gun revie review
TOP KADET
Conversion kit a well-designed, well-made unit that gives CZ-75 owner two guns in one.
STORY AND PHOTOS BY ROB REED
W
hile there are many dedicated .22 LR pistols on the market, one of the best for everyday use is not a pistol in the pure sense, but instead is a conversion kit for the popular CZ-75 from the Czech Republic. And although this is not a new product, it remains one of the best of its kind on the market. The CZ-75 Kadet (and the more recent Kadet II) .22 LR conversion kit is a CZ factory-made unit that allows a shooter to quickly and easily convert a CZ-75 series pistol from centerfire to rimfire ammunition (and back again). This gives the shooter a lighter recoiling gun, which shoots less expensive ammo, while retaining the same trigger, controls, and overall feel of the pistol. The Kadet unit consists of a replacement slide assembly with a fixed .22 LR barrel. The rear sight is adjustable for both elevation and windage. The entire unit is made of steel and is coated with a durable black polycoat. A Kadet kit-equipped pistol closely replicates the weight and feel of a standard pistol. The kit includes two 10-round .22 LR magazines. The Kadet magazines are made with a .22 LR inner liner sleeved in a full-size centerfire
metal magazine body. The integral baseplate and followers are both plastic. The magazines cannot be disassembled and, unlike some other designs, there is no way to compress the magazine springs for easier loading. To install the Kadet kit on a pistol, take the complete pistol and pull back the centerfire slide until the witness marks on the slide and frame line up, push out the slide stop, and slide the centerfire top end off from the front. (This should be familiar to any CZ-75 owner.) Then, slide the .22 LR unit on the frame, line up the witness marks, and reinstall the slide stop. It’s that simple. BECAUSE A TIGHT FRAME-TO-SLIDE fit is important for accuracy, certain points on the rails of the Kadet slide are very slightly oversized. This may require the user to fit the kit to the pistol the first time it is installed. All this takes is a needle file, a little focused time, and some patience. Simply note the high points on the rails of the kit slide and alternate between a few file strokes on the Kadet slide and test fittings until the Kadet slide goes completely onto the frame. The Kadet kit was recently
(Above) A CZ-75 with a .22 LR Kadet kit installed looks and, more importantly, handles like a regular centerfire CZ pistol, while allowing the use of less expensive .22 LR ammunition. (CZ USA) The CZ Kadet .22 LR conversion kit is an all-steel slide with a fixed barrel that mounts on most CZ-75 variants. (CZ USA)
redesigned slightly to work with the newer Omega trigger system, and these newer kits (the Kadet II) may not require as much, if any, fitting. The Kadet kit works on the full-size CZ-75 and SP-01 and the compact CZ75 models, including the P-01, P-06, PCR, and RAMI. The Kadet kit will not work on the CZ-97, CZ-75 TS, or P-07 Duty models. When used with the compact models, the magazine will protrude below the mag well. In my experience the CZ-75 Kadet kit has proven to be reliable, accurate, and fun. I’ve owned mine for over a dozen years and have fired untold thousands of rounds through it in that time. I’ve found the Kadet-equipped pistol to be more reliable than most other .22 LR pistols I’ve tried. The only times I have a problem is when the pistol gets excessively dirty, usually after several range sessions without cleaning, especially if using the cheaper .22 LR ammo that is americanshootingjournal.com 91