CZ 100 PISTOL - NRA Museum 98.pdf · ergonomic, technical and safety features. ... Luger pistol of this type. ... for the CZ 100 pistol is a sound, competi-

MODERN firearms design is alive andwell at CZ (Ceska Zbrojovka) inthe Czech Republic. An example is

the new CZ 100 polymer frame, double-action-only pistol in 9 mm Luger and .40S&W Auto. Designed for discreet carry, thismodern, compact pistol offers the latestergonomic, technical and safety features.

There are two models of this new pis-tol—the CZ 100 with a double-column,10-round-capacity magazine and the CZ101 with a single-column, eight-shot mag-azine. The CZ 101 is slightly lighter andsmaller as might be expected. The NRATechnical Staff received an example of theformer for testing.

Both models are short-recoil operated,hammerless, semi-automatic pistols avail-able in either caliber. A linkless cam on thebarrel operates the tilting barrel lock system,which has locking surfaces on both the frontand rear upper quadrants of the chamber. Insimilar fashion to the Glock design, the firecontrol system operates with a striker asthere is no hammer. Fire control is double-action-only (DAO) with the slide release andmagazine release on the left side of theframe. There are 47 parts in the pistol.

A basic feature of the pistol is the matteblack, polymer frame with integral grip pan-els and trigger guard similar in manufactureto other handguns of this type. External slide

rails are molded into the frame. Horizontalgrooves molded into the lower front of theframe and a cutout in the trigger guard servefor mounting a laser, flashlight or otheraccessory. The steel parts of the fire controlsystem can be removed for replacement orrepair. A small aluminum strip molded intothe right front of the frame is stamped withthe serial number.

In common with other, modern pistoldesigns, safety received considerable atten-tion in the CZ 100. Safety systems includethe double-action-only fire control system,an automatic firing-pin safety, a discon-nector and a loaded-chamberindicator on the slide. In addi-tion, the slide is held openafter the last shot and the trig-ger surface has fine verticalribs to prevent slipping. Thereis no magazine safety.

Ergonomics also receivedconsiderable attention on theCZ 100. Grip girth and trig-ger position are comfortableeven for persons with small

hands. Both the front strap and the backstrap feature molded, horizontal groovesto improve purchase. A 3 mm upwardrecurve at the rear of the trigger guardallows the pistol to sit comfortably low inthe hand, which reduces perceived recoil.The slide has grasping grooves on eachside of both the front and rear surfaces.

Disassembly and assembly is fast andsimple without the need for special tools.The magazine release is located low in therear of the trigger guard where it can bereached easily by most shooters. Alsoincluded is a magazine loading tool thatgreatly reduces the thumb-busting aspectsof loading magazines.

Machined from a one-piece casting, thecarbon steel slide uses a flat-coil recoilspring with a full-length polymer guiderod. As the barrel is fitted directly to thefront of the slide, there is no barrel bush-ing. A sturdy extractor occupies the rightside of the breech face while the loaded-chamber indicator occupies the left side.

Mounted in a slot on the top of the slidedirectly behind the breech is a blued-steelpiece that at first seems to be a second rearsight. In fact it is a stop for the upper rearlocking surface of the barrel. As the barreltilts upward to lock, its upper rear surfacerests against the insert, which prevents fur-ther upward travel. The insert may—butshould not—be removed by depressing alock pin in the center.

The CZ 100 has an above-average set

®

The American Rifleman has used the phrase “DopeBag” at least since 1921, when Col.Townsend Whelenfirst titled his column with it. Even then, it had been inuse for years, referring to a sack used by target shoot-ers to hold ammunition and accessories on the firingline.“Sight dope”also was a traditional marksman’s termfor sight adjustment information, while judging windspeed and direction was called “doping the wind.”

CAUTION: Technical data and information con-tained herein are intended to provide information basedon the limited experience of individuals under specificconditions and circumstances. They do not detail thecomprehensive training procedures, techniques andsafety precautions absolutely necessary to properlycarry on similar activity. Read the notice and disclaimeron the contents page. Always consult comprehensivereference manuals and bulletins for details of propertraining requirements, procedures, techniques andsafety precautions before attempting any similar activity.

CZ 100 PISTOL

Each CZ 100 comes with apadded carry box,steel clean-ing rod, bore brush and amagazine loading tool thattames the thumb-bustingaspects of loading magazines.

