Best CZ Scorpion Upgrades: Improve The Sting!
The CZ Scorpion was responsible for launching the PCC craze we are still neck deep in. CZ released the gun as a pistol variant of their latest submachine gun. Over time, the gun evolved into a complete line to include a full-sized rifle version, a subcompact option, and even an integrally suppressed design. There are tons and tons of Scorpions out there, and their popularity has created a nicely sized aftermarket.
Arguably, the Scorpion is a great platform. It’s a simple blowback-operated design that’s modular, easy to use, and a lot of fun to shoot. Over time, the price has dropped substantially, and the gun has made its home with tons of shooters. While it’s fine out of the box, it can be better. With that in mind, we are bringing you some of the best upgrades to take your Scorpion to the next level.
The Upgrade Philosophy
You can upgrade your gun any way you want, but I tend to be a little more conservative, especially when you’re relying on me to offer upgrade options. If I’m suggesting upgrades, I’m going to look at two things. First, where does the Scorpion suffer? Is there anything wrong with the gun, and what can we do to improve the gun’s basic functions of accuracy, reliability, ergonomics, and ease of use?
Second, what upgrades can increase the gun’s interface with the user? What can we do to make the gun easier to shoot accurately and quickly? This forms two distinct groups of upgrades. Some are additional parts, and others are replacement parts. The end goal is to make a more capable weapon.
The Scorpion Generations
At this point, there are two generations of the Scorpion. We have the standard Evo 3 series. This was the first generation. More recently, CZ released the sleek Evo 3+ in several configurations. The guns have some major differences, and some accessories and upgrades are not interchangeable. When you begin upgrading your Scorpion, make sure the upgrades and accessories will work with your Scorpion generation. Most interchange, but not all, so be wary and prepared to research.
Gun University’s Picks of the Best CZ Scorpion Upgrades
Best CZ Scorpion Upgrades
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Best CZ Scorpion Upgrades
Here is our list for the best CZ Scorpion upgrades:
- Best safety selector: Magpul ESK Safety Selector
- Best trigger: Timney Trigger
- Best magazines: Magpul Magazines
- Best red dot sight: Vortex Spark Solar
- Best light: Streamlight TLR RM2
- Best charging handle: HB Industries Theta Charging Handle
- Best pistol grip: Magpul Evo Pistol Grip
- Best sling: Blue Force Gear SMG Sling
Best CZ Scorpion Upgrades – Reviews
1 Magpul ESK Selector – CZ Scorpion : Best safety selector
Magpul ESK Safety Selector Review
Magpul manufactures the ESK series for numerous firearms, and luckily, Magpul isn’t afraid to accessorize the Scorpion. One of the biggest complaints about the Scorpion comes from the safety. The ambidextrous design is nice; it’s a relatively short throw and is placed well. What’s to hate? Most of us hate the feeling of the safety digging into our hands with every shot. It tends to poke and prod the trigger finger area.
The Magpul ESK Safety Selector is a set of options. You can run the safety as a right-handed or left-handed design with dual pads. You can run it completely ambidextrous, and you can even choose between a short or long safety. There is also an option for a safety delete for one side of the gun. This eliminates that punch to the hand with every shot fired.
The safety provides a nice shelf that’s textured aggressively. It’s easy to find and easy to press up or down to change the safety from on to off. The dual paddle design allows for a good degree of customization. If you really want to keep things mostly ambidextrous, I suggest the short paddle on the trigger finger side and the long paddle on the thumb side of your gun. This simple upgrade is one of the best and cheapest ways to improve the gun’s ergonomics.
Magpul ESK Safety Selector Pros and Cons
- Affordable
- Customizable
- Easy to install
- Not compatible with the 3+ models
2 Timney Triggers CZ Scorpion : Best trigger
Timney Trigger Review
One of the more common complaints about the Scorpion is its very long and heavy trigger pull. It’s a bit odd that CZ would take that route in an era where triggers have only gotten better. Timney, one of the leading names in great triggers, has taken a liking to the Scorpion series and released a Timney Scorpion trigger. It fits all Scorpions, but if you have an early model, you might have a welded trigger pack. You can remove this, but it is a real pain.
The trigger cuts the nearly 8-pound trigger of the Scorpion to anywhere from 3 pounds to 5.5 pounds. It’s user-adjustable, so you can pick the weight you want and get the trigger you want. Even the heaviest setting is world’s better than the stock Scorpion trigger. Shooters can pick between a curved or straight trigger, and the straight trigger feels amazing.
