TZ-75 9mm and 41AE

bakerconch · 06-11-2012, 11:13 AM

Picked this up at an estate sale last Sat. I can find a couple for sale, mostly
9mm but none with both barrels. This gun seems to have never been fired. Looks NIB.
[IMG]

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armoredman · 06-11-2012, 02:58 PM

Nifty! I wanted the 41AE when it was announced, seemed like the answer everyone was looking for...and then the 40SW came out and 41 AE drifted off. You'll probably have to reload the cartridge to shoot it, I think maybe Norma or Old Western Scrounger might have factory ammo at ridiculous prices.
The pistol is a Tanfoglio, made in Italy, a CZ-75 clone, and a good solid sidearm. It's not very collectible, but it's a very nice pistol. Come over to czfirearms.us and post in our Clone Club section, probably people there who know more about it than I do.

armoredman · 06-11-2012, 03:03 PM

Tale that back, Norma doesn't make handgun ammo anymore and even OWS doesn't list any 41AE for sale.

LDBennett · 06-12-2012, 08:21 AM

bakerconch:

I bought a TZ-75 in the mid 1980's when it was imported by FIE (out of business today). It was indeed a Tanfoglio, made in Italy, and a CZ75 clone. At the time you could not buy a CZ in the USA due to the fact that CZ's were made behind the Iron Curtain. Still later EAA became the importer/distributor for Tanfoglio and the Witness's are that gun today.

My 1980's TZ was a bit crude showing poor polishing techniques used by the polisher with a pretty wavy surface. The ejection was weird a s the empties ended up are inches from your shoes in a neat pile (not very energetic ejection!). But worse yet was that the slide somehow destroyed itself and FIE was by then out of business and EAA was not yet in business. No parts were available. The cut in the rear of the slide for the firing pin retainer plate was broken through so that the firing pin could no longer be retained. I think there was something wrong with the metallurgy of the slide and who knows what else on this inexpensive gun. It flat was not worth repairing even if I could find a replacement slide. I parted out the internals (they will fit a real CZ) and gave the slide and barrel to the local sheriff for correct disposal.

Having said that, in the 1990's I bought a EAA Witness in 45ACP (CZ97 clone). It has turned out to be a pretty nice gun. When the Iron Curtain raised post 1997 and CZ was able to import to the USA, I bought a CZ97B in 45ACP because I just had to have the real thing. I have shot the two guns side by side and the new Tanfoglio, imported by EAA as a Witness, is a match for the CZ, as best I can tell. But others who report here give both good and bad marks to the Witness guns in general so it must be the luck of the draw as to whether your Witness is excellent or has problems. Fortunately my Witness is in the former category.

If the TZ you acquired is not marked as an EAA import then its quality may be at issue. Even if it is a EAA import you may have a good one or a bad one. It all depends on how lucky you were.

LDBennett

06-11-2012, 11:13 AM	#1
bakerconch V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: North Florida Posts: 259	TZ-75 9mm and 41AE Picked this up at an estate sale last Sat. I can find a couple for sale, mostly 9mm but none with both barrels. This gun seems to have never been fired. Looks NIB. [IMG][/IMG] -->

06-11-2012, 02:58 PM	#2
armoredman Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Proud to be in Arizona Posts: 1,367	Re: TZ-75 9mm and 41AE Nifty! I wanted the 41AE when it was announced, seemed like the answer everyone was looking for...and then the 40SW came out and 41 AE drifted off. You'll probably have to reload the cartridge to shoot it, I think maybe Norma or Old Western Scrounger might have factory ammo at ridiculous prices. The pistol is a Tanfoglio, made in Italy, a CZ-75 clone, and a good solid sidearm. It's not very collectible, but it's a very nice pistol. Come over to czfirearms.us and post in our Clone Club section, probably people there who know more about it than I do.

06-11-2012, 03:03 PM	#3
armoredman Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Proud to be in Arizona Posts: 1,367	Re: TZ-75 9mm and 41AE Tale that back, Norma doesn't make handgun ammo anymore and even OWS doesn't list any 41AE for sale.

06-12-2012, 08:21 AM	#4
LDBennett Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Hesperia, CA Posts: 5,709	Re: TZ-75 9mm and 41AE bakerconch: I bought a TZ-75 in the mid 1980's when it was imported by FIE (out of business today). It was indeed a Tanfoglio, made in Italy, and a CZ75 clone. At the time you could not buy a CZ in the USA due to the fact that CZ's were made behind the Iron Curtain. Still later EAA became the importer/distributor for Tanfoglio and the Witness's are that gun today. My 1980's TZ was a bit crude showing poor polishing techniques used by the polisher with a pretty wavy surface. The ejection was weird a s the empties ended up are inches from your shoes in a neat pile (not very energetic ejection!). But worse yet was that the slide somehow destroyed itself and FIE was by then out of business and EAA was not yet in business. No parts were available. The cut in the rear of the slide for the firing pin retainer plate was broken through so that the firing pin could no longer be retained. I think there was something wrong with the metallurgy of the slide and who knows what else on this inexpensive gun. It flat was not worth repairing even if I could find a replacement slide. I parted out the internals (they will fit a real CZ) and gave the slide and barrel to the local sheriff for correct disposal. Having said that, in the 1990's I bought a EAA Witness in 45ACP (CZ97 clone). It has turned out to be a pretty nice gun. When the Iron Curtain raised post 1997 and CZ was able to import to the USA, I bought a CZ97B in 45ACP because I just had to have the real thing. I have shot the two guns side by side and the new Tanfoglio, imported by EAA as a Witness, is a match for the CZ, as best I can tell. But others who report here give both good and bad marks to the Witness guns in general so it must be the luck of the draw as to whether your Witness is excellent or has problems. Fortunately my Witness is in the former category. If the TZ you acquired is not marked as an EAA import then its quality may be at issue. Even if it is a EAA import you may have a good one or a bad one. It all depends on how lucky you were. LDBennett Last edited by LDBennett; 06-12-2012 at 08:24 AM..