My LGS has this for sale and I've had it put on the shelf in my name. I'll be picking it up on the weekend.

But as I'm not terribly familiar with CZs (I just recently picked up a 75 SAO and liked it enough to want DA/SA) I thought I'd ask here.

From a quick peek at the internet I think I have a pre-B in stainless. Yes?

It's got FO front sight; a really sweet trigger breaking around 4 lbs. SA and probably no more than 6 in DA. One sided safety, and the pictures match other pre-B pics I've seen.

They are asking $450 but there may be a bit of wiggle room on price. Bore is good and it's clean.

I'm not wild about the grips but that's easily fixed.

Serial number is Z1756 and I'll be trying to look that up to see if it gives me a clue on date of manufacture.

Attached Images

	0410191040.jpg (93.9 KB, 227 views)
	0410191040b.jpg (52.9 KB, 180 views)
	0410191041b (2).jpg (56.3 KB, 187 views)
	0410191041c.jpg (103.9 KB, 215 views)

This 75B is Z 60XX, a little more than 4K away and mid-'90's vintage. I think the pre-B models ended a bit before. The values continue to climb for all 75 models. Joe

__________________
Behavior Creates Destiny

It is a pre B. (no roll pin in the slide in cocking serrations is the give away.)

It isn't stainless. It has either been hard chromed or some type of cerakote.

The front sight has been replaced.

There is some kind of import mark I can't make out on the right side, something Houston TX.

I think $450 is high since so much as been done to it.

__________________
Straight shootin'
SWCA#2439

There will be a date in an oval behind the ejection port. We can't see it because of the glare in the photos. That date will tell us more.

Grab it if you like it!!

I only have 6-7 CZ's

You most likely already know that magazines for the original 75 are slightly different from those of a 75B.

Randy

Among other finishes they used on pre-Bs CZ sold bright chrome into the U.S. civilian market. However, that looks like a mate finish of some kind. There was a flood of inexpensive surplus blued pre-Bs on Gone Broker a while back. Refinish on one of them would not be a surprise. After you get it home it would be nice to see pictures without the glare.

I am no CZ 75 expert but I always thought the Pre Bs had a round trigger guard like this one. Very likely I am wrong but its a good excuse to share my Pre B.

__________________
SWCA #2922

Many thanks to all who posted. You are most generous with your time and expertise.

So...here's what I think I've learned about this gun (which I will be buying.)

1994 Transitional (between original 75 and 75B). No firing pin block (so no roll pin on the cocking serrations). It ain't stainless. (I should have realized that, it isn't heavy enough ala a 5906). Probably either the polycoat was buffed off (unlikely) or some sort of silver polycoat which has been reported being used in Europe or some sort of Ceracote, but it doesn't feel like that to me. As it has a partial import roll mark "Houston TX" it's probably the European coating.

Made after Jan 1, 1993 as it says "Czech Republic" and as the front sight can be replaced (and was) that further confirms it's a transitional model.

Unfortunately it comes with just one mag. But apparently my 75 SA mags will fit as will current production mags.

So that's about it. More, better pictures when I pick it up on Friday.

I'm liking this one so far.

The finish looks like their satin nickel. Hard to tell in the photo.

If it wasn't messed with, it's an excellent handgun. Usually, very accurate and reliable, and feels terrific in the hand.

I agree that it needs new grips. Hogue has some nice ones. And I believe that Ahrends does, too.

I'd say it is an Israeli surplus one that hit the market a few years ago. I searched around and the import mark is Interarms - Houston TX.
The missing first few letters of Interarms means it was buffed out once it got over here and refinished with most likely some type of spray on coating.

Picture example here:
Used Interarms Surplus CZ 75 9mm 16+1 Fair

and here:
Another Israeli Pre-B

__________________
Straight shootin'
SWCA#2439

I managed to get a CZ-75 ages ago when a guy in Montana managed to get a few from a Canadian importer and sold them before ATF stopped him. At that time they were still commies and their guns couldn't be imported into the U.S. It handles beautifully (if you have a big enough hand, I don't) and is very accurate, much more accurate than I can hold. It was arguably the finest 9mm service pistol built at the time.

There's a couple different CZ forums, I think czfirearms.us is the biggest one. You can get a ton of info there, and there's usually a couple threads on refinishing older pre B's and transitional models (you have the transitional).

Square trigger guard and Czech Republic give that away.

Refinishing- A lot get refinished, because they're nice guns, and very well protected initially... they were parkerized, and then polycoated. Most beaters just have chips on the polycoat, the park underneath is light colored.
People strip the polycoat with airplane paint stripper, then beadblast the park away, and then either do a quick refinish, or polish down and blue them. There's one guy in particular, I forget his name, that has done quite a few rust-blued, and they're gorgeous.

Here is my pre B 1986 made CZ 75 bought last year

Note the 86 for the year of manufacture, however I think they stopped doing that at some point

My 85 Combat is date stamped 2000 and IIRC I've seen later dates. When my 85 was new the model was offered in your choice of polycoat or bright blue at the same price. Later the price of bright blue crept higher than polycoat. Many models were also offered with a silver colored plating. I forget if CZ was still bright plating with chrome at the date or if they'd gone to nickel.

For those who do not know, 75s with ambidextrous safeties are renamed 85s and the name Combat is applied to one of the target variations.

