them on for the picture so I brushed them with a stiff nylon brush, then shot on some gun scrubber to clean them further - big mistake, they got sticky and soft. Let them set in the sun for a while, then washed with soap and water. After they dried I shot them with some paint I had left over from painting mags. They dried okay so I put them on. I have some some G10 LOKGrips inbound in the golfball texture.
Next week I'm going to strip the finish from the slide as much as possible, bead blast it and shoot it with the same color Norrell's Moly Resin. I've never used an airbrush before (you can probably tell) but BudsGunShop still has these in stock,so I'll see if I can get better - two sons and two daughters to potentially get them for.
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she reminds me of a workhorse.
she aint pretty like a custom 1911, but she will work.
goodluck with the rest
Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk
26 inf, look at cdisales on gunbroker. they've got a lot of surplus cz75s and they're fantastic to deal with. Probably save a few $ over buds too. every gun I've gotten from them was in better than described condition.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
I just painted and cured the slide today. I'm getting the hang of it a little better, you can see on the frame the small triangle and semi circle where I knocked it over putting it in the oven. I let the slide dry completely outdoors before I brought it in and put it in the oven.
I have sights on the way from Dawson Precision so didn't bother assembling it until they are installed on the slide.
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Next project is a used 870 Express I picked up at the LGS to practice shaping the loading port and more Moly Resin application.
Some of the older CZ's lack the firing pin block safety and may be capable of a lighter trigger pull. The CZ Custom shop sometimes will have dirt cheap take off parts like hammers. I forget what else. The owner/big boss man is a famous CZ competitor and gun smith and has the reputation of being a nice, helpful guy. The same is true for the owner of Cajun Gun Works. He too is a famous CZ gun smith. I have corresponded with both. CGW is in Louisiana and has a deal or two occasionally on take off parts. The CZ is over engineered for sure with many heavy duty parts. This trait allows it to be rebuilt and rebuilt and rebuilt. I bought a factory armorer's manual on two of the 75 series from CZ Custom.
I'm ignorant of sand blasting and best keep my mouth shut. Many use glass beads for blasting, and some use the very gentle soda in a special blaster.
Kind of bringing this to a close. After I got the sights from Dawson, I found they did not fit. I filed the base on the front sight, applied some cold blue and installed it, no problemo.
The rear sight was a different matter. The bottom of the sight 'overhang' rubbed on the slide behind the dovetail and wouldn't allow me to start the sight into the dovetail. This perplexed me because as far as I could tell I have what is essentially a 75B slide without a firing pin safety. I put the sight in the vice and begin slicing away with the Dremel. Here is a picture. Notice that the padded jaws are not on the vise and that a strip of lathe is cushioning the sight on the top side. It got hot enough to start to melt the rubber.
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So after that was done I cold blued the rear sight and began to install, had to do a couple stokes with the file to get it to fit the dovetail. Another go round with the cold blue and ready to go.
First trip to the range was a major bummer. Sights were off on elevation, which I expected, but the dang thing grouped dinner plate size at 25 off the bench.
Trudged back to the house and ordered a bushing from Cajun Gun works. Wasn't sure it would fit, so emailed Cajun's Customer Service late Friday or Saturday evening. Lo and behold I had an answer the next morning and ordered the correct bushing and a couple of front sight roll pins as well as a new Cajun Floating Trigger Pin. Shipping was as quick as the response to my email. Getting the old bushing out was not that difficult and the new one installed easily - the dovetail for the sight pin matched up correctly first time.
Back to the range, grouped substantially tighter, but still about 4 inches off the bench. I used PMC and Blazer 115gr FMJ both times, did not try any other weights. At this point I'm going to get some 124grainers and see how it shoots before I get a new barrel.
Here is how she looks at this point. This was my first attempt at both airbrushing and applying Norrel's Moly Coat, every mistake I made is highly visible. Next one will be better, waiting for AIM to get another batch.
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David Milam is the gunsmith/owner at Cajun and goes by the username Schmeky on The Original CZ Forum. He stated that these barrels are fitted from the breech in with little or no attention elsewhere. I've seen "take off" 75 barrels for sale cheap on the CZ Custom site and Cajun may have them occasionally. Before buying another barrel, have you considered having the original's muzzle recrowned? Another possibility is building up the barrel hood at the breech end and then filing it to ft. This technique was common with .45 pistol smiths trying to produce target pistols. Midway is currently stocking these barrels. I'd bet, though, that you can build up the original barrel and refit to produce your desired accuracy level.
Nice job on the refinish OP! I've done several guns, and countless magazines and parts with Norells, it's good stuff.
Saw that one, it just doesn't have the look without the rounded guard and old style grips.
The new release of Cold war Commemoratives have the rounded trigger guards, and spur hammers. This one followed me home. The grips can be had in several colors, I was hoping the "orangish brown" would give it a Makarov like look, but sadly it's much too orange. I ordered some wood grips with a star engraved from marschal's, but it will be months before they get here, so I'll be going with a set of VZ or Lok G10 grips for now.
This one also has the Cajun gun works reach reduction kit, and short reset kit installed. They make a pretty big difference on the B series guns.
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b299/nimslow/11-25-14/IMG_6625_zpsyogpnxrk.jpg (http://s21.photobucket.com/user/nimslow/media/11-25-14/IMG_6625_zpsyogpnxrk.jpg.html)
I have a couple of Pre-B's that I purchased a few years ago from CDI off GunBroker. They were reparkerized, so I don't know if I'm just going to paint over the park or strip them down.
Yes. Yes they do. Last one was in 2013, I believe....
http://i1155.photobucket.com/albums/p549/FLICK16801/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsh16enhr6.jpeg (http://s1155.photobucket.com/user/FLICK16801/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsh16enhr6.jpeg.html)
The problem with that one is the slide is not correct. It's a B slide on the first style frame. I wish they'd make one with both the first style slide and frame.
http://i.imgur.com/G7uGg1j.jpg
Here's my surplus CZ75. The frame is satin nickel, but no one seems to know if any pre-b's were made in two-tone. It was made in 1989.
The problem with that one is the slide is not correct. It's a B slide on the first style frame. I wish they'd make one with both the first style slide and frame.
Is that the CZ "Retro" model? They are 75B's with a rounded trigger guard, and spur hammer. A few years ago I was able to buy a NIB, 1991 Pre-B. It has become my favorite pistol, even over my other CZ's. I almost bought a Retro, but found this original Pre-B for about the same price. I think the lack of firing pin block allows a better trigger.
http://i.imgur.com/G7uGg1j.jpg
Here's my surplus CZ75. The frame is satin nickel, but no one seems to know if any pre-b's were made in two-tone. It was made in 1989.
Nice.
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