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The Annoyed Man wrote:I don't know much about CZs, although I am aware of the way the slide rails are different. But other than that, isn't the CZ basically a Browning Highpower?

Not at all. There are a few visual similarities, but that's about it. The CZ (as originally made) is a DA/SA, with the entire trigger mechanism contained within the frame. The High Power is a SAO and uses a "toggle" (not sure of the correct term) located on the underside of the slide to connect the trigger with the sear (and so cannot be dry-fired with the slide removed). High Powers also come standard with a magazine disconnect, which CZs lack. And finally, as you said, the CZ's rails are internal to the frame, while the High Power's are external.

While the CZ 75 is a fair conceptual descendant of the High Power, there's not much they have in common mechanically, aside from the modified Browning-style delayed-blowback action.

AndyC wrote:My dad bought one of those in 1977 in South Africa. Wasn't but a few years later that CZ lengthened the rail to what we know now - there were reports of frames cracking and it was apparently to resolve that.

The front sights were also prone to coming loose under medium to extended fire; just a skinny pin swaged into the slide used to snap off, and I shot my dad's sight loose as well as my own (I had a non-short rail, but it had the same style sight).

The improvements they made from 85 onward were worthwhile - roll-pinned front sight, etc. They're (IMO) better guns than the originals were, although I can understand the hankering for something rare.

They probably are, and I would shoot the short-rail with standard-pressure ball ammo only, most likely. The stainless 75B I already have would be what I'd carry. But the scarcity of the short-rail, combined with the fact that it was "the first CZ 75," are what draw me to it, much like an original M1911 (pre-A1) won't be "as good" a pistol as a modern gun from any of several manufacturers, but it's still quite collectible for the sheer fact that it was the first of the breed.

An original short-rail has been on my "list" for quite some time, but those're rarer than hen's teeth, it seems.

Well, I'll be honest, I want to stumble across one in a pawn shop, marked at normal CZ 75B "used" price. I think I have better luck winning a small lottery pot, though, and I've never bought a ticket.