CZ75 – Small Arms Review

THE BABY DESERT EAGLE AND CZ 75 CLONES

SAR Staff — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 21:48:00 +0000

By R.K. Campbell

Once a handgun becomes successful it is inevitable that copies or clones of the piece are produced. So it is in spades with the Colt 1911 and less frequently with other handguns. One such handgun is the Czech CZ 75. This innovative handgun was hailed as the greatest service pistol available and little has changed since. The CZ 75 is highly proven in service and rigid government testing on both sides of the ocean and places in between. But the subjects of this feature are the clone guns of the CZ 75. There are quite a few and it isn’t possible to cover every one but we will take a look at the most widespread versions. Most are products of the Italian company Tangfoglio, a maker of quality parts that are sometimes finished by others. Other handguns are completely assembled in Italy. Another clone pistol is produced in Turkey.

The Baby Eagle differs from the original CZ 75 in that the Baby Eagle uses a slide mounted safety/ decocker lever.

The original CZ 75 combined the high magazine capacity of the Browning High Power with the Walther P-38 double action first shot trigger feature. This was not big news: the Smith and Wesson Model 59 and the Beretta 92 did the same. But the CZ 75 did so with a different approach. With all respect to other designs, the CZ 75 has considerably outpaced its rivals in service use and longevity. There have been few problems with the CZ 75 while other handguns have suffered nightmarish problems and a lack of confidence in service. The original CZ 75 features an internal drawback in the double action trigger, compared to the dated external drawbar used on the P-38. The trigger is usually smooth. The single action trigger is also smooth, with most variants breaking at about six pounds, clean, with the characteristic backlash of the type. A trait of the type is that the hammer is rocked slightly to the rear just as the sear breaks. The CZ features a kidney shaped camming surface in the barrel. The slide lock runs through this kidney shaped device. The most innovative feature of the CZ 75 was the slide configuration. The slide is designed to run inside the frame rails. The slide rails are reversed. By using this arrangement, the CZ 75 features a lower bore axis. For control and hand placement in controlling the trigger, the low bore axis is a great advantage. The engineers at CZ managed to produce a double action first shot pistol that has proven as easy to shoot well as the Browning High Power – perhaps even a bit more controllable.

The safety configuration is also important. The pistol is designed to be carried hammer down and ready for a rapid first shot. The safety cannot be placed in the on position with the hammer down. However, clone guns such as the EAA Witness and the ArmaLite AR 24 have modified this safety to allow on safe carry with the hammer down. This is fine as far as it goes and something some shooters seemed to ask for. The CZ has proven a capable handgun appreciated by those ‘in the know.’ But while the pistols are high quality, there was room for improvement.

The newest Baby Eagle has proven as reliable as the first. These are good handguns, suitable for hard service.

EAA Witness

The European American Armory (EAA) Witness is simply a clone of the C 75 with the majority being produced in 9mm Luger caliber. However, there is a demand for big bore handguns in America and the Witness was soon chambered for other calibers after its introduction. Notably the Witness was available in large numbers in North America when the original CZ was very difficult to obtain. The Witness changed the safety configuration as we have noted. The grip tang was also extended into a longer beavertail. This beavertail resulted in not only lowering the bore axis but in spreading recoil out about the palm in a superior fashion to the original CZ 75. Another advantage of the Witness is that the Witness features superior sights. Witness handguns are available in 9mm, .40, .38 Super, 10mm and .45 ACP. European American Armory got the jump on CZ by offering good quality CZ types before CZ had a presence in America, and offering compact and big bore versions. Good results have been enjoyed with the Witness with never a serious problem that could not be resolved by minor gunsmithing. The extractor needs to be replaced every 5,000 rounds or so and the recoil spring at 3,500 rounds. This was learned in competition shooting though this is not an onerous standard. This is a particularly accurate little beast that will place five rounds of Federal 155 gr. JHP into two inches at 25 yards. The Witness is actually looser than the original CZ 75 upon examination but all seem to work well and the targets do not lie. The compact version is an impressive handgun. Then there is the big Witness in 10mm caliber. The popular press has overlooked this big bore CZ, but the fact is the piece is superior in every way to the original Bren Ten. Here is a 10mm CZ that works!