44 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • September 1998

Modern firearms design is alive and well inthe Czech Republic. An example is the newCZ 100 9 mm Luger compact pistol with apolymer frame and other advanced features.

of sights. The front blade is a beefy, .123"-thick steel unit integral with the slide. Itsthree angled surfaces proved snag-free,and the rear plane has a large white dot.The rear sight is click-adjustable for bothwindage and elevation with a notch-in-blade design with two white dots. Theentire low-profile unit is dovetailed into therear of the slide. One notable feature is thewhite direction-adjustment arrows andcalloffs on the rear sight.

The blued-steel, double-column maga-zine holds 10 rounds for civilian use or 13rounds for law enforcement use in 9 mmLuger. The magazine spring is a convention-al “Z” type with a black polymer followerand floorplate. A thoughtful touch are the twoholes on the left side of the magazine withthe numbers “5” and “10” showing the num-ber of cartridges remaining. To save weightand to limit magazine capacity, heavy, verti-cal indentations on each side of the magazinebody eliminate the need for inserts and spac-

ers. The magazine body has two horizontalslits cut just above the top of the indentation.

The one-piece, carbon steel barrel hasconventional rifling of six lands andgrooves with a right-hand twist. The feedramp is integral. The serial number of thepistol is stamped on the right side of thechamber in large letters along with a proofmark. However, the caliber is not markedon the barrel.

The CZ 100 was function fired withHornady,Winchester,Federal,Hirtenberger,Cor-Bon and Black Hills ammunition. Withmore than 350 rounds fired, the only prob-lems were two failures to fully chamber aloaded cartridge in a dirty gun. The pistoleasily handled hollow-point bullets from 90to 147 grs. without problems. Accuracy wastested with two American and one Czechbrand with the results shown in the accom-panying table. Accuracy with our sample CZ100 proved to be acceptable for a 9 mm

Luger pistol of this type.Empty or loaded, the CZ 100 balances

well in the hand. Even empty magazinesobligingly dropped clear when the releasebutton was pressed. Both left- and right-handshooters experienced no trouble operatingthe pistol and reaching all control levers.Perceived recoil was judged to be lower thanaverage for a pistol of this type due no doubtto the low bore axis. Fit and finish were goodfor a semi-automatic pistol in thisprice range.

While trigger pull was notoverly heavy, trigger travel wasquite long. It could stand to beshortened about 30 percent andmade crisper. The magazinerelease button is not ambidex-trous and cannot be reversed forleft-handers. Some shooters feltthe front of the trigger guard wastoo wide and should the thinneddown to improve carry charac-teristics. The front of the framecould also stand dehorning forthe same reason.

Certainly CZ has found thepolymer recoil spring guide per-

fectly serviceable. However this part wasoften singled out for comment with shoot-ers preferring a metal guide rod. Anotherfocus for adverse comments centered on theslits cut in the magazine, which had noapparent purpose and seemed to weaken aperfectly good design.

Although the front sight is sturdy, itsintegral design elicited several commentsregarding its possible replacement with adovetail design that would make it easier toinstall alternate front sights.

Another part that raised questions wasthe size of the barrel lock stop insert on thetop of the slide over the breech. This partseemed needlessly large and heavy whilecontributing nothing to the relativelysmooth overall styling of the pistol.

At 24 ozs. empty, the CZ 100 is right inthe middle of the pack of contemporary,modern pistols. Perhaps CZ has missed anopportunity here. Judging from the design,another two to four ounces of weight couldbe removed from the pistol, greatly improv-ing its discreet-carry attributes and movingit from the middle to the front of the com-petitive pack. Yet these criticisms are minor,for the CZ 100 pistol is a sound, competi-tive design well suited to modern tastes andpreferences for discreet carry.

9x19 mm Vel. @15' Smallest Largest AverageCartridge (f.p.s.) (ins.) (ins.) (ins.)

