Our local Camping World sells firearms and they stock surplus firearms from CAI. I’ve found a couple nice Berettas in .32 ACP and .380 ACP over the last year.

They also have a steady flow of surplus S&W and Colt revolvers as well as the occasional Speed Six and Security Six. I’ve always passed on the, however as they are well worn and over priced for their condition.

However this weekend I found a very nice CZ 75 Pre-B. It’s major fault was the hideous set of Houge grips that had degraded to a sticky, gummy goo. I suspect that was Cosmoline induced as there were still liberal amounts of it under the grips. Fortunately, I had a set of Uncle Mikes CZ 75 grips. These are the last of eight Uncle Mikes Hi Power and CZ 75 grips I bought from a clearance bin at a Gander mountain for $5 each a decade or so ago.

CZ 75 B magazines are reported not to fit in the Pre-B pistols, at least without some minor alteration to the frame, but my CZ 75 SP 01 magazines all fit just fine. If it ever stops raining I’ll take it out shooting and confirm they function properly.

Interesting gun. I know some people don't like the term "transitional" but that may be the best way to describe it. The B models had a firing pin safety. And a squared off trigger guard, burr hammer and pinned front sight.
Your gun still has the "pre-B" style trigger guard and slide stop & safety lever. But it has some B features too like the hammer and front sight and angled cocking serrations. The lanyard ring may indicate that it was some type of police contract gun.

What is the date code above the extractor ?

I bought a pre B in the early 90’s when they were hard to find. I had it converted to singe action and Bomar sights installed. It was exceptionally accurate and reliable.

Nice pistol!
Lucky you have those vintage grips!
If the trigger is gritty,just do some polishing inside.
Mosinvirus has a good YouTube vid on his pre B.

I have a very nice CZ75 from way back when and and the Czechs were commies and you couldn't import their guns to the US. Mine came thru the back door thru Canada. The barrel has very deep, very square rifling and the thing is very accurate indeed. Mine has a standard hammer and I had to shorten the spur slightly as it kept biting me.

Great pistols with a cult like following. What year is your Pre-B? The date is stamped behind the ejection port.

The CZ75 is as good as everyone says it is. Mine came from the Grafenwöhr Rod & Gun Club forty some years ago and has gone through a boatload of GI M882 ball in the late 80's just before I retired. Very comfortable in the hand, it feels a lot like a Browning Hi-Power but with an SA/DA option, an easier to use safety and a very good trigger.

It is reliable and accurate. The Czechs know how to build guns that work and doing just that for a long time.

I don’t like the transitional language either, as some features on pistols like the CZ that were often sold under contract to police departments or militaries often varied based on what was specified by the buyer, not by date. The FEG P9 and first gen P9M pistols are another example of this. You’ll see P9s with some first gen P9M features but it’s not a “transition” issue at all, just what the customer specified.

They also had an earlier date code pre B with spur hammer and older sights, but it’s condition was a bit rougher. It also had the common for the type and era badly chipped baked enamel finish. It would however be a good candidate for cerakote.

The date code on this one is hard to read.

Given what’s there plus the M prefix my best guess is that it dates from 1992.



I took it as a given that it was a police or military contract pistol, even though there are no property marks. It could have been a commercially sold contract over run, but that’s a lot less likely as it’s a CAI imported pistol and they most likely bought a batch of surplus pistols.

Here is my CZ-75. It has a 92 date code and the serial number has a K prefix. It has the uncommon matte finish rather than the polymer coating that most of the Action Arms imports of that period had. I also bought a Kadet .22 Adapter Kit for it back in 2000 which provides a lot of fun and is cheap to shoot with my hoard of pre-panic priced .22 ammo.

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Walter, that's fine CZ 75 you have, sir. Also, it's a good example of a very late production CZ 75. (I'm a little green with envy!)

I agree that BB57 has an example from 1992, based on what can be discerned from the date stamp. 92 is also consistent with known serial numbers. It's another example I would be proud to have in my stable!

