courtesy Jeremy S.

By Jeremy S.

New this year from Ceska zbrojovka Uhersky Brod (aka CZUB, aka CZ) is the polymer-framed, hammer-fired, full-sized P-09 Duty; big brother of the P-07. Having owned and tinkered with many of CZ’s pistol offerings, I had a good enough idea what to expect from the company to know I wanted to get my hands on a P-09 as soon as I could. Really, who could refuse the ergos, the reliability, and the 19+1 capacity? Let me just put it right up front here: this is a very good gun at a very competitive price . . .

In The Box:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzOkgChQocg

It’s 2013, or so I’ve been told, and apparently being competitive in the polymer pistol world these days means offering adjustable grip sizes. The P-09 delivers with Small, Medium, and Large interchangeable backstraps – one of the few main points other than size that differentiates it from the P-07. To further suit its owner’s preferences, the P-09’s Omega trigger system means the decocker can be easily swapped out for an included safety. While some hammer-fired guns have both or a single, combination control, I personally prefer the simplicity of this design. Either decock to carry the gun with the hammer down – good for a long, safely-heavy first trigger pull – or engage the safety and carry it cocked-and-locked (“condition 1”).

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Two 19-round magazines are included. Although the length is nearly the same as a standard CZ 75 mag, they hold two more rounds thanks to their double stack, rather than only staggered, design. CZ gets away with this because the polymer frame allows more room for a magazine while still being slim enough to fit comfortably in most hands. While a CZ 75 magazine will function perfectly well in a P-07, they’re just a hair too short to lock into the P-09. The P-09 mags will, however, fit and function in the P-07. Owner’s manual, factory test target, gun lock, slotted cleaning rod and cleaning brush are all in the plastic case as well.

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The P-09 employs nice target-style, 3-dot sights that take advantage of the full length of the slide for a long sight radius. I found the dots to be small, sharp and easy to see. The very sharply-cut notch (rear) and post (front) are easy to align accurately, too. Just the right amount of light on either side of that front post. The green-ish off-white-ish dots glow in the dark, meaning they must be charged from a light source just like the star stickers you had on your bedroom wall as a kid. Tritium replacements (plus fiber optics and other options) are available, if that’s your thing.

CZ’s Omega trigger is a good thing. My only gripe would be a bit of trigger takeup that’s hard to avoid in a gun like this that employs a lifter to disengage the firing pin block in the slide. Especially in double action, the trigger is noticeably smoother than any stock CZ 75 I’ve owned. The break is clean and consistent and the reset is solid. Double action pull – whether with the hammer fully down or in the slightly cocked position after using the decocker – measures in at 10 to 10.5 pounds. The pull is slightly shorter from the decocked position than it is from hammer fully down. In single action with the hammer back, the trigger is staged farther towards the rear of the trigger guard, but still has the same bit of takeup.

The pull is light, crisp and short after that, measuring in at about three pounds. The trigger itself is a cool new shape that I don’t believe I’ve seen in another CZ. It looks nifty, it’s comfortable, and it’s made of quality steel. A full-length picatinny accessory rail gives you plenty of real estate for mounting mission-critical items, and the oversized trigger guard leaves plenty of room so you can wear gloves on your deployments and be “operator as f**k.”

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The P-09 field strips just like every other CZ pistol: line up the line on the slide with the line on the frame, push/pull the slide lock out, then slide the slide off the front of the frame. Pop out the guide rod along with its captive recoil spring and lift out the barrel, and you’re done. The slide rides on two large metal inserts in the frame, which are much easier to see in my OD Green P-07.

 frame

On the Range:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1vnY4zWFB0

Man, is this a pleasant gun to shoot! The ergonomics are excellent, with a comfortable palm swell and grip diameter, great grip angle, a nice beavertail that allows for a very high grip without worry of hammer bite and a comfortable length of pull in both DA and SA. The polymer has a high quality, solid feel to it and the texture on the grip is near perfect for me. It really gives a feeling of complete controllability.