S&B NP3957 1109 Avg. 2.62 3.57 2.92115-gr. FMJ 17 Sd

Federal P9HS1 1011 Avg. 3.02 4.66 3.68124-gr. HSHP 7 Sd

Winchester SXTS9 890 Avg. 3.26 3.87 3.45147-gr. JHP 13 Sd

Average Extreme Spread 3.35

Four consecutive five-shot groups from 25 yds. firedfrom Ransom Rest. Abbreviations: Sd (standard devia-tion), FMJ (full metal jacket), HSHP (Hydra-Shok hollowpoint), JHP (jacketed hollow point)

ACCURACY RESULTS

MANUFACTURER: Ceska Zbrojovkaa.s., 68827 Uhersky Brod,Czech Republic

IMPORTER: CZ-USA (Dept. AR), 1401Fairfax Trafficway, Building B, Unit 119,Kansas City, MO 66115

MECHANISM TYPE: recoil-operated,hammerless, double-action-only, semi-automatic pistol

CALIBER: 9 mm Luger (+P compatible),.40 S&W

OVERALL LENGTH: 615⁄16"BARREL LENGTH: 33⁄4"WEIGHT: 24 ozs.WIDTH: 11⁄4"HEIGHT: 51⁄8"MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 10, double

columnRIFLING: six groove, RH twistTRIGGER: double-action-only with

restrike, 10-lb. pullSIGHTS: integral blade front with white

dot, fully click adjustable rear bladewith two white dots

ACCESSORIES: one-piece cleaning rod,bore brush, magazine loading tool,padded plastic carry case

SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: $395(9mm Luger), $415 (.40 S&W Auto)

CZ 100

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • September 1998 45

The CZ 100 has a unique steel locking stopon the slide behind the breech. It serves tolimit the locking block’s upward travel as thetilting barrel moves into its locked position.

External slide rails are molded into thesides of the CZ 100’s matte black polymerframe. The steel fire control parts may beeasily removed for repair or replacement.

Disassembly of the CZ 100 is quick andeasy and does not require any tools. Therecoil spring employs a polymer guide rod.

AT 473 years old, the Italian firm ofPietro Beretta S.p.A. claims the dis-tinction of being the world’s oldest

continuously operated business. As ananniversary symbol of its success, the com-pany introduced its Model 470 Silver Hawkside-by-side shotgun to the European mar-ket three years ago. Now it is available inAmerica. Befitting a firearms maker ofBeretta’s achievements, the Silver Hawkcombines the distinguished lines of a clas-sic side-by-side with innovative design fea-tures and modern manufacturing methods.

Select walnut is used forthe buttstock and splinterfore-end with a traditionalsatin oil finish that brings outthe figure in the wood. Anengraved steel tip accents thefore-end and serves as thelocation for the take-downpush button. Hand checker-ing on the wrist and fore-endis in a bordered point patternof 20 lines per inch. Our sam-ple showed no overruns and a minimal num-ber of flat points. Also accenting the fore-end is a small, white metal diamond cen-trally located in the checkering. Although itserves as a decoration, it also acts as a nutto hold the screw that retains the fore-endiron. Engineered into the iron is a smallselector switch that permits the shooter toselect either automatic ejection or manualextraction of fired shells.

Straight buttstocks are usually associatedwith double-trigger guns as the design facil-itates sliding the hand back to the second trig-ger. In the case of the Silver Hawk, howev-er, the straight, “English style” stock is foraesthetic purposes since a single, selectivetrigger mechanism is used. Barrel selection

is by means of a buttonin the tang-mountedsafety. Moving theselector to the leftexposes one red dot sothe right barrel will firefirst. During recoil, aninertial block sets up thesecond barrel to fire.

The action is a basicbox-lock adorned withtasteful hand-finishedengraving on all sur-faces. Even the insideof the action is embell-ished with engine turn-ing, save for the stand-ing breech and hinge.The top latch has agold-inlaid hawk’shead and is checkeredon both sides. Movingit to the right engagesthe automatic safety

and retracts the locking bolts arranged inPurdy double under-lug fashion. Berettarefers to this lock-up as “progressive ... toensure solid lock-up, year after year,” whichreflects this system’s known strength andlongevity. The engagement surfaces of thelugs are machined at a slight angle so lock-up remains tight even as parts wear. Theyare manufactured using a process calledelectric discharge machining (EDM). Thisprocess uses a graphite electrode shaped theopposite of the finished metal part. Using anelectrolyte solution and highly localizedand concentrated spark erosion, metal isessentially melted away in the shape of theelectrode with a remarkable level of accu-racy and repeatability.

AVERAGE OF 10 PATTERNS AT 40 YDS.

