# Question on CZ being Harder to Rack than Other 9mm



## HandgunsAreGreat

Hello Everyone: I am still researching CZ’s as possible my next 9mm (p-09 or 75) and I have one question on racking the slide. I came across some references on-line in which a number of people who owned CZ’s (and loved them) stated that racking the slide was harder than other 9 mm’s that they owned. If this statement is true, is it due to a harder recoil spring or due to less of the slide being visible since it sits inside the frame and thus there is less to hold onto when racking the slide. Any help would be greatly appreciated.::cool


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## desertman

Less surface area of the slide to hold on to. Not an issue at least for me. I have a P01, P06, 75B Compact and a CZ 40 P.


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## HandgunsAreGreat

desertman said:


> Less surface area of the slide to hold on to. Not an issue at least for me. I have a P01, P06, 75B Compact and a CZ 40 P.


Thanks desertman


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## Richg

Try this hold the slide and push the gun forward.


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## Philco

Not an issue with my Rami 9mm.


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## TAPnRACK

CZ's are a tight tolerance fit with a lot of contact between the slide and the frame. They are also using heavy springs for use with +P ammo by design (at least the 75BD's do)... which would explain the more difficult racking of the slide. I've got over 600 rds through mine... it gets better, but still not as effortless as my Beretta, M&P or Sig's. Amazing guns that are becoming more popular with the masses year after year.


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## HandgunsAreGreat

TAPnRACK said:


> CZ's are a tight tolerance fit with a lot of contact between the slide and the frame. They are also using heavy springs for use with +P ammo by design (at least the 75BD's do)... which would explain the more difficult racking of the slide. I've got over 600 rds through mine... it gets better, but still not as effortless as my Beretta, M&P or Sig's. Amazing guns that are becoming more popular with the masses year after year.


Thank you very much TAPnRACK for that comprehensive description. I now know what to expect.


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## Smitty79

I find them easier to rack than Glocks. Also, my son's girlfriend can rack his stock CZ75 easily and has trouble with a Glock.


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## SouthernBoy

The hammer spring will also affect the slide racking effort. The CZ75 comes with a 20 pound hammer spring (believe that is correct) which is quite heavy. You can install a 13 pound spring to not only lighten up the double action trigger pull but also the tension on the slide.


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## HandgunsAreGreat

SouthernBoy said:


> The hammer spring will also affect the slide racking effort. The CZ75 comes with a 20 pound hammer spring (believe that is correct) which is quite heavy. You can install a 13 pound spring to not only lighten up the double action trigger pull but also the tension on the slide.


Thank you SoutherBoy. Does installing a 13 lbs. spring affect reliability or type of ammo that can be used?


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## SouthernBoy

I can't say. I just bought a new CZ75 last month and installed a 13 pound hammer spring soon thereafter. I have yet to fire the pistol (followup medical visits have been nuts the last two months from several surgeries added to my yearly examinations). I hope to get it to the range the week of the 9th of June. I'll be shooting reloads I get from a supplier in Los Angeles. I have used his reloads many times in Glocks and my M&P 9 Pro with no problems. I try to remember to report on how the CZ fairs with these loads.


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## desertman

You might want to polish the underside of the slide where the top of the hammer rides as the slide is being racked. Of the four CZ's that I have, I don't find them to be that much more difficult to rack than other semi auto's. Changing to a lighter spring could indeed affect reliability.


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## HandgunsAreGreat

desertman said:


> You might want to polish the underside of the slide where the top of the hammer rides as the slide is being racked. Of the four CZ's that I have, I don't find them to be that much more difficult to rack than other semi auto's. Changing to a lighter spring could indeed affect reliability.


Good idea Desertman. What type of "polish" are you referring? Would CLP work?


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## desertman

> "What type of "polish" are you referring?"


Use 400 to 600 to 1500 grit wet or dry sandpaper that's used for automotive finishes. You might want to also polish the top of the hammer where it rubs against the inside of the slide. CZ's are fantastic handguns, however there are a lot of tool marks on the bearing surfaces. Depending on your skill level and confidence you could also polish the frame rails on the slide and frame if it is an all steel frame. I wouldn't polish the rails on an alloy frame though unless you really know what you are doing. CZ's at least the ones I have, have fairly stiff firing pin springs, another reason why I wouldn't recommend changing to a lighter hammer spring. You can make a polishing block from a piece of styrene plastic about 1/16th of an inch thick, 1/4 inch wide and an inch or two long to wrap the strips of sandpaper around, this will give you a flat surface. You can purchase styrene plastic from hobby stores in different thicknesses and it can be easily cut with a straight edge and "Exacto" knife or other sharp instrument. I've never had any issues with the CZ's I have straight out of the box. But I have polished many semi auto's using these methods as they reduce the amount of friction on the bearing surfaces. In a way you're kind of breaking in the gun without having to fire hundreds of rounds through it. CLP means "C"leaner, "L"ubricant and "P"rotectant, it is not meant for polishing.


