Picked up Pre-B CZ75. Needs refinishing. Help me decide...

[JeremyS]

So I've always wanted an older, Pre-B CZ75 that says "Made in Czechoslovakia" on it rather than Czech Republic. Also an H&K P7 made in West Germany, but $$$$. Even with the CZ, I wasn't willing to pay full price for a gun I'd probably just never shoot and would really be a collector thing and a safe queen. Well... I found one at a low enough price that I simply couldn't say no.

BUT...

It needs to be refinished. I'm also going to swap the safety back to a factory one.

Other than swapping the safety I don't actually care about keeping it original or original-looking, and am leaning towards coating it. I may even checker the front- and backstraps and undercut/thin out the beavertail a little. I'd like to know what y'all think though!






Thanks for your input,

Jeremy

[MrPlink]

Honestly I think it looks awesome as is. If it were mine I would swap the safety and call it a night.

[JeremyS]

Yeah it's kind of cool but it isn't this way due to being old and just general wear and tear. Somebody took a scotch bright pad or buffing wheel or something to the gun and it's uneven and weird in person. They didn't even take it apart. For instance, look around the safety on both sides. It's like the worst faux polish (or whatever they were going for) job ever. But it's aggressive enough in some areas, like on the frame behind the trigger especially, that it actually did smooth out the texture of the metal and start to make it shiny. ...so... just kind of sloppy and weird and I'd rather sandblast the whole thing and coat it, and I think I'll be more likely to actually take it out and shoot it every now and then if I do.

[xjdesertfox]

Cerakote it od green or fde! It'd probably be the only tan pre-b out there.

Spelling errors courtesy of Tapatalk 4.

[opie4386]

Get it a REALLY good blue. With some CZ cocobolo grips it will be gorgeous

[SoulStealer]

What about doing it in a Glossy Blue like the 97. Here is a pic of a nice one.

[THEJAPINO]

I don't regret getting mine 'koted one bit.

[nahpungnome]

Cerakote, Satin Aluminum

[Mr. Gillious]

I would leave it as it is. but if you really really wanna put some color in it I would make it titanium gold

[101st Airborne]

I think I like it just the way it is, but THEJAPINO's looks awesome, too.

[CAGLS]

Refinish in the glossy blued finish.

[morrcarr67]

I voted for blue.

I'm an old school kind of guy and really like the way a blue steeled gun looks.

[tbc]

I'd just sand blast it to even out the wear.


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[mievil]

I know where you got that, and I hate that I know how much you paid. That was the better of the two even with the finish. The other one looked like it had been soaked in acid for 3 days on one side.

I really like the way this one looks as it is. But if it was a weird polish job.....hmmm....I was wondering what the original safety looked like?

[BEE]

+1 for a Blue Finish

[gigglemonkee]

So where did you find the gem?

[phase1]

it looks so nice like that, but maybe a two tone gray steel cerakote

[bsumoba]

if i ever have to refinish mine, it will be in a cerakote of some sort.

[trigger945]

I would vote for glossy blue.

Good find!

[pc_load_letter]

Personally, I would leave it.

But if you have to refinish it, armor black cerakote

[WildeSide]

Originally Posted by THEJAPINO

I don't regret getting mine 'koted one bit.

Wow that looks amazing.

Something like this would be cool.

[thomashoward]

Originally Posted by tbc

I'd just sand blast it to even out the wear.


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I'd bead blast and blue
if not traditional
then maybe urban camo

[JeremyS]

Thanks for all the input so far!

I'd consider just blasting it and leaving it like that, but it would look nasty really fast. That sort of finish is a dirt sponge. I'd consider doing a brushed look. Either way, though, since this is mild steel and not stainless I'd end up worrying about rust. I could go all crazy dictator and jewel the entire thing haha:



I definitely appreciate the suggestions of bluing it, especially a high polish blue. I absolutely love that really deep, mirror-like (kind of "black chrome" almost), polished bluing.




BUT... I have multiple pistols in various types of bluing. I have ZERO pistols that are Cerakote/KG Gunkote. My gunsmith does coating (blasting, prepping, spraying, kiln curing... the right way) but I'd have to send the gun out for a good bluing job. I'd be spending way, way more. Not really willing to do it. That reason #2 why I'm not really considering having it blued.


