# Another couple of questions on my CZ clone.



## NLAlston (Nov 15, 2011)

Hello all.










_I just finished perusing some conflicting reviews on my gun, and hope that some clarification might be able to be obtained, here. On the one side, there were a good number of glowing reviews on the build quality and reliability of my treasured handgun. Mine has the following info stamped on the stainless body side:_
....................................
MOD. TZ75 - SERIES 88
----MADE IN ITALY ----
FRATELLI TANFOGLIO SPA
....................................

_Also, stamped on the black side, is the following:_

.......................................................
MANUAL FREE FROM F.I.E. MIAMI-FLA
......................................................

What I just finished reading had to do with a company by the name of 'ARMI', who (supposedly) had a big hand in the production of the family that my gun belongs to. It was understood, by what I read, that 'ARMI' wasn't muscled enough, in the manufacturing aspect of guns and, as such, flooded the market with firearms that weren't nearly as reliable as they would have been expected to be. But, if that company did indeed have a hand in the workmanship of what I have, wouldn't some notice of it had been stamped on my gun also?

Due to financial limitations I have not been able to shoot it nearly as much as I would have liked to. I have only been able to get to the range once, with it, and put about a box of ammo through it. This piece shot beautifully, and there was no jamming at all. But, then again, it was just one box that had been shot. I like it so much that I am seriously considering making it my CCW. But I would like to hear from others, here, what their feelings are on the dependability and reliability of it.

2). I wish to change the grips from wood to rubber (or do the rubber grips sit over the wooden ones?). What would be the best rubber grips that I could get for my gun?

3). The three dotted sights on my gun are seriously in need of some attention. What would be the best manner by which to address that issue? Eventually, I would love to add a good laser device to my gun. But, until then, one of the first orders of business would be to get my dotted sights situation corrected.

Advanced thanks,
Nathan


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

1. _Armi_, in Italian, just means "gunmaker," or "guns." There has to be another word that you're leaving out. All Italian gun manufacturers seem to be called _Armi_-something, for instance, maybe, _Armi Fratelli Tanfoglio_ ("The Brothers Tanfoglio, Gunmakers").

2. My personal way of shooting requires smooth, slick grip panels, and serrated or checkered front- and back-straps. You may prefer "sticky" grip panels instead. It's all a matter of personal choice. An easy way to find out would be to slip a section of bicycle-tire inner tube over the entire grip area, and see whether it feels good to you. (Most bicycle shops give away punctured inner tubes, free.)
If you end up wanting to have "sticky" grips, you will have to replace the wood grip panels with rubber ones. Google "rubber pistol grips," and you'll get lots of leads.

3. I bet that you're shooting low and left (if you're right-handed). If I'm correct about that, it isn't your pistol's sights that are at fault. It's your shooting technique. A laser won't help.
But if your problem is that you are visually confused by having to line-up the three dots, just try covering them with bits of black electricians' tape, or painting them black.

Do not consider carrying a concealed defensive pistol until you have become an adequate pistol shooter. You have to be reliably accurate with your gun, and you have to have practiced using it enough so that you are also quick and effective with it.
Just owning a pistol does not make you a pistol shooter, and just carrying a pistol does not make you adequate at defense. You need to learn pistol technique, and then, having learned it, you need to practice it assiduously.
You need to take at least one class in pistol technique from a certified instructor. During the learning process, you will fire sufficient shots through your gun to find out whether or not it is reliable. More to the point, you will find out whether or not _you_ are reliable.


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## NLAlston (Nov 15, 2011)

Deleted.


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## NLAlston (Nov 15, 2011)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> 1. _Armi_, in Italian, just means "gunmaker," or "guns." There has to be another word that you're leaving out. All Italian gun manufacturers seem to be called _Armi_-something, for instance, maybe, _Armi Fratelli Tanfoglio_ ("The Brothers Tanfoglio, Gunmakers").
> 
> 2. My personal way of shooting requires smooth, slick grip panels, and serrated or checkered front- and back-straps. You may prefer "sticky" grip panels instead. It's all a matter of personal choice. An easy way to find out would be to slip a section of bicycle-tire inner tube over the entire grip area, and see whether it feels good to you. (Most bicycle shops give away punctured inner tubes, free.)
> If you end up wanting to have "sticky" grips, you will have to replace the wood grip panels with rubber ones. Google "rubber pistol grips," and you'll get lots of leads.
> ...


