Disassembly/Reassembly Of The CZ Phantom Pistol

The handgun had been forbidden for import by the usual suspects. At taxpayer expense, they ponder in heavily secured conference rooms day after day to compose regulations affecting things about which they know little or nothing. In this particular case it was the CZ-75. For the present, the usual suspects have turned their collective attention to other matters and their import ban has evaporated.

Since then, numerous variants on the design have fl owed freely in from Czechoslovakia and widely distributed by CZ-USA (czusa.com, The newest star of the family wears "CZ-75 SP. 01 PHANTOM" on the left side of its slide. That mouthful may have to be shortened if a compact Phantom is produced. For now, I believe CZ-USA has made a smart marketing move in maintaining a close relationship between the pistol folks had on their wish list but couldn’t have and its latest incarnation.

Going beyond my belief, I’ll even bet very few readers would be impressed by a pistol taking its name from an old comic book character until discovering it is related to the CZ-75. Yet, it is a different animal. Actually, quite different. Call it further proof that the Darwinian Theory on evolution is alive and well in the firearms business. So, what’s new and different about the Phantom? The first and the most apparent change is the material of the frame (1). The CZ-75 is steel.

The Phantom lightens the load considerably with Polymer. The relationship between the slide and frame rails The comparisons are actually few and far between. is unchanged as the slide rails ride within the frame for greater protection. The Phantom has no loaded chamber indicator. Its grip panels don’t come off but the back strap is replaceable in differing sizes to "fine tune" the grip feel to an individual shooter’s hand.

The Phantom’s slide stop spring (3) has no midway hump while retaining the 90 degree bent end. Unlike a Model 75, there is no firing pin block housed in the rear of a Phantom slide. Two other small parts, a safety detent plunger and its spring, both related to the right side lever in an ambidextrous decocking format, are no more. In my case, the Phantom received had a single, left hand mounted decocker (60).

As usual, I’ll start off with field stripping after tipping you off that there is something you can do with the slide amounting to a factory "trick" for taking out the firing pin assembly without removing the slide from the frame. That’s coming up later. Get going by removing the magazine, checking for an empty chamber and protecting your eyesight. Field Stripping Move the decocker lever to its "off" position, down but not all the way down, to free up the slide. Full cock the hammer (16) to get it out of the way.

Using your dominant hand, place your thumb through the trig-

ger guard and then curl your fingers up and over to firmly grasp the slide. There is an indicator line on the slide. You have to move the slide to the rear until the indicator aligns with the rear of the frame and maintain the alignment as you start the slide stop (2) on its way out the left. The magazine base makes a perfect tool for completing stop removal. Pull the slide assembly forward and off the frame. Remove the recoil assembly and barrel from the slide. Locate 57a and 57b in the schematic.

Number 57a is identifi ed as "Firing Pin Coiled Pin." Ifi gure that must be Czech for "roll pin." There are a bunch of them holding the Phantom together and 57b may not even exist. Some Phantoms have a single pin, others have the roll pin within the roll pin arrangement. You see, or will soon see, the firing pin has two milled flats. The front one allows the front roll pin to pass through the slide from right to left. The rear one engages the firing pin block (58) and its spring (59).

I recommend you commit those "firing pin fl at facts" to memory since all mentioned elements must align for reassembly. Right here I’ll repeat a recommendation often made previously. Do not drift roll pins all the way out. Always use a roll pin punch and only move the pin far enough to allow movement of the firing pin (54) when pushing it forward through the hole in the slide. The reason behind my roll pin advisory is that putting it into practice eliminates any difficulty or damage when reinstalling the pin.

Place afinger over the hole in the slide and keep an eye on the firing pin block along with its spring. When you are able to depress the firing pin the block and spring sometimes pop upward. The spring is quite strong. Protect the extractor from loss. The firing pin block (A) hides its spring beneath it. Note how the extractor pin has been staked (B) after being reinstalled. A Unless the slide has been inverted, they’ll vacate the slide. Prepare a soft place for them to land.

They tend get lost but if they remain in the slide, as most do, they are quite simple to pick out. Now hear this: Once the stop and spring are out of its way, the firing pin assembly will be free to exit to the rear…perhaps with injurious velocity. A B

Both photos above are pre-disassembly references. A detailed study of these and other subassemblies should be made prior to and during detailed disassembly. It is now time for the "factory trick" disassembly tip I picked up from a friendly CZ-USA engineer. Look, Agnes! You can remove the roll pin, firing pin stop, firing pin assembly and the firing pin block with spring without removing the slide from the frame, but you’ll need some help from a vise with protected jaws to do it unless you’re related to King Kong.

Remember, the recoil spring is still inside the slide. The strength of four fingers may not be able to maintain position of the slide for any real length of time. Understand, I don’t mean to brashly or even mildly insult any one who has been pumping iron for years. That possibility being resolved, the rest of us can invert the pistol, slide still attached to the frame, upside down in the vise after the locator line has been aligned.

The entire operation for removal of the firing pin and its related components can then happen as described in the preceding paragraph with fi nal disemboweling of the slide to follow. This "quickneasy" approach will save you time for sure and I recommend it becoming a regular step taken in field stripping every CZ-75 or close relative thereof to come your way. After all, if it’s good enough for the factory gunnies, it’s good enough for us.

Detailed Disassembly A couple of blocks of hardwood can come into play here whenever you suspect the frame might need some extra support. Feel free to use them though they are not specifi ed for every step to be taken in this process. The extractor pin (51) is drifted downward to free the extractor (50) and its spring (52). When reinstalled in the slide the pin should be restaked as shown in the accompanying photo of the underside of the slide.

