I recently picked up a CZ Scorpion pistol, along with a Tailhook brace set. I've had some time to tinker with it, and shot it a little this weekend, so I figured I'd post my initial thoughts.

Here's how my CZ Scorpion looks right now:



Overall, I really like the Scorpion. However, there are a number of things that irked me about various features. Luckily, most of them are minor issues that are relatively easily fixed with some modifications or some aftermarket parts.

First, I'll discuss my thoughts on the CZ Scorpion itself. There have been a number of other threads about these, so I'll skip the basic details and move directly on to my thoughts.

Pros:
1) Relatively inexpensive. I got mine for $695 shipped on sale from Sportsmans Outdoor Superstore. That's even better than CZ's factory LEO pricing. However, once you start factoring in all the wanted/needed aftermarket parts, the price starts to climb a bit...
2) Cheap mags. Factory all-plastic 20 and 30 round magazines are $15-$20. I also bought a couple Manticore Arms 32 rounders with metal feed lips, which are $30 each.
3) Quality build. Even though the Scorpion is basically two halves of a plastic shell held together with bolts, it doesn't feel cheap. (*cough* Keltec *cough*). It feel like a sturdy firearm.
4) Excellent aftermarket support: Even though the Scorpion has only been around for a few years, there are already a number of companies offering a wide variety of aftermarket accessories to customize it to your personal tastes. And the best part is that every single one of the issues I've identified with the Scorpion can be solved with one or more aftermarket parts.
5) Ridiculously fun to shoot: I think this may become my favorite plinker. Very accurate at plinking distances. Cheap ammo. Negligible recoil. Just overall a really fun gun to shoot.

Cons:
1) Awfully heavy trigger pull. Mine maxes out my trigger pull gauge. It's got to be 10+ pounds. Relatively short and crisp, though.
2) Mags don't drop free. It seems that the mags will drop free when the bolt is closed, or when the bolt is held back by the charging handle, but not when an empty magazine trips the bolt hold open lever. There are a number of threads elsewhere online where people claim to have gotten their Scorpion mags to drop free with some slight modifications. I tried all of them, and it still doesn't work when the bolt locks back after the last round. As a result, you have to strip magazines out by hand every time.
3) Poorly-designed safety levers: Yes, they're just as bad as you've heard. I have no idea what the CZ designers were thinking here.
The right side lever digs into your trigger finger when firing. And the left side lever is positioned in such as way that it isn't easy at all to flip with your thumb. Terrible. Even if you don't replace anything else on your Scorpion, this is a must. Luckily, there are a number of different options for aftermarket safety levers.
4) Factory fixed sights are rather bulky.: They're great quality, but they're rather large and bulky for such a small gun. And then tend to fill up much of the field of view of a micro red dot optic. I hope someone comes out with a set of micro fold-down BUIS, or something along those lines.
5) Unimpressive sling attachments: The Scorpion comes from the factory with four small sling attachment loops, two on either side. However, I don't really like the positioning or functionality of any of them. They require the use of something like a sling hook or a keyring to attach a sling to them. As a result, sling attachment is rather loose and sloppy. I haven't found a sling setup that I like yet, so it's currently sling-less.
6) Factory pistol grip is not the best: I like that the Scorpion's grip can be adjusted forwards/backwards to fit the trigger reach to each shooter. But the factory grip isn't the best. It's unnecessarily long, the texture is lacking, and the angle doesn't work very well for what's essentially a short, stubby little SMG/PDW.


I've already added a few things to my Scorpion, and plan to make several additional modifications, mainly to address some of the issues I've identified above.