I have a 93-marked example that, so far, is the lowest SN'd example of a CZ 75 B that has surfaced. It is unusual in that it bears no import roll mark, is high polish blue, and is marked "Czech Made" as a few early examples were.

Incidentally, I have an Action Arms, Ltd. import "transitional" CZ 75. It bears a 94 date stamp, SN S4xxx.

-Bill

SN N2xxx, dated 93

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Veteran Paratrooper, '86-'90

My pre B is marked 84, has the black enamel finish and was imported by Bauska Kalispell, MT. There is no letter prefix on the SN 1113XX. Slide is marked Made in Czechoslovakia.

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Made it, Ma! Top of the world!

I have a few CZ:s, not pre-B, but still nice. Wonderful shooting guns. One is a 75B stainless that mostly has a 22 Kadet conversion kit on it and a CZ 85 Combat. Fun pairing to bring to the range.

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Here's my 85 Combat (post-B?) a short lived variant of the 75 for pistol games that didn't have the firing pin block, and had an adjustable rear sight, ambidextrous safety and slide release, and employed drop-free magazines.

I ordered it directly from CZ Custom several years ago, and had them do a trigger job and put on their whoop-te-do hammer before sending it to my FFL.

It's great; man-sized, but not very heavy. Shoots reliably and accurately. I'd rather have a decocker than the safeties, and I semi-understand that's possible. However I've learned not to mess with a good thing - took me a while, though. I think it's rare today, since you can't call a pistol "combat" without a rail and a tv on top.

My CZ 75B Omega
So many choices with CZ.
Currently with decocker installed.
I like it.

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The ambidextrous safety and slide release are great on the 85 Combat. I shoot left handed misty. Out of my two 9mm CZ’s the Combat shoots better in my hands. It’s pro say lot to do with the sights. My stock 75B sights are not adjustable or as easy to get a sight picture.

I finally got around to getting my two oldest CZs together for a picture.

-Bill

Early (93) CZ 75 B with (94) “Transitional” Model

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Veteran Paratrooper, '86-'90

I recently saw/heard an opinion from a gun channel on YouTube (can't recall which) that the full-size, steel frame 9mm semi-auto is an obsolete concept. I cannot agree. My CZ 75 shares my viewpoint. It handles all types of 9mm ball, some of which do not function reliably in other guns. I also have the lightweight/compact model, so I have the best of both worlds.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

P.S. Then again, revolvers are considered obsolete for "business" but I like them also.

I sure miss my CZ 75 (not B) that was stolenin 2020, (SN H1985)....got it in Kalispell Montana in a pawn shop there for $150.00, long before CZ's were well known.
It would not accept "B" magazines however, yes it was an early one.

Randy

Yes. Obsolete.

PM me for my address. I will gladly accept all of these obsolete pistols! Lol 😝

-Bill

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Veteran Paratrooper, '86-'90

I recently inherited my late father's CZ 75 that he bought in 1979 (I have the original stamped license) - the serial number is numbers only and I'm trying to figure out year of manufacture. For an old weapon it is incredible, way more accurate than my Glock 17 and extremely sturdy.

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Welcome to the Forum. Great gun you have there.

Ok, you have a very rare early production model. It has what is called "short rails". There is a two digit number above the extractor. That is the year of proofing, which is considered the year of production.
The " short rail" early production model had a reputation of not being as sturdy as the later model, although there were issues with metallurgy so which one is the culprit is opinion.
Your gun is more valuable than one of the long rail guns, so keep that in mind.
Look at the two guns in post #16 and you will see the difference in the slide/frame rails that I am talking about.

"LOK" Thin Bogie grips are available for that gun too, VZ type materials and a perfect fit if you want something different. Being a 10mm double stack mag this gun needs very thin grips so I have them on my DA/SA Tangfoglio Witness Elite 10mm Compact. CZ was their motivation for this pistol too. Pictured here in their "Wonder" finish.

