PIS T OL s
Next generation
kadets In 2016, Česká zbrojovka a.s. introduced a rimfire adapter and pistol,
the CZ P-07 Kadet. The customer response was fantastic, so in 2018, one can look forward to three more Kadets. This time, they are intended for several of the latest models of standard size CZ pistols. And the choice is certainly interesting.
The tradition of rimfire Kadet adapters for CZ pistols dates back to the mid-1990s. Therefore, Kadets for the CZ 75/85 family models have been on the market for nearly a quarter of a century. Over this time, they have brought pleasure to many tens of thousands of satisfied customers who are able to use them for inexpensive and at the same time realistic training, or for honing their existing shooting skills. Some Kadets have even been used successfully in shooting sports. The original conversion is based around durability and precision of production. Its basic material is steel, the dynamic slide moves in a fixed casing derived from the slide of CZ 75/85 pistols. The whole concept works great. In combination with the .22 LR cartridges, it is basically indestructible. Regarding accuracy, it is at a level of medium price sport specials. On the other hand, the control is different than in full calibre weapons, manufacture is relatively challenging and having it aligned is essential. All these factors have been taken into account when developing rimfire adapters for a new generation of CZ pistols.
New direction The first one to appear was the already mentioned CZ P-07 Kadet model, intended for the popular compact with a glass fibre reinforced polymer frame. Here, CZ designers have used a dynamic slide made of high quality duralumin used in the aviation industry. This material is not only excellent for the .22 LR cartridge, but it also allows for easy manufacture. Thanks to this approach, it has been possible to keep the cocking grooves in the same place as in the full calibre model, as well as keeping the control of the slide the same too. The fixed, cold hammer forged barrel is 103 mm long and partially extends beyond the front of the slide, which in turn contributes to high accuracy. Moreover, the new Kadet also comes with a brand new 10-round polymer magazine and “buttons” on the sides of the follower to enable easier loading. A major innovation for users is the end of alignment. Conversions of all-steel Kadets for CZ 75/85 pistols require fine tuning in order to guarantee reliable function on the given large calibre weapon. When you want to use it on
another model, you may come up against a brick wall. This shall become a thing of the past, starting with the 07 Kadet. The reason is a well thought out design and also the fact that current CZ pistols are created with the help of state-of-the-art technologies working with tolerances that would have previously been unthinkable. In practice, this means that all of the conversions work without any problems whatsoever on any pistol. What is more, installing it is about as difficult as it is to carry out basic stripping and reassembly. It can therefore be done by any authorized holder of a firearm.
For the CZ P-09 With the CZ P-07 Kadet adapter and complete pistol in .22 LR cal., CZ has hit the bull’s eye. The best proof of its success has been the high demand and numerous eager enquiries about when a similar “accessory” would become available for other models. It did take a while, though this is not surprising as even a fleeting glance at CZ’s portfolio will tell you that their pistol experts have definitely not been idle. While 2016 was marked by the finalizing of the development and starting serial production of the primarily sport model, the CZ Shadow 2, last year brought the first member of a brand new family of striker fired pistols, the CZ P-10. Thus, rimfire pistols arrived at the top of the agenda later, yet with a vengeance.
When the conversion for the CZ P-07 came out, it was announced that there would also be a Kadet for the CZ P-09 model. For the record: the CZ 09 is a standard size SA/DA pistol with a modern design frame made of durable glass fibre reinforced polymer, Omega trigger mechanism and impressive firing capacity (in 9x19 cal. the magazine holds 19 or even 21 rounds). It is primarily a service weapon, but it is of course also suitable for self-defence and shooting sports. Undoubtedly, many will welcome the option to convert it easily to .22 LR cal. One reason might be that it simplifies and significantly lowers the price of training and maintaining shooting skills. Therefore, nobody will be surprised to find that regarding design, it has been based on a tried and tested concept used in the adapter for the polymer compact. The one piece dynamic slide is made of duralumin used in the aviation industry and its surface is hard anodised. The cold hammer forged barrel does not move during firing, it is simply fixed in the frame by its own, properly marked catch, adapted to provide the reliable locked-open position feature. The barrel is 120 mm long and extends slightly beyond the front of the slide, which makes the weapon configuration easy to see. Once again, there is a polymer magazine which holds ten .22 LR cartridges (this number is a tried and tested maximum, due to the specific shape of the cartridge case). A new feature is the robust and very easy to read rear sight borrowed from the CZ Shadow 2 model. It is simple to adjust, which allows the shooter to zero the weapon fast with various types of cartridges. For the Shadow 2 and the SP The following two rimfire models from Uherský Brod will greatly please the lovers of more sporty CZ pistols, namely the CZ 75 SP01 and CZ Shadow 2 models. To be more precise: for the CZ 75 SP-01 sport tactical model, one may use the already existing CZ 75 Kadet 2 adapter. However, numerous owners of SP models now also have the opportunity to reach for a significantly more modernized and user-friendly conversion kit, which is based on the brand new rimfire adapter for the CZ-Shadow 2.
CZ Shadow 2, the extremely successful product from 2016, is the latest and exceptionally well thought out embodiment of the concept of the all-steel SA/DA pistol with an external hammer, the masterpiece of František Koucký. At first sight, it is obvious that due to the weapon parameters (total length of 217 mm and weight of 1.33 kg when empty), designers had to take a different approach to the concept of a rimfire adapter for this model, compared to the CZ P-09. The slide, made of anodised duralumin, does not extend to the front of the frame and the front of the conversion does not move. Together with the 124 mm long barrel, this makes the weapon highly accurate. The design of the rimfire slide matches the shape of the large calibre CZ Shadow 2. One significantly different element is the ejection port on the top, which follows in the footsteps of the CZ P-07 and CZ P-09 models. The resulting new adapter for the CZ 75 SP-01 is very similar to the conversion for the Shadow 2, including the rear sight. Only a closer look will reveal minor differences – the length of the front immovable part, the shape of the cocking serrations, or the extension of the conversion over the front of the frame. Also, the barrel for the SP-01 Kadet is 120 mm long. Concerning magazines, the CZ 75 SP-01 Kadet and the CZ Shadow 2 Kadet also use a 10-round magazine. And what is more: neither of the above adapters require alignment! What it can do Tests have so far shown that the new generation of Kadets are highly accurate. Of course, they are not sport specials, but in their category, they rank amongst the best on the market. In terms of reliability, during testing CZ used all kinds of cartridges of various loads and origin. All of the three new Kadets proved to have a very satisfying appetite. Provided the user does not experiment too much and does not forget to carry out basic maintenance, there should be no unpleasant surprises lurking about. The CZ P-09 Kadet enters the market in 2018 as a conversion kit as well as a complete rimfire pistol, as was the case with the CZ P-07 polymer compact. For the all-steel CZ Shadow 2 and CZ 75 SP-01 models, the new Kadets are available as adapters only.
Cz product catalogue 2018
60-61