Would you trust a clone with your life?

[GlockZ]

I've been looking at the CZ 75B. I know they are extremely reliable and thousands of people around the world every day trust thier cz to protect themselves.

I was at my LGS yesterday and noticed they had a Tristar c100 and a S120, both 75 clones. They were about $150 cheaper then the CZ. Fit and finish looked nice but the controls were very stiff especially the safety. My primary use for this weapon will be for shooting at the range and for home defense. I carry my G19 everyday, so won't be carrying it for SD. I'm cheap and I like to save money where ever I can, but would you trust you and your families' life to a clone? Could you trust the clone to function reliably and defend your loved ones if someone broke into your house?

Also, if you have any experiences with any of the CZ 75B compared to the clones good or bad I'd like to know. Would you buy the TriStar S120?

 

[rob63]

I have a Canik 55 S-120 with thousands of rounds through it without a single malfunction of any kind. It is my understanding that the TriStar is made by Canik 55, but with different markings. Canik 55 is both NATO certified and ISO 9000 certified, and has been making guns for the Turkish military for many years. IMHO, a well made firearm is still a well made firearm regardless of the markings on it. I am sure others will feel differently.

 

[Mgderf]

No experience at all with the Tristar line, but I have a Tanfoglio (EAA import) Witness that is a CZ75 clone.
I would trust my life on it without a second thought.
You might consider looking at the Tanfoglio line, or the EAA imports. I know there are MANY people who use the Witness line of handguns in competition matches.

 

[mikefraz]

Would I personally? No. I buy the very best I can afford for my carry and home defense handgun. But that's just me.

 

[GlockZ]

I have a Canik 55 S-120 with thousands of rounds through it without a single malfunction of any kind. It is my understanding that the TriStar is made by Canik 55, but with different markings. Canik 55 is both NATO certified and ISO 9000 certified, and has been making guns for the Turkish military for many years. IMHO, a well made firearm is still a well made firearm regardless of the markings on it. I am sure others will feel differently.

Thanks for the info! Do you know why where's such a price difference between the canik and Tristar?

I get the whole "buy the best gun you can afford." That's why I carry a G19 and not a high point. Money isn't my issue its more of why pay more for a name when the product is the same. All 1911's not made by colt are clones. So people have carried clones for SD for a while. But what am I paying for if I spend the extra $150 on the cz of both guns have past NATO tests?

 

[printcraft]

Yes.



But only because I'm not a Jedi.

 

[kalboy]

I've owned a couple clones, EAA and Sarzilmaz , these were both flawless performers but my rd counts in each were not high either.
Questions like these are the bread and butter of the folks at the link below . You might visit there also in your quest.

CZ CLONE CLUB

 

[rob63]

Thanks for the info! Do you know why where's such a price difference between the canik and Tristar?

I get the whole "buy the best gun you can afford." That's why I carry a G19 and not a high point. Money isn't my issue its more of why pay more for a name when the product is the same. All 1911's not made by colt are clones. So people have carried clones for SD for a while. But what am I paying for if I spend the extra $150 on the cz of both guns have past NATO tests?

No idea. There have been times, such as when I bought mine, that the price has been the same.

 

[Vigilant]

Depends, a quality CZ clone like EAA, probably! A Beretta 92 pseudo clone like a Taurus PT92, no effin way! Taurus has a lifetime warranty, because they need them!

 

[Que]

Not that I wouldn't, but I see no reason to purchase a clone unless it's impossible to find a 97B or SP01.

 

[snowwalker]

All the 1911s on the market today are clones aren't they? Dozens of manufacturers and none made like the original Browning. The 1911 GI is not the same as the original design, Kimbers, Springfields, Rugers, Sigs, Colts, Rock Island, Remington, Para, etc. are all clones from the original design.

 

[warriorbob]

I checked out an eaa witness and after felling the difference in the triggers I pony uped and bought a real deal 75b. Loved the way it shot so much I sold my glock 19 and bought a cz 2075 rami for concealed carry. In all reality I'm sure a clone will do just fine for home defence and some clones can be much better than the originals. However the advantages of buying the original is parts availability, holsters, and aftermarket sights. There seems to be a lot of talk about cz 75s and their clones around here lately.

 

[warriorbob]

Snowwalker, I was thinking the same thought!

 

[ModernGunner]

Would have absolutely no issue trusting a clone for home or self-defense AS LONG as I've run it through it's paces (for me, that's typically 500 - 1000 rounds) and feel confident that it'll function as intended, when needed.

Had an old Astra A80 (Sig P220 clone) that I owned and carried, both on-duty and off, for decades. Tens upon tens of thousands of rounds through it. It never functioned other than flawlessly, regardless of age or round count through it. 'Retired' it NOT because of any performance issue (ever), but because it became difficult finding parts and accessories for it.