Select a length of drill rod not quite equal to the diameter and length of the mainspring plug pin (23). Grasp the frame very firmly; hold it upright and press downward on the mainspring plug (22). This relieves tension on the mainspring plug and you can push out the plug pin. Do not suddenly or completely withdraw your push-tool. Easy does it a little at a time and maintain some downward pressure. The mainspring will take care of extruding the plug and join it soon afterward. Now you can relax for the moment.

Part 10 is listed as the ejector block but it holds far more than the ejector. Hold up with further disassembly until you’ve taken a few reference pictures or have made a readable drawing showing how things fit together inside the block. Once that’s done, make a slave pin substitute for the sear pin (13). I know you’re going to need it in disassembly and it comes in very handy to get all the block elements properly positioned in reassembly.

When the study and reference materials period has ended, lift the leg of the sear spring (12) from its groove in the decocker shaft. Shift the leg to one side or the other. Rotate the decocker upward to just before it normally clicks position. Withdraw the decocker lever to the left. Use the C

1a Frame 1b Back Strap 2 Slide Stop 3 Slide Stop Spring 4 Slide Stop Spring Pin 5 Trigger 6 Trigger Pin 7 Trigger Bar 8 Trigger Bar Spring 9 Pin (3x) 10 Ejector 11 Sear 12 Sear Spring 13 Sear Pin 14 Firing Pin Block Lever 15 Firing Pin Block Lever Spring 16 Hammer 17 Disconnector 18 Hammer Pin 20 Main Spring Strut 21 Main Spring 22 Main Spring Plug 23 Main Spring Plug Pin 32 Magazine Catch 33 Magazine Catch Spring 36 Magazine Body 37 Magazine Base 38 Magazine Spring Seat 39 Magazine Spring 40 Follower 41 Recoil Spring 42 Recoil Spring Guide 43 Barrel 44 Slide 45 Front Sight 46 Front Sight Pin CZ Phantom Pistol (Speci cations subject to change without notice) 50 Extractor 51 Extractor Pin 52 Extractor Spring 53 Rear Sight 54 Firing Pin 55 Firing Pin Spring 57 Firing Pin Coiled Pin 58 Firing Pin Block Stop 59 Firing Pin Block Stop Spring 60 Hammer Decocking Lever 61 Decocking Lever 62 Decocking Lever Spring Breaks in numerical sequence are due to CZ-75 parts not being included in the Phantom pistol. 64 Screw- Rear Sight 66 Rear Insert 69 Spring Pin 70 Magazine Catch Spring 71 Magazine Catch 72 Lifter Rod 73 Lifter Rod Pin 74 Bolt Stop Spring 75 Lifter

slave pin to push out the sear pin to the left. Leave the slave in place to maintain the ejector block inner assembly, withdraw the block and set it aside intact. Make another study of how the components relate to and interface with each other. Several of these parts are quite small. Be prepared to cap these inside an empty, plastic prescription bottle.

I used to keep really small parts in used 35 mm fi lm containers but digital is the thing these days, so prescription pill containers have found a permanent home in my working areas. The hammer pin (18) has a hole on the left side of the frame. Find the hole. The pin is drifted right to left. The hammer (16), main spring strut (20) and disconnector (17) are removed as a unit. The trigger pin (6) is next. First, rest the frame on the wooden blocks. Examine both ends of the pin. It may have been flared.

If so, the pin has to be drifted from the smaller flared end toward its larger flared end. Insert a punch fitting the smaller end and drift out the pin. Leave the punch in. Invert the frame over a flat surface and cover its openings with your hand. When you withdraw the punch the spring-loaded trigger spring (8) will be released. The trigger (3) with trigger bar (7) still attached are removed after the pistol has been repositioned upright, In some cases, the two parts fall out all by themselves.

Unless I’ve lost track of something, the rear insert (66) can be taken out and set aside for later reinstallation. Let me see, the hammer assembly and trigger bar assembly are out of the frame. That’s good. If they weren’t, the magazine catch (32) and lifter assembly (parts 72-75) couldn’t be removed. Better keep afinger over the magazine catch pin (71) when you pull the rod (72) from the catch. If you don’t, spring #70 is sure to launch and take the pin with it. What, more slave pins?

You’ve already made up a couple of them. Consider it good practice. You’re going to need more. I’m calling one the AAAP instead of spelling out "Abbreviated Assembly Assistance Pin" each time I mention it. In rebuilding the ejector housing, start out with the ejector facing forward and you looking straight down at it. Insert the long slave pin into the right hand sear pin hole. Slide it about half way through the housing. Spear the block lever spring (15) on the slave with both its legs facing upward.

Slide the spring all the way to the right. Spear the block lever (14). The short leg of the lever should be downward and its long leg extending upward and to the rear. There’s a small, angular groove milled in to the right side of the lever. Here’s how you get the long leg of the spring and the angular groove together. As you slide the lever on the slave pin, slide both legs of the spring over to meet it. Hook the rearmost spring leg into the groove and slide both parts to the right.

As they near the right side of the housing, the front leg of the spring will find its way into the sear spring channel. No problem. Keep on sliding to the right and bring the invasive front leg to rest inside the right corner of the housing. The trigger and trigger bar call for some pre-assembly before both are reinstalled in the frame. Match up the two parts, align their holes and insert one of the cross pins (9), tapping it in gently to temporarily join the trigger to the bar.

Place the trigger spring into its trigger recess with the long arm of the spring facing outward. Insert an AAAP after aligning the frame trigger pin holes. Use an appropriate punch to push out the AAAP but leave the punch inside to keep things together. Install the OEM trigger pin and push out the punch with it. If you’ve kept a copy of the February 2003 issue in your fi les you may want to read over the troubleshooting article on the CZ-75.

Whatever was brought up in that article pretty much applies to any variant of the pistol. All things here being considered, that includes the Phantom. AG American Gunsmithing Association