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.
Question: carry permits.
How did that come about?
I’m assuming that at some point in history in the US no permit was required for a man to keep and bear arms. How did it come about that in almost all 50 states we got setup with a system whereby a permit is required?
What’s the history on that?
Just checked mine and they are different lot numbers. Thanks for this article. I don’t like the idea of gun blowing up in my face.
Drillings. And hunting guns. Don’t need no more ARs or AKs. Air guns also.
I think I would grab the SCAR 16 for faster follow-up shots. There is no doubt that a shotgun will promptly stop an attacker but recoil is huge and cycling the pump action tends to take you off target for longer.
And I would have loaded that SCAR 16 with 55 grain hollowpoints to prevent any rounds from going through the walls of my home and my neighbors’ homes.
Plus, if the home invaders are wearing common ballistic vests, buckshot won’t penetrate; 55 grain 5.56mm bullets will … although I don’t know if you would need full metal jacket at that point and how full metal jacket would affect concerns about over-penetration.
Comment moderated
Magnum Warcraft Tanto…
+20 durability
+10 stabbyness
Should go good on my Orc Rogue 😉
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.
CZ Magazine claims most if not all CZ 75 9mm mags are interchangeable. Even a Youtube video showed a CZ 75 and a P07 mag working well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnk744kQxEo
I bought a cz 75 po7 about a year ago. It is the smoothest most accurate 9mm I have shot. I also own Smith and Baretta.
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 got 4 extra mags for the P07 at Gunbroker for $117 shipped. Since CZ doesn’t have the marketing of Glock, Sig, Colt, S&W, Springfield, etc. and the demand for CZ’s is high, there aren’t that many to go around hence, it’s more expensive to buy parts and accessories for it. You have to learn how to shop for this fine gun. eBay, and other online sites offer good pricing for anything CZ. And once you get a CZ, you can’t just stop with one. Or two.
These post always make me laugh my as* of. How many mags do you need ? I own dozens of handguns and most come with 2 mags, some 3. I guess if your an armchair mercenary you need 10 mags for every handgun, just to be prepared !!!!!! The p07 I bought came with 3, I usually take 2 to the range and the 3rd just sits in the case. If you buy a handgun based on magazine price, I can’t even comment on this anymore !!
How many mags do you need?
I’m thinking at least three. Pre-retirement; I always carried one in the gun and two on my belt. And while I can see where you’re coming from, with the question; remember, in a gun fight, there is nothing more vexing than an empty gun and no resupply.
Does the average guy need more than two 15 rd mags. Maybe not, but then you have the guys that need to re-qualify or train, and there’s no time to be dicking around on the range refilling magazines. Personally, I own eight to ten mags for every pistol I own, depending on the capacity. Running 60 round strings, my thumb really appreciates my having prep’ed for the event in advance. And you can safely bet that I own every crutch available for easily reloading mags, especially them flippin’ 5.56s from a stripped clip. I’m also a whore for rifle mags. .22LR thru the .308 family +AKs.
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 not heard of anything bad with the P07 but one when it first came out. The magazine release spring is not releasing the mags down. Some were sent for repairs but that was the only issue. CZ have since fixed this problem and now came out with the CZ P07 91086 “no DUTY markings” and 15 shot mags instead of 16. As for the Omega trigger, the oly ones I can find online and have heard of are all good. Can you show anything online where they have problems with the Omega trigger?
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
“150 yards”?? With a handgun? Not likely
A man-sized plate at 150 yards??? You DO know that’s 450 feet, right? I think not
It’s as much a throw away gun a Glock. When at the range, friends and others often ask to shoot mine and say damn why didn’t I know about these when I bought my G19 or other models. Approximately 8,000 rounds and still going strong with never one issue. Also, mine came with bright night sights when bought new for $ 499.00. My daily carry for 3 years.
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.
CorBon 115 grain DPX will defeat most car doors and windshields
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.
In Senator Feinstein’s case it really can be said, “you didn’t build it. Other people did.” She inherited it. She married it. She never gave up three years to defend it, but put all her time into her career, and now she believes that those who stay at home pursuing their own glory and lucre are the most deserving of citizens exactly because they are unscarred by front line service? Put that bit up on a large sign at the recruiting office. “Lose your gun rights here!”
Thoughtful. I especially liked your point about the victim mentality.
I make a distinction between arming teachers and allowing adults at schools to defend themselves.
I think the goal should be quietly rolling back the laws creating gun-free zones so as to allow adults the liberty of defending themselves, even in a school. This is in contrast to calls to arm teachers, which comes across as pushing responsibility on a group that probably would resist having it, even if it came with the agency to potentially stop a massacre.
You mentioned that you had no issue carrying iwb or owb. Which holsters did you use? Thanks
We’re a big fan of this gun. You can find a great owb paddle holster from fobus on ebay for $25. Takes 2 weeks delivery from Israel, but it’s a perfect match for the gun. We’ve also used m&p/xd series nylon IWB holsters from desantis with no issues.
I mentioned in my initial comments that I’d try to put up some range info later, and here we are; later.
