I guess I'll start with my trusty ol' carry --> a CZ 40P. Sometimes referred to as the CZ "Franken-gun", the CZ 40P was pieced together by mating the slide of a CZ 40B to the frame of the CZ P-01 with internals resembling the CZ 75BD. I purchased the early-mid production 40P for $279. But from what I'm hearing now, they range from $300 to $400. The gun shot great out of the box and was actually surprised with its accuracy. There were, however, so
me characteristics of the gun that I did not like (i.e. - trigger pull, sights, and plastic guide rod). The trigger pull eventually smoothed out nicely after a couple of hundred rounds and a good polishing. The factory hammer spring is rated at 20 lbs. Others have suggested replacing the factory hammer spring with a Wolff 15 lb spring. I'm pleased with how the stock FCG feels now, so I opted not to replace the spring. After shooting hundreds of rounds down range, I had noticed that the paint in the sights had fallen out. Tho
se of you who have CZ 40Ps know what I'm talking about.
me characteristics of the gun that I did not like (i.e. - trigger pull, sights, and plastic guide rod). The trigger pull eventually smoothed out nicely after a couple of hundred rounds and a good polishing. The factory hammer spring is rated at 20 lbs. Others have suggested replacing the factory hammer spring with a Wolff 15 lb spring. I'm pleased with how the stock FCG feels now, so I opted not to replace the spring. After shooting hundreds of rounds down range, I had noticed that the paint in the sights had fallen out. Those of you who have CZ 40Ps know what I'm talking about. I tried doing a quick fix with iridescent paint, but that didn't work out so well. I made the decision to buy some PT Night Sights from CDNN. Had to do some minor modifications to the rear sight to prevent the hammer from striking it. I am extremely satisfied with these sights and with my eyesight failing me everyday, they work well in low light conditions. I ended up replacing the stock plastic guide rod with a stainless steel full length guide rod mainly for cosmetic reasons. I don't think it 
changed anything with the gun's performance...just feel more at ease with a "steel" guide rod rather than a "plastic" one. I also ended up ordering a set of custom grips from Hakan Pek. Excellent guy to deal with and his work is incredible. Thanks Hakan! I usually change out the custom grips with the stock rubber grips during tactical training. I hear a lot of complaints about the stock mags not being flush. I love the bumpers on the stock mags. I also like the ease of dropping the mags when doing a mag change on the move. I've tried some of the flush mags and for me they had a tendency to stick when changing out. For others, that may not be a problem. The last issue I'll adress with my 40P is trying to find a holster for it. After countless searches on the internet, at local gun shops and at gun shows, I finally found a carry holster and a drop leg holster that would fit this gun. I went with a leather IWB "Sky Marshall" from Galco. Excellent concealability, extremely comfortable, and fits the 40P like a glove in my opinion. As for the Drop Leg, I went with a Safari Land 6305. Retention was very good and was able to fit the 40P with tac light with no problems. I think the 40P is an excellent buy for the money. Decent accuracy and, so far, absolutely reliable.
changed anything with the gun's performance...just feel more at ease with a "steel" guide rod rather than a "plastic" one. I also ended up ordering a set of custom grips from Hakan Pek. Excellent guy to deal with and his work is incredible. Thanks Hakan! I usually change out the custom grips with the stock rubber grips during tactical training. I hear a lot of complaints about the stock mags not being flush. I love the bumpers on the stock mags. I also like the ease of dropping the mags when doing a mag change on the move. I've tried some of the flush mags and for me they had a tendency to stick when changing out. For others, that may not be a problem. The last issue I'll adress with my 40P is trying to find a holster for it. After countless searches on the internet, at local gun shops and at gun shows, I finally found a carry holster and a drop leg holster that would fit this gun. I went with a leather IWB "Sky Marshall" from Galco. Excellent concealability, extremely comfortable, and fits the 40P like a glove in my opinion. As for the Drop Leg, I went with a Safari Land 6305. Retention was very good and was able to fit the 40P with tac light with no problems. I think the 40P is an excellent buy for the money. Decent accuracy and, so far, absolutely reliable.Post from CZ40PinAZ (from CZFORUM.COM http://p201.ezboard.com/bczechpistols82792, CZ40P Thread): "I have a 40p, S&W 6906, and S&W Sigma 40ve for comparison. I know its a little apples versus oranges but I work with what I have. So my opinion on the 40p is that it has the best balance, excellent grip for my hand size. A solid and pretty smooth trigger. The guy feels sturdy and weighty without being too heavy. The polymer 40ve is just a little too light for me and I hate the trigger.My only dislikes for the 40p are the safety system, I really like the ambidex thumb safety of the 6906, and the fit of the OEM 10 round mags vs the fit of the 6906 mags. But thats really up to the individual.I say its the best handgun for the price, but my overall experience is pretty limited".
To Be Continued...(Next up - The Glock 21).
2 comments:
Originally posted by Patrokov (form CZForum.com)
It is a good gun, but...
I just got one recently. Best prices were $323 from OnPoint, $329 from BassPro compared to $455 for a CZ75 compact 40 or P-01, both for $455 from Whittaker
Best value out there? Well, CDNN was selling the 40B for less than $300, and some say it's a better gun, but I can't comment there.
There are some tradeoffs with the 40P since it's a marriage of two parts meant for different guns:
1. The gun seems undersprung. It flings brass 8-10 feet away and all over the place. If you replace the recoil spring ($8+S&H from Wolff), then you also need to replace the short guide rod with a full length guide rod ($25 from Bedair), and then you may need to use stronger springs in your magazines ($18 +S&H from Wolff). Now that you've upgraded your gun for $60, the $120 price advantage is now only a $60 price advantage.
2. There's a plastic bushing (spacer) that goes around the recoil spring. Its job is to stop the slide from moving too far back because the slide is longer then the frame was meant for. In my gun, I can hear it slide up and down if I hold the gun muzzle up then down. It also gets chewed up a bit over time.
3. For some bizarre reason, they sell the gun with crippled 10 RD full size magazines with a rubber spacer on the end that sticks out of the gun. They should sell it with either ten round compact flush mags or 12 round full size mags with the spacer.
That said, it is a great gun:
1. Felt recoil is surprisingly light, and accuracy is very good, but the DA trigger is really heavy; SA trigger is okay.
2. It has the same ergonomics as the P-01, with the same light frame
3. Tactical rail...if you like that kind of thing
4. Kadet adapter fits on it no problem (although it needs a 75 slide stop or the slide won't lock back after the last shot; it's rumored that CZ-USA will send you one for free; I'm calling them tomorrow.).
5. It's a cheap way into the CZ family, although if CDNN still has those 40Bs, that would be cheaper (40B also has manual safety instead of a decocker, and comes with flush 10 round mags).
6. Unless you reload or your buddy complains about getting hit by the brass, there really isn't a reason to respring it (mine works reliably) so it's still $120 cheaper.
ProMag makes a mag that fits the 40P, and is 10 round flush. $22.50 at Midway. Mec-Gar makes a 12 rounder, and you can put the grip extension on it from the standard mags. $25.50.
Both were made for types of .40 cal CZ-75's, but fit the 40P just fine.
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