15 14 13 16

27 30 19 26

31 30 22 28

14 15 12 19

Full Barrel Modified Barrel

x =Point of HoldSovereign Aristocrat 33⁄4-1-6

Pellet count—281

Total Hits 176 (63%) Total Hits 155 (55%)21.2" Inner Circle 118 (42%) 21.2" Inner Circle 95 (34%)30" Outer Ring 58 (21%) 30" Outer Ring 60 (21%)

BERETTA 470 SILVER HAWK

BERETTA 470 SILVERHAWK

Beretta’s Model 470 Silver Hawk is a 470th anniversary symbol for the world’s old-est continuously operated business. It combines the distinguished lines of a classicside-by-side with innovative design features and modern manufacturing methods.

Engineered into the fore-end iron is a smallselector switch that permits the shooter toselect automatic ejection or manualextraction of fired shells. The switch canbe manipulated with any small, round pin.

The 470 Silver Hawk’s trigger mechanismis a single, selective unit with the selectorbutton in the tang-mounted, automaticsafety button. During recoil, an inertialblock sets up the 470’s second barrel to fire.

Lock-up is in the Purdy double under-lugfashion. Beretta refers to this system as“progressive,” which reflects the slightangle machined into the engagement sur-faces.This arrangement keeps the side-by-side’s lock-up tight, even as parts wear.

46 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • September 1998

THE performance of smokeless-powder arms has faded our expecta-tions of blackpowder to the point that

high performance and muzzleloading seemlike an oxymoron. Few remember that

blackpowder arms established a very highlevel of power and performance more than125 years ago. Baker is quoted from TheField, March 23, 1861, as saying, “... 200yards may, I think, be accepted as the range

required for a sportingrifle ... .” This remains trueeven today.

Just as we have spe-cialized center-fire riflestoday for varmint shoot-ing, highpower competi-tion or big-game hunting,muzzleloader shootershad specialized guns. Lt.James Forsyth in his 1867book, The Sporting Rifle

and its Projectiles, speaks of a 14-ga. hunt-ing gun rifled at a rate of one turn in 8 ft.8 in. that “... will throw a plain sphericalball with sufficient accuracy for all prac-tical purposes up to 200 or 250 yards.”

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • September 1998 47

Barrels are attached to the “BerettaBlock”—a monobloc system in which light-weight, cold hammer-forged barrels arefused to the bloc using lasers instead of braz-ing or mechanical attachment. Top and bot-tom ribs are solid and concave with the top

having a single, silver front bead. Both 26"and 28" length barrels are offered. At thetime we received the Silver Hawk, the finaldesign was still evolving. The gun we test-ed had fixed full and modified chokes, butfuture production guns will be equippedwith Beretta’s Mobilchoke system thatincludes full, modified and improved cylin-der removable choke tubes. Bores and 3"chambers are chrome-lined, and all exposedmetal parts are satin chrome plated exceptthe blued barrels and barrel selector button.

We set the selector of the Beretta 470Silver Hawk for manual extraction, thenpattern tested it at 40 yds. using SovereignAristocrat ammunition with the resultsshown in the accompanying table. We thenreset the selector for automatic ejection andfunction fired the gun at hand-thrown claysusing a variety of field and target loads.There were no malfunctions of any kind.

Lightweight wood and barrels place thecenter of balance at the hinge. The lightnessof the barrels caused most shooters to pull pasttargets at first. As they became more accus-tomed to the gun’s handling, they were ableto get on the birds smoothly and quickly.

Overall fit and finish of the SilverHawk is excellent. Wood-to-metal fit is alittle proud, however, and the hand-cutcheckering shows some unavoidablehuman error.

Decoration on side-by-side shotguns isusually either pretentious or uninteresting.The Silver Hawk, however, strikes a tastefulbalance between these extremes and does soin a package worthy of celebrating Beretta’sfour plus centuries of success.

