I have done a lot of work on my CZ triggers and I get asked time to time what the different trigger variants are for and what can be done with them so I am going to do a little writeup here on the differences between some of the trigger types and what is possible with them in order to eliminate some confusion about them.

There are basically 3 types of CZ-75 triggers: decockers, Single Action/Double Action, and Single Action.

The traditional 75B has a DA/SA trigger meaning it can be fired hammer down with a long trigger pull, or a much shorter trigger pull with the hammer cocked.  The trigger starts out quite a long distance from the grip, but when the hammer is cocked it moves back to a very comfortable position.  The gun has a safety and is designed to be carried cocked and locked which means it is basically a single action gun with re-strike capability.  Once the gun fires, it will re-cock the hammer every firing cycle and remain in single action mode.  There is absolutely NO reason to carry a CZ-75B with the hammer down, or ever really even use the trigger in DA mode.  The only time I ever use the DA mode is when I am using my kadet .22 slide and I have a bad primer or, if my gun is dirty, a light strike, then I use it to re-strike the primer which usually does the trick.  There is no safe way to de-cock a DA/SA or SA gun with a round in the chamber.  Don't do it.

The next variant I will speak of is the SA version.  As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, you never really need the DA mode with the DA/SA guns, so why even buy a SA only gun?  The answer: better trigger potential.  From the factory, the SA gun has a SA trigger that is nothing to brag about, but because the trigger is no longer required to ever cock the hammer, it can be modified to have a much shorter reset and travel distance.  My personal CZ-75 SA has a trigger with no pre-travel, no overtravel, and a total travel distance of just a few millimeters.  With the SA trigger, you have a blank slate to do what you want, since all the trigger has to do is release the sear.  You will want a trigger with a pre-travel screw and an overtravel screw installed in order to eliminate excess travel.  The factory aluminum SA trigger only comes with an overtravel screw, but you can drill it and tap it for an pre-travel screw as well, or just buy the trigger that CZ-USA sells that already has both adjustment screws.  If you are one of the unlucky individuals who got a plastic trigger from the factory on your gun, toss that junk in the trash and order a real trigger from CZ-USA.  One cool thing about the CZ-75 SA is it comes from the factory with a low and wide ambidextrous safety, which I really like.  The only problem with that safety is it adds a substantial amount of slop to the trigger system.  If I were building a no holds barred race gun, I would make custom hammer, trigger, and sear pins to eliminate as much slop as possible from the assembly, and the sear housing also needs to be shimmed as it has a good amount of room to move as it comes from the factory.  Another thing to mention is that removing the firing pin safety allows you to even further reduce your trigger travel distance, but for liability reasons, I would only use that gun for fun or competition.  A final word on the CZ-75 SA is that you cant just drop parts into it to make the trigger better.  You need to know what you are doing.  The fire control components will have to be modified and fitted to make any improvements.  The "competition hammer" that they sell for the CZ-75 does help the trigger a little, but the only thing it has is shorter hammer hooks, you can do the same thing with the factory hammer.  Do not go below a 15 lb hammer spring, it is only going to hurt reliability and wont improve the trigger much at all.  A final word on the CZ-75 SA is that if you dont plan on doing any gunsmithing work on the trigger, I would opt for the traditional DA/SA gun as it actually has a better SA pull from the factory than the SA gun.  The SA gun will only be superior trigger wise if you make it superior, and that requires knowledge and effort, so beware of that.  Lots of gunsmiths don't really know how to work on CZs so beware of anyone who is just going to drop parts in or polish things up.  The transfer bar, sear, safety, trigger and hammer all have to be modified and timed to work correctly or your gun will be screwed up.  It ain't rocket surgery but it ain't exactly easy as fallin off a log either.  If you do it right it is very worth it.  The CZ-75 Tactical Sport comes with most of this work already done, so if you have cash but no time or no good gunsmith, I would just go ahead and get the TS.  

The final version is the decocker version.  These have no safety.  They do have a lever that decocks the gun, and it is safe (and necessary) to use with a round in the chamber.  These are no go if you want a super nice trigger.  They can have an OK trigger, but the design does not lend itself to much tinkering.  You can polish the grit out of the fire control components and shorten the hammer hooks a bit, but other than that they'll never be match grade.  The decocker guns are for defensive use and should be carried with one in the chamber, hammer down.  The advantage here is there is no safety to mess with, you pull the trigger gun goes boom.  If you are used to glocks or XDs or something like that, the decocker CZ-75 will have pretty much the same manual of arms.  Pull trigger, gun goes boom.  The first shot will be the long DA pull, and all subsequent shots will be in SA mode.  One thing to remember is that you shouldnt carry the thing cocked and locked so if you are reholstering the gun after firing it, decock it first.  The hammer decocks to the half cock notch.  USING THE DECOCKING LEVER IS THE ONLY SAFE WAY TO DECOCK THE GUN!  Dont manually lower the hammer, it is a bad plan.  I can't emphasize that enough.

Hope all that helps!


My customized SA, notice the low and wide ambi safety and the position of the trigger versus the position of the factory SA trigger: [Borat voice] Very Niiice![/Borat voice]



The factory CZ-75 SA, notice how far out from the grip the trigger is.  Not very cool, but it can be fixed!

There are basically 3 types of CZ-75 triggers: decockers, SA/DA, and SA.

Don't you mean DAO, DA/SA & SA?

Quoted: There are basically 3 types of CZ-75 triggers: decockers, SA/DA, and SA. Don't you mean DAO, DA/SA & SA?

No, there is no DAO CZ-75 variant, thank the Lord.

It wont help. Within 72 hours of a detailed explanation including photos, videos, and diagrams there will be someone posting about how the Hi-Power is a better pistol than the CZ-75 because the Hi-Power can be carried in Condition 1.

Do look forward to seeing some info on CZ trigger work, though.

Tag for the info, thanks for taking the time to type it up!

Good Right up!

I think the DA/SA is what I'm looking for!

Good intel Spaceman.  You really need to give USPSA or IDPA a try. Plenty of CZ shooters & custom guns in those sports.

Quoted: Good intel Spaceman.  You really need to give USPSA or IDPA a try. Plenty of CZ shooters & custom guns in those sports.

I know, I really really want to.  I have too many irons in the fire right now, but when I get some of my current obligations knocked out I will definitely be getting into some competitive shooting.

So anybody know if I can buy and install a different trigger group than what it comes with?  Does CZ USA sell them?  Say I got a tactical with the decocker and want the normal DA/SA trigger group, would all the parts interchange?  

I was kind of wondering the same. I'd kind of like a SAO setup with the SAO style safety and straight trigger put in a 75 Compact.

you cannot change a decocker model into a safety model.......the frames are drilled differently.  


you can change a safety model into a Single action only, or vise verca.

There is no safe way to de-cock a DA/SA or SA gun with a round in the chamber. Don't do it.

this line bothers me greatly.  i utilize my 85 combat from a double action first pull more than from single action, most people that shoot a cz 75 in uspsa or idpa do the same thing, you just have to be very aware of what is going on when you manually lower the hammer.  



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