Where is the Tanfoglio Club.... I am drinking the cool-aid

[churchmouse]

I was being serious when I said it looked really nice. I don't have ANY brand loyalty. I even like Glocks.

I bought my TS as a cheap alternative to a 2011. I looked at the Tanfoglio line and commented on the Czickness thread on how awesome the craftsmanship looks compared to the well... pretty rough CZ. I went with the CZ TS, again because of the custom parts availability, but then I also for some reason thought that the Tanfo guns were more expensive. I gave $1150 for the TS, so maybe there isn't much of a price difference. The checkering, really shouldn't even call it that, on the TS is sooo bad, but I don't care. I switched out the grips with aluminum and grip tape, now its great overall. I don't expect the same level of craftsmanship on the CZ that I do my Wilson and the way the gun looks doesn't effect its function. I also don't think a "tighter" pistol is more accurate.

I am not sure about the Tanfo, but the trigger on my TS is LIGHT. Almost too light. llh did my SP-01 Shadow and measured its SA at 2.12 lbs. My stock TS is lighter than that, but not quite as smooth.

All of the CZ 97b's I have owned are well fit up and finish is top shelf. 1 Black one that is akin to a Park finish.....1 Blued and the current one is a full on CGW's CopperHead.

 

[Birds Away]

Love me some 97B.

 

[craigkim]

All of the CZ 97b's I have owned are well fit up and finish is top shelf. 1 Black one that is akin to a Park finish.....1 Blued and the current one is a full on CGW's CopperHead.

I won't argue with you CM, as I have come to respect your opinions and your advice, plus I don't really disagree. I like CZs and one of the things that I like is that they have a good price point, in my opinion. Part of that, also my opinion, is that you get a really great gun that has a reasonably good construction compromised with reduced labor spent on detail and finish. I don't mean the coating on the gun or the polish, I mean the attention given to the smoothness and evenness of surfaces on all of the parts of the firearm.

My first steel firearm was that Wilson you helped me figure out. SO, that sets the bar probably unrealistically high, but let's throw that out of the picture. I think the most effective way to illustrate my point is..and I did this earlier..... If I gave almost any one of the slides off of one of my HKs and the slide off of one of my CZs, with tape over the identifying stamps, and said, "which one was made in the Czech Republic and which one was made in Germany?" I don't think very many would fail to guess it correctly.

 

[RustyHornet]

If I gave almost any one of the slides off of one of my HKs and the slide off of one of my CZs, with tape over the identifying stamps, and said, "which one was made in the Czech Republic and which one was made in Germany?" I don't think very many would fail to guess it correctly.

Obviously the one made in Germany would be the overweight, large, over engineered piece. Not the slim, light and sexy piece from the CR.

 

[craigkim]

Obviously the one made in Germany would be the overweight, large, over engineered piece. Not the slim, light and sexy piece from the CR.

Ah, I chuckled when I read this. I hadn't thought of that. I assumed you were right, but it was pretty much the same. I weighed the VP9 slide and the SP-01 Shadow slide and the VP9 was 478 grams, whereas the cz was 469. A p30 slide would be a more fair comparison, but I traded mine, so meh and I sure as heck wouldn't trade my Shadow to get it back.

 

[RustyHornet]

Ah, I chuckled when I read this. I hadn't thought of that. I assumed you were right, but it was pretty much the same. I weighed the VP9 slide and the SP-01 Shadow slide and the VP9 was 478 grams, whereas the cz was 469. A p30 slide would be a more fair comparison, but I traded mine, so meh and I sure as heck wouldn't trade my Shadow to get it back.

This in INGO. How dare you bring facts into the equation!

 

[churchmouse]

I won't argue with you CM, as I have come to respect your opinions and your advice, plus I don't really disagree. I like CZs and one of the things that I like is that they have a good price point, in my opinion. Part of that, also my opinion, is that you get a really great gun that has a reasonably good construction compromised with reduced labor spent on detail and finish. I don't mean the coating on the gun or the polish, I mean the attention given to the smoothness and evenness of surfaces on all of the parts of the firearm.

My first steel firearm was that Wilson you helped me figure out. SO, that sets the bar probably unrealistically high, but let's throw that out of the picture. I think the most effective way to illustrate my point is..and I did this earlier..... If I gave almost any one of the slides off of one of my HKs and the slide off of one of my CZs, with tape over the identifying stamps, and said, "which one was made in the Czech Republic and which one was made in Germany?" I don't think very many would fail to guess it correctly.

Good point and on any other model beside the 97 I might agree with you on this.

 

[craigkim]

Good point and on any other model beside the 97 I might agree with you on this.

Ah, I don't have a 97 for comparison! I'll have to see what i can do to remedy that.

 

[seedubs1]

I didn't see any difference in F/F between the 97b and my sp-01. Pretty dang similar.

I can't speak to the mil-surps and lower end models though...

Good point and on any other model beside the 97 I might agree with you on this.