MANUFACTURER: Pietro BerettaS.p.A., Via Beretta, 18-25063 GardoneV.T., Brescia, ITALY

IMPORTER: Beretta U.S.A. Corp. (Dept.AR), 17601 Beretta Drive, Accokeek,MD 20607

MECHANISM TYPE: box-lock, side-by-side shotgun

GAUGE: 12, 3" (tested); 20, 3"OVERALL LENGTH: 441⁄2"BARREL LENGTH: 26", 28" (tested)WEIGHT: 61⁄2 lbs.TRIGGER: single selective; 4 lbs. pull

both barrelsSTOCK: select walnut: length of pull, 141⁄2";

drop at heel, 23⁄4"; drop at comb, 15⁄8"ACCESSORIES: full, modified, improved

cylinder choke tubesSUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: $3,210

BERETTA 470

MANUFACTURER: ModernMuzzleloading, Inc. (Dept. AR),P.O. Box 130, 234 Airport Road,Centerville, IA 52544

MECHANISM TYPE: straight-pull, bolt-action, muzzleloading rifle

CALIBER: .50OVERALL LENGTH: 401⁄2"BARREL LENGTH: 22"WEIGHT: 7 lbs., 5 ozs.RIFLING: 8-groove, 1:22" RH twist TRIGGER: single-stage, adjustable,

3 lbs. pullSIGHTS: semi-buckhorn rear, adjustable

for windage and elevation; ramp withhigh-visibility bead front

STOCK: Synthetic: length of pull, 141⁄4";drop at heel, 23/4"; drop at comb, 2"

ACCESSORIES: Knight Accessory ValuePack, instructional video

SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: $329

KNIGHT T BOLT

KNIGHT T-BOLT

The latest in muzzleloading is the Knight T-Bolt rifle. If we accept, as our fore-fathers did, that muzzleloaders should be specialized for a given task, then thisrifle is designed for the performance-minded, big-game muzzleloading hunter.

The unique feature of this new muzzle-loader is a bolt that operates like theBrowning T-Bolt rimfire rifle. Operation isthe extent of its similarity to the Browning.22 rifle as Knight’s bolt is designed fromthe ground up for use with blackpowder.

The action is a basic box-lock with taste-fully-done hand-finished engraving on allmetal surfaces. Even the inside of theaction is embellished with engine turning,save for the standing breech and hinge.

These hunters knew their guns well, andwhere the ball was at every incrementalong its trajectory.

If we accept, as our forefathers did, thatmodern muzzleloaders should be special-ized for a given task, then the just-introduced Knight T-Bolt rifle is designedfor the performance-minded, big-gamemuzzleloading hunter.

This rifle has all the normal quality fea-tures inherent in Knight rifles. The barrel isfrom Green Mountain, the trigger is fullyadjustable, the open sights feature high-vis-ibility, the stock is made of composite mate-rial and is offered in camouflage or black,and the patented Knight’s double safety sys-tem is employed.

Unique to this muzzleloading rifle is abolt that operates like the Browning T-Boltrimfire rifle (Jan. 1996, p. 48). Operationis the limit of its similarity to the Browningas Knight’s bolt has been designed fromthe ground up for blackpowder. The bolthandle is an L-shaped piece pinned at therear so the knob pivots out slightly whenpulled. A ball and socket at the front of thebolt links it to the laterally acting cross-

bolt. Pulling the bolt handle back retractsthe cross-bolt from its receiver recess sothe bolt assembly can be opened for cap-ping the nipple.

Cocking with the T-Bolt is on closing inthe last 1/2" of the bolt’s movement. Duringthis operation, a squared collar around thecylindrical striker catches on the sear andthe cross-bolt snaps into its cutout in thereceiver.

The face of the bolt is deeply recessed tosurround the “Red Hot” nipple sized toaccept top hat-type musket caps commonlyused on Civil War-vintage military muzzle-loaders. A cut in the right side of the boltvents gas and cap particles from the receiv-er on firing.

Knight’s familiar, single-stage,adjustable trigger is bolted to the under-side of the receiver, but the primary safe-ty is new. Instead of a top-mounted thumbsafety, the T-Bolt uses a trigger-blockinglever fashioned somewhat like that of theM1 Garand. This lever fits flush againstthe right side of the trigger guard and is

pushed forward to enablethe gun to fire.

Knight’s secondary safe-ty is a large knurled knob atthe rear of the bolt. Thisknob is threaded directly tothe striker and is screweddown to engage. Whenengaged, the forward move-ment of the striker is arrest-ed by the safety knobimpacting against the rear ofthe receiver before the strik-er can hit the musket cap.