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Dave Ramsey Cultist

I sent my new production CZ 75B to Cajun Gun Works a year or 2 ago. What they do borders on magic.

Single action pull is 2 pounds, 8 ounces. DA is 6 pounds, 10 ounces. Their sights are a lot better as well.

I put the grips on.

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So how is 10mm in that compact? I was looking hard for a 10mm a couple of years ago and the compact version of the Witness seemed to be my choice. My big concern was how much velocity loss from the short barrel and it negating the benefit of the 10.
And I am also a big fan of LOK grips.

The CZ75 design is one of the best semiautomatic out there. I took the long way around to get into the 75. When it came to pistols I was always partial to revolvers. Then the wonder nine took the market and I bought Walther PPQ, great gun no doubt about it but its plastic. Sorry, but I like the feel of steel. So I picked up a Kimber 45, 1911. Another fine piece, loved the feel in my hand and good shooter. Could shoot better than I can. Problem, the grip safety. I have large skinny hands. It's was my EDC and I found I couldn't consistently draw the gun get the grip safety depressed. Not acceptable for an EDC gun. So I started looking at the market, I wanted a 1911 w/o a grip safety and a friend had an EAA Witness. I tried it and the rest is history. Pictured, my EDC the CZ 75B, the Shadow 2 is a cool range/house gun and then I went whole hog with the Tanfoglio 10mm.

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My CZ75 is probably still my favorite semi-automatic pistol, as well as being the one I have had (and enjoyed thoroughly) the longest..?

Cheers!

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Sit Reloader Sentiret

Their Compact has the same size barrel as the S&W 10mm 1066, 4.25" and actually, other than being slightly snappy like the 1066, it's not that bad. I like it a little better because it's not as heavy and has a double stacked mag, but you do have to put the Bogies on it, here it is with the original grips and it's just too fat. If you reconsider the Witness Compact, make sure to get the new model without the "scallops" cut out on the slide sides for appearences only, those can crack back to the ejection port so they did away with them and it cured the problem. Also notice how the slide rides inside the frame rail unlike most autos that ride just the opposite, giving it less reciprocal mass, supposedly resulting in less recoil. It's still snappy.

Notice the scallops that can crack

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Dave Ramsey Cultist

Thanks for the heads up about the slide! You're getting my interest stirred.

CZ75/85 is built like a tank.

The early slides had a front sight that was installed like the old 1911s. Post on the bottom that protruded through the slide and into the barrel bushing before being staked. Kept the barrel bushing in place.

Spur hammer. I like the look. A lot. Mine is a pre B CZ85. It has the ambidextrous thumb safeties and slide release levers.

Sadly CZ stopped making the 85 models several years ago.

Mine was carried a lot and maybe shot a lot. Ragged finish/exterior an dirty as sin inside. Trigger is nothing special and neither is accuracy. I just sent the slide/frame off for refinishing (two tone cerkote) and replaced the springs, the grips, the barrel, modified the slide to accept the new barrel and modified the inside of the frame to run modern magazines and shot it some. I'd have shot it more if it shot better groups. I carried it a few weeks before going back to my P07.

Had a case failure one day at the range. The slide came back, ejected the base section of the case and left the case walls in the chamber. I found out when it failed to chamber the next round. Had to drop the magazine and field strip it to get the case walls out of the chamber. Lost of powder burn on the top two or three rounds in the magazine and down into the frame but no damage. Put it all back together and kept on shooting it. I shudder to think what that might have done to one of the plastic framed pistols.

Here are pictures of my CZ 75, purchased new in 1986. It was the first one I had seen. I have shot it a lot, and could not care less about the flaws I have put on the finish. This is still one of my favorite pistols.

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More pics...

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Still more pics. Original box, and Ross brand South African holster I purchased in Vienna, Austria...

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