The heavier trigger of the Scorpion gets irritating, so the big wide trigger shoe has a plastic-like feeling. A better trigger doesn’t just feel good. It makes it easier to get some extra range out of the gun with good, accurate shot placement. Accuracy is great, but so is shooting fast and straight. A shorter, lighter trigger makes fast follow-up shots easier and keeps your accuracy and consistency high.
The Timney Scorpion trigger is a dramatic upgrade to your Scorpion. The self-contained design makes installation easy. It does work in the newer 3+ series as well, so it fits all Scorpion models.
Timney Trigger Pros and Cons
- Dramatic difference in trigger quality
- User adjustable
- Works in all scorpions
- Expensive
3 Magpul PMAG 35 EV9 CZ Scorpion : Best magazines
Magpul Magazines Review
When a new gun gets released with a proprietary magazine, there is this big hold your hold-your-breath moment until we figure out how much those mags cost. Most of the time, they are expensive. However, CZ wisely knew that affordable magazines are game changers, and so are simple magazines. While CZ’s mags are fine, I’m much more partial to the Magpul aftermarket options.
The standard Magpul PMAG for the Scorpion has all the great qualities of PMAGs. This includes an excellent proprietary polymer blend for total durability in the worst conditions. They can be dropped, kicked, and treated like hell, but they’ll just keep working. Additionally, the follower has an anti-tilt design, and it’s an American-made product. The regular mags even hold 35 rounds versus the standard 30-round magazines.
The PMAGs are not windowed, but do feature witness holes to make it easy to observe the ammunition loaded into the magazine. The PMAGs feature the same grip texture and dot matrix we are used to seeing on their rifle magazines. Like all PMAGs, their reliability is top-notch, and they won’t let you down when you need them.
On top of the stick mags, we also get a D50 drum option. I love the D50 drum in my Scorpion. It gives me 50 rounds of 9mm in the only drum I’d ever count on. Magpul figured drums out, and the D50 is fantastic. It’s expensive, but the high price buys you the reliability you want for self-defense or competition.
Magpul Magazines Pros and Cons
- Reliable
- Affordable (stick mags)
- Easy to load
- Work in all CZ Scorpions
- Drum version is pricey
4 Vortex SPARC Solar Red Dot : Best red dot sight
Vortex Sparc Solar Review
The Scorpion is a 9mm pistol or rifle, and the only optic that really makes sense is a red dot. Within 50 yards, the gun rules, and so do red dots. In an AR-centric world, you’ll find that most red dots come with a high mount. Sure, it’s easy to swap mounts, but that means you have to spend more money. Or, you could give the Vortex SPARC Solar a glance. Not only is it a great red dot, but it even comes with a low and high mount.
As the name implies, the SPARC solar uses a backup solar panel. It switches automatically to solar operation when it detects enough light to power the optic, and it shuts the battery use off. This extends the battery life to 150,000 hours. That’s practically forever and an impressive option. The fact the optic also has a rather aggressive shake awake also helps keep the battery life nice and long.
This is a tubular-style optic that uses the Aimpoint Micro footprint, making it easy to accessorize and mount at any height. It’s super small, at only 2.6 inches long and weighs only 5.9 ounces. On something like the uber-short Scorpion, the lightweight design is most certainly appreciated. No one wants a bulky, overtly heavy optic on a tiny little subgun.
The SPARC provides a budget-friendly optic for the Scorpion that comes with great mounts, a super long battery life, and a clear and crisp dot. It’s simple but capable and perfect on the CZ Scorpion series.
Vortex Sparc Solar Pros and Cons
- Super long battery life
- Multiple mounts included
- Bright and clear
- Massive battery compartment reduces slim design
5 Streamlight TLR RM2 : Best light
Streamlight TLR RM2 Review
While the CZ Scorpion comes as a rifle, it’s mostly known for being a small, lightweight, and compact subgun. A little gun doesn’t need a huge light, but you still don’t want a weak light. The Streamlight TL RM2 is a little light with a lot of power. The TL RM2 is a 1,000-lumen light backed by 10,000 candela that gives you excellent range, as well as a nice bright light. Indoors, it’s absolutely awesome.
The TL RM2 throws this bright white light with a good bit of spill. Spill is great to have for close-range weapons, and the TL RM2 is a great light for a home defense platform. It makes establishing positive identification easy and ensures a threat can be differentiated from a loved one when something goes bump in the night.
The Streamlight TL RM2 also uses a rather interesting design. The TL RM2 has a ramp-like design with a low-profile integral Picatinny mount. At the rear is a massive button that makes activation easy and instinctive with a normal grip. If you prefer a pressure switch, a slot below the button accommodates a Streamlight pressure switch.