The mags for the CZ75B or BD will not fit a pre B CZ75. I believe the Pre B mags will work in the CZ75Bs though but I would have to check. I found out the hard way when I bought a Pre B so I could have a Czechoslovakian example (my grandparents were born there) I assume m]all my CZ75BD mags would work. However they will not fit into the mag well. There is something they did to make them non compatible. You have to specify pre B or B mags when buying mags from CZ USA.
This was just recently imported by DWJ importers in KY. They also considerately put import stamp on the barrel. So nothing shows without disassembling. I know it’s a train wreck for finish but it shoots great. I may have it Ceracoated but Thad’s a different thread.

__________________
John 1:17
NRA Life Benefactor

Here is a pre-B, made in 1992. It has the optional matte blue finish which isn't commonly seen. The Kadet .22 adapter kit is from 2000 and is a whole lot of fun when installed.

Attached Images

CZ-75 & .22 Kadet Adapter.jpg (73.5 KB, 35 views)

Here is my pre B CZ 75...



Also one of the Isreali imports, the importer considerately placed the mark on the barrel, need to remove the slide to see it.

They are wonderful firearms.

Best Regards,mLes

__________________
SWCA 3084, SWHF 495, PGCA 3064

Here is my CZ 75, purchased new, made in 1985, and imported by Bauska Arms, Kalispell MT. I have put a lot of ammo through this gun, and never had a single malfunction.

I conceal carry it to church every Sunday, along with two spare magazines.

Attached Images

	100_4634.jpg (115.2 KB, 50 views)
	100_4623.jpg (99.6 KB, 35 views)
	100_4627.jpg (118.4 KB, 37 views)
	100_4629.jpg (61.7 KB, 33 views)
	100_4628.jpg (87.0 KB, 32 views)

Redcoat3340,


I have to agree with you about the stocks. If you want to replace them with some nice Walnut stocks Grips4U has several types that are very specific to your exact model. I have a set on my CZ75B Omega and really like them a lot better than the plastic factory stocks.Here is the link: GRIPS4u.net


They make a lot of others too, for what I consider quite reasonable prices.

__________________
Gunsmithing since 1961

I have had a few CZ-75s and recently bought a Tri-star S-120 which is almost exactly the same as a Cz-75B. Its an all steel, 18 round 9m/m and very accurate and reliable and after I put in a $16 Cajun Gunworks spring kit it has a pretty nice DA/SA trigger and the gun was under 385 bucks.

Cool guns

I've got three Pre-B's. Two of them with box, papers, test targets, etc...

I have a Pre-B and a B. The Pre-B came with 3 magazines serial numbered to the gun. When I bought additional, new spare magazines from CZ I found them all to be interchangeable between both guns.

Thinner stocks help if you have medium-sized to smaller hands, especially if your preferred carry mode is Condition One.

Finding good quality holsters is surprisingly difficult given the strong popularity of these guns. I found that the OWB Blade Tech for my 1911 fits the CZ75 well enough for competition on a square range.

You MUST immediately purchase the .22LR Kadet conversion unit. Right away. No excuses. It's the best one one the market and gives you a .22 pistol as good as any purpose made rimfire pistol.

magazine compatibility- that begins to change around the transitional models. The later mags (and guns) are the slightest bit wider at the top of the magwell, the new mags bind up about 3/4 of the way in.
There's a big thread (or had been) on the CZ forums, showing exactly where one would take a file or similar, and open it up. If there's a refinish coming, this certainly would be desirable to do too. Everyone seems to agree that you can use the old smaller mags in the new ones, it's less than 1 mm difference.

I know for 100% fact that SP01 factory 19 rd mags fit in the pre B, as they fit in both my 91 and 88. This also serves as evidence the widening process should be gentle and not affect usage of prior mags, as regular B's can also use SP01 mags. They're just extended mags.

That widening occured during the transitional period, as I've read that some people own transitionals that take regular modern mags. Since you have one with a square trigger guard, it's one of the later ones, and as such it might fit just fine. Also, since it's been refinished, the prior owner may have done the job if needed before doing it.

No thanks; no .22s for me. I have no interest in shooting .22 when I could be shooting 9mm instead. If I DID have one in .22, I'd be looking at a way to convert it to 9mm!

A man who does not want to own a .22 LR handgun should be detained in Alcatraz while top government agencies investigate what's wrong with him.

While CZ's .22 LR conversion for their 75/85 series might be the second best for converting any center fire pistol it is not the equal of Kart's 1911 conversion for 50 yard bullseye. However, CZ's makes a heck of a good plinker or trainer. An important design the two have in common is that both have small slides that reciprocate in the back of what at a glance looks like the slide. Unlike the conversion units with aluminum slides a 75 or 85 with the conversion installed has the same weight and balance it does with its center fire slide installed.

CZ shipped some 75s as .22 LRs. They were made so that a 75B 9mm slide could be slipped on if you had one. When a local gun store had one on the shelf they were being closed out at the wholesale level. There was so little difference between the $250 that I paid for my conversion and the price for the whole .22 that I'd have bought the whole pistol if it had been on the shelf when I bought my conversion unit.

Straying off topic a bit, I once owned a .22 LR Walther P-38. At the time Walther sold units that included a new steel slide and barrel to convert 9 mm P-38s to .22 LR. Unlike CZ's .22 LR 75 pistol Walther's .22 P-38 was not a center fire frame sold with only the conversion unit as an upper. Walther did not machine the frame for the center fire's locking block.

If this is your first Ceska, brace yourself, you’ll want another.....

__________________
Halfway and one more step