A while ago I decided to get out of the .45 game. Why, you ask? The short answer is it was getting too expensive to shoot. The long answer lies in modern ammunition technology, but that’s a different article. One morning my lovely wife got tired of my bitching and said, “Why don’t you get that 9mm you’ve been talking about?” The gun in question was the CZ 75 P-07 Duty, a polymer version of the ergonomically delicious CZ-75. With the .45s on the chopping block and the 9mm stepping up to the plate, I was hoping for czechmate.
First thing anyone notices about the P-07 is it has a rather unique look. You either hate it or love it. I’m decidedly in the latter camp. I like its futuristic, aggressive looks. Its uniqueness sets it apart from the droves of Glocks, XDs and M&Ps I encounter every day.
Ergonomically, CZs have always clicked for me. Something about the grip angle and perfect amount of hump make them feel really comfortable in my hands. The P-07 is no exception. Coupled with the aggressive all around stippling, this gun is in no danger of slipping out due to sweat, rain or any other types of slippery substances your average shooter may encounter.
CZ incorporated their new Omega trigger system in the P-07 which leads to fewer parts and in turn they claim a better trigger pull. I didn’t have any older CZs on hand to test the difference, but in dry firing I did find the trigger to be quite smooth in double action. Single action was nice and crisp, but the reset was a little longer than I’d like. Despite the longer reset, the trigger on this CZ was easily better than the HKs or SIGs I’ve been shooting lately.
The other benefit of the Omega trigger is the ability to switch the P-07 from the standard issue decocker to a safety for those who like to carry condition 1. I prefer the decocker, so I didn’t attempt the old safety switcheroo, but according to this video, it’s no big deal.
Concealing this gun is easier than outsmarting Larry the Cableguy. It’s almost the exact same size as a Glock 19, which means it’s the perfect compromise between duty pistol and subcompact. Despite the rising heat here, I had no problem hiding the CZ underneath a variety of clothing while utilizing both IWB and OWB holsters.
So how does it shoot? Thanks to CZ’s unique design, beautifully. Because the slide rides inside of the frame instead of on top like most designs, it results in very little slide mass and a low bore axis. As you can see in the video, recoil is minimal at best.
The Glock style sights lend themselves to pretty good combat accuracy, but I would prefer night sights that weren’t made of plastic. Unfortunately, due to the lack of aftermarket support, replacement sights are few and far between for this gun. Despite my qualms about the sights, accuracy out of the box was great. Right away I ran 10 rounds slow fire and was able to achieve good groupings without much effort. I then loaded up 8 and ran committed pairs as fast as I could, again with great results. Picking up this gun and shooting it was easy and intuitive, like any gun you use for self defense should be.
Over the course of a little over a month I ran a thousand rounds of Hornady, Federal, Winchester, Blazer, Speer and TulAmmo through this gun. I didn’t clean it, I took it on an ATV trip where it took a tumble in the dirt and generally treated it with a level of respect I usually reserve for the cast of the Jersey Shore. Much like the Honey Badger, the CZ didn’t care. The only malfunctions were two hard primers from the 115 gr TulAmmo and these were easily rectified by stroking the trigger and hitting the primer again.
I went into this test really liking CZs, but came out the other end in love with the P-07 duty. Its ergos, size, capacity, reliability and accuracy have granted this Czech import a permanent place on my hip, much to the chagrin of the German and Austrian guns in my house. Like the Caracal, this oft overlooked firearm is definitely a diamond in the rough.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Caliber: 9×19
Barrel Length: 3.8”
Overall Length: 7.28”
Weight: 27.2 oz
Capacity: 16+1
Price: $483 MSRP
RATINGS (out of five)
Style * * * * *
Futuristic styling make this one sexy pistol
Ergonomics * * * * *
Grip angle, weight, balance and stippling come together in a symphony of comfort for my hand
Reliability * * * * *
Blew through a thousand rounds with no cleaning
Customizable *
The P07 is, sadly, lacking in this category. I found a whopping two different sight options for it and that’s it.