Heck, it could be coated in a digital camo pattern. Not that I think I'd got for it, but it's on the table. Like all grey/black shades:




Or the darkest bronze my gunsmith could do. Every part on the gun this color or darker:






^^^ actually that's a pre-b in burnt bronze right there. Hmmm... maybe a dark gray would be better.







I do have to admit that after seeing some highly polished blued ones, they just look "right." Still not sure I'd want to put out the $$$$ for it.







...and of course, one of beetle's 1911s just had its 101st birthday and there really exists no finish more awesome than this (click picture for info):

[BEE]

I just think a classy Pre-B CZ 75 calls for a classy finish

[trigger945]

Wow, tough choice indeed!

Good luck!

I still vote for glossy blue

[UnWired]

The more I look at the CZ 75, the more I want one.
I thought I was done collecting pistols.. got a safe full..
But my collection just doesn't seem complete without one. I ... think..... I ..... NEED!!

I love OD green! Go with cerakote OD Green/Black slide or even a darker green slide. Would add a modern touch to a classic pistol.... Like this:

[bsg]

if the wear was honest, i'd say leave as is. since it's not, i suggest a finish that attempts to recreate what came from the factory when the gun was new. i suggest maintaining the integrity of the pistol as original, without permanent alteration to configuration.

[phase1]

im getting a cz 75 compact that things sick

[SILENT GUNMAN]

GOLD TIGERSTRIPE THAT THING! Make it a real head turner.

[Czsp-01-9mm]

Originally Posted by nahpungnome

Cerakote, Satin Aluminum

+1 like the color, was gonna go my sp-01frame in that color but sold it to pay bills before I could

[sigstroker]

Actually I don't think the traditional finish was blued, it was an ugly enamel paint like on an Uzi.

I had an early model like that too until it was stolen, except mine was customized with a Wichita rear sight and some other stuff. The frame had been electroless nickeled.

[JeremyS]

Yeah some of them were blued, some were parkerized, and some had an enamel paint. I'm not going to attempt any research, but I really have no interest in recreating the factory look. No matter which one it was, it was nothing to write home about. Starting from scratch here so even if it ends up blued, it's going to be done much better than the original...

Keep in mind, also, that this isn't a rare gun or anything. I have no compunctions about deviating from historically original.

[penguinofsleep]

grey or graphite imo. since you say it will sit in the safe, i'd pick w/e coating will protect it the most.

personal bias - im not a big fan of bluing in almost all cases though. only time i want bluing is if its an original/historic/iconic item and they are came/come blued. i.e. colt python, old 1911, etc.

[zfields]

I'd leave it alone.

[mievil]

Tungsten is the new color fad. That'd look kinda cool if you did like chrome controls and the shiny aluminum grips. Not quite as light as the matte stainless CZ, but still light.

[JeremyS]

Originally Posted by zfields

I'd leave it alone.

I can't. It's too sloppy. It looks like a drunk monkey buffed some of the factory finish off in most places, missed lots of other places, and went extra crazy in some places and actually polished out the metal. The whole thing is inconsistent in too many ways. My OCD won't allow it to stay

ACTUALLY... that ship already sailed. I just blued it in my kitchen hahaha. This won't be permanent (it is truly chemical blued now I just mean that I'll still be blasting it and doing something else, even if that's a more proper blue job). Just wanted to see how it would turn out. Unfortunately, due to the various textures of the metal from whoever "polished" the thing, it blued differently in different places.


















I am finally leaning in a certain direction, and that's a dark gray. Something like Cerakote's Alpha Grey



^^^ that bronze rear sight looks kind of cool with the gray. Maybe all of the controls, hammer, magazine, sights, and barrel can go bronze and the frame and slide can go gray.

[APNF128]

Here's mine, and maybe someone can direct me a good gunsmith who can replaced front/rear sight

[razorduc]

Can you melonite/CQC/whatever else they call it black? Wouldn't the finish be stronger that way?

Or Tungsten in Cerakote is a nice grey.

[Dickie Doyle]

Please leave it exactly as is. I love it! How awesome would it be to put a super tight group on paper and when the next lane shooter with the newest thousand dollar gun shooting all over the place comes over to check out your hardware and sees this gun on your mat?! Oh man, very cool looking.

[FX-05 Xiuhcoatl]

Hello kitty PINK