ANY firearm CAN have a malfunction, at any given time. Parts break; metal fatigue / stress may occur regardless, even if the firearm is brand new; it may be a 'Monday morning / Friday afternoon special' that slipped through Quality Control. Who knows? THAT'S the REASON to put it through it's paces when it's brought home and insure it'll function as needed.

 

[funkeecowboy]

Yes, if a clone runs 100% with my chosen defense ammo I would trust it without question. Why does it matter who's name is on the gun? I had an FEG Hi-power clone that never malfunctioned for me yet I had two Browning/FN hi-powers that had issue after issue. I happily carried the FEG for 7-8 months but couldn't bring myself to carry either of the Brownings that had problems. (There's nothing wrong with most Browning's and I've had 2-3 others that ran perfectly.)

I would suggest buying the best gun that you can afford and if it runs 100% then trust it and don't worry about it.

 

[LEaSH]

I like these Turkish firearms. I have cz's old and new. I have the Italian Tanfoglios old and new-ish.

And I have only fired the Canik L120 and not experienced any Tristar branded. I'm really flooded with 9mm right now and can't bring another in until I just do it.

These are not all clones in the sense that most parts - if any - are swappable between CZ and the imitators. Mags most times are, but not always.

The quality of the base model (steel) EAA Witness/Tanfoglio is excellent. The old as well as the new models have parts and/or assembly performed in the Valley of the Gun. It's kind of like the Modello of gun making I suppose.

And these Turkish guns are even closer in visual appearance to the CZ75's. they may actually have parts interchangeability. I do not know. I do know that the one that I shot I liked as well as any 9mm CZ that I own already.

I'm waiting for the Piranha by Canik. I have yet to see one in this country. I know they exist, but I don't know what is keeping them out of our market.

 

[88E30M50]

If it's a quality built handgun, I don't care if the maker was also the designer. Most 1911s would be considered clones, yet nobody says they won't trust an Ed Brown for EDC because Ed Brown did not do the original design. I have no experience with the Cannik, but do own guns built by CZ, EAA and Sarsilmaz. All are great and I would have no trouble trusting any of them. The EAA and SAR have improvements over the CZ that CZ should copy. A CZ uses a complex spring arrangement for the mag release and trigger bar lifter that requires staking a knurled screw to stay in place. The EAA (Tanfoglio) and SAR both use a much more simple arrangement that seems to work better and can be polished to provide a better feel. The firing pin safety on a CZ adds to the weight of the trigger whereas the EAA and SAR FPS acts to reduce the trigger weight. In the end, all are great guns and just because the clones were not designed by their manufacturers, should not rule them out for carry.

There is not a thing in the world wrong with a clone as long as it was built well. Many clone manufacturers build to make a better gun than the original. Take a look at a POF or Daniels Defense AR compared to a stock Colt AR. Nothing wrong with the Colt, but most would agree that the clones can be an improvement if done well.

 

[88E30M50]

I checked out an eaa witness and after felling the difference in the triggers I pony uped and bought a real deal 75b. Loved the way it shot so much I sold my glock 19 and bought a cz 2075 rami for concealed carry. In all reality I'm sure a clone will do just fine for home defence and some clones can be much better than the originals. However the advantages of buying the original is parts availability, holsters, and aftermarket sights. There seems to be a lot of talk about cz 75s and their clones around here lately.

The EAA guns are interesting. I bought one several years back (large frame 10mm full size) and did not really like it. The trigger felt odd and when I took it apart, it seemed different enough to keep me from doing much to it. So it sat in the safe for a couple of years until I pulled it out a month or so back. I did a little research to figure out how it came apart and then did a trigger job on it. I also did a bit of a polish on the Wonder finish and afterwards, shot it a bunch. I now love the thing and it's become my favorite winter carry gun.

The downside of the EAA clone, and most others I imagine, comes from the availability of parts as warriorbob mentions above. But, I found a holster that works well and I'm happy with the stock sights. Grips are another matter. Most CZ clones can use CZ grips, but the large frame Witness uses a slightly longer grip and there is just about nobody making them. You can get a set from EAA for $85 but that's a lot to spend on a mid-grade grip set. I'd love to see VZGrips support them but until they do, I'm stuck with the cheap feeling plastic grips it came with.

 

[snowwalker]

Look at Alien Gear holsters. I have one for a Tanfoglio Force 99 and got another shell for three S&W 5900 series plus spare parts for about $50.00. There are several people on here that can custom make one that are in the $50.00 ballpark. For the parts availability that most are talking about and versatility is why my main pistols are Glocks.

 

[1861navy]

Canik is a solid company with a solid reputation, just like CZ, Tanfoglio, Sarsilmaz. I thought about a CZ but chose a Sarsilmaz because I overall liked it better. I've been eyeballing the Caniks for a while now, along with more of Sarsilmazs' offerings due to their functionality, quality, and price. I also agree with 88 on the opinion that clones offer an improvement over the original if made properly. Plus most of the clones I've seen are rated to some 16,000 rounds failure rate, just like CZ's IIRC, So definitely trustworthy firearms.