The beveled mag well and tapered magazines, which drop free easily, make quick mag changes a breeze. For some reason I find loading the P-07 magazines to full capacity to be almost impossible, but the P-09 mags took the full 19 rounds without damaging my thumbs. The gun points naturally, the sights are quick to acquire, and it shoots straight. Very straight, indeed:

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I’m not sure what accounts for that flyer from the 92.6 grain +P Magtech First Defense (holy fireballs from this ammo!), but even with that we’re looking at very tight 5-shot groups from 25 yards. The PMC Bronze 115 grain group is about three quarters of an inch (0.75”) center-to-center. For this test I put a cheapo ($14 shipped from Amazon) laser on the rail and rested the butt of the grip on the bench. I think I’ll do the same for any future reviews of accessory-railed pistols as a way of taking a decent portion of the human error out of things.

Due to the slide length and mass plus the length of the grip and the general ergos and effective beavertail, the P-09 shoots very softly and controllably. Low muzzle flip and low felt recoil meant keeping track of the front sight was easy, and I could stay on target even during rapid-fire shooting. You could certainly shoot as many hundreds and hundreds of rounds as you wanted in a single session and not get worn out by the P-09. Of course, the downside of this (and the 19-round capacity) is that blowing through massive amounts of ammunition is far too easy.

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The CZ’s controls are just where they should be. My only gripe is that, despite being large, they’re quite flush (same as the P-07). I don’t find them as easy to activate with the sweep of a thumb as I do on, for instance, my SP-01 where the controls have a definite “pad” on them. The P-09’s setup may actually be better for regular holster duty, and after a couple hundred rounds I stopped noticing it. I think it just requires a little more inward pressure – as opposed to pushing straight down – than I’m otherwise used to.

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Speaking of hundreds of rounds, I experienced no stoppages of any sort with the P-09. Same goes for my P-07 during the time I owned it and, apparently, since the time I sold it to a good friend. A few brands of hollow points, a couple brands of reloads, three or four brands of factory ammo… not a hitch. I haven’t come to expect anything else from the various CZ’s I have owned, and the P-09 hasn’t disappointed. It really has the feel of an unstoppable “Duty” gun and I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to rely on it. Fit, finish, and perceived quality all get high marks.

Conclusion:

If we all just arrived here from outer space with no preconceived notions or brand loyalties, I think we’d expect CZ’s P-07 and P-09 to be significantly more popular and well-known than they are. At a typical street price of $450 to $495 or so, the P-09 is a lot of gun for the money. It’s second-to-none for reliability and accuracy (at least in the duty/self-defense guns under $1k segment), and is one of the most ergonomic and easy-to-shoot pistols on the market. I certainly think it’s good looking, too. With its 19+1 round capacity and the accessory rail, this pistol would be an excellent choice for home defense.

With the long sight radius, quality trigger, and great accuracy, this pistol would be an excellent choice for competition such as IDPA, IPSC, 3-Gun, etc. Unless you’re constitutionally opposed to a DA/SA system, whether with a decocker or a safety, or are just afraid of hammer-fired guns in general, I would highly suggest checking out the Duty offerings from CZ before going with the admittedly more popular polymer guns from the likes of S&W, Glock, Springfield, FNH, etc. The P-09 is a lot of quality at a relatively low price.

 

Specifications:

Length: 8.1″

Barrel Length: 4.53″

Height: 5.79″

Width: 1.46″

Weight: 1.71 lbs aka 27.35 oz (empty, no mag)

Caliber: 9mm (9×19) or .40 S&W

Capacity: 19+1 (9mm), 16+1 (.40 S&W)

Sights: 3-dot, glow in the dark (dots must be charged from a light source)

Trigger Pull Weight: 10 to 10.5 lbs. DA, 3 lbs. SA

MSRP: $514 (typical street price ~$449-495)

 

Ratings (out of 5 stars):

Accuracy: * * * * *
Sub-1” groups at 25 yards from a sub-$500 duty gun is excellent accuracy indeed. In addition to actual, mechanical accuracy the gun is also very easy to shoot accurately off hand.

Ergonomics: * * * * *
I’m certainly not in the minority when I say I love CZ ergonomics. Adding adjustable backstraps sweetens the deal. Grip shape, grip angle, grip texture, beavertail, controls placement, trigger shape and placement, etc etc… it’s all excellent.

Reliability: * * * * *
Second-to-none. There’s an amusing P-07 torture test starting at page 6 of this Guns & Ammo mag PDF.

Customize This: * * *
So it isn’t a Glock, but there’s a good amount of aftermarket support for CZ. Custom gunsmithing and parts from Cajun Gun Works (David there is awesome) and CZ Custom. Aftermarket sights. Various holster options (the list there is growing). The big accessory rail. It certainly needs no work to be reliable, accurate, and controllable though.