Carry * * * * *
Unless you tuck your t-shirt into your Wranglers, you shouldn’t have any problem concealing this gun
Overall Rating * * * *
The only thing holding this gun back from a five star rating is the lack of aftermarket parts. Despite that, this gun is well worth it.
Good to hear. I’m very pleased with my CZ-75, but I may give their polymer model a try at some point as well.
Be aware that despite being named a CZ-75, it doesn’t take CZ-75 magazines. And while you can get inexpensive Mec-Gar magazines for the rest of the CZ line (which are also the OEM magazines), magazines for the P07 are about twice as expensive. If the P07 will be your only handgun, this may not be a big issue, but if you already own a CZ, this eliminates one of the major advantages of having two of the same type of gun.
If you want a genuine polymer CZ-75, the SP-01 Phantom is it.
Yeah I see that, thanks for mentioning it. Maybe down the road Mec-Gar will make some as well, so it won’t be as much of an issue. Expensive magazines aren’t a deal breaker for me, but it’s annoying.
Watch the hickok45 video on this. It will take the cz-75 mags but they dont fit flush. He used them just fine.
That is incorrect. The cz-75 mags DO NOT LOCK in the p07. They fit the magwell with wobble, but will fall out with any kind of shake. I own them all and this is fact.
That is incorrect. The cz-75 mags DO NOT LOCK in the p07. They fit the mag well with wobble, but will fall out with any kind of shake. I own them all and this is fact.
Great review. Ryan, if you know the details I’d be interested to hear what design changes were made to the P-01′s ‘Omega’ trigger system as my biggest complaint on the basic CZ-75B remains the trigger pull. Off the shelf, the all-steel gun’s pull is uneven and creeps in double-action and has a rough break even in SA. CZ must have done well to improve design of the trigger linkage without increasing cost – since cost always seemed to be the sole factor in the 75B’s imperfect factory trigger, likely a result of rough, down-to-budget machining. (Does the test P-01 also have burrs and tool marks on the inside of the slide, like a lot of CZ-75s?) The trigger mechanism itself is fine – the two-decade old Italian-made doppelganger Tanfoglio TA-90 (Excam import marked) sitting in my safe is a near-exact mechanical copy of the CZ-75 but has a trigger that’s much smoother and lighter.
Out of the box, the Omega trigger is slightly crisper, but it’s also cheaper. It uses only a single-sided trigger bar, for example. And it can’t be upgraded. Putting a competition hammer & springs from CZ Custom into your original CZ 75 will give you a trigger pull rivaled only by the SIG X5. Particularly if you have a pre-B model, a Combat model, or a Shadow model, all of which lack the firing pin block. (If there’s no pin through the slide at the rear serrations, it’s one of these models.)
My basically stock CZ-75 outshoots most x-5′s. It is great to see the look on the face of people when I tell them I paid $300 for it.
All the info I could find said that they reduced the amount of parts and thereby simplified the trigger system found on the CZ-75. I can only assume that less parts = less resistance and grittiness. As to the burrs and machining, while it did look more rough than say a SIG, I didn’t notice any glaring issues and as you can see, internal finishing had no effect on performance.
CZ is one of those companies that just does not get enough respect here in Amercia. Its a shame, because they make great guns. I own three CZs and I think they are great.
I barely heard anything about CZs prior to me actively seeking out information on them, seems like it’s mostly polymer guns like Glocks/MP/XD that you hear about. Not that I don’t like my Glock anymore, but I wish I had gotten a CZ sooner, they’re such nice shooters.
I see a lot of flack for the looks of this gun online, but I also fall in the “love it” camp. I have a Crossbreed Supertuck IWB holster and can conceal it with no issues under a t-shirt (I’m a thin guy and printing is often an issue). It has gone “bang” every time I pull the trigger.
Plus I like having something a little different. Not just another Glock or XD.
I really liked this gun… But then I looked at the price of magazines and got a Glock 19.