The one-piece barrel and receiver isdrilled and tapped for scope bases or a receiv-er sight. Sights that come with the gun are aKnight semi-buckhorn rear that is adjustablefor windage and elevation and a ramped frontwith high-visibility white bead.

The ramrod is hollow aluminum andthreaded on each end for loading and clean-ing accessories.

Knight’s T-Bolt is of the genre popular-ly called “three-pellet guns.” This designa-tion is indicative of the gun’s ability to safe-ly fire hunting loads using as many as three

50-gr. equivalent PyrodexPellets. The shallow, fast,1:22"-twist rifling is bestsuited to shooting and sta-bilizing bullets in sabots,though you can still safelyfire both conical bullets orroundballs.

We fired the sampleKnight T-Bolt for accura-cy with loads that includedthree 50-gr. equivalentPyrodex Pellets andKnight’s own 200-gr. “RedHot” bullet, Clean Shotblackpowder substitute

and Hornady 385-gr. hollow-base hollow-points, and Elephant-brand blackpowderwith C&D Harvester’s 400-gr. lead flat-point. The results of the three different load-ings are shown in the accompanying table.

There were no malfunctions of any kind.We found the musket caps provided robustand sure ignition and are considerably moreconvenient to handlethan standard No. 11percussion caps. LikeNo. 11 caps though,the musket caps aredifficult to insert on thenipple through thesmall priming port.The difficulty of thatoperation is com-pounded when a scopeis attached. We wouldlike to see the T-Bolt’sport flared for easieraccess.

Accuracy was re-spectable and good

shooting was aided by the crisp, 3-lb. trig-ger pull. Recoil was entirely manageable,even with three-pellet loads, thanks to theT-Bolt’s generous 1” thick, ventilated rub-ber recoil pad.

The T-Bolt concept works well with thisgun and adds a margin of safety not foundon standard “pull to cock” in-line rifles. Thatmargin of safety is that the striker can beretracted from the nipple, yet remainsuncocked for loading.

There are some complaints about the T-Bolt. Drop of the stock at the comb puts theshooter’s eye squarely in line with the backof the receiver when a solid cheek weld istaken. Raising the head slightly to view theiron sights is a minor inconvenience.Viewing through a scope could require lift-ing the head entirely from the comb depend-ing on the height of the bases and rings—ornecessitate the use of a cheek pad.Additionally, the ramrod is the same lengthas the barrel and requires an extension(included) for cleaning.

The Modern Muzzleloading Knight T-Bolt is a quality blackpowder rifle. Like ourforefathers’guns, it is specialized in design,and that design is for the performance-minded, big-game muzzleloader hunter. Itcombines the power and accuracy neededfor tough hunting conditions with positiveignition and a modest price.

.50 Cal. Vel. @15' Smallest Largest AverageLoad (f.p.s.) (ins.) (ins.) (ins.)

C&D Harv. 400-gr. LFP 1197 Avg. 2.70 4.88 3.8795.0 grs.* Elephant FFFg 55 Sd

Hornady G.P. 385-gr. HBHP 1124 Avg. 4.00 5.76 4.7690.0 grs.* Clean Shot 16 Sd

Knight 200-gr. RHHP 2049 Avg. 3.32 5.00 4.24Three Pyrodex Pellets 72 Sd

Average Extreme Spread 4.29

Five consecutive five-shot groups from 100 yds., fired from sand-bags. Abbreviations: Sd (standard deviation), LFP (lead flat-point),HBHP (hollow-base hollow-point), RHHP (Red Hot hollow point)*(grains by volume)

ACCURACY RESULTS

A ball and socket at the front of the boltlinks it to the laterally acting cross-bolt.Pulling the bolt handle disengages thecross-bolt from its receiver recess.Cockingis on closing in the last 1/2" of bolt travel.

48 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • September 1998

The single-stage, adjustabletrigger is bolted to theunderside of the receiver.The trigger-blocking safetyunit on the right side of thetrigger guard is similiar tothat of the U.S. M1 Garand.

When we reviewed the CienerM1911 Standard Conversion(April 1995, p. 59), we mentioned

that a target version with adjustable sightswould soon be available. We were a littleoptimistic about the timing of the new unit’sdebut, but samples we recently receivedseem worth the wait. They are very wellmade and nicely finished.