Utility: * * * *
Top choice for home defense, competition, fun at the range, actual police and military service/duty use (the Brazilian defense forces recently chose the P-07 to be its new sidearm), or tactical operations. One star off because its full-size size makes it difficult to carry concealed.

Overall: * * * * *
I think it’s better than most or all of its competitors regardless of price, yet it’s better at hundreds of dollars less (or under half the price in the example of some similar H&K’s, etc). No gun is everything to everyone, but you may just want to check out the P-09 (and -07) before pulling the trigger on something else.

…and just for fun, here’s a little sneak peak of something silly happening in my garage…

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RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

67 COMMENTS

  1. Looks like another gun to add to the collection. I also like CZ egos a lot. 19 rounds is a good capacity.

  2. “Operator as f**k” courtesy CarniK Con (youtu.be/8iQJE3uG2QM?t=19s)

    I’d definitely recommend watching most of his videos, because they’re insane and pretty darn hilarious, and most involve heavy NFA goodies. I think the first one I saw was the bullpups one, but most are pretty good. There’s only like 15 or so, so start from the beginning and thank me later 😉

    • Good think i didn’t have anything planned for this evening. Going to be watching a metric shit ton of CarniK Con.

    • I love my CZ75 and am interested in getting a polymer version. Do the P09 and P07 same have that same great feeling grip? Or would one concerned with CZ 75-like ergos be better off with the SP-01 Phantom?

      (Edit: I should have kept reading. You basically answered this question. Any thoughts, however, on the Phantom?)

      • The Phantom is closer. It’s more faithful to the shape of the metal frame guns. It’s also more of a true 75 in that it uses 1911-style locking lugs on the barrel instead of locking the barrel hood into the ejection port part of the slide like a Glock. The trigger will take work to smooth out (either firing 1,000 rnds or smoothing things yourself), whereas the trigger on the P-07/-09 are pretty darn nice from the factory. It’s easier to manipulate the slide on the Duty series, especially the -09 vs. the Phantom.

        All that said, the Phantom to me is a bit of a bastard child. It is a polymer version of the 75. The Duty pistols were designed from the ground up to be polymer guns. They may not be quite as comfortable in the hand as the 75 shape, but they’re still very comfortable and they just feel right in polymer. I have a mental block against an SP-01 with a polymer frame. Weird, I know. The Phantom is decocker-only, which also makes it a bit more difficult to get trigger parts for. Anyway it would be a tough choice because they’re really very, very different. Both are great guns. Phantom is nearly impossible to find in stock these days, btw. The P-07 is readily available. The P-09 is hard to find because of how new it is, but it’s still easier than getting a Phantom.

        • I have both the Phantom and the P-09, and they are actually almost the same size. I find the Phantom, (which is my daily carry, even in AZ summer heat), to have slightly better ergonomics, but the P-09 somehow feels more “shootable”. I can’t wait to try a High Noon Holsters rig for the P-09 and prove that it, too, can be carried concealed with the right equipment.
          You are dead on, sir, when you say it is very easy to shoot large quantities of ammo through the P-09, as it is that easy to shoot. This is when I am glad is reload and doubly glad is home cast bullets – my P-09 likes the Lee 124 grain Tumble Lube bullet quite well.

      • I carried a TZ-75 28 years I also shot contests with the pistol.. I loved it. The barrel was well worn and I decided to get a new barrel for it. I procrastinated for weeks. While at the range one day, I shot a pretty good score and a young man next to me asked what I had. I let him handle it and was singing the praise of it and he asked me if it was for sale. I told him the barrel was worn and was getting a new one.
        He misunderstood and said he would give me $550. for it.

        I said I only paid $400 for it 28 years ago and said it needed a new barrel. He said he thought it shot great and the offer held. I’m sorry I allowed myself into being talked into it. All I meant was the barrel was worn, and I was getting a new…… BARREL! I miss it…the weight and reliability for carry was great. I have a .45 HD Super Carry Kimber . Still getting use to the weight. Shoots great too, maybe a little tighter then the TZ 75 when it was new. Can’t wear it on a hot summer day like the TZ. But I like the feel and I haven’t had any problems with it. It was made last June, I did go thru a Living hell adjusting the rear site. The rear sight wont move unless you have the right tool, even if you completely remove the screw. It seems it’s a known fact, (But Not By Me) all Kimber Pistols shoot a little left out of the box. That’s what the fellow who adjusted my sights said. Spoke to some other Kimber Pistol owners who agreed.

