New CZ 1911A1

K

KyJim

New member
I acquired a new CZ 1911A1. I haven’t shot it yet but field stripped it, cleaned out the excess oil, and then re-oiled.

This pistol was nicer looking than I had expected. CZ did the right thing when they shrunk the billboard sized rollmarks they had on the prototype. The gun has nice, clean lines. I’ve seen a couple of comments to the effect the CZ is fit and finished as nicely as a Dan Wesson. It isn’t, but it’s better than most 1911s out there and better than any production “GI” style 1911 I’ve seen.

Slide to frame fit is tight and cycling is very smooth. CZ spec’d the trigger at 4 to 6 pounds and mine is toward the high end. It initially felt a bit gritty and heavier than six pounds but it has cleaned up with only a little dry firing. Keep in mind these are loose copies of a GI 1911 which, IIRC were spec’d at something like 7 to 9 pounds.

The barrel bushing was fit okay. I could turn it with my fingers without too much effort but it was not loose; not quite as snug as my Dan Wessons. Barrel lockup also seemed to be a bit less positive than my DWs but acceptable to me at this price point. I did not see any tool marks inside the gun when field stripped.

At first, the thumb safety was extremely difficult to engage or disengage with one thumb. After flipping it on and off several times, it has lightened enough to be able to use only my right thumb, though it is still very stiff. This seems to be a common complaint with some being able to fix it with use and some with a dremel.

All in all, I'm happy with this gun so far. I just need to get some time to take it to the range.



 
Absolutely beautiful gun. I wonder if in fact these are made by Dan Wesson and if it has a forged slide and frame. Enjoy it. I have not shot a 1911 with the arched MSH, I wonder how it feels in the hand
 
Yes, these guns were made by Dan Wesson, yes the frame and slide are forged, and word is no MIM anywhere. They made a run of just over 1000 pieces and that's all there's going to be, but it seems there's still plenty of them out there, Bud's still had some last time I checked. Apparently there wasn't enough money to be made at the price point they set.


The arched mainspring housing feels a bit different in the hand than a flat one but it's not a big thing. The gun will point different if you let it. I prefer flat MSHs, I like the feel and the look, but I can shoot with either. It's just a matter personal preference, whether it's looks or feel.
 
Neat. Cost?
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Cost was $729 plus tax. I think MSRP was around $850.

I wonder if in fact these are made by Dan Wesson and if it has a forged slide and frame
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As WC145 mentioned, yes to all three. There's less "hands on" work than on Dan Wessons, but it's still a nice looking pistol. Where I see a little less attention is in things like the trigger and the stiff safety. I've seen some reports of a very good trigger, so it may be luck of the draw. I think the trigger in mine will eventually be okay with some shooting.
 
The ones I've handled had very stiff thumb safeties but that is easily remedied, as is the arched MSH if you don't like them. The fit and finish were very good and the reviews I've read have been positive.

I'd have been more interested in them if it wasn't for the ugly CZ roll marks. After all, they're essentially GI style Dan Wessons so I'm sure they'll all be reliable, good shooting pistols, and will make great base guns for custom builds, if you're so inclined. Certainly, if they are truly zero MIM, they are the least expensive all steel, inside and out, 1911 on the market. I think the next closest one would be the DW Heritage.
 
If I was in the market for a GI shooter this would be on top of the list. I think it has a lot of value in the gun based on the street price of about $750 which is about what a Colt 80 series will run you these days. If I did not have 3-4 other GIs in the safe already I would have picked one up.

Look forward to a range report.
 
The ones I've handled had very stiff thumb safeties but that is easily remedied, as is the arched MSH if you don't like them.
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Yeah, if the thumb safety doesn't smooth out a bit with use, it's an easy fix. I specifically wanted the style of pistol and will keep the MSH. I have other pistols with the beavertail.

I'd have been more interested in them if it wasn't for the ugly CZ roll marks
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When I first saw the prototype of the gun on the web, I thought the roll mark was a deal killer for me. They changed the rollmark on the production pistol. You can look at the prototype here: http://www.gunsandammo.com/files/2015/01/cz-usa-1911-a1.jpg.

I think the roll mark on the production gun is rather modest in comparison with what you see on many 1911s. But, that's obviously a matter of opinion.
 
Looks to be a nice pistol.

Nothing wrong with the CZ roll marks; they seem pretty modest. They simply identify who manufactured the pistol, and you really don't expect a company to leave that out, do you?

Besides, as you step outside the 1911 world, you will see that CZ is a respected name. They make fine guns that inspire loyalty. For someone who likes the brand and wants a 1911, that roll mark is a benefit, not a drawback.
 
Congrats on the CZ1911 A1. Mine is fantastic as I'm sure you'll find yours to be. A great, great, value for the quality. I'm seriously considering getting a second one. Here's mine. Later on I added a flat trigger to it and a compact Rock.

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imashooter -- nice looking set!
I'm seriously considering getting a second one.
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These are a limited run of 1,000. My serial number is in the 700s so I don't know that there are a lot out there. That's one reason I went ahead and got it. Of course, CZ could always decide to do more later.
 
Nothing wrong with the CZ roll marks; they seem pretty modest. They simply identify who manufactured the pistol, and you really don't expect a company to leave that out, do you?

Besides, as you step outside the 1911 world, you will see that CZ is a respected name. They make fine guns that inspire loyalty. For someone who likes the brand and wants a 1911, that roll mark is a benefit, not a drawback.
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I'm well aware of CZ's standing in the handgun world and own CZs that aren't 1911s. Whether or not there is anything wrong with the CZ roll marks is a matter of opinion. If they really wanted the gun to have an authentic "GI" look they would have come up with something else and been satisfied with their name on the frame. Guncrafter does it that way.

CZ actually would have been better off capitalizing on the Dan Wesson relationship rather than trying to play it off as a CZ produced gun, it would justify the cost, if nothing else. There's a market for a quality built, zero-MIM GI style 1911 but they didn't advertise it that way. I'd guess that's why you can still find new ones in stock at Bud's and elsewhere even though they only made 1000 of them.
 
imashooter -- nice looking set!

These are a limited run of 1,000. My serial number is in the 700s so I don't know that there are a lot out there. That's one reason I went ahead and got it. Of course, CZ could always decide to do more later.
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Thanks. The serial numbers are actually irrelevant regarding time of purchase. I have seen early serial numbers purchased only in recent months. I believe they ran the 1,000 and distributed them. Following that it depended on which pistol sold when and where. I bought mine in November 2015 and it was in the 850s.
 
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