Current add-ons:
1) Apex replacement grip: This is a big improvement over the factory grip, especially with its more vertical grip angle. It's still a bit too skinny for my big hands, though. I may end up trying the Yeti Wurks Switchback grip, which looks a bit fatter, but retains the more vertical grip angle.
2) Stark Express angled foregrip: Vertical foregrips are a no-no on a pistol. While most folks seem to be going with the Magpul AFG2, I wanted something that was more rounded, with a slightly steeper grip angle. This Stark grip is just right. As a bonus, it fits on the handguard along with the factory handstop, provided you modify the rear of the Stark grip's rail attachment a little bit. It only took a couple minutes with an Exacto, a Dremel, and some 180 grit sandpaper to remove a few bits of plastic to make it work.
3) Inforce WML with extended IWC Thorntail offset rail mount: This setup also took some modification to work right, but now that it's done, it's outstanding. It's positioned perfectly for my grip. Unfortunately, it will be tough to replicate... The extended Thorntail rail is no longer offered by IWC, and the standard length one is too short for this to work. I also had to slightly sand down one corner of the plastic on the WML, since the very front edge of the handguard prevented the rear corner of the WML from fully seating on the offset rail.
4) Primary Arms MD-06 fixed based micro red dot: This is a Primary Arms clone of the Aimpoint Micros, similar to the Busnell Tropy red dot. I've used these on a number of my other range toys. They're great quality for the price. This is a discontinued model that had a fixed base and a different control and emitter setup, which allows is to sit as low as possible on a rail. This allows this red dot to cowitness with the factory iron sights on the Scorpion. As noted above, the bulky fixed sights make for a bit of a cluttered field of view, but for a plinker, it's fine.
5) Larue Index Clips: I have a ton of these laying around. Not only do they look great, they do a great job of covering those cheesegrater rails.

Upcoming additions:
1) HBI trigger spring set: This reportedly lowers the trigger pull down to 5-6 pounds.
2) Extended paddle magazine release: Because the mags don't drop free, I'm going to have to change mags like a FAL/AK/HK. The factory mag release is just a bit too small for this to work comfortably for me. There are several companies that make replacement mag release paddles. I haven't decided what I'm going with yet, though.
3) Extended charging handle: The factory charging handle is just a bit too small for my taste. Again, there are a number of aftermarket options out there.
4) Replacement safety levers: After looking at all the options for replacement levers out there, I'm going with an Apex lever on the left, and either a Delete or the HBI AK lever on the right. These seem to be the best fit for me, but there are a ton of other options out there.
5) Sling attachment?: As noted, the factory sling loops aren't the best. I've tried mash hooks and snap hooks, but didn't like either one. I may look into a front QD attachment, which are available from a few different companies. (The Tailhook has a rear QD socket on it, as discussed below.) Or I may just leave the sling off of it altogether.


Now let's move on to the Tailhook brace setup.

This new pistol type of arm brace was designed by Gear Head Works. The Tailhook itself is just the rear portion, and is designed to be used on an AR pistol buffer tube. But Gear Head Works also designed an adapter to allow it to attach to the forward section of a CZ Scorpion factory stock. (They're currently working on a number of other adapters too, for things like Galils, MP5s, and Kriss Vectors.) This adapter allows a near-factory setup, with a factory folding mechanism in front and the custom adapter and Tailhook on the back of it.

The Tailhook itself will run you ~$120, and the factory folding mechanism and Tailhook adapter is another ~$130. So it's ~$250 for the entire Tailhook Scorpion setup. There are a couple places that sell package sets with both a Scorpion and a Tailhook setup for ~$1k total.





The Tailhook with adapter and factory folding mechanism mounts solidly to the Scorpion. (As expected, since it's basically 2/3rds of the factory stock.) It folds all the way in, with no interference, and the Scorpion can be fired when folded. There's no active retention when the stock is folded, but the hinge does offer a moderate amount of friction when fully folded, which helps keep it from flopping around.

The special Tailhook adapter is held in place to the factory folding mechanism with a roll pin, which can be removed and the adapter moved in/out to one of three different lengths, with the roll pin driven back into the corresponding hole to hold it at that length. All of them are relatively short, though. I'm 6", and even the longest hole is just a hair too short for my preference.

There's also a QD socket built into the left side of the Tailhook. That solves the issue of needing a better rear sling attachment point than the factory loops.