The CZ 75 B

The CZ 75B features an ambidextrous safety lever. Note the red dot denoting “Off Safe.

This is an interesting CZ and no, it is not a clone. It is a real CZ and is included because the CZ 75B compact is obviously an answer to some of the clone guns. Just as Colt offered the 1991 A1 in answer to Springfield’s GI pistol, CZ offers an improved CZ in compact form. The tang is elongated and the dust cover beefed up; a combination of features from other elevated CZ types. And of course it is a big bore. The low bore axis of the CZ is evident, giving good control, and the pistol is among the best balanced of handguns. With the Fiocchi 165 grain JHP, newly introduced, this handgun is particularly accurate. A five shot group of two and one half inches at 25 yards is possible but concentration on the small sights is required.

In this illustration the CZ Compact is shown cocked and locked. Simply place the safety off and fire in the single action mode.

The AR 24

The AR 24 is among the most accurate of all CZ 75 pistols. This version features adjustable sights. The styling results in a pistol with an appearance similar to the SIG P 210.

This may be the most sophisticated and most accurate CZ 75 clone ever. Produced in Turkey for ArmaLite, the AR 24 is well finished. There are slight changes in the tang and grip frame, the pistol features the Witness type safety system, and the sights are first quality. Additionally the slide has been reconfigured to closely resemble the SIG P 210. The P 210 is a well made and fantastically accurate handgun. The AR 24 is also a very accurate handgun. Two inches at twenty five yards with the Black Hills 124 grain JHP is a result that can be achieved with a high likelihood the handgun is capable of even better accuracy. The AR 24 is proving popular and feedback is good. Time will tell but at present this pistol seems to be a winner.

The Baby Desert Eagle

The Baby Eagle is on a par in size and bulk with a Commander length pistol (left) , but a bit heavier.

Magnum Research, Inc. imports the massive and impressive Desert Eagle, calling their CZ 75 clone the Baby Desert Eagle. For brevity, and out of affection, most of us call the Baby Desert Eagle the ‘Baby Eagle.’ The Baby Eagle is produced in Israel by Israeli Military Industries. The pistol may feature an Italian made frame and certainly the original Jericho and Uzi pistols were basically Tangfoglio pistols. The Baby Eagle features a very important design change. The safety has been changed to a decocker/safety mounted on the slide. While this seems to be a triumph of the technical over the tactical, many police agencies demand a decocker over a frame mounted safety. The Israelis seem to practice chamber empty carry, so it doesn’t really matter. Despite a three and one half inch barrel the Baby Eagle is very accurate. I have fired groups of three inches or less for five shots at twenty five yards on a number of occasions; with Winchester 230 gr. SXT load proving the most accurate to date. The monolithic frame of the Baby Eagle actually lends it a resemblance to the Desert Eagle. Overall this is a fine handgun and a favorite among the CZ 75 clone guns.

Like all CZs, the Baby Eagle is a snap to field strip and also easy to maintain.

The CZ 75 is a very well designed handgun. It is no surprise that even better handguns have sprung from the original. There is more to come and fans of the CZ 75 should be well pleased.

The CZ is not as difficult to holster as it once was. Quality leather such as this example from UBG holsters is readily available.

The Baby Eagle features a ramped barrel that feeds any bullet nose style.