This little light is fairly unique in its design and works well with compact-style subguns like the Scorpion. If you want one that’s even lighter and smaller, the TL RM1 is smaller but comes with half the power.
Streamlight TLR RM2 Pros and Cons
- Unique design is perfect for Scorpion
- Button and pressure switch option
- Lightweight and compact
- Short battery life
6 HB Industries Theta Charging Handle CZ Scorpion : Best charging handle
HB Industries Theta Charging Handle Review
The Scorpion’s charging handle is a rather nice and reversible design that is easy to reach and pull. Its only problem is its relatively small size. The Scorpion uses a straight blowback system that requires the use of a large bolt and a heavy buffer spring. A larger charging handle gives you more leverage to rack the bolt back, cock the hammer, and get the gun into action. It’s perfect for not only readying the gun but also fixing malfunctions, reloading, and clearing the weapon.
HB Industries was one of the first companies to begin upgrading the Scorpion platform and has steadily produced some very nice upgrades for the platform. The Theta Charging handle strikes a good balance between offering more real estate to operate the weapon and not being long and large enough to be a pest and catch on your gear.
It’s big enough to operate with ease, and it keeps your hand away from lights and optics that love to make those knuckles bleed. Installation is super simple, and if you can figure out how to swap the charging handle from left to right, you’ll know how to install this charging handle. HB Industries uses machined aluminum for long-term durability, and the charging handle works best with stock CZ handguards.
HB Industries Theta Charging Handle Pros and Cons
- More ergonomic charging handle
- All metal design
- Easy to install
- May not work with aftermarket handguards
7 Magpul Evo Pistol Grip : Best pistol grip
Magpul Evo Pistol Grip Review
I might be one of the few people to think the Scorpion’s pistol grip is just fine, but I also have 2XL-sized hands. For everyone else, Magpul has your back. Again. The Magpul EVO Pistol grip‘s biggest contribution to the Scorpion’s design is the fact that it is a bit more vertical, aka American, than the stock standard Scorpion pistol grip.
A straight angle honestly feels a bit more comfortable for most shooters. Straight grips tend to work best on shorter platforms, especially braced guns like the CZ Scorpion. The EVO Pistol Grip makes accessing and using the Scorpion’s controls quite easy. Plus, it comes with a much more aggressive grip texture for holding onto the gun.
Installation isn’t tough, and you get a smaller, straighter grip that even makes it easier to access your controls. It’s a simple upgrade, but it’s one that makes a big difference in the gun’s ergonomics department.
Magpul Evo Pistol Grip Pros and Cons
- Improved ergonomics
- Fits most shooters
- No compatible with the 3+ series
8 Blue Force Gear SMG Sling : Best sling
Blue Force Gear SMG Sling Review
CZ wisely made sure the Scorpion was designed to be slung and slung easily. The Scorpion series has sling points everywhere. Slings improve retention, can be used as a shooting aid, and make carrying the gun much more convenient. Most modern tactical two-point slings are designed for rifles and feel rather large on the Scorpion.
Luckily, Blue Force Gear makes the SMG version of the Vickers sling. At only 1 inch wide, the Blue Force Gear SMG sling is thinner and lighter than most tactical rifle slings. The BFG SMG sling comes with two U-Loops on either side of the sling and makes mounting the sling easy. The stock standard Scorpion design works perfectly with the U-Loops; however, other models may require an additional sling loop added to the optic’s rail or M-LOK handguard.
Like the standard Vickers sling, the SMG Sling has a quick-adjust pull tab. This allows the user to instantly tighten or loosen the sling at a moment’s notice. Just pull it forward or push it away to shrink the size of the sling for hands-free use or for maximum mobility. The SMG Sling departs from most tactical two-point designs by allowing you to convert the two-point design to a single-point design.
Pull off the front U-Loop, and it attaches to a small additional loop at the rear of the sling. Bam, now you have a micro-sized one-point for super close-range use or for use in and out of a vehicle. It’s perfect for the pint-sized Scorpion.
Blue Force Gear SMG Sling Pros and Cons
- Modular
- Easy to use
- Quick adjust design
- Expensive
The Sting
The Scorpion platform is a cool one. It’s got this sleek, modern look that’s tough to beat. It has great ergonomics and is super reliable. There is nothing overtly wrong with the weapon, but it’s a little rough around the edges. Check out our review on the CZ Scorpion.
With that in mind, a few upgrades can go a long way to improving the weapon’s accuracy, shootability, and ease of use. The above are my favorite upgrades, but it’s a big world, so there are bound to be some I missed. Let us know below what you would add to the famed Scorpion, or maybe what you’ve already added to yours.
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