# CZ-SP01 Variants



## firefighterwall

Can someone, in simple laymans terms, break down the differences in the SP-01 Variants? Besides the double action / single action of course.

I see the Shadow, Phantom, Tactical, Polycoat, and Tactical Polycoat.

Reason I ask is that I am highly considering picking up one of these based on positive reviews and looks alone (though I am going to see if the local range has one in the next few days to try out...try before you buy I think haha) and my local gun store only has maybe one version of this (and I'm not even sure which).

Thanks!


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## jimmy

hi:

The SP01 shadow and the Tactical, they both have steel frames, however the shadow has a safety lever and the tactical has a decocker. On the other hand the SP01 phantom has a polymer frame (i.e. reinforced plastic frame) just like a Glock. The polycoat is a type of surface treatment finish for alloys and steel. It gives the gun that deep black finish.

The SP01 tactical and shadow would have equal performance, they are basically the same gun except for the safety/decocker difference, but they have the same weight and thus the same performance. The phantom is much lighter (because of the lighter frame) and I can only tell you about my experience, I love CZ's because of their easiness to shoot and I bought a CZ 75 SP01 TActical, and it is for sure the best of my collection. The thing I love about CZs is their weight that helps alot in accuracy and target reacquisition due to the controlled recoil...I haven't tried a phantom yet, but I hope I have answered your questions.

Check my posts on "which pistol to choose" and "My CZ Range report"


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## RightTurnClyde

Good info. I'm thinking about an SP01 as well.  The specs on the CZ site aren't very extensive. Does the tactical version have an ambidextrous safety/decocker lever? I'm a lefty and this would put another point in the SP01's column for me.


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## jimmy

Hey RightTurnClyde,

The SP01 tactical has a decoker only on one side (for right handed people).


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## firefighterwall

Thanks for the excellent information Jimmy. I have decided to go with a PX4 for my first pistol (I am getting a very good deal on it...brand new, trijicon sights, two or three mags, in 9mm for 499...) but a I plan on going to fire the SP01 sometime soon.

I will most certainly want the one with the manual safety!


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## jimmy

firefighterwall, congratulations..Seems like you got a good deal on the Beretta. Beretta makes fine guns too...the equivalent to the PX4 in CZ would be the CZ 75 P01 or the D PCR COMPACT with a 3.9 in Barrel.

Safet Shooting.


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## firefighterwall

Yeah, I think 499 is a great deal considering it (supposedly, I'll see in the next few days) has the trijicon sights on it. Hopefully they are dual colored. 

I'll letcha know. I'll also go shoot the SP-01 if I can, and tell you what i think


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## firefighterwall

Tell you what...I shot that SP-01 today and it had awful trigger sting. I put 20 rounds through it and took it back to the front desk, I couldn't deal with it any more.

I hope that it was just this particular one and not a model-wide issue. It was comfortable in the hand, I liked the weight of it and size of it and the controls were fairly easy to manipulate, but the minute I started pulling that trigger I regretted it.


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## jimmy

firefighterwall, hi:

can you elaborate more on the trigger problem...All CZ's have a nice trigger action, if it is out of the box it is not crisp and would have some creep, but after around 300 rounds and some dry firing, it should be OK..I assumed that this P01 is used, so the trigger should be fine.

I don't know what to tell you untill you describe the problem in more detail..But by guessing, it has to be a used gun that either:

1. had a problem with the trigger, ,or
2. had a bad trigger job

From my own experience, I was reading alot about trigger jobs and lately (last week) I tried a Kimber 1911 with the lightest trigger ever...thinking that one day i might do a trigger job on my SP01..Thanks God that i tried that Kimber..I hated light triggers, may be because I am a beginner, but that thing was shooting as i touche the trigger, even befor I locked my aim..These things are for professional shooters..BUt now after I worked out my SP01 thru 750 rounds, i love it so much and yesterday I participated in a bowling pin match and I performed really good..

So tell us more about this trigger and what is it that you didn't like..


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## firefighterwall

The trigger pull itself was just fine to be honest.