The unit is quite simple, consisting of a61⁄2-oz. 7075 T6 aluminum alloy slide; 5"match-grade, 4140 steel barrel from E.R.Shaw; recoil spring; guide rod; rubberbuffer and 10-round magazine. Finish ismil-spec anodized, Teflon-coated and avail-able in gloss black, matte black or silver atno extra charge. Total weight is 161⁄2 ozs.

Installation is simply a matter of remov-ing the .45 slide/barrel assembly and replac-ing it with the Ciener unit. Disconnector andsafety functions are exactly the same as theyare on the M1911. Ejection is by a stakedhook that protrudes rearward from the left ofthe breech. The large, fixed lug on the barrel

bottom is retainedby the slide stop.

The front sighton the PlatinumCup is longer thanthe sight on the standard Ciener conversionunit. It is machined as an integral part of theslide and features serrations to reduce glare.A Millet Gold Cup target rear sight is fitteddirectly into the raised, serrated, flat-top railand has click adjustments for windage andelevation. Grasping grooves are cut at anangle and the size of the ejection port isslightly smaller than that of the standard unit.

We received three Platinum Cup conver-sion units for evaluation: full-size gloss black,full-size silver and Commander-size glossblack. We tried the units on the following vari-ety of frames: blued Colt MK IV/Series 70Gold Cup National Match; blued Colt MKIV/Series 70; electroless nickel Colt CombatCommander; nickel Colt M1911A1 U.S.Army; Remington Rand M1911; stainlessSpringfield 1911-A1 and stainless

Springfield Trophy Match. Installationwas as easy as claimed forthe most part, but the toler-ances on the silver-finishedCiener unit were so tight itwould not fit on the ColtGold Cup or SpringfieldTrophy Match. It could,however, easily have been

lapped to fit either of the two frames.Both the blued and silver full-size Ciener

units were function fired on a Gold Cup andM1911A1 frame, respectively. Just asCiener guarantees, high- and hyper-veloci-ty .22 Long Rifle ammunition worked with-out a single failure. Out of more than 500rounds of standard-velocity .22 Long Rifleand pistol target ammunition, there wereless than half a dozen failures to fully cyclethe slide. The lightweight units didn’tnoticeably change the handling characteris-tics of the M1911—effecting a negligibledifference in the total weight of the gun—and they were a heck of a lot of fun to shoot.

Accuracy testing was with the full-size,blue unit on a Gold Cup frame with theresults shown in the accompanying table.

While the standard Ciener conversionunit we tested a few years ago was accurateenough for competition use with carefulammunition selection, the Platinum Cupunit is more forgiving and averaged 65 per-cent greater accuracy. Excellent accuracy ofthe Ciener units makes the single-frameconcept more viable for shooting all threestages of a 2700 match. While non-competitors will likely choose the standardCiener conversion unit over the PlatinumCup, many will see the value in increasedaccuracy and pay the slightly greater price.

Available from: Jonathan ArthurCiener, Inc. (Dept. AR), 8700 CommerceSt., Cape Canaveral, FL 32920. Price:$249 (all finishes).

CIENER .22 CONVERSION

The Ciener M1911 rimfire conver-sion unit consists of a 61⁄2-oz. alu-minum alloy slide, 5" Shaw match-grade barrel, recoil spring, guide rod, rubberbuffer, magazine and carrying case. The finish isanodized, Teflon-coated and offered in glossblack,matte black or silver at no additional charge.

.22 Long Rifle Vel. @15' Smallest Largest AverageCartridge (f.p.s.) (ins.) (ins.) (ins.)

CCI 00051 922 Avg. 1.08 1.24 1.13Pistol Match 21 Sd

Eley Tenex 872 Avg. 0.90 1.25 1.1124 Sd

Federal Gold Medal 903 Avg. 0.67 1.31 0.99Ultra Match UM1 8 Sd

Average Extreme Spread 1.07

Five consecutive five-shot groups from 25 yds., fired fromRansom Rest. Abbreviations: Sd (standard deviation)

ACCURACY RESULTS

A Millett Gold Cup target rear sight is fit-ted to the raised, serrated flat-top rail andhas adjustments for windage and elevation.

Installation is simply amatter of removing theexisting .45 slide/barrelassembly and replacing itwith the Ciener unit. Thelarge, fixed lug on theCiener barrel bottom isretained by the slide stop.

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • September 1998 49