      • According to the CZ USA website, the Phantom has been discontinued, which makes sense since the P-09 is meant to fill the full-size polymer duty pistol market segment.

  4. The grip looks a bit TOOOOOOOO long. If you like CZ 75s its your gun.Id stay with a Glock or Beretta anytime.

    • Too bad for you really. If you aren’t willing to look past your nose to see that CZ is an excellent firearms company making some of the best pistols in the world, you’re really short changing yourself. Because outside of the US, CZ 75B pistols are the 3rd most popular pistols ever sold.

    • It’s 1/4 inch taller than a Beretta 92 and 1/3 inch taller than a Glock 17. Most definitely a full-size gun, but not crazy big. Of course, you get more rounds than the 92 or the 17 and that’s a pretty direct result of the bit of extra grip length. If you don’t like that length, the P-07 is similar in dimensions to a Glock 19.

      Of course, I really don’t think it’s something you could probably feel or notice unless you’re trying to conceal the thing. You obviously notice when a pinky hangs off the bottom of a grip. I can’t imagine you’d care or feel any extra room below your hands.

    • The grip LOOKS long, but doesn’t FEEL long. Same as when the P-07 came out and everyone said the trigger guard LOOKED huge…but it doesn’t feel that way in use.

    • As the others pointed out, it’s not as big as you think.

      Part of it is that the slide rides INSIDE the rails, so the barrel-holding part of the gun is actually smaller than a Glock, despite how it looks.

      Maybe look at one in person, anyways! 🙂

  5. I love my P-01, my Angus-tuned pre-B (so old it says Czechoslovakia on the side), and my Shadow. They feel better in my hands than any gun I’ve ever held (especially with those awesome rubber grips). But I sold my P-07. The trigger is great, and the gun is great; it just felt a bit boxy in my hand. If I hadn’t had the P-01 first, the 07 would have felt fine (at least until I got one of the other three). But now it’s like riding a CBR 600RR after already having a BMW S1000RR.

    • I don’t disagree. The metal guns fit my hand a little better and they’re more rounded and refined feeling. When I shoot the metal 75 variants I feel like it’s more of a finesse thing. When I shoot a P-07/-09 I feel like gripping the snot out of it and really ‘driving’ the gun and like it’s built with serious purpose (let’s call it “duty”). Something about the shape and texture of the grip and the feel of the polymer give the impression/feeling of firm & complete control. Compared to similar polymer guns, it’s at the top of the heap for ergos, comfort, etc. A couple others feel basically as good to me, but most are way behind. Compared to the metal 75 variants, I put it in second place for sheer grip comfort & fit like you do. The shape is similar but not the same, and it feels slightly more angular (because it is). …and I definitely said ‘feel’ like a zillion times here because much of this is relative to hand size and also just subjective in general…

  6. Darn you TTAG contributors. Why must you torment me with new CZ offerings??! Don’t you know I already have enough nines? I guess I’ll be adding another České zbraně to my collection.

  9. I have a P-07 in .40. Great pistol, but it broke. Something in the trigger assembly broke off the frame and ended up in the chamber area. Sent it back to CZ, who has sent me a brand spanking new one. Being in the people’s republik of NJ, I have to go through the entire purchase process again, because replacement pistol has a different serial#. My original was a “A” serial number run which has had some issues.

  11. Your comments came through and thank you for the insights. It does seem that the Phantom has become difficult to find and a little overpriced. I am a decocker fan despite it messing up the trigger a bit and making things more complicated. (I am looking forward to sending my CZ75BD to Agnus for a competition hammer and tune.). Hopefully, I can find a P07 or P09 to rent at the range and test. If the grip is better than a Glock or XD – like that’s difficult – I think I have my next gun. Especially at those prices. Or I may just try to buy my old PPQ back from my friend. (I gave him way too good a deal when I sold it. He owes me.)

    • Grip is definitely better.