How does it work? Well, it looks pretty much like a factory stock, and it behaves pretty much like a factory stock, if so desired. Cheek weld is excellent. LOP is a little bit short compared to most of my rifles, even at the adapter's longest setting, but that's to be expected for a short SMG/PDW-style firearm. All told, it's the next best thing to a SBR Scorpion with a factory folding stock.

No matter how well it works as a stock, it's not a stock. The Tailhook is intended to be an arm brace, designed to allow the Scorpion to be fired one-handed more easily. And in theory, it is a better setup that the previous generations of braces, which had to be strapped to your arm with Velcro. When you press a latch button on the side of the Tailhook, the right side of the Tailhook hinges downward, and this unfolded piece then braces against the underside of your forearm when you grab the Scorpion's pistol grip.





In practice, the arm brace configuration doesn't work quite as well as expected. It's comfortable, and does a really good job of counterbalancing the weight of the gun. However, the Tailhook's positioning just didn't work very well for me in most shooting positions. It may be because I have slightly larger than average forearms.

The only stance that worked well was the old-style "bullseye" shooting stance, with my body bladed fully, my right shoulder pointed towards the target, and my right arm extended straight out to my side:



I can't get it to work very well with a modern Weaver/Isosceles stance, or even just a one-handed grip with my body squared to the target as I usually shoot. When I try, my bulky forearms force the bottom of the brace too far down, which forces the muzzle of the gun up. As a result, I have to bend my arm into an unnatural angle and contort my head in order to get a good sight alignment when using a modern pistol stance.


In summary, the CZ Scorpion is an amazingly fun gun to shoot. And in my opinion, the Scorpion with a Tailhook is one of the better options for a non-SBR pistol setup. However, plan on dropping a couple hundred more dollars on aftermarket parts to solve some minor-to-moderate issues with the Scorpion. In its factory configuration it has a number of flaws, ranging from minor nitpicks to major irritations. But in its final upgraded form, I foresee this becoming one of my favorite guns I own.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: RogueJSK,

Thanks for the write up. I have been contemplating a similar set up.

I have to agree with most of your comments.

I replaced the safety levers, Charging Handle, added the QD mount on the side, installed a Yeti-werks grip, paddle magazine release, flat trigger, front grip, Holosun site.



Lyndsay CZ Scorpion by Dave Steier, on Flickr

Excellent write up Rogue.

Rogue, nice review. I guess the low initial cost is nice since it takes a few hundred bucks to get it up set up like you want/like.

Rogue I have the HBI trigger kit in my scorpion and though it was a slight pain to install (I had to drill out the weld) the upgrade is completely worth it - I don't have a gauge to measure how much it lightened but its a night and day feel. I also plan to purchase the extended charging handle. I also installed the right safety delete which improved my enjoyment of the gun significantly, I was wearing off the skin on trigger finger before making the change

quote:

Originally posted by trickedtrix:
I have the HBI trigger kit in my scorpion and though it was a slight pain to install (I had to drill out the weld)

Luckily, it's only 2016 production Scorpions with the so-called "world legal trigger pack" that have the weld that needs to be drilled. Newer production Scorpions, like my 2017 version, are back to having the unwelded bolt. So I just have to unscrew the hex bolt holding the trigger pack to access the internals.

And HBI looks to have some really good YouTube videos showing step-by-step how to replace the springs.

quote:

I also installed the right safety delete which improved my enjoyment of the gun significantly, I was wearing off the skin on trigger finger

Yeah, it's a huge issue. I can't believe they haven't changed the safety design yet. Installing the more vertical Apex grip at least makes it tolerable (read: merely really annoying but not painful) to shoot with the stock safety levers, but I'll be replacing both safety levers ASAP. I'm going with an Apex lever on the left, and either a Delete or the HBI AK lever on the right.

If someone just wants a quick and free fix, you can simply cut off the protruding lever portion of the right safety with a hacksaw or Dremel, and touch it up with some fine grit sandpaper. It's just plastic.

