Any CZ (Ceska Zbrojovka) Armorers here? How about knowledgeable owners?

[LeeC]

Anybody have any experience with this?

I purchased a new CZ 75 Kadet .22 LR pistol last month. I have shot about 1,000 rounds through it and it has performed flawlessly until yesterday, when it stopped putting indentations on the .22 LR casings, resulting in failure to ignite the ammo. I took out the firing pin and see that it appears to have worn down on the side that contacts the casings, as shown by the red arrow in the photo below:

http://images58.fotki.com/v154/photos/5/1410325/10221463/R_SNA964562_firing_pin_closeup-vi.jpg

I found this note online at a CZ parts dealer:


Firing pin CZ 75 Kadet (USA), No. 54
Original Cadet pin design has weak punch on harder U.S. shells. At the request from U.S. was the firing improved. Subsequently, this innovation began to be used for all Cadets. To replace the old pin with the new U.S. version is also needed replacemet
0440-0630-03ND (#56 Firing Pin Stop)

I sent an inquiry to CZ-USA Warranty ( warranty@cz-usa.com ) but have not gotten a reply yet.

I tried to find a picture of what the firing pin is supposed to look like, but all I found was the line drawing in the manual, showing the firing pin spring installed, which obscures the business end in question.

Of course, the other possibility is that the firing pin is designed this way and was just so fouled up that it couldn't reach the casing. I'll find out the answer to that question when I try to fire it again after cleaning off the pin. But I figured I'd ask the question here anyway, in case I get really lucky and someone else has already been through this.

Thanks,

Lee

[Pennzoil]

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y171/hipowersandhandguns/Hipowersandhandguns2/CZKadetRangeReport020.jpg

Here is a picture of one from a CZ Kadet conversion review on the CZ forums (http://www.czfirearms.us/index.php?topic=23373.0).

[LeeC]

Thanks Pennzoil! Well, the CZ forum post answers the question about the difference between the European and US pins. And I have the chisel point rather than round point pin, so that is not my problem. I wonder if the hidden side of the pin in their photo is cut at a 45 degree angle like mine appears to be? Seems like an angle would tend to cut rather than depress the rim of the casing.

I took my clean CZ 75 Kadet to the range last night and ran 80 rounds of CCI mini mags through it. Seemed to be OK except that I had two FTIs on the first strike. Since the Kadet is DA/SA, I just pulled the trigger a second time and in both cases the round ignited on the second try. Seems like fouling might have been part of the problem. I'll probably need to clean the firing pin every 1,000 rounds or so, or be more careful with the Balistol spray. But when the clean gun is sometimes taking two whacks to ignite a round, that sounds like something is wrong with the firing pin. I'm no expert but if memory serves, most FTIs I've experienced on .22 LRs will sometimes ignite with a strike in a different place on the casing, but hitting the same place usually doesn't produce different results if the firing pin is working correctly.

Anyway, thanks for the link and the photo. I'm hoping I'll hear back from my email inquiry with CZ, but if not I'll try their forum.

Thanks,

Lee

[LeeC]

Well, it turns out that the cause of the problem must have been fouling of the firing pin. CZ was kind enough to send me the latest firing pin and it looks like the one that I have. Since removing and cleaning the firing pin, spring and pin retaining channel, the gun has been firing fine.

Thanks,

Lee