I wasn’t too happy about the cost of mags either initially. Then it occurred to me that with the 100 dollars that is saved buy buying this pistol over the Glock, you can still add 2 more magazines and have the CZ with 4 mags for the cost of the Gen 4 Glock with it’s included 3 mags.
Had a friend who was going to buy one of these and asked me for my advice. After I told him, I’m not the one buying, shooting and carrying the gun and it has to be his decision, I went with him to look it over. I had an issue with the grips, but then I’ve got a screwed up right hand due to a MC accident so a lot of guns don’t feel right in my hands. But the one thing that I didn’t like, was the narrow slide. I could just imagine trying to rake that slide under duress and my hand not getting a good purchase, but maybe that’s just me. At the range, don’t see a problem. But I wonder if Ryan did any slide lock reloads under stress and had any problem with that issue?
I actually didn’t run into any problems due to the slide dimensions. I ran it through a course we have at the range that requires a reload and did several malfunction drills with people loading a snap cap somewhere in my mag for me. Everything went smoothly.
I recently picked up one of these guns and have been going to the range weekly. I would say it is easily one of the most underrated handguns recently released to the pubic. For the money, they are incredible, though unsurprising since CZ makes outstanding products.
So this begs the question: which gun is better overall in your opinion (especially regarding trigger, grip feel and recoil), the P-07 or the Caracal? Thanks for the review.
Todd
I haven’t had the chance to shoot a Caracal yet, but if I get my hands on one I’ll be sure to shoot some video for a comparison.
I have heard nothing but bad things about the Omega trigger system, mostly that they are more prone to breakage and can’t be smithed as easily as the standard trigger. Being able to change out the safety “a la H&K” sounds intriguing though.
I have one of these, pretty much the best cheap throw away you can buy, but something about having “CZ” on the side of leaves room for improvement. There are a lot of stupid and cheap corner cuts on this gun that I wouldn’t have expected from CZ, including a super weak safety detent, an easier-to-manufacture locking system, and THE WRONG PLASTIC on early P-07s. Thats right, the early guns (including mine) have frames made of the wrong plastic, this makes the frame deform and the mag well to tighten up to the point that empty mags have to be pried out. However, the gun still shoots well. I won my class the first time shooting the gun at a match, afterwards I had several shooters try it out, all of which could hit a man sized plate at 150 yards.
Overall its a good gun, but being a CZ it is pretty much disappointing, I feel like they could have done a lot better.
P.S. metal sights are available thru CZCustom and night sights are available directly from CZ-USA
Ryan, I’m curious to hear “the long answer” about why modern ammunition makes you prefer 9 mm over .45 apc. I like guns chambered in both though I prefer very different guns in each caliber. I find ammo in both pricey and hence I’m looking for a .22 pistol for practice at the range (suggestions would be appreciated.).
Basically it came down to barrier penetration. I moonlight with a local Sheriff’s Office and .45 was the only thing I found in my research that was reliably penetrating windshields. 9mm and .40 rounds were fragmenting and not retaining much mass after exiting the glass. I wanted something that would punch through with no problem so I carried .45, like most guys I worked with. But,mwith the advent of modern technology, it’s now very possible for 9mm to do what the .45 does with barriers. Hornady’s new Critical Duty rounds exceed FBI standards for barrier penetration on windshields, metal, wood etc… for example. So, being a fan of 9mm both price and performance wise, I now can have the best of both worlds IMHO.
I just purchased the 9mm and I bought it for the way it felt in my hand. After my first range trip I was even more impressed. Don’t get me wrong I love my Glocks as well but they never felt right in my hand. I tried several grips and just delt with it. I have checked and no one makes night sights for it except CZ so I guess I am putting white 3cavalier dot night sight which I prefer different colors. Also I am kinda old school and like carrying locked and cocked. Also I wish they made a double capped recoil spring because it was a little tricky to put back togather.
