With #SharkWeek upon us later this month, I figured it was time to gear up. You can never be too careful in the briny depths. Will CZ’s new P-10 C run reliably underwater? Only one way to find out!

https://youtu.be/IRYS4zRJaaI

Perhaps a bigger question is why we should care if the P-10 C runs underwater? Aside from sharks, of course. And mermaids.

I’ve got nothin’, so don’t ask me.

But I do know the gun will run a couple feet down. It actually ejected with relative authority, clearing the empty case of the slide by a safe margin.

And the striker, despite its channel undoubtedly being completely full of water, wasn’t impeded in its forward progress. The P-10 C fired 10 out of 10 rounds without a hitch.

I had thought about SCUBA diving off the end of the dock and doing this test at ~35 feet down, but chose not to as 1) I didn’t have my GoPro and 2) I wasn’t sure what diving with hearing protection would be like or how it would function.

After doing this test with my head above the surface and my arm submerged past the elbow, I’m very happy I didn’t attempt it with my head under water, too. The underwater concussion was massive, and I have no idea what the shock wave would have done to my sinuses and ears and bowels and whatnot, but I’m glad I didn’t find out.

Above the water, the massive subwoofer-like THUMP was notable even to my dad, who was about 50 yards away inside the cabin looking all around, confused like the chicken in Moana, trying to figure out what on earth was going on.

Afterwards I field stripped the P-10 C and left it to dry in the sun. Rust free, she ran like new when reassembled. It has yet to be cleaned or lubed at all since coming out of the factory case some 600 rounds ago, actually. Sharks, beware.

* Don’t try this at home. Shooting under water is a bad idea. Also, thanks to CZ-USA for loaning us this gun. We’re taking good care of it.

29 COMMENTS

    • “And thanks to CZ for loaning us this gun. We’re taking good care of it”

      I haven’t laughed that hard all week. Thanks Jeremy. ?

      • On Saturday it goes through Ron’s combat pistol course, which is on a dirt/sand range from 5:00 PM to 1:00 AM. There are no plans to ever clean or lube it haha.

  1. I did that with my G17 in waste deep water. That freekin hurt.
    Sound travels 25 times farther underwater.
    Be very glad you didn’t do it submerged.

  2. “And the striker, despite its channel undoubtedly being completely full of water, wasnโ€™t impeded in its forward progress.”

    It’s *possible* they designed to function underwater if need be.

    Glocks do it by slotting the plastic firing pin cup (in their ‘marine’ firing pin cup) to allow the water a place to go. I suspect other guns may do the same if similar mods were done to them.

    Jeremy, your mission, if you accept it, will be to repeat that test on a suppressed gun to see if it quiets them.

    You may not want to risk destroying the can, tho…

    • Someone on the internet did that already. Sorry can’t remember where.

      Anyway, he found that you need a special suppressor for water use. Typical suppressors (that work in air) don’t work underwater.

  3. Thats what powerheads are for. I’ve shot a .38spc from one underwater it’s not that bad and works well on bull-sharks. But it’s at the end of a spear right up against the shark. So it’s somewhat further from your ear.

  4. I was taught that shooting a gun with the barrel obstructed by water would cause the barrel to explode
    Where did that story ever come from?

    • Ehhhh. Though keep in mind 9mm at a max of 35k psi in a 4.5″ barrel full of water is a different beast from 5.56 at 62k psi in a 20″ barrel full of water plus there’s no gas system, etc etc

  5. The water in the barrel is certainly an obstruction. We’ve all been told, and seen it’s true, that this can cause bad things to happen. I would expect that to happen underwater, but have seen often that it does not, as here. Anyone know why?

    If I take my .44 mag or my .460 S & W swimming, what should I expect? Maybe a Darwin award?

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