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CZ40B .40 S&W
I bought it about 5 years ago - it's an '01 manufacture. It was supposedly the result of a joint venture between CZ and Colt - it's kind of like a cross between a CZ75 and a 1911.
I believe CZ made them until 2005, but I don't think in any great numbers.
It's a great gun and was pretty inexpensive.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...bob/CZ40B1.jpg
Kewl... Haven't seen 1 of these before :p
I had one for a while. Great gun, especially for the very low buy-in (I got mine NIB for $249 plus tax). The gun shoots very well, and mine was totally reliable. It is a little big for me to carry, so I ended up selling mine to one of the guys at Galco when I went to the Glock design for primary carry. He still has it and loves it.
The CZ 40 B, AKA Colt Z40.
This was a limited run pistol that was never promoted by either of the two companies involved. Colt had approached CZ about a joint venture pistol and then later backed out of the deal with a small number of the pistol they called the Z40.
It combines the 1911 grip angle, the .40 S&W chambering and CZ's successful DA/SA design into a service sized pistol.
Despite the double-stack mag well stubbier hands can still wrap around the grip frame. It came with stock soft rubber grip panels. It is available in only one factory finish that I'm aware of.
I have one and it is as accurate as other .40s. It holds 10 rounds in the mag. There are no aftermarket mags that I'm aware of for this pistol. I think it was concieved during the AWB and the lack of advertising, lack of "push" to sell has kept the prices low, both used and new. Still plenty of NIB to find out there.
After CZ finished building out their 40B frames they still could produce the top portion of the gun as that was their design. They didn't continue with 1911 grip frames, though. They mated the 40B top end with the forged and ergonomical P 01 pistol frame. The result was the CZ 40 P.
While the world is familiar with the CZ 75/85 series in its various incarnations these two .40 cal sisters languish despite being very capable weapons. Both can be had around the $300-400 mark, usually for much less than a 75 B. Since the two differ in the lower end they do not share magazines. The magazine for the 40B is unique while the 40P can use magazines for the CZ 75 compact in .40, even the aftermarket Pro-Mag ones. These function without a hiccup and are less than half the cost of factory mags. You could put in CZ 75 mags in the .40 chambering but these would stick out. They would probably function just fine.
40 P magazines share the same magazine base that emerged on the CZ SP 01 while the 40B has a flatter, more compact magazine base. Both .40 sisters hold 10 in the mag.
These pistols are a bargain for anyone who happens to fancy them. They are chambered only in .40 and I don't know of anyone who makes aftermarket barrels to drop to 9 mm. Jach Ashby has the market to himself for the aftermarket parts for the 40 B but these consist of guide rod and buffers. You can obtain grip panels for both through Hakkan Pek or Omega. H.B.E. has made holsters for the 40B (I have one IWB version sitting right here).
Good info: there Hunchback. Thanks.
Yes, thanks for that additional information, Hyunchback.
I had read that you can actually use .40 S&W CZ75 mags, and if you switch the floorplate with one from the P01 it won't have any space between the floorplate and the grip.
I don't know if that is true or not. I guess for the cost of a magazine I can find out.
I don't know if that's true. It looks to my memory (my mags aren't close to hand as I write) that the 40 B mags are very different from the mags for anything else.
I found a dealer on GunBroker who sells factory mags and picked up 3 factory 40 B mags for under $30 each. DiscountGunner.com is the name of the seller. They sell lots of different mags and the CZ mags they sell are all factory. At prices less than I've found elsewhere!
They even had the extremely rare 19 round SP 01 mags. They were much higher but still less than other dealers who had them (they, like the SP 01, aren't plentiful, yet).
BTW, I swapped mine today. I know, it's a sin to ever part with a CZ. I only did it to fill the very obvious and gaping hole in my line up.
Now I have a 75 B.
The 40 B is a good pistol but it doesn't feel the same as the rest of the CZ family. It feels like it is, a hybrid Colt/CZ. The 40 P is all CZ.
This is my CZ40B with Hakan grips and an old belt holster. I do not know why but I like that holster. Regards, Richard :D
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...b/f9d88acd.jpg
That be the cat's meow.I really really like that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard
Ed
Nice looking outfit you got there Rich and I like the holster too.
But where is the shark ??Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard
:)
RJ
I wound up buying my 40 B back.
After cursing the .40 S&W and wondering how in the name of Samuel Colt the round ever got popular I finally worked through my 40 caliber flinch.
I used to shoot my 40s at 25 feet and less and was embarassed at the huge, scattered, ragged arrangements of holes in the targets. I could shoot a 9. I could shoot a 45. The 40s were acting like I was someone who didn't shoot much.
This afternoon after buying my 40 B back from my friend I was shooting arrangements of that size or smaller.
At 50 feet.
I can shoot tighter with my Witness Stock but the trigger on that pistol is perfect. The trigger on the 40 B is stock and relatively unbroken in. Heavy, cranky and not a joy. But those rounds were puncturing the paper plate glued to cardboard 50 feet away. They all stayed in the plate.
I've learned that the 180 grain rounds are MUCH more pleasant to shoot than the 165s but both are controllable.
The 40 B came back to me and I'm happy to have her back. Her sister, the 40 P is at the gunsmith and when she comes back it's the 40 B's time to get an action job.
Why did I want this one back? I had the Witness Stock. I had the 96 Beretta. I had the 40 P and an XD SC in 40.
Because this pistol is beautiful. It feels different from the rest of the CZ sisters but it still feels RIGHT in the hand.
They friend whom I sold it to also loves how it feels, he just can't stand having a single pistol in 40 when everything else is 22 or 9mm.
My 40 B came home and I'm happy!
Since I am on track to master shooting the 40 S&W I have moved the target out further, to 50 feet. Not a realistic distance for self defense but a skill-building exercise.
Here is an example shot this morning with bargain basement gunshow reloads with a factory trigger at 50 feet.
Here is the same distance, same ammo. Same shooter, no rest used for either grouping.
This is the Witness Stock. On the outside it's a kissin' cousin to the CZ 75. On the inside it's different. Reliable, but different. This example is a fancier version, intended for the competition market. It comes with several bells and whistles straight from the factory so one can shoot it in production class IPSC.
The previous owner had a trigger job done on it and it's the best trigger I have.
Here's my CZ-40 with Hakan grips:
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h7...s/DSCN0369.jpg
Nice looking gun :)
I fixed it so the pic shows up itself :)
Thanks! I thought it might be too large to show.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shipwreck
I bought one just before deer season and haven't went out and shot it yet.
I picked up a bunch of brass dies and a lee 175 gr tc mould.so a range report soon.
as a 1911 guy I like the feel of this one.this is my first 40 S&W.
pete
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/txpete/40005.jpg
Like Hyunchback, I have the 40P and agree with everything he's said. It's a 40B slide on a PO1 frame... the best of both worlds. A good gun; very accurate, easy to shoot and a steal at $285 when I bought it early last year.
While the 40P was suppose to be a limited production model of about 1,500 guns (mine is #558, made in '04), the local Academy store sells new production 40P's - made in '06, #3,000+ - for $368. Oddly, it has never been listed in any of CZ's brochures or their web site, though you can download the 40P owners manual from CZUSA's web site. If you want one, they are out there and available.
http://www.czshooters.com/modules/co.../22apr05cz.jpg