Czechmate Modifications for 2023

I recently borrowed a friends Czechmate pistol and was able to shoot it side by side with my current open gun - the Bul Armory Ultimate Racer. There are a number of things that the CZ is held back by due to the fact it was designed as being an IPSC Standard division gun and an Open gun - so these would be the parts I would look at changing - I'll go by source - based on being in the US and USPSA mag length.

Magazines

I understand that the OEM magazines can be made to work - and you can use the mag bases that CZ Custom sells to get the 140s to work. The big stick - I understand through talking to friends - is a struggle. I personally would keep the provided magazines as practice magazines and buy a set of MBX magazines to compete with. MBX magazines are way higher quality than what CZ is producing (what most people are producing). They work better with magnets - for whatever reason - and it's expensive - but I'd buy 2 big sticks and three 140's - I'd buy 155 were that an option - but it's not for CZ.

MBX Magazines

Compensator / Safety - Sebo Weapons

So the basic compensator is a 4 port - straight up design - it's long, it's steel - it adds weight where you don't necessarily want it - though cleaning steel compensators is way better - everything else is better with a lighter weight material (you know - like the swinging / shooting bits as the balance of the gun moves toward the grip rather than the nose).

Sebo Compensator

Now fair warning - you WILL have to fit that compensator to the gun. Talking to Jordan Rogers - he ended up trimming the front of his slide so that it mated up properly or else you he would have had to stand a 1mm gap and a lot of wiggle. The manual safeties aren't great. There are a couple options here - but the best I've seen are the Sebo - they have a number of different profiles - depending if you want a large paddle on one side versus the other and depending on stock it varies a bit. A large paddle on your dominant hand thumb side is probably all that's strictly necessary - I think the angle of the paddle is the same on all - but you want that arcing up as high as you can get it so it doesn't bump your support hand. Sebo Safeties

Scope Mount / Thumb Rest - Toni System

So the Czechmate comes with a C-More slide ride - which is a fine dot - it's just gigantic and way over the bore. More importantly - it covers the ejection port all the way at the back and restricts access to the slide for manipulation. I would move to an MRDS rather than the full size optic it comes with. Plus this is available in cool colors. These are available through resellers in the US - but this is the source website. Toni Systems scope mount

Toni Systems thumb rest (adjustable) Red Dot (anywhere)

So these are the only affiliate links in the article - if you buy a red dot - I would appreciate it - but you'll probably only source them through where've you see fit. For the "He's a shill" people in the crowd - I bought *ALL* of the dots listed below - including the Sig. My current favorite optics are -

C-More RTS2B - 8 or 10 MOA - (Amazon Optics Planet ) I really like 10 MOA but you guys get squeamish. The reason this works well is all optic mounts are built around this length. The FTP Alpha 3 is slightly longer and that creates some issues with mount compatibility. The Alpha 3 is also a great sight - but scope mount compatibility and availability can be spotty. I would bet - but don't know - that it fits the Toni mount. I have an 8 MOA FTP Alpha 3 on my match gun presently - only downside of the Alpha 3 (and the RTS2B for that matter) is the dot doesn't dim enough for overcast day so you end up bloomed out a bit). The alpha's glass is a bit larger than the RTS2 - but not really in a meaningful way. My buddy Kenny recently picked up 6 MOA RTS2 and in his opinion - it looks smaller than the Sig 6 MOA.

SIG Sauer Romeo 3 Max - 6 MOA - (Amazon Optics Planet) I think the Sig Romeo 3 Max is potentially my favorite micro red dot sight from a glass and dot adjustability standpoint - BUT they only go as big as a 6 MOA. They do 10 MOA on everything else - I'd love to be able to have a 10 MOA dot from Sig - this dot is on my practice gun - the only reason it's not on my match gun is I don't want to spend the money to update it when the Alpha 3 works - since the practice gun is shot more in more lighting conditions - the additional brightness adjustment was nice. Most major matches - the sun is shining so the Alpha has been great. For dryfire it's nice to dial down the dot to a level that's a bit better to what I'll see in a match versus bloomy mc bloomerson with the RTS and the Alpha. If Sig releases an 8 or 10 MOA dot I will put it on my match gun. I might buy two of them.

Shield RMSx Glass - 8 MOA - Shield Website - The glass version was just announced. I'm currently testing the polymer lens version on my Beretta 92X Performance Carry Optic gun - it only has 825 rounds - I'm going to run it up to 2000 before reviewing it properly. I've got the polymer lens version of this dot and the brass has nicked the window. BUT - the nice bit about this dot is it's an auto adjuster - and I know what you're thinking - those don't work - but this one does. The downside of it working is in a setting without uniform lighting - like being indoors with multiple light fixtures - it appears to flicker - but outdoors - it's steady and at about the right intensity - only reason I say about is in low light it's a little generous for my liking but not enough to affect performance. if I can find a scope mount for my Bul Armory guns that accept the RMSx - I may toy with it - I like the closer to the bore window quite a bit and the emitter and glass are quite nice (at least on the poly lens version). I don't recommend the SRO for frame mount applications - the glass/dot brightness just isn't good enough and the ghost dot issue is a real thing at major matches. The window is less useable than any of the above - I'm at the point I'd do a DPP 6 MOA before an SRO Grips/Magwell - Various - recommend LOK Grips

So depending on how you want to tune up balance you have a few options at LOK. I don't have aluminum grips on a CZ platform - but I have them on my P320 AXG guns and I love them. They're fantastic for a light weight offering. I like the palmswell variant for all CZs and the enhanced traction is welcome. The Hollow Brass or the Brass/ G10 grips add a little bit of weight - which really translates to balance more than anything - moving center of balance rearward. The full brass palmswell feel amazing - these are the grips that make the Shadow 2 sing as far as balance is concerned. A lot of guys use these on Czechmates as well. Depending on how you like the balance of your gun - the magwell can be another opportunity - use an aluminum one for less weight - a brass one for more. Aluminum will tear up faster than brass - but brass will destroy your feed lips in a way that aluminum doesn't quite.