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## HandgunsAreGreat

desertman said:


> Use 400 to 600 to 1500 grit wet or dry sandpaper that's used for automotive finishes. You might want to also polish the top of the hammer where it rubs against the inside of the slide. CZ's are fantastic handguns, however there are a lot of tool marks on the bearing surfaces. Depending on your skill level and confidence you could also polish the frame rails on the slide and frame if it is an all steel frame. I wouldn't polish the rails on an alloy frame though unless you really know what you are doing. CZ's at least the ones I have, have fairly stiff firing pin springs, another reason why I wouldn't recommend changing to a lighter hammer spring. You can make a polishing block from a piece of styrene plastic about 1/16th of an inch thick, 1/4 inch wide and an inch or two long to wrap the strips of sandpaper around, this will give you a flat surface. You can purchase styrene plastic from hobby stores in different thicknesses and it can be easily cut with a straight edge and "Exacto" knife or other sharp instrument. I've never had any issues with the CZ's I have straight out of the box. But I have polished many semi auto's using these methods as they reduce the amount of friction on the bearing surfaces. In a way you're kind of breaking in the gun without having to fire hundreds of rounds through it. CLP means "C"leaner, "L"ubricant and "P"rotectant, it is not meant for polishing.


Wow! Thank you very much for the great reply. I did not know how to "polish" the rails and you reply is very informative. Thanks again.


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## desertman

HandgunsAreGreat:


> "Thanks again"


You're welcome! If you can't get the styrene plastic you can also use 1/4 inch square dowels that are available at home improvement stores to use as a "polishing block". What's great about the styrene plastic is that you can easily cut it to the size and shape you need. With the 1/16th thick styrene and the sandpaper wrapped around it you can easily cut a piece to fit inside the frame and slide rails. Just don't over do it, the goal is to polish the roughness out of the surface and not remove metal. Although it's pretty difficult to remove that much metal with those grits of wet or dry sandpaper as they are designed for automotive finishes. Another thing you can do is roll the paper up into a small tube and polish out the spring tunnels where applicable. Just make sure that after you're done to clean your firearm thoroughly. I love the "feel" of racking a slide without feeling any roughness. I also like to polish the breech face using the same methods. You can really feel the difference as the rear of the cartridge glides effortlessly into place while it is being chambered. Just make sure you remove the extractor before doing this as you do not want to round off any critical edges on that part. Have fun! Working on guns is another enjoyable aspect of owning them.


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## Bisley

CZ's are great pistols, but I agree that some of them can benefit from a 'fluff and buff.' Just don't get too carried away, any time you are taking metal off. You want to polish, not grind, simply smoothing the contact surfaces. I have used toothpaste and a Q-Tip on feed ramps, with good results.


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## Schroedinger

I have a stainless CZ-75B; it was hard to rack at first, but loosened up quite a bit after the first few hundred rounds. I also installed the 13 pound hammer spring, which made it feel even better. Probably 2500 rounds through the gun at this point... not one single failure. I also put target sights on it; it is my most accurate gun. I can usually shoot tighter groups with the CZ-75 than I can with my .22LR Ruger Mark III with a red dot scope!


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## Spike12

I just bought a P07 a few weeks ago. I'm a 1911 fan for the most part but bought the P07 on the spur of the moment. 

1) I agree it's difficult to rack the slide because of the limited grip area
2) I cleaned it and treated it Froglube and that helped a lot
3) I also found the inside of the mags to be very dirty with oil and grease.


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## epsanto2

I would suggest doing as Richg said..... hold the slide and push the pistol forward. It works for me. I have the steel CZ75 Compact with a trigger job and new hammer. The hammer was necessary to get the trigger is down to 3.25 pounds single action. I also had a fiber optic front sight and a pair of Marschal grips with the thumb rest and finger grooves put on. I have put almost 1600 rounds through it; a mixture of Hornaday Critical Defense, Sellier and Bellot, Remington, lead, FMJ and not one failure to feed, fire, or eject. Point of aim is point of impact at up to fifty feet. I carry it in a Crossbreed IWB supertuck holster pistol on a Crossbreed belt and I love it!!!


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## HandgunsAreGreat

epsanto2 said:


> I would suggest doing as Richg said..... hold the slide and push the pistol forward. It works for me. I have the steel CZ75 Compact with a trigger job and new hammer. The hammer was necessary to get the trigger is down to 3.25 pounds single action. I also had a fiber optic front sight and a pair of Marschal grips with the thumb rest and finger grooves put on. I have put almost 1600 rounds through it; a mixture of Hornaday Critical Defense, Sellier and Bellot, Remington, lead, FMJ and not one failure to feed, fire, or eject. Point of aim is point of impact at up to fifty feet. I carry it in a Crossbreed IWB supertuck holster pistol on a Crossbreed belt and I love it!!!


Thanks for the reply Espanto2, I appreciate it. I was at a gun show yesterday and a gun store that is a CZ Distributor was showing me some CZ's. I tried rack the 9mm p-09 and C-75. Even with my arthritis the only hard part of racking the slide was that only a small part of the slide is exposed since the slide rests in the frame. Nevertheless, I liked the gun. I ma still considering it but I would like to shoot it first and in Norther VA none of the ranges rent them. Nevertheless CZ is high in my consideration.


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## niadhf

Some people who are used to striker fired guns, or 1911s, find DA guns harder to rack. 
Try cocking the hammer first. That way when you pull the slide, you only have the resistance of the recoil spring, not the hammer spring also


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