      BTW, check out Cajun Gun Works for parts and tuning: http://cajungunworks.com/ David there was a custom 1911 gunsmith for about 30 years before diving into CZ’s a few years ago. His parts and his work are top notch. That’s his race hammer and sights that you see on my SP-01, along with some other parts from him that you can’t really see plus some tuning work. That SP-01 is single action only and has a trigger that rivals high dollar custom 1911’s. No pre- or over-travel, so little creep most people couldn’t detect it, perfect clean break, very short, solid reset. I had a $3,000 1911 and I prefer the trigger in my SP-01. You can get pretty darn good leaving DA intact as well, but to really get awesome you have to go SAO and ditch the firing pin block (allows you to tune out pre-travel and allows for a shorter reset).

    • The Phantom won’t be going away any time soon, as it is part of a major military contract, but production is mainly overseas. The P-09 is, I believe, the new face of CZ pistols for the future, and I like it. On the other hand, some CRAZY prices for Phantoms I have seen, darn near tempting it is!

    • You will like what Angus can do to your CZ 75BD. I just put a CJW firing pin in mine, lighter firing pin safety spring and lighter hammer spring and polished off the obvious rough spots and didn’t mess with the trigger or hammer at all and it sure clean up the double action pull and greatly improved the single action pull as well.

      Why face a thereat to your life whith less than the best you can afford.

      A full blown trigger job would still help my CZ 75 as the hammer moves backa bit when the triggers pulled in single action. But it good enough for me. Or at least it was until I bought a P-07 from David at CJW with his Combat Kit on it. He makes the Omega trigger better than most off the rack 1911’s on single action. It smooths the double action pull out and brings it down to 6 pounds or less. The trigger reset is so short it gets me in trouble on every other gun I own. I expet that Angus can do just as well or better. on tyour CZ 76BD I doubt he can make preforn as well as the P-07/

      My goal was to get the CZ-75BD to go bang on any ammo I put in it back when ammo was hard to get. It pops NATO rifle primers using the lightest spring I can get for the hammer to use in competition. The firing pin is bit longer a lot slicker and the tip is shaped as fringing pins should be to work correctly. I believe almost all firearm makers have shortened their firing pins and put in stronger hammer springs to pass the California drop test when the drop the gun so it hits the ground barrel first so inertia dives the firing pin safety down allowing inertia to drive the firing pin forward into the primer. The shorter pin and stronger firing pin spring greatly reduce the chance of a loose firing ping setting off a primer and failing the test and having to go though the test again.

      I have had to replce the firing pin of 4 out 5 of the new guns I have purchased in the last 10 years. Not a single used gun ahas need one.

  13. The only reason I don’t have one of these is I am so heavily invested in the service size 9mm I own, and to try and migrate from it would be very cost inefficient.

    I used to think of CZ as a classic (not to mention I’ve only been around their DA/SA guns that have a decocker safety aka no condition 1) as opposed to new and inventive, but they are proving me wrong these last few years and making me wish I had the funds to have another full size 9mm pistol. 19+1 and a condition 1 set up? Please sign me up.

    Maybe I can convince the wife it’s a “need” and scoop it up with what was going to go towards my XD-S but can’t now that SA is recalling them and it’ll be a while before I get to see one.

  14. I have the 07 and when out shooting I can’t get it out of my 13 yr old grandsons hands. I getting the 09 just as soon as it to a dealer near me. Great Guns CZ

  15. That trigger guard is so ugly you’ll never have to pull the trigger in self defense—just let the bad guy get a peek and he’ll either faint or run away.

  16. The trigger slack is a ‘built in safety’ feature. The idea is that should you be involved in a self defense shooting the trigger slack will give you an opportunity to decide if the threat is potentially lethal and if you should shoot them. Most of the European made handguns are designed that way other than Glock. H&K, Sig, CZ etc all have the trigger slack to give your brain that split second to make a decision or so I recall reading one of the Guns & Ammo books.

    • I pretty much think that’s B.S. That slack has like zero pull weight. It’s just dead wiggle. It does nothing for safety. In fact, I think it’s worse, because people try to take up that slack to ‘stage’ their trigger, and that can cause you to accidently fire the gun. You’re better off not touching or at least not trying to actually move the trigger until you’re planning on firing. Slack causes people to move the trigger on purpose before they actually want to fire so they can be ‘ready,’ and that can be bad. Of course, we all know that the safety rules dictate that you do not put your finger on the trigger until you’re ready to fire, so in your scenario you shouldn’t even be touching the trigger in the first place unless you have already fully decided that the threat is lethal and you should shoot. Your scenario is basically implying that you should be in the process of actually squeezing the trigger while deciding whether or not you’re facing a serious threat, and that’s a pretty freakin’ horrible suggestion.