An awesome write up! I acquired my P-07 Duty about a month ago and since have turned lots of money into noise! I teach CCW classes as well as “intro to combat” classes and this is the smoothest firearm in the safe. I left a write up on the CZ-USA web site and still smile when I read it.
I am a pleasure and competition shooter and will never look at another pistol outside the CZ family until they stop making them!
I just purchased a 9mm duty because I absolutly love the way it felt in my hand. I have looked for something truly good in the hand and did not really care for any. Don’t get me wrong I love my Glock but it was just not perfect in my hand. After my first trip to the range I am liking it even more shoots great and no malfunctions. I do agree with the aftermarket availability like there are no aftermarket sights made for it other than CZ’s which are white horizontal 3 dots which is what it looks like I will have to put on it. I prefer A color mix or would love it if I could get a straight 8 style like on my Glock. I have found nothing of the sort so if anyone knows of any let me know. I did find a nice leather holster for it on ebay. I really like the fact you have the safety option and can carry locked and cocked. This is my new personal carry gun and I am really glad to have the option because so many of the light new poly guns are double only. Being oldschool I still like my safety. As far as shooting goes less recoil than my glock (I am guessing thats because I have a better grip on it). The gun shoots as good as my Glock ever did and I am doing 8 in groups at a quick pace at 25 yards about the same as my Glock. This gun goes with me everywhere I go from now on. I guess my biggest complaint and it is not that bad but the recoil spring and pin are kinda hard to get back in I believe they could come up with a closed end spring would make this much easier to put back togather
Awesome gun. I’ve had one over a year and I would trust my life with it. Only problem was the rear sight was missing a little white paint. Went to Walgreens and got some white fingernail polish for $3. Not a big deal.
CZ makes a great pistol. The Phantom has become my favorite hand gun, hence the user name. After wanting one for at least a year,I purchased one 3 months ago. I have ran close to 750 rounds of PMC Bronze 115 gr through it with no issues. I even ran a box of TULA through just for fun, no issues. So accurate, it makes me look good. The DA trigger has a long pull, and most people who have one would agree the trigger is “gritty” out of the box, but it is already smoothing out. It is one of those pistols that you pick up, and it just feels right. IMO it is a great looking, highly functional, well built machine.
Had just recently made my mind up about this gun to add to my 20″ 12 gauge dbl and sw 357. I test fired six other manufacturer’s offerings in 9mm before finding my way to this option. Like some of you, the moment I fired off the first clip I knew I had my gun. Only one question. I have read that some semi’s come overpacked with lubricant and should be taken down and recleaned before heading to the range. Is this good advice for this gun or is it range ready out of the box? Thanks.
Magazine not clip. Get right.
Magazine not clip. Get it right.
Does the CZ P07 Duty come with a stainless slide?
I appreciate the views about this weapon as I have just purchased one. 11/28/2012. Thanks for being on this site and thanks for all of the great opinions. It serves us well and it has value. Thanks. Keep the information coming.
I own a CZ 75 p-06 .40 cal and a p-07 9mm , I wouldn’t trade them for any other gun manufactured except another CZ. Matter of fact I sold both my Glocks after purchasing my P-06 as they just couldn’t compare . I really liked my Glocks until I held and fired the CZ and then I was hooked.
CZ 75 P-07, 9 mm. I bought one 2 days ago. My first hand gun ever. I guess I could have done worse. I was thinking about a Baby Desert Eagle or an XD, the XD was gone and this one was $120 cheaper than the Baby.
Shot one round so far.
Seems really unfair to me the fact that the overall rating lost an entire point for customization. If the gun is so good out of the box (I have experienced it personally and found all good things mentioned to be true) why would you want to customize it? It’s like people who like iPhones only because of all available accessories…
Honestly, what else would you ask from a ccw/duty pistol than been reliable, accurate and comfortable to bear and shoot?
Being new to handguns I’m not sure that my opinion counts….but
I purchased a xdm 40 4.5 about 6 months ago and have been to the range with it about 6 times and in general I am happy with it.
