# Dress the old girl up



## lklawson (Dec 10, 2009)

I'm not much of a "project gun" guy but I recently got the hanker'n for a second CZ52 that I could tweak out just a bit.

Added a GunPartsWarehouse extended slide release with replacement nyloc slide release pivot pin.  Magazine extended finger grip is a modified after market intended for the TT33.  Magazine is tweaked for a +1 capacity.  The grips are Bocote and look even better than in the pics (and they look phenomenal in the pics).

I intend to have it Duracoated by a pro.  I like the phosphate gray so I'll keep that color.  And I'm seriously considering replacement sights to swap for the dinky stock sights.




















Peace favor your sword,
Kirk


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## KenpoTex (Dec 11, 2009)

Cool...I've never gotten around to getting one, but I've always had a hankering for one of those.  Something about a handgun designed to penetrate body armor just warms my twisted heart 

That's a good looking specimen.


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## lklawson (Dec 11, 2009)

I'm not sure if it was an intentional design or just a happy coincidence.

I haven't heard much about street level gobblins sporting body armour but it's nice to know I have that option should it go there.  I understand the warm fuzzy.  

I *HAVE* heard that soft armour has become popular down in the Tex & Cali drug smuggling lanes.

I've ordered some 100gr XTPs from Reeds Ammo in case I decide I want to carry.  I figure I'll either feed it a carry diet of pure XTPs or pattern load XTPs and FMJ.  I doubt I'll want to carry it, but if I decide to do so, then over pen. is a concern.

I should specifically mention that the Bocote grips are from a home grown company.  There's only three that I could find still making grips for the CZ52.  Hogue grips are sweet but more then I generally wanted to spend.  Marschalgrips.com is reputed to do nice work at a very reasonable price but then you have money leaving the country and international shipping charges and travel times.  I might get some grips for my PA63 or Mak from them though.  I eventually went with Bud Willson/Dixie Grips for a smidgen less than Marschalgrips for a "exotic" Bocote.  If I'd gone with non-exotic, such as Walnut, it would have been even less still.  Bud sent me preview photos of the exact grips I was ordering from him and offered a money back guarantee if I didn't like them when they arrived.  (I love them.  He ain't gett'n them back!  *MINE!!!!*).  I'm not sure what all he offers in grips, because I was focused on his cz52 offering, but to summarize, Bud Willson's Dixie Grips are the schiznit.  Patronize his work. budbanker@comporium.net

So far, I'm really enjoying this gun mod.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk


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## 50calray (Dec 11, 2009)

Nice, now that uses the 7.62x25 right?


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## Grenadier (Dec 11, 2009)

50calray said:


> Nice, now that uses the 7.62x25 right?


 
Yes indeed!  The Tokarev round can be a real screamer, and you're looking at 1600+ FPS from that small bullet.  

It can also take standard .30 Mauser ammo, if you can't find the Tokarev ammo.


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## lklawson (Dec 11, 2009)

Grenadier said:


> Yes indeed!  The Tokarev round can be a real screamer, and you're looking at 1600+ FPS from that small bullet.


Yeah.  It's a firebreather.



> It can also take standard .30 Mauser ammo, if you can't find the Tokarev ammo.


I've heard varying opinions on this.  Some say you can, some say you can't, some say you can but you shouldn't.    At the moment surplus (corrosive) is still plentiful and cheap, though 50% more expensive than it was one year ago (which is actually pretty good compared with the uptick in *OTHER* ammunition prices!).  Sellier & Bellot, Wolf, and (I think) Winchester are making factory new ammo and Reeds Ammunition is making custom stuff.  Both Wolf and Reeds offer HP.  So it's not like ammo is hard to find.

On the other hand, it's not as if I've never used "ammo alternatives" before.  My Astra 400 is designed for the 9mm Largo but will eat standard pressure 9mm Luger (again with varying recommendations for and against - though I've tried it, I've decided "against" personally) and my M1895 Nagant comes with a .32 ACP swap-out cylinder which I've used with great success.

All in all, this seems to be a very flexible weapon and ammo.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk


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## 50calray (Dec 11, 2009)

Grenadier said:


> Yes indeed!  The Tokarev round can be a real screamer, and you're looking at 1600+ FPS from that small bullet.
> 
> It can also take standard .30 Mauser ammo, if you can't find the Tokarev ammo.



Nice! 

Ya, I've got a Broomstick Mauser and people tell me the 7.62X25 is about the same as the 30 Mauser but only hotter.


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## lklawson (Dec 11, 2009)

50calray said:


> Ya, I've got a Broomstick Mauser and people tell me the 7.62X25 is about the same as the 30 Mauser but only hotter.


The vast majority of 7.62x25 is rated at ~42,000 c.u.p., way, *WAY* above the ~25,000 c.u.p. that the .30 Mauser is rated for.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk


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## Deaf Smith (Dec 11, 2009)

KenpoTex said:


> Cool...I've never gotten around to getting one, but I've always had a hankering for one of those. Something about a handgun designed to penetrate body armor just warms my twisted heart
> 
> That's a good looking specimen.


 
Me to Ken! I even picked up a 52 mag cheap at a pawn shop. It's just sitting here waiting for a 52!

Mighty fine CZ 52, Kirk!!! And those stocks really set it off. Looks like most of the parkerazation is still on it.

Deaf


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## MA-Caver (Dec 11, 2009)

Ooooohh .... pretty! Wouldn't mind playing with her for a while.


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## lklawson (Dec 11, 2009)

Deaf Smith said:


> And those stocks really set it off.


I can't recommend Bud Willson's Dixie Grips enough.



> Looks like most of the parkerazation is still on it.


Mostly.  It's worn along the corners.  Should make a nice surface for the refinish to adhere too.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk


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## lklawson (Dec 21, 2009)

Well, I took "The Old Girl" out paper punching this weekend with my brother.  The recoil was way less than I remembered the last time I shot (my other, "stock") CZ52.  Very manageable.  Practically "nice" to be honest.  Though, when my brother was shooting, I did notice a heavier recoil and sharper report than I noticed when I was shooting it.

Also more accurate than I am.  At CCW qualification ranges (about what you can expect with stock iron sights), it was grouping real sweet.  When I started pushing out farther than that it started going low and to the left.  I don't know if I was just getting tired by then and not exercising good trigger control or if the sights are wonky.  

Many CZ owners claim that with certain surplus ammo (what I was using) their point of aim changes, and not just "low" or "high" but side to side one direction or another.  Sounds weird to me, but it's what they're saying.

Peace favor your sword, 
Kirk


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