      I think it’s there for a few reasons when speaking of guns in general, and chief among those reasons is that production guns are made to be very reliable and made so they do not require hand-tuning at the end. Therefore it isn’t a “feature” at all, but is just a reality and side effect of mass production. Tolerances are such that you must leave some extra wiggle room in it to ensure that the trigger resets. A gun can be tuned to reset and have no more movement after that, but the closer you get to that the more likely it will be to not actually reset and the more and more necessary custom hand tuning by a person becomes. Same with overtravel… it’s there to make sure the sear breaks in all of the guns without hand tuning and within the mass production tolerances. In the P-09 and other CZ’s with a firing pin block, specifically, that pre-travel slack in the trigger is actually moving the firing pin block out of the way. It is 95% completed during that stage and so when the trigger starts actually pulling against the sear, the FPB is already out of the way. As I mention in the shooting video, that’s what’s going on with this CZ. I removed the FPB from my SP-01 and was able to tune out 100% of that slack, and most of the Pre-B guns have much less slack because they lack FPB’s. So it does have an actual, mechanical function in this gun.

      Glock has a little slack as well, btw. Plus it has the blade in the trigger that must be moved before you get to the trigger in the first place. Then there is some slack and I believe the FPB ends up getting moved out of the way at some point in the trigger pull right before the striker actually fires, rather than really early in the process like on the CZ. But the CZ in single action mode doesn’t have a long enough pull to also move the FPB during the same stage, so it ends up getting separated into its own part of the trigger travel and is completed before the very short single action pull required to trip the sear. Which is super clean, btw. Almost undetectable hammer camming and barely detectable creep. Much cleaner than factory CZ 75’s.

      • Basing this from both my HK USP and CZ75B I actually like the take up the triggers have, and I’m a 1911 guy. The take up (for me) is an indexing tool. I’ve made the decision to fire, indexed the trigger and now I get to take out that slack while I consider sight alignment, aim point and all with some tension on the trigger. I found it useful in competition and don’t see it would be problem on a defensive gun. Anytime I’ve ever just gone for the trigger fast I’ve never noticed the take up and simply get a clean break each time.

  17. Jeremy S, what are the specs on your SP-01? The CZ SP-01 is my favorite handgun. I have been looking for a Phantom, but have so far ben unable to locate one for sale. I will be picking up a P-09 by the end of the month. It is too bad that the SP-01 mags will not fit the P-09 as I have a bunch of them and the P-09 mags are expensive right now.

    • Keep in mind that some of the hammer and trigger modifications aren’t available for the Phantom or P-09. At least not yet. The decocker in the Phantom requires some different parts and the new trigger system in the Duty models doesn’t have the aftermarket yet. The Phantom is lighter than the steel SP-01, but unless you’re carrying it in a holster all day the weight of the SP-01 is actually very nice for target shooting and competition. It softens recoil and reduces muzzle flip.

      Anyway, specs on my SP-01 are basically a lot of stuff from Cajun Gun Works. Dual-adjustable flat trigger, CGW sights, CGW Race Hammer, CGW sear, firing pin block delete, CGW trigger pin, CGW tuning of the trigger and sear/hammer engagement, and the safety is off a 75 SA (single action). I’m actually running a factory weight mainspring (hammer spring), because my gun is single action only and the mainspring has very little affect on the SA pull weight and I wanted to ensure reliable ignition with the CZ Kadet Adapter (.22 lr upper, and rimfire ammo requires a harder primer strike). I believe the recoil spring is 14 or 15 lbs, which is a reduction from the factory SP-01 spring. Grips are Hogue G-10 “xtreme” or whatever they call them, in the chain link pattern. I had VZ grips but like these better. The barrel was extended and threaded by Tornado Technologies.

      End result is a SAO trigger that rivals very high-dollar custom 1911’s (and I had a $3,000 example recently, and still prefer the trigger on my SP-01). 3 lbs even on the pull. No pre- or over-travel. Extremely short total travel and short, solid reset. Clean break. Just the teeniest little bit of creep that I can detect if I pull the trigger as slowly as physically possible, but you really have to intentionally look for it like that to find it. The gun is reliable and super accurate. Does great in competition.

      • Thank you for the reply. This is exactly what I was looking to do with my SP-01. I wanted a 1911-like trigger. So a trigger that is even better than a 1911 trigger, is wel, better. Now I just need a threaded barrel and a .45 ACP sound suppressor.