Very through review ... and I really like your choice of the AFG ... I've never seen or heard of Stark ... except for Tony Stark

When I buy ... well pretty much anything I hate having to spend more money to upgrade it to make it usable but there are some things that can't be overlooked ... such as the right side of the ambidextrous safety digging into the trigger finger; initially I trimmed mine, then cut off the tang all together but when I saw how cheap their "safety delete" was I bought it.

When it first came out there were a lot of criticisms of the grip and very little aftermarket available for it ... for whatever reason is does look small but I got started thinking, the Czech's issue this weapon to their military/police units, why are we having such a tough time accepting it? I agree it could use more texture, but I'm not going through the muck or running & gunning with it I took it off and compared it to a stock AR grip ... its almost the identical width and thickness, so its really not that bad ... and I bought it with the intention of SBRing anyway and the compliance package has a replacement grip in it, however its pretty much identical but US made and when the aftermarket grips came around they were in the $50-$60 range and I couldn't see that much of a benefit to me.

Several companies have come out with a longer charge handle, but I didn't want something that just stuck out further, but in my research I saw Manticore made a folding handle they made for other firearms and rumor had it that it would be available for the Scorpion ... a month or so ago it was. I picked one up and really like it, my only gripe is that for $75 I thought it would be spring loaded, but it is not. When you charge it, if you give it the "HK slap", inertia will fold it closed but otherwise you have to manually fold it into the detente position ... but the Scorpion doesn't really need the HK slap as it has a bolt hold open.

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<edit>
At home the new Manticore charge handle folded closed with the inertia just fine however when I went to the range the new Manticore charge handle didn't preform so well, almost every time it either didn't close ... I not as impressed with it as I was initially.

I submitted a review on Manticore's website and it was "accepted for moderation" ... so because it isn't a glowing review, I doubt they'll print it.

=======

I really like the idea of the Tail Hook, in theory its like the arm-hook on the SPAS ... I'd heard there was one available for the Scorpion but this is the first I've seen it; the factory stock has a magnet that holds the stock closed. I've got a couple HK pistols I'd like to try the Tail Hook on but I'm trying to be less of a Beta-tester and get the 2nd generation of things ... or it seems like someone else will come along and design a better one for 3/4 the cost ... the demand is still pretty high and availability seems to be spotty at best.

Mine is also a pistol which I almost exclusively shoot suppressed so I bought the carbine length hand-guard which covers about 1/2 of my suppressor ... I like the smooth sides and it protects it and gives more area to control.

I've pretty much quit using my 3 lug adapter on my suppressor and bought a 18x1 direct thread adapter from SiCo ... I'll dig around and see if I don't have a picture with the Manticore charge handle and how much further in the suppressor fits with the direct thread adapter.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: kimberkid,

quote:

Originally posted by kimberkid:
I've pretty much quit using my 3 lug adapter on my suppressor and bought a 18x1 direct thread adapter from SiCo

Just in case anyone is wondering, early Scorpions came threaded 18x1, but 2016 and newer Scorpions are threaded the much more common 1/2x28.

Their new barrels have both in a stepped down arrangement ... at least this is what's available on their site, not sure if the new guns have this barrel in them

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

quote:

Originally posted by kimberkid:
I've pretty much quit using my 3 lug adapter on my suppressor and bought a 18x1 direct thread adapter from SiCo

Just in case anyone is wondering, early Scorpions came threaded 18x1, but 2016 and newer Scorpions are threaded the much more common 1/2x28.

I have read of some issues folks have had with the threads not being concentric to the bore. Doesn't seem to be a rash of them, but a couple of pictures illustrated some were off quite badly it appeared.

Nice write up.

To me an extended CH and safety levers, along with a pistol brace, are all that is needed to get the weapon up to snuff. Add in a quality RDS, ammo and mags, then you are good to go.