This article first appeared in Small Arms Review V12N10 (July 2009)

CZ75 Pistol

SAR Staff — Tue, 01 May 2001 00:44:16 +0000

By Frank Iannamico

The 9mm Parabellum round that was developed by Germany in 1904 finally came of age as a pistol cartridge in the United States in the 1980s. During this time period many high capacity 9mm semi-automatic pistols were being introduced to the U.S. market by a number of manufacturers. The popular gun magazines affectionately referred to the new generation of 9mm high-capacity pistols as “wonder nines”. The American shooter’s love affair with the wonder nine began to wane shortly after the FBI’s tragic shoot out in Florida when repeated hits from 9mm rounds failed to stop two determined felons, resulting in the death of several agents. After that well studied and documented incident, law enforcement agencies began to lose faith in the performance of the 9mm cartridge, and began to search for a more capable round. Today the 9mm has largely been replaced by the .40 caliber S&W round as the standard U.S. police cartridge. The United States armed forces have decided to stay with the 9mm NATO caliber M9 Beretta pistol adopted in 1985. Recent laws banning new magazines with over a ten round capacity has also caused a loss of interest in the 9mm cartridge. Most people who were purchasing semi-auto handguns after the over 10 round magazine ban was in effect felt that if they were limited to ten rounds or less, they may as well be big ones like the .45 ACP.

During the heyday of the “wonder nine” pistols there was one particular model that continued to receive unusually high praise from many gun writers. That pistol was the highly touted CZ75. The problem was that the CZ75 wasn’t readily available in the U.S. at the time. The reason for the pistol’s obscurity here was because they were manufactured in Czechoslovakia, a Communist country. Czechoslovakia had only very limited international trade with the United States, and an agreement banned the importation of firearms into the U.S. The CZ75 examples that were in this country had been brought in from Canada where they could be legally imported. A United States citizen could import the Czech pistols from Canada for personal use, after completing a BATF Form 6 and paying the necessary freight and a hefty 55% duty charge (the duty also applied to any extra magazines and accessories ordered with the pistol). The extra cost of the duty, freight charges and the paper work involved were more than most individuals cared to get involved with. A few firearms manufacturers saw the interest in the Czech pistol design and several clones were manufactured, the TZ-75 made by Tanfoglio of Italy, the Swiss AT84 and others.

In the 1990s the Communist world began to collapse and international commerce was established with many nations that were previously banned from trading (or had only limited trade) with the United States. Many firearms that were produced in the Com-bloc nations, once quite rare in the U.S., became common place and inexpensive. The Czech CZ75 pistol was one of these. The odd thing was, as the Czech CZ75 pistol became widely available, they ironically disappeared from the pages of gun magazines and quickly began to lose the notoriety they once enjoyed.

The year of manufacture is stamped aft of the ejection port.

In reality the CZ75 is a well built, accurate firearm, and very reasonably priced. Unlike many “wonder nines” that have aluminum alloy frames, The original CZ75’s frame and slide are made entirely of steel. While the all steel construction adds weight, it is hardly noticed because of the CZ’s excellent balance. The locking system is very similar to that of the Browning Hi-Power, for there are virtually no pistols that don’t use some feature from the brilliant John Browning designs. The barrel is cammed in and out of battery by the latch pin in the frame, and is locked to the slide by two lugs. Another unique feature of the CZ is that the guide rails are machined on the inside of the frame instead of the outside. In this configuration the slide rides on the inside of the frame, rather than the outside. Early CZ75 models up to the 27,000 serial number range have slide/frame mating surfaces that are approximately one-half an inch shorter than current versions. The slide rails were increased in length to decrease the chance of slide problems as was experienced in a few very early guns. The CZ’s 4.72- inch, 6 groove right-hand twist barrel is hard chrome-lined to resist the ravages of corrosive ammunition still found in some isolated parts of the world.

Some early models also featured a rounded “commander” style hammer instead of the more common spur type. The design of the plastic grips will also vary slightly. The very early CZ pistols were painted with flat black epoxy paint, and shortly after the initial production began optional blue and nickel finishes were offered. The year that each individual pistol was manufactured is engraved just aft of the ejection port on the right side of the slide. In 1988 the CZ75 was further modified to be more reliable with hard primers often used in military ammunition. This was done by incorporating a newly designed firing pin, hammer and hammer spring. Many of the parts such as the slide and barrel, are serial numbered to the pistol.