    • Crap. Responded but it got stuck in the spam filter. It’ll probably show up here within a couple hours. If it doesn’t, I’ll type it up again 😉

      I said ‘dec@cker’ and forgot that putting “c*ck” anywhere in the text would mean automatic spam filter purgatory haha

  18. I have a CZ P-07 that I’ve had for almost 2 years now and have run over 1k rds through it. It has been dead reliable and I’ve enjoyed having something other than a Glock, M&P or XD. (Not to knock those, I own some of them also – just saying variety is nice and every other guy at the range isn’t shooting a CZ)

    I’m glad to see CZ expand the “Duty” line and would echo the author’s recommendation to check them out.

  19. Drat, there is no way I can justify purchasing this even to myself and now I want one!

    I loved a CZ75B once and based on the specs for this and my excellent experience with the 75 I really like this pistol. . . I just don’t need another duty sized pistol. In fact, with my XDS in transit for repair and my SW Shield at the factory if anything I need another concealment piece (never thought I’d be saying that after buying both the shield and the XDS at the same time!).

    Alas, I’m a victim of my own quality snobbery. . . I already have too many excellent pistols so I never get to try new toys!

  20. I have always loved CZ’s since I first held an SP-01 several years ago in a gun shop, I liked it so much I took it home that day and now I have a good number of steel and aluminium framed CZ’s. I have commented to my wife on several occasions that I don’t know why I bother buying any pistols other than CZ’s and 1911’s as I just don’t shoot my M&P’s or XD’s as well. To be honest I never really even considered the poly framed CZ’s as I like the feel of metal so much but after reading this I may need to check the P-07 & P-09 out.

  21. I have to say, after shooting my P-07 9mm recently, I’m really starting to appreciate the new poly CZs. The P-07 is tack-driving accurate, fits my hand perfectly, and I have yet to experience a FTF/FTE/etc. I have no doubt that the P-09 will be an excellent service weapon, but given the subjective perfection of the P-07 grip, I do think the P-09 would look/be slightly unwieldy for me (I’ve got medium-ish hands).

    What I can say is this: I desperately want to add a P-01/P-06/SP-01 to my collection (preferably all three). I’ve owned a CZ-75B Omega (wish I’d never sold it) and a CZ-52 (cool piece of history, not very enjoyable to shoot), and I have every confidence that CZ will continue producing high-quality polymer pistols.

    Now, given that what I really need is a long gun (the little wish-list above notwithstanding), and I’d like a pistol caliber carbine, and I’d like to personally beg CZ to release a PCC using P-07/P-09 magazines. Right now, the PCC options are pretty limited – I’ve owned a Hi-Point 9mm Carbine (couldn’t get past the trigger/10 rd magazines *shudder*), I just shot the Kel Tec Sub-2000 .40 (not bad, but it certainly feels awkward, at best), and the Beretta CX4 is an expensive aesthetic abomination IMO.

    So, CZ – how’s about a reliable, 100m-accurate PCC in the $400-600 range? I know you guys can build it.

    • P-09 grip (with small backstrap) will feel pretty much exactly the same to your hands as the P-07 grip. From behind, you won’t see the extra grip length sticking out below your hands. From behind, actually, the guns look identical (unless you count the difference in the hammer shape, but that’s picking nits and it isn’t easy to tell from arm’s reach w/ hammer cocked anyway). So I really only think it would look unwieldy or awkward if you want it to and you’re holding it in one hand and rotating it so you can compare grip length to your hand size.

      Love the Sub-2000 because of how short it is folded up. Not a big fan of how it feels to shoot. I think the AR-esque carbines like the Just Right Carbine or the Thureon Defense are cool, although I have not shot one myself. Some of the ones are way too expensive, like you mentioned. Including the Taurus. You can do an MP5 rifle or an Uzi rifle, but I think those both look a bit weird in rifle config. You could build your own AR-based pistol caliber carbine but you’ll be up in the expensive price range again. You could do a MechTech Glock conversion.

      I’d buy one from CZ also. If only we could purchase the Scorpion Evo 3 in the U.S.!!!! Droool. http://www.czub.cz/en/catalog/86-law-enforcement-military/OS-AUT/CZ_SCORPION_EVO_3_A1.aspx

  22. My brother and I both own 85 Combats that are Awesome shooters. Almost as accurate as my Ed Browns. My other brother has a P-07 that shoots much better than my Beretta 92 that I gave to my daughter so I could justify getting a P-09 in .40S&W. Why CZs are not more popular is beyond my comprehension.