Hi Steve.

You were right, in that the word 'Armi' had been succeeded by something else. In this case, it was Fratelli tanfoglio.

Regarding the rubberized grip that I had queried about, I had just wondered if anyone might have known of a place that specialized in such grips for my gun. But, like you said, I should be able to find something by putting myself into a deeper search mode, online.

In the issue of my sights, on this gun, I wish to better the visibility of the dots (all three of them). I don't know what color they might have been, initially, but they certainly are lacking, now. In fact, it appears that some of the elements that were housed within the small, semi-circular housings have fallen out, somehow. I wish to correct that, and wanted to do better than just dabbing paint there.

I do, full well understand and appreciate what you wrote about learning to, first, become one with your gun - before considering it as a CCW. Not only do I understand & appreciate it, but I also wholeheartedly agree with it. My CCW, for the past few years, has been my S&W Model 439, which I had become very comfortable with. I had put many rounds through that gun, and have gotten to know it pretty well. The FIE TZ75 just feels so much better in the hand, and offers more rounds per mag. I did enjoy, so much, the few rounds that I had put through that gun, and just loved the way that it shot.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

*Rubberized Grips:*
Maybe Pachmayr, or Hogue.
It's unlikely that there is a custom-grip maker who works in rubber or soft plastic. Those kinds of grips must be cast, each in a separate mold. The molds are expensive to make.
However, Pachmayr grips are easy to modify with sandpaper or a Dremel tool. I've done that myself. (I've never used a Hogue grip.)

*Sight Dots:*
It's possible that your sights had luminous dots glued into them.
The easiest "fix" might be to dribble-in some sort of casting plastic, with colorant added.
Brownells makes a liquid-plastic sight inlay kit: You mix acrylic liquid, a hardener, and pigment together, and fill the empty holes with it. The kit includes several useful colors.
(I suggest that if there is a dot or two still in place, that they-it?-be removed using a hand-propelled twist drill of the proper size.)

I hope that helps.


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## TAPnRACK (Jan 30, 2013)

Since you have a CZ clone... you should be able to order CZ's rubber grips. The feel great and are priced at a reasonable $30-35 from the CZ Custom Shop at CZ USA.










They come in black, blue or red.


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## NLAlston (Nov 15, 2011)

Nice looking. And thanks.


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## Stig (Dec 28, 2012)

CZ 75 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I feel you have a great shooter there, cloned from the CZ line there have been improvements by other manufactures and they all are for the most part reliable and accurate. 
I think as long as the gun has been regularly cleaned and maintained you will have it for a long time.

I am a owner of a CZ-Sp01 and I do like the rubber grips a lot - they are the most comfortable grips I have used 
as far as lazer sights go I am not a big big fan of them - for what you would use them for and how often save your money and get you a good flashlight or tactical light


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## NLAlston (Nov 15, 2011)

Stig said:


> CZ 75 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
> 
> I feel you have a great shooter there, cloned from the CZ line there have been improvements by other manufactures and they all are for the most part reliable and accurate.
> I think as long as the gun has been regularly cleaned and maintained you will have it for a long time.
> ...


Thank you also, Stig.

Cleaning and Maintenance? Well, my father-in-law hadn't, apparently, been too keen in those areas. I acquired his guns after he passed away, and this one was quite dirty (I had gun shop employee take a look at it, right after I had taken ownership of it). I did purchase a good cleaning kit for it, but have since lost the PDF manual that I had found for it, and haven't been able to locate another just yet. However (and as soon as finances permit), I am thinking more along the lines of having a gun shop perform the first cleaning of my gun, for me. I worry that the dirty condition might have created problems for some of the internal components, and you don't want to be in a situation of protective need - if, and when a faulty condition would be realized.


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