At least for what I want the weapon to do. Don't need a uber light trigger pull for 1 MOA groups at 50 yards, just need a workable trigger to hit COM in rapid fashion. I have the HBI trigger springs but haven't installed them yet.

Not gonna sling a pistol and if I'm using it in a house / car, I don't want a sling anyway. The Inforce WML is great but I just leave it at 9 o'clock to keep the weapon light as possible (and my HERA AFU / Shockwave folds left).

It suppresses great with my Tirant45, paintball gun quiet.

How far is the Apex CZ Safties going to stick out?
Looks like it could get in the way of the folding arm brace.

Put the HBI Mini AK Style Safties on both right and left side of mine.
SBR'd mine so I have the OEM folding stock and they work great.

quote:

Originally posted by kimber1911:
How far is the Apex CZ Safties going to stick out?
Looks like it could get in the way of the folding arm brace.

Correct. The Apex safety levers are wider than stock, so if you put one on the right side it will interfere with the brace folding. That's why I only plan on using the left side Apex safety, with something lower profile like a HBI Mini AK safety on the right side.

Apex does offer a set of "low profile" safeties as well, which don't interfere with the folder. https://store.apextactical.com...ducts/Details/192413

I've installed a final round of aftermarket upgrades, to address the remaining issue with the Scorpion.


The first issue I took on was to find a better way to attach a sling. The Tailhook has a built-in QD swivel, so that solved the rear sling attachment issue, but I needed something for the front. I considered buying and installing one of the aftermarket front QD sockets, but decided to try a more low-tech option first. I went with a Blue Force Gear "U-Loop".



It's similar to the BFG Universal Wire Loops that I've used on several other rifles in the past. But with the U-Loop, one side of the wire can detach from the sling loop body. This allows it to pass through narrow openings, like the factory Scorpion sling loops. And with a sling installed, the wire is prevented from slipping loose from the body, so there's no worry about it coming detached.

Unlike the Mash hook and Snap hook I tried in its place previously, the coated U-Loop doesn't rattle around, and it's very functional. In fact, it works so well that I may end up getting another for the rear sling loop, instead of using the QD socket on the Tailhook.


I then installed a HBI ProStock charging handle. This is modeled closely on the factory charging handle, but it's almost twice as large. It's much easier to operate than the factory handle. And the Scorpion not only supports switching the charging handle from one side to the other, but it can actually have two different charging handles installed at once. So I moved the factory handle to the right side, and installed the ProStock on the left side, leaving me with an ambidextrous setup.




I then addressed the safeties. As mentioned in my first post, the factory safety levers are awful. The right side lever is downright painful in its placement. The left side lever isn't painful, but its shape and placement aren't ideal. I ended up going with two different safeties. The left side got an Apex safety lever. This is longer and wider than the factory safety, and is activated with much more natural thumb movements. Unfortunately, since it's about twice as wide as the factory levers, I couldn't install one on the right side, as it would have prevented the Tailhook from folding fully closed.




On the right side safety, I went with a HBI Mini AK safety. This positions the lever portion of the safety pointing forward, like a smaller version of the AK safety, as the name suggests (albeit with the on/off positions reversed). This safety is very fast and intuitive to operate with your trigger finger. And with the safety in the "Safe" position, the lever hangs down just enough into the trigger guard to prevent full access to the trigger. So it's a nice tactile reminder that the safety is engaged, and it makes it very easy to rapidly swipe off with your trigger finger on your way to the trigger, if needed.




I next tackled the magazine release. As mentioned in my earlier posts, the Scorpion's magazine don't usually drop free. I wanted an extended paddle mag release, so I could more easily perform MP5-style reloads, where my fingers and palm wrap around the magazine and pull down while my thumb hits the paddle and releases the magazine. I went with the HBI Duckbill extended mag release. Installation was simple, involving pushing out a roll pin, swapping in the new mag release and spring, and reinstalling the roll pin. It's a nice improvement over the factory mag release, and makes mag changes noticeably faster and smoother.