Field Stripping:
1. Remove the magazine and visually inspect the chamber to be sure the pistol is not loaded. 2. Pull the slide rearward until the mark on the end of the slide is lined up with the mark on the frame. 3. Remove the take-down pin. 4. Pull the slide off of the frame. 5. Carefully remove the recoil spring and guide and tilt the barrel downward and remove it from the slide. 6. The pistol is now field stripped for routine cleaning.

The CZ75 is a conventional double action design, but features a frame-mounted safety, and a half cock notch. The CZ offers the shooter the option of carrying the pistol in the popular “cocked and locked” method or the hammer down-double action-first shot mode. (note: for safety reasons it is the personal opinion of the author not to carry firearms in the “cocked and locked” mode). The CZ offers a 15 round capacity magazine (pre ban models), and a 16th round can be carried in the chamber. The pistol is very ergonomic and offers a decent trigger right out of the box. Trigger pulls tested on several guns averaged a smooth eleven pounds in the double action mode, and a crisp 5 pounds single action. Workmanship and quality of these guns is first rate. The magazine release is located in the same “1911” location familiar to most U.S. shooters. When released, the empty magazines will not drop out of the magazine well by gravity alone, they must be pulled out manually. However, the pistol can be easily modified to allow the magazines to drop out if desired. The rear sight is a non-adjustable notch, the front sight is a simple blade. The sights are simple, but adequate for a military style pistol. The CZ75 is ultra reliable with virtually all types of 9mm Parabellum ammunition

The CZ75 evolved from a long line of Czech designed handguns. The CZ75 was designed primarily for export sales, and was produced in the 9mm NATO caliber instead of one of the common Communist cartridges like the 7.62×25 or the 9mm Makarov. The CZ75 was placed in production in 1975 at the state owned factory in Uhersky Brod, Czechoslovakia. The CZ designation comes form the name of the government arms industry Ceska Zbrojovka, the number 75 is from the first year of production. Since the early days of the CZ75, many new variations have been introduced. There are now compact models, double-action-only, a special IPSC competition model and a host of others varying in: caliber, size, weight, magazine capacity, trigger operation and finishes. An upgraded version designated as the CZ85 was introduced in 1985 that featured ambidextrous safety and slide controls. CZ USA also offers the 75 Kadet that is a .22 caliber conversion kit for the CZ75 and CZ85 pistols for inexpensive training.

The aftermarket industry is fully aware of the CZ75, offering custom barrels, grips, holsters and a variety of other items intended to enhance the pistol’s performance and appearance. Since initially being allowed into the U.S. the CZ75 pistol has been brought into the country by several importers. More recently, CZ USA has been the sole distributor to dealers. CZ USA also offers hunting rifles, airguns as well as a complete line of pistols that includes the; CZ92, CZ100, CZ83, CZ85, CZ40, the CZ75B series and the 122 Sport. The CZ parent company in Czechoslovakia also offers several military weapons for the world market; the famous Skorpion submachine gun in 7.65 and 9×19 calibers, and two AK pattern assault rifles, the Model 58 in 7.62×39 and the CZ2000 in 5.56 NATO.

Surprisingly the CZ75 pistol was never adopted on a large scale by any country as a military weapon. Even the Czech army passed on it in favor of their indigenous vz 83 chambered for the 9mm Makarov caliber. Even though the pistol slowly faded from the pages of the magazines and praise of the gun writers, those writers were correct. The CZ75 pistol was one of the outstanding 9mm designs of the decade.

CZ-USA
PO Box 17103
Kansas City, Kansas 66117-0073
Phone (913) 321-1811 or
800-955-4486

This article first appeared in Small Arms Review V4N8 (May 2001)