    • Indeed… I am from South Africa and when I got to the US one of the first things I did was to buy a CZ-75B in .40 as my duty pistol in SA was a 9mm 75. I was very surprised that most US shooter friends were not familiar with the CZ brand at all, which is a shame.

  23. I am planning on getting one of these, but have been going back and forth on the P-07 and P-09. Right now I carry a full size 1911, but the compact size of the P-07 would be nice.

    If you could only keep one which would you keep?

    Thanks,
    Dave

    • If you’re going to carry it, I’d choose the P-07. You can always run the P-09’s 19-round mags in the P-07, which is about the size of a Glock 19 in length and height, but is a bit chunkier in width. Unless you have huge hands and would benefit from the M or L backstrap on the P-09 and the extra grip length, or planned on using it vastly for target shooting/plinking/HD/competition, in which case I’d go P-09, my choice would be the P-07 for something that gets carried.

  24. I made the mistake of selling my P-07 last year and have never stopped missing it. I still have the 75B and P01, but now have my sights set on the P-09 as a polymer duty option. This pistol seems perfect for a concealed car safe as a back up piece. I’m considering selling a Glock as a trade. As much as I like Glocks, and I shoot them well, they simply don’t feel good in my hands – there’s no comparison to the ergos of any CZ. Unfortunately, I don’t think CZ has a polymer subcompact option similar to a G26 or 27.

    • Actually, CZ has made the Rami in a polymer frame. I don’t think it’s a current production model, but you can find them for sale private party.

      • What would be really cool would be a single stack sub compact based on the p-07/ p-09 platform. The P-07 is comparable to a Glock 19 in length and height, but it feels fatter and did not carry comfortably IWB for me. I’ve been very happy with my Beretta Nano for deep concealment; CZUB and Glock should take heed. (I do not care for the Rami; it feels too fat as well.)

  25. I wish I could find a P-09 threaded. Kipp at CZ-USA said they are back-ordered and the threaded P-07 has been discontinued for 2014 🙁

  28. I just bought a P-09 based primarily on this review (and a need for a 9mm for my shooting league). It is all they say and more. Soft shooting and accurate are understatements.

  29. Call me ancient but I still prefer my metal frame 90’s model 75B. Bought a p-O7 traded it to a friend for (heresy) an EAA Witness + have the ability to change calibers simply swapping the top end. .45acp to 9mm. Yes I know could purchase each as a separate pistol but I don’t think the atfe needs to know about everything I own.

  30. I have the CLASSIC All Metal CZ 75B and the P-07 polymer. Lovin’ them both AND with a favor to the P-07; An Incredible Lighter Pistol in All Areas of what I expect. Just got the CZ P-09 And Holy Smokes! What an incredible shooter, like the P-07 And with the longer barrel And!, And!!, AND!!! the 19round mags from the P-09 fit right into the P-07, WHAT A BONUS!!!!!!; Lovin’ CZ. The Czechs Make Beautiful Women and Beautiful Guns. You DoNot hear me complaining.

  31. Jeremy:
    what suppressor can I purchase with the CZ P-07 9MM BLACK 10+1 3.8 or the CZ P-09 Semi-Auto?

    thanks in advance.

  32. Brazilian Defense Forces don’t use any kind of CZ pistol. The sidearms are Taurus PT-92/99, Beretta 92 and Imbel M973 (Colt 1911 clone).

    Brazilian Federal Police uses Glock 17-19-26, also some state polices.

    And the majority of state and local polices uses Taurus.

  33. The cz p09 is like the best gun ever made. Imagine a super light super accurate 9 millimeter with 20 rounds. It shoots as good as my high end 1911. I can’t believe anyone would even consider getting a Glock or or Smith & Wesson or Ruger that shoot terrible groups compared to a CZ.

  34. Took my new P09 to the range and after 3 rounds, has a FTE, cleared pistol and fired 2 more rds, same issue but this time slide stop was sticking out 1/4″. Dropped mag, cleared pistol, pushed in slide stop. Inserted mag, racked slide and fired another 2 rds, only to have the same thing (FTF & Slide stop worked out 1/4″). Calling CZ on monday!

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