Although my grouping with it tends to be low and left of bulls-eye I fealt that I was shooting it well.
Then when all this crazy gun control “crap” came about I decided that I would get another 40 cal.
I picked the CZ P07 duty because of how great it felt in my hand.
My 1st and so far only time on the range with it was a thing of beauty. First shot dead on bulls-eye! Although that was as much luck as anything else, I shot MUCH better with the P07 over the xdm (i was alternating while my wife was reloading clips). I far preferred the trigger pull of the P07 over the xdm.
Keep in mind that I am still a novice with handguns, but from a “wet behind the ears” shooter, I LOVE THE P07!
Any one making a .357 sig barrel for the P 07 .40 as of yet?
Well, I just got my CZ P-07 9mm yesterday. Pictures don’t do it justice; it looks far more impressive in person. I’ll have a full range report sometime later, but here are my initial impressions: Wow. I have medium-sized hands, and this is easily the most natural feeling gun I’ve ever held. I’d seen other comments stating that once you pick it up, it’s hard not to keep doing so – agreed. You can feel the low bore axis, too; if it were a car, I’d say it achieves close to the perfect 50/50 front/rear weight distribution (and center of gravity). The trigger pull is a little long in DA, but very smooth (no “stepping” or “grittiness” that I could feel), and sublime in SA. Thankfully, it eschews the trigger safeties that other manufactures have adopted (the “flex” trigger in S&W models, the XD and Glock “split” trigger, etc). I’ve found all of those systems disruptive and generally detrimental to the overall shooting experience. The slide cycles with reassuring authority.
I’ve read elsewhere that the pistol feels “plastic-y” or “like a toy”. I can assure you, it does not. If it feels “plastic-y” compared to a metal-bodied pistol – well, it’s a polymer body – what did you expect? The ergonomics and grip are about as close to perfect as possible (possibly better than my CZ-75B; sort of an apples/oranges comparison, though) and the P-O7 does not feel cheap, with the exception of the sights (EDIT: not sure if the sights are metal or not – don’t have the pistol handy to check. Either way, the next sentence stands). I fully intend to replace those with higher quality metal night sights, but I’m in no particular hurry to do so. The magazine easily drops free when the mag release is depressed, and (with my medium sized hands) all the control elements are easily accessible. I’m using the manual safety on my P-07, so it will function as a SAO platform, in my case. As such, I would not recommend attempting to manually decock the pistol while in a firing grip; (cleared and unloaded) I tried and wasn’t confident enough to feel comfortable controlling the hammer all the way down unless I switched into a non-firing hold (if you do switch hand positions to decock, lowering the hammer is easy and feels perfectly safe – just keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction). Not a terribly big deal, but worth noting if you don’t plan on using the included decocker.
I had no trouble retracting the slide – again, I’d seen complaints that it was particularly difficult. Either I have abnormally strong hands (maybe?) or other reviewers were really looking to nitpick (not Mr. Piccione, above). Yes, I’ve owned other pistols with slides that were easier to retract (and some more difficult, namely my M&P .40 Compact). That doesn’t make this one difficult. All-in-all, I’m very impressed. We’ll see how that opinion stands after a few hundred rounds of grimy, gritty range ammo.
[To answer the inevitable questions that follow this kind of post: I'm right handed. I haven't attempted any ambidextrous control use, so I can't comment on that. I plan on using this pistol as a defense and range gun primarily, with occasional open or concealed carry as necessary. I was a U.S. Army Infantryman. List of previous guns owned: CZ-52 (7.62x25), Hi-Point 9mm Carbine, Alchemy Arms Spectre .45 (very rare, look it up; it's an all metal, striker-fired 1911/Glock-ish hybrid), CZ 75B 9mm w/Omega trigger, S&W M&P .40 Compact). Yes, I'm a big CZ fan. No, I don't work for CZ. My P-07 is from the "B" series production run, so it doesn't have any of the frame bulge/return to battery/mag release fail-to-drop issues.]