Y’all know I’ve been slugging it out with arthritis for years. It’s been a draw—until a few months ago when it finally got the upper hand and cut my range time short. Frustrating, no doubt. But I’m not quitting. I’ve just paused the hyper-focused skill work. The upside? I’m far more willing to pull dusty pistols off the shelf and simply enjoy shooting them instead of obsessing over splits. The CZ 75 TS Czechmate is one of them. I just finished putting another 500 rounds through it brining the total to 1,000, so it’s time for an update review.

Last time I reviewed it, I was deep in tweaks—testing setups for Open division, griping about minor issues like the extended safeties digging in and the endless screws. The tinkering continues. Some annoyances are gone; others have grown into real frustrations. No more summary—let’s dive in.

9 Major Ammo

Biggest change since the last review: I started reloading. As expected, it solved the headache of finding 9 Major—that high-pressure wildcat 9mm that makes major power factor in Open. Boutique makers have mostly stopped offering it, or drop tiny runs that vanish instantly. I can’t find any.

Loading my own cut the cost, too. Components aren’t as cheap or plentiful as they were five years ago, but they’re still easier and less expensive than factory 9 Major. The trade-off is time at the press. Worth it? Absolutely. Saves money and lets me tune the load to the gun—far easier and cheaper than tuning the gun to someone else’s ammo.

Balance

It still feels unbalanced. I blame the heavy GridLok solid brass grips and magazine well from LokGrips—great feel, but they add weight. Lately I’ve also been eyeing the factory compensator.

I’m on the fence about fixing it since I’m not fully committed to Open competition. But waiting too long could backfire—CZ discontinued the Czechmate, parts are disappearing, and the market’s shifting hard to 2011s. I may prioritize some upgrades soon, especially since I’m actually enjoying this pistol right now.

More Modifications and Frustrations

A few changes worth noting.

First: the extended safety. Tired of it biting my support hand, I filed down the sharp edges instead of replacing it. Worst case—it gets worse and I buy a new one anyway. Best case—ugly but functional. It worked. Hot spots gone, safety looks rough. I can live with that.

Next: the C-More had to go. It performed great… when the battery wasn’t dead, which was often. That got old fast. It also sat too high. Wouldn’t be an issue if I only shot this gun, but switching between pistols made the height-over-bore painfully obvious—especially when I’d smack a no-shoot.

Swapping was easy. I had a CZ Custom mount from early on, plus the Bull X Pro from Cyelee waiting for a home. The new setup is solid—I’m really liking it. Only complaint: the mount and factory slide racker interfere, so field-stripping requires removing one. Not hard, just a hassle. And every removal risks stripped screws or loose reinstalls from not enough thread locker or torque. The racker’s the repeat offender. I’m leaning toward replacement over filing.

Performance

The Czechmate’s reliability remains perfect. It devoured the last of my Outdoor Dynamics 9 Major without a hiccup and runs even better on my handloads.

Two issues remain—both fixable with tuning or parts.

1. Balance (yes, still). A titanium compensator is next—lighter up front should speed transitions and help the next problem. The Sebo model I wanted is discontinued, so I’ll need to hunt. If I find one, it may swing too rear-heavy, requiring a lighter grip or magwell (hollowed brass or aluminum).
2. Dolphin dip on recoil recovery. The muzzle dips slightly after each shot. The heavy comp contributes—titanium should help. But to eliminate it entirely, I’ll likely need to experiment with recoil springs or adjust the powder charge.

Final Czechmate Musings

I’m having a lot of fun with CZ’s Czechmate right now. Part of me wants to keep tweaking and shooting it. The other part wants to grab another safe queen and give it some love. Haven’t decided. I’ll play it by ear. And y’all will learn how it played out in the next review.

It’s still a great pistol, and I’m disappointed it’s gone. I’d love to see CZ release a new version—rumors float, but there’s no proof. It’s a shame nothing else in its price range competes in Open. Not surprising, though—most USPSA shooters are now focused on Carry Optics and Limited Optics.