 

[churchmouse]

Ah, I don't have a 97 for comparison! I'll have to see what i can do to remedy that.

 

[churchmouse]

I didn't see any difference in F/F between the 97b and my sp-01. Pretty dang similar.

I can't speak to the mil-surps and lower end models though...

I see his point and there is merit.
My SP01 is nicely done up.

 

[seedubs1]

Which of the CZ's did you find to have rough fit and finish? I haven't fondled many outside the 97 and sp-01.

Some of those Tanfoglio models look very nice. I'd be all over one if there was a company like CGW doing aftermarket FCG's for them. Most things I've read have been positive save the lack of aftermarket support.

Honestly, the CGW guts and Losi's polishing are the only reason I have a CZ in my safe. The stock CZ's just don't do anything for me. But they are quite nice after dumping some of the stock guts and slicking them up.

I see his point and there is merit.
My SP01 is nicely done up.

 

[churchmouse]

Which of the CZ's did you find to have rough fit and finish? I haven't fondled many outside the 97 and sp-01.

Some of those Tanfoglio models look very nice. I'd be all over one if there was a company like CGW doing aftermarket FCG's for them. Most things I've read have been positive save the lack of aftermarket support.

Honestly, the CGW guts and Losi's polishing are the only reason I have a CZ in my safe. The stock CZ's just don't do anything for me. But they are quite nice after dumping some of the stock guts and slicking them up.

Stock CZ's have terrible triggers but they are fit up nicely.
The 97 is to me a very handsome gun.
The other 3 I own are OK to look at but not eye catching to me. I own them for the same reasons you state......they respond well to some attention.

 

[RustyHornet]

I don't mind a stock CZ.

 

[Grelber]

Wow (for me, you folks may have known this) the Tanfo's can be had a good bit cheaper than I thought :

EAA / Tanfoglio Witness Elite Stock II - 9mm - Ben Stoeger Pro Shop

Looking at a Stock 2 vs a fully Cajunized CZ SP01. You get stainless steel & an adjustable rear & an undercut trigger guard and more mag opening with the S2 for $999. Depending on what parts you need to get the trigger right (there are 4 pages of parts on the same website) the Stock 2 may either be slightly cheaper or the same cost but with a couple or three advantages.

 

[bobjones223]

Ok I have just got to say it.

Are CZ's now the new Glock? I have no intention in coming off the wrong way but this reminds me of the "Glock" puke I saw on other pages. The thread was started to talk about the Tanfoglio and got completely sidetracked into talking about the CZ's. Yes I know they are brothers by a different mother but it seems like the thread got hijacked into CZ land like the threads that start out talking about any other plastic gun always seems to end up with Glock this Glock that.

Don't get me wrong an SP01 Shadow is on my wish list but I am not sure if it isn't because of all the subliminal messages I have been getting on the threads over the last year of CZ this and CZ that.

Ok I am going to go and get my Snicker bar now.

 

[seedubs1]

I'd think the TS series from CZ is more in line with the more competition oriented Tanfo's. The SP-01 is more of a battle oriented handgun that also happens to work well in competition.

You get all of the upgrades (big mag well, undercut trigger guard, undercut beaver tail, gas pedal, etc...) in the CZ TS Orange. But it is a bit more expensive than the Tanfo's (MSRP is a bit over $1700).

Wow (for me, you folks may have known this) the Tanfo's can be had a good bit cheaper than I thought :

EAA / Tanfoglio Witness Elite Stock II - 9mm - Ben Stoeger Pro Shop

Looking at a Stock 2 vs a fully Cajunized CZ SP01. You get stainless steel & an adjustable rear & an undercut trigger guard and more mag opening with the S2 for $999. Depending on what parts you need to get the trigger right (there are 4 pages of parts on the same website) the Stock 2 may either be slightly cheaper or the same cost but with a couple or three advantages.

 

[RustyHornet]

Seems like the Tanfo guys have disappeared? Came here to learn about them. But I do think you need a snickers.

 

[seedubs1]

I'd like to hear more about this aftermarket titan hammer that's available for the tanfoglios. What other FCG parts are available, and how well does it improve the trigger?

The stock CZ triggers are heavy, gritty, and cam back before dropping in stock configuration. Drop in CGW parts and do some polishing, and they go from not so great to excellent.

Does the spring and hammer swapping and polishing on the Tanfoglios take the trigger to the level of a Cajunized CZ? I haven't read anything to make me believe that, but I would like to hear more. Has the Wizard played with one yet? Would be interesting to hear his opinion.

 

[Woobie]

I have to say before this thread I hadn't paid any attention to Tanfo's, except for lusting for that one Lovemywoods had at the 1500. I was recently looking at a Glock 40, thinking that it would be a great hunting pistol. Lo and behold, Tanfoglio has this:

EAA Tanfoglio Witness Hunter, 10MM 15RD Mag - Impact Guns