In terms of “Feel” SAR wins. It is a more rounded grip and feels more natural, like a monkey paw grabbing a tree branch. The CZ97 is more of a flatter grip. The grips are wider, not thicker per sey. So there is more distance from the webbing of your thumb to the Slide Release on the 97 than the K2. This flatter design may help with keeping the barrel from moving side to side a little better. When shooting both back to back, the 97 wins, but I think some of that is due to the Fiber Optic sights. The think aluminum grips on the 97 would help a bit on the long reach to the slide lock, but honestly makes the 97 feel more like a sheet of steel and is not comfortable for me to shoot. Maybe they put the thin grips on to help it be more carryable or whatever, I much prefer the bigger wood or rubber grips. The K2 grip shape is hard to beat and it holds 14 rounds stock and I wouldn’t change a thing.
I had a couple of recent range trips with some ridiculously long 22 pistols. A couple of weeks ago I shot the Ruger Scoped Black Grand Mamaba out to 200yds. This past weekend we piled up a mess of other Rugers as well and shot them at the 50yd berm. Targets were a mix of clays, a plastic self healer and 3 brand new bright red Calloway golf balls. I scored them along with a nice white golf glove at the golf Range the day before.
Anyway, we had a blast, but in my haste, I forgot to mount another scope on the Black Grand Mamba (the Valdada went back on another rifle). So, we got to the range and dang if we didn’t just Joe Dirt that pistol and sight right down the full pic rail that was mounted on top. Just line the edges at the muzzle up and have at it. The amazing light weight, superb trigger, and long sight radius make this thing a runner. I may run it at speed steel like this for the fun of it.
I wouldn’t say that would be the most accurate, but it was surprisingly able to make the 4″ self healer dance at 50 yds plenty good enough. The thing feels like a paper wand its so light. Shooting it standing freehanded was perhaps my favorite and I may just leave it that way and try the rifle scopes on something else (the 10″ bull barrel) perhaps.
We shot the Bond pistol and slabside too. The Bond Pistol is a MkII with gold bolt and trigger all iron sights. Another bonus is that we got to just mow through some random assortment of ammo that I had been testing – I’m trying to thin the variance and get more bulk. Anyway, I have a lot of cleaning to do but man I love these Ruger .22 pistols.
With the BYOK Kit, you have everything needed to build a full lower. A donor frame/stock lower is no longer needed. Just build lower and pick upper of your choice.
The machining and fit and finish are top quality. The fit is TIGHT. I’ve built a few older Rugers and this was still a bit of a challenge. It was a fun project. The internals used the Volquartsen sear, but the TK trigger. A few tips:
when putting in the safety and setting the hammer, you have to pull the trigger to allow the trigger bar to go down and then into the slot on the sear. Before I was pushing down like mad trying to get the hammer seated but it just wouldn’t go.
Put in the set screw into the trigger before installing, it will make it easier.
I still prefer the Volquartsen triggershoe.
the extended mag button is plastic, not metal, I will most likely make a metal replacement.
the extended safety is very good, better than expected.
Cursed by my own advise that was not taken. After hours of fitting the bull shadow slide to my recent SAO build I took it to the rifle range to test at the end of the day last week. It was my secret highlight of the day, casually downplayed as “Yeah I got a couple pistols to run after we get chrono data” and similar.
Only 2 weeks earlier, I had posted somewhere, something to the effect of ” duh, that’s why you plunk your rounds”, in response to some problem with a new gun/reloads. Well, I was a little shy of the reverse capture guide rod system as I had never used one. I procrastinated and didn’t plunk rounds and figured the normal 1.125″ COAL round I had worked up using RMR 125 HPs would be fine. they ran in eveything else. Well, I got one shot and JAM and problems. I bagged it, went home, removed squib, checked COAL for this new barrel (it is tight). Worked up my loads and took some previously long ammo and seated it deeper until MAX COAL was determined for this bullet/chamber. Then I added ~0.015″ and got my new safe COAL. ITs about 1/8″ shorter than the previous round I was kind of amazed. They Shot great. After getting used to the gun on paper plate, I started doing double taps with that sweet SAO trigger at some clay pieces on the berm at 50yds.
I think my next on this bun will be reducing the load to make minor with the longer barrel, and then springing it lighter. It seemed like the stronger spring made the nose dip more that it should for follow ups. Something I’ve never played a lot with or timed just right, but I’m starting to get it.
This ZomBull Shadow SAO also fits in my shoulder holster – had to check!
As far as the 01 Racegun goes the big dot is just awesome! shot at pieces of clays on the berm, no problem. Did have a couple of minor issues with ammo feeding, but these were not plunked rounds so that should be resolved. I found this old 3D printed gripwell and put it on. the palmwells on it feel so nice!
Next up for this gun is a brass/alu magwell, remove front sight and put on old 75B slide, 8/12MOA diode, and slide racker. And tooling to work the comp up right with set screws and get back to major.
My first CZ now has new live as a Zombie build. When I first got this pistol, it was poor condition with no rear sight. I built it up in phases – here is a link to that. Later I built an SP-01 into an Open Major racegun, and swapped all the guts between the two. I decided to build a Limited gun and went with the Bull Shadow upper from CZ Custom. This build required some fitting of the slide (basically clearancing on the inside of the dust cover).
I started by dropping in all the cajun guts, the green SAO trigger going in first. I was able to do most of it by memory, getting confirmation hints on the trigger return spring and sear spring. It went fast than I had envisioned. I televised the build on Twitch, although nobody watched. Once I got the frame mods done, I turned to fitting the slide.
I just used files and sandpaper, around the sharpie and a Crayola marker. breaking the bevel on the dustcover allowed the slide to start going on, so I basically kept going. I left idiot racing stripes down the side of the slide but whatevs, going back I would have put thin tape on the slide and fit it that way. I was unsure if it was the dustcover or the slide rails. Started with the dust cover and eventually it started going back onto the frame more and more.
Testing commences today. Next ups are a magwell and S2 mag catch. With the long heavy barrel and awesome sights, this gun just points naturally.
Are you interested in Roadbikes and Race Pistols? Do you want some practice with a favorite 2A folder and see how it packs on your new Mountianbike? Come pack it and run it. Here is the contact form for upcoming training rides and possible local friendly competitions. Basically I need a draft partner(right now its […]
So, I got bored and made a new video about new(to me) old CZ97B Safety model.I got some video editing practice. Digg the 97s (CZ FuddRunner) – it was a great day! The trigger action and shape of the older one has the slight nod, but the newer model has better sights and LOK grips(upgrade). […]
We all have things to work on… I try to be the person to at least think those words when disposition comes along. I’m starting to feel really great about breaking bad habits. In particular for today is You Tube… So I started up Rumble and what do you know one of the first things […]
Disclaimer: do your own research and use common sense when reloading. I am not responsible for your results. Don’t try this at home or at home office either… Here are the steps that worked for me. I wouldn’t even attempt this without a great annealer. That thing is worth its weight in brass. Scope footage: […]
Executive Summary – it was windy, I learned a LOT about wind today. So windy in fact many of the more experienced shooters had issues with the wind. There was “supposed” to be an option for 1250 yds, but that was nixed due to wind. I have shot this gun 6ARC and ammo at 1k […]
Ive been looing forward to this test for a while and finally made it to the range to make it happen. The goal was to test High Velocity match ammo @200 and see if I could have a 50yd(or 100yd) zero and use BDC reticle out to 200yds. The Rig: Ruger Mk 4 lower gutted […]