Kadet Kit really worth it? UPDATE: bought one.

[daybreak]

I can't decide if buying a CZ Kadet Kit is worth it. They're hard to find online right now but they seem to be going for around $350-$400. Is it worth investing in? With $350-$400, I could easily just buy a lot more 9mm ammo for my CZs.

Kadet Kit with tax and/or shipping = $375 ish
Kadet Kit with 3000 rounds of .22LR (@ $25 for 500 rounds of CCI) = about $525
3,000 rounds of bulletman 9mm ammo = $510

... i'm thinking I might as well spend that Kadet Kit money on more 9mm. What do you guys think? Which investment would you make?

I realize I could find cheaper .22LR at around $18-20 a box, but let's stick to CCI @$25/500.

[grim1U]

I think it's worth it. Remember the cadet kit is a one time fee, after that it's Smooth .22lr sailing from there.

[JamminJ]

I bought one a month and a half ago and am very happy with it. It's the only .22 auto I have that doesn't have a cheesy feel to it. Like the adjustable sights too.

I approached the buying decision in the exact opposite way you are. I wanted a dedicated Kadet but, this being California, couldn't just go buy one. I bought a 75B and waited 8 months before finding a conversion kit available online.

[BamBam-31]

It's a high quality conversion kit, that's for sure. Whether or not it's worth it is strictly up to you. You could very easily buy a complete .22lr pistol for the same amount of cash.

Again, the Kadet kit is one of the best conversion kits out there. Mine was super accurate and reliable. It was a great way to get trigger time with my CZ 75b pistol w/o having to pay centerfire prices, plus it smoothed out the trigger lots with all those trigger pulls. $350-400 is kinda steep, however, but you won't be disappointed by the quality.

[ojisan]

Gun Tests gave it an "A" rating.

[Bug Splat]

It's a high quality conversion kit, that's for sure. Whether or not it's worth it is strictly up to you. You could very easily buy a complete .22lr pistol for the same amount of cash.

Again, the Kadet kit is one of the best conversion kits out there. Mine was super accurate and reliable. It was a great way to get trigger time with my CZ 75b pistol w/o having to pay centerfire prices, plus it smoothed out the trigger lots with all those trigger pulls. $350-400 is kinda steep, however, but you won't be disappointed by the quality.

Agree ^^^^

If you want to train with the same trigger and grip the Kadet kit is the way to go. If you just want a plunker and don't care about practicing with your CZ I'd just buy a Buckmark for the same price. Nothing wrong with either route, it just depends on what you are buying the 22 for. Conversion kits are mainly for training or guys who just like the feel of their 9mm/40/45 pistol.

[JeremyS]

I've been very happy with mine. Not only is it one of the best conversion kits for any gun on the market, it's simply one of the best .22 LR semi-auto pistols on the market. .22 pistols are notoriously picky about ammo and often unreliable, and the Kadet kit is neither of those things. I have run 4 brands of cheap, bulk box .22 LR through it with no problems and have run a couple of nicer rounds through it also without an issue.

The design is great since the entire slide doesn't reciprocate. This allowed them to make it from forged steel instead of having to use a light material like aluminum or pot metal (did you see that GSG explosion thread?). The machining is really good.

It's accurate and the adjustable rear sight is nice.

...just posted this in another thread, but I found the factory target from my Kadet adapter while I was packing stuff up in the workshop. 1.5" spread at 25 meters is not bad at all:






I had looked for used ones online for a long time but they aren't sold very often and most people were asking the same price as you can buy new anyway. Ended up getting it from CZ Custom: http://czcustom.com/CZ-75-Kadet-Kit-PolyCoat-22.aspx

[daybreak]

unfortunately it's also hard to find them in stock anywhere

[smittty]

You don't need expensive 22 ammo for the Kadet. Both mine and my friends work perfectly with bulk pack ammo.

After shooting my Kadet kit for a few months I sold my Ruger MK?. My kadet kit was more reliable.

I've had it now for a few years and still works perfectly. It's definitely a quality kit!

[lrj812]

I feel your pain. Ruger SR22 or Kadet kit. That's my question. Since both are hard to get right now it has given me time to ponder and save for both.

[JeremyS]

I feel your pain. Ruger SR22 or Kadet kit. That's my question. Since both are hard to get right now it has given me time to ponder and save for both.

I did some debating between getting a complete gun and getting the adapter also. I chose the adapter for three main reasons:

* I love the feel of my CZ frame and I put money and time into making the trigger, grip, etc awesome for me. I liked the idea of using that same trigger and grip for my .22 shooting, which also meant getting even more practice shooting that same gun. More muscle memory with the same grip, trigger, safety, slide release, mag release, etc... this makes shooting .22 from it more than just plinking fun, it's actual useful training with my primary handgun.

* No FFL. No fees (DROS, transfer, tax), no wait, no hassle, no registration. Shipped Priority Mail to my doorstep.

* The only semi-auto .22 LR pistols with equivalent reputations for accuracy and reliability were more expensive and did not have the aesthetic I was interested in. Sure, I could get a plinker like a P22 or a Mosquito or something, but they are not as accurate. I don't know much about the SR22, as it wasn't available when I was looking into these things.


Last month's Shooting Illustrated had a good article on five different .22 LR pistols complete with accuracy data, MSRP, shooting reviews... Worth a read if you're in the market. Even with the new things that have come out, I'm 99% sure I'd do the KA again and it's still a very good choice... maybe still the best choice.

Edit: had the magazine handy so figured I'd list the guns they reviewed. I thought it was 10, but it's just 5. The M&P was the most accurate:

Kimber Rimfire Target
Sig Sauer 1911-22
Umarex USA Colt 1911
S&W M&P22
Ruger SR22

[Lead Waster]

I also considered it, but I bought a used Ruger 22/45 instead. I'd just prefer to have two distinct pistols. Especially if you are at the range with newbies, you can set them up in a lane with the .22 and a box of 500 rounds, then go shoot your CZ in the next lane.

[elsolo]

The Kadet kit I bought many years ago paid for itself in no time.
It runs on any bulk pack .22lr ammo
More reliable than many of the new manufacture .22 pistols I have shot
It's not as awesome as my old Colt Woodsman Target model, but 1/3 the price.

[paul0660]

I paid for mine already, in less than a year. You are saving at least .25 a shot, and it is great for noobs.

I did have a stovepipe, once.

[Mr. Meeseeks]

I can't decide if buying a CZ Kadet Kit is worth it. They're hard to find online right now but they seem to be going for around $350-$400. Is it worth investing in? With $350-$400, I could easily just buy a lot more 9mm ammo for my CZs.

Kadet Kit with tax and/or shipping = $375 ish
Kadet Kit with 3000 rounds of .22LR (@ $25 for 500 rounds of CCI) = about $525
3,000 rounds of bulletman 9mm ammo = $510

... i'm thinking I might as well spend that Kadet Kit money on more 9mm. What do you guys think? Which investment would you make?

I realize I could find cheaper .22LR at around $18-20 a box, but let's stick to CCI @$25/500.

I bought mine several years ago as well, it was only around $250 then. For $400 I might consider getting a whole other gun, like a Ruger. It really depends on how much practicing with a CZ means to you.

Other than the usual duds in a brick, mine also runs any bulk ammo reliably, even the crappy Remington, so why stick to CCI

3k 9mm = $510
$510 = 25.5 Federal 525 bricks = 13,387.5 rounds
$510 = 25.5 Winchester 555 = 14,152.5 rounds