The next problem was the grip. The Apex grip was a big improvement over the factory grip, but it was pretty narrow for my big hands. So this time I tried the YetiWurks Switchback grip, and it's much better. It has a similar more vertical grip angle as the Apex, but it's thicker. Perfect for my big monkey paws. There is also an interchangeable backstrap, with your choice of "flat" or "humped" backstraps. I found the flat backstrap to be more comfortable. The only downside to this grip is that it's relatively pricey at ~$50, versus the ~$25 of the Apex.


Finally, I tackled the heavy trigger pull. To solve this, I installed a HBI Delta trigger and a HBI Spring Kit.

The Delta trigger is flatter and lacks the serrations of the factory trigger. That alone was a nice improvement. But it also is set a bit further forward, which allows slightly increased leverage. HBI claims that installing the trigger alone reduces trigger pull by ~12%. Even if that's not true, the trigger itself feels more comfortable on my finger.

HBI claims that installing their Spring Kit lowers the trigger pull weight to 5-6 pounds.

Installing both the Delta Trigger and the Spring Kit requires disassembly of the trigger pack. Most Scorpions produced last year (2016) had a welded trigger pack screw. This required drilling out and replacing the screw in order to access the fire control group. Luckily, with the 2017 models, the screw has been left unwelded. Instead, mine was just held in place with LocTite, which broke loose with a moderate amount of torque from a hex wrench. So with the newer Scorpions it's just a matter of unscrewing it to access the internals.

Disassembly and reassembly of the fire control group was helped greatly by HBI's excellent YouTube video, which presents an excellent step-by-step tutorial. The only fiddly bit that took me a few tries to get right was getting the trigger spring hooked back just right under the firing pin safety arm. But I eventually got it, with only a modicum of cursing.

The combination of the HBI Delta Trigger and Spring Kit is a massive improvement over the factory trigger. It took a heavy trigger of 10+ pounds that maxed out my trigger pull gauge and dropped it to a short, crisp 5.5 pound trigger pull. I can't overstate what a huge improvement this is. The Spring Kit is well worth the $9 and the 20 minutes it takes to install it. Like a replacement right side safety, this Spring Kit it something that all Scorpion owners should install.


With all these final upgrades complete, here's how she looks now:






I'm extremely pleased with this final setup. The various aftermarket upgrades solved all the issues I had with the Scorpion, both major and minor. This is definitely going to be one of my favorite range toys, and may even earn a spot in the home defense rotation, once I've put it through its paces.

It's certainly a good thing that the Scorpion is relatively inexpensive... I ended up spending another ~$240 total in aftermarket upgrades just to solve the complaints I had with it. But that doesn't mean everyone needs to spend that much upgrading their Scorpions. I would strongly recommend investing in a replacement right side safety lever and the HBI spring kit. Those two upgrades will only run you about $40 total. All the other factory parts I replaced (charging handle, grip, left side safety, mag release, trigger) are less than ideal but still decently usable, so replacement isn't mandatory.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: RogueJSK,

Rogue, how well does this fit in a back pack with lets say a 20 rounder sticking in it. In something lets say about the size of a three day pack?

It fits with room to spare in my Eagle A-III pack, even with a 32 round Manticore magazine inserted (as seen in my above photos).

Same thing in my 5.11 Rush 24.

Based on recommendations into another thread, I picked up a Vertx Gamut backpack as a covert carry back for it, and it fits in there just a bit more snugly, but still with plenty of room for easy retrieval.

Thanks for updating Rogue. I was thinking about this thread the other day. I finally got around to turning my Carbine into an SBR, after sitting on the approved stamp for a few months. Apologize for the crappy cell phone/lighting. Like you I upgraded the charging handle, mag release, and right side safety with one of the HBI offerings. Similarly, the Yetiworks pistol grip was a worthwhile upgrade.

RogueJSK

What's the length of your Scorpion with the brace folded? From the tip of the flash suppressor to the folded end of the brace.

James

16.5 inches

Only about half an inch longer than the Scorpion in factory pistol form.