I love the feel of this firearm. It points incredibly naturally, and if you shoot thumbs-forward (like me) you’ll find it more comfortable than a 1911 (seriously). I’m not sure how many rounds I’ve put through it – not enough that I consider it fully broken in, but I have yet to experience any failures. I’ve run crappy range ammo, Remington UMC, and Federal HS through it; not a huge ammo variety, but it shoots fine with each of those rounds.
Accuracy is everything you could want from a 3.8″ barrel. Two inch groups at 12m are easily achievable. As is an inch and a half at 10m. Both those numbers are likely to go down with more trigger time – the CZ is more accurate than I am. I haven’t swapped out the sights yet, but again, I imagine that a good set of three dots would make a significant difference.
I think that about covers it. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another P-07 9mm – but I really have my eye on a P-01 or P-06 as my next purchase.
Good job, CZ.
I currently have a Beretta 92FS and a pair of its poor step-brother Taurus PT (9mm & .40 cal) and have zero complaints about either. Left LE many years ago where we carried issue S & W model 59 (I know that be a LONG time ago) I had the privlidge of working with the Guard folks at several armories in the southwest and all the 1911’s were worn out back in the 80’s anything would have been an improvement. I wondered for years why anyone would carry the 1911 (nostoliga?) they I had a chance to shoot a pristine Nat’l match and understood. I now carry one of two Kimber custom’s for most days.
The Beretta and the Taurus now spend most days in the safe. I would not hesistate to carry either though if necessary they are very reliable pistols and very well made. I have large hands and long fingers for a guy so the grip/safety was never a problem. I always wondered who in the military actually selected the gun though, most folks I know cannot grip a 92 properly and still work the safety w/o using the other hand. I’d say most of the responders are much younger than myself and are raised on striker fired pistols. The DA/SA action was how we were trained in LE years ago, it was considered the best/safest way to carry (i.e. safety off, round chambered, hammer down) you had to make an effort to set off the first round a lot of LE folks were coming from revolvers so this was no big deal. Times change, it looks more and more like the pistol is designed now for people with little or no training trying to create an idiot proof pistol. The 9mm was chosen because of its worldwide appeal, low recoil and capacity it has piss poor stopping power in FMJ, when did the .45 become difficult to handle? I don’t notice recoil when I’m being shot at and returning fire…..
“restoration of felons’ rights” after they have served their time and paid their debt to society, right? The 5th Amendment clearly states that liberty can be deprived after due process of law. Unless you want the 5th amended as well.
For those of you that doubt, it’s unfortunate that you don’t know Karl and haven’t seen some of the ‘behind the scenes’ things going on. Get ready.
Seeing that kind of bullshit makes me glad to be an Ohioan.
I’ll save this video to show people who think that “may-issue” systems do not infringe on 2A rights.
*Face palm while shaking my head* to me this gun is a fail! Now, if they could make it a single stack 9mm with the same dimensions they have now…. Then it would be something special!
I have CZ 75 P-07 Duty. 2014
After Zig Zauer P 226 9mm Short .
I liked CZ more. Light weight , accrued , small, so i can take it with me any where.
Really Sexy pistol.
I bought a CZ P07 starting with SN A9xxxxx I love the way it feels in the hand but the polymer on it is so soft it feels like a toy. The mags won’t release when your holding the gun because the pressure from your hand squashes the grip. I can easily squish the grip together. Are the new ones better?
The P-07 (B#, 2.0 series) is the best purchase I have ever made. I have been a Glock man for years; this really brought me over to the CZ side. Flawless function and able to stand toe to toe with any Sig or HK.
I don’t understand the concern about magazine compatibility with this CZ and other CZ’s. Just get more magazines for whatever CZ you own. I don’t see any reviews of other guns of any kind having issues with magazine compatibility. I own several CZ’s and I don’t swap or use the magazines. I just buy enough for each. And if the older CZ 75’s doesn’t take the CZ P07 mags, so what? It doesn’t make it any difference to CZ owners.
just bought CZ 75 P-75 duty today, looking forward to shoot some rounds and see how it feels. as for the grip its fantastic and perfect shape,.
I have the P-07 which is the updated version of the Duty. I found a Don Hume J.I.T. Slide
Leather Holster #53-145 That fits like a glove.
I had one of the older model p 07 duty. Had a case failure and the poly frame took the brunt of the blast saving my hand from more damage. I had to have some brass removed from the all important trigger finger. Since i have no use for whats left of the hand gun, I am willing to part it out and make someone a deal on whats left. One magazine is lacking the magazine base and the ones I have will almost but not quite fit. I have all the pins, springs, barrel, slide etc and will be willing to deal unless there is someone out there with just a frame. CZ will not replace just the frame as they only import full packages.
I just can’t understand how a half-assed parts-bin special like this didn’t win the Army handgun contract. Such innovation!
FYI you can use the mag of cz p 10 c on your p 07, and it’s actually cheaper to buy cz p 10 c mags (with orange followers which i like) to use with your p07.
In the pics it appears that the serial # is an afterthought… Looks like it is just a “stick on ” item… Does this pistol come with the ser.# etched into the actual barrel or is the applied serial # sticker and if so it would seem that it might be easily removed… This is a concern!!!