As I came up in the gun world, I always had a distant relationship with CZ. They always seemed like “that brand over there” that wasn’t relevant to me or my interests. The buzz in my circles was always about Glock, H&K, Sig, and S&W. To be honest, the CZ P07 was something I thought of as an evolved “commie gun.”
Well, I was wrong.
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The CZ P07 represents the second generation of CZ’s polymer pistol options. Back in 2012, I actually handled one of the first generation models at my local base exchange. It seemed too “modern” compared to what I expected to see from CZ’s offerings. I ended up picking up the FNS-9 instead.
I