I didn't think it too heavy or too light..I was shooting just fine with it except for the trigger sting.

It's like that pinch you get at the end of your shooting finger when the trigger connects...like someone is flicking it hard, repeatedly...just like people talk about the PX4 in .40 having. Imagine how your hand feels on an aluminum baseball bat if you clip the ball wrong and don't have a secure enough grip...that vibration sting.

It became, not painful, but quite annoying and irritating to shoot, bordering painful. Literally 20 rounds through it and I gave it back.


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## jimmy

very interesting observation...I never felt that way in either my CZ SP01 or the 75 COMPACT..Well, The COMPACT has the light frame (I forgot if it is aluminum or an alloy)..

Well, in that case I don't have an answer for you..You have to hear from P01 owners..My guess is to contact *literaltrance *he is a member with a P01 and he can give you his opinion..


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## literaltrance

Hrm, I've never heard of anything like this before....! I'd chalk it up to being a poorly-maintained rental. I've shot a wide variety of handguns in the past few years (aside from my P-01) and I've never encountered anything like that, CZ or otherwise. I would go so far as to say any other CZ triggers (aside from the model 97) are damn close to identical, and if you liked the trigger on any of the others then you can expect the satisfactory trigger on a new one.

My personal tastes have led me to the conclusion CZ stock trigger jobs aren't wonderful, but I wouldn't say they're bad, either. If they would do something about the creep, they'd go from average to solid. While 1-2mm of creep would probably drive a competition shooter insane, it isn't exactly excessive from an amateur's point of view. In fact I think the only reason I noticed is because it happens to be more than what's found on any of my other handguns. Both the pull and reset travel are consistent, and I find these to be much more important than creep. My gut also tells me the 1-2mm creep would turn into the width of a follicle in a self-defense situation (i.e. virtually non-existant).

Try another CZ...any of the 75 variants, any of the decocker variants, they're pretty much the same. Just my two cents.


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## firefighterwall

Y'know it may very well be a poorly maintained thing. I'll go with that..because the PX4 I shot was so poorly maintained today that it started jamming after 8 or 9 rounds...something i've never heard of it doing despite all my reading on it.

This range is really a very cruddy one but unfortunately it's the only local one I've got really...its' just sad to see how they treat their weapons, especially considering how much money they're making on all of them.

As far as the term "creep" goes, I'm honestly not sure what it means.

All I can tell you is that after roughly 20 rounds through that SP01 today I couldn't wait to hand it back in, my finger was NOT thanking me for shooting it.

Thanks for the info...I will have to see if there is a way for me to get ahold of another one somewhere else to try. One with the manual safety on it though...I'm not a fan of "ready to go" pistols.


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## literaltrance

literaltrance said:


> Try another CZ...any of the 75 variants, any of the decocker variants, they're pretty much the same. Just my two cents.


Sorry, I should have said their TRIGGERS are pretty much the same. My bad.


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## Buffal0

firefighterwall said:


> The trigger pull itself was just fine to be honest.
> 
> I didn't think it too heavy or too light..I was shooting just fine with it except for the trigger sting.
> 
> It's like that pinch you get at the end of your shooting finger when the trigger connects...like someone is flicking it hard, repeatedly...just like people talk about the PX4 in .40 having. Imagine how your hand feels on an aluminum baseball bat if you clip the ball wrong and don't have a secure enough grip...that vibration sting.
> 
> It became, not painful, but quite annoying and irritating to shoot, bordering painful. Literally 20 rounds through it and I gave it back.


Ruger Super Redhawks do that to me. I have liked every single Ruger I have put into my hands except for the Redhawk series 



jimmy said:


> Hey RightTurnClyde,
> 
> The SP01 tactical has a decoker only on one side (for right handed people).


Whoah whoah whoah. _Mine_ has an ambidextrous decocker!? What is this!? Here's a pic! :O










Did I get a special SP-01? I know mine is a Tactical, but I thought all the SP-01's came with ambidextrous decocker? It there only a right handed manual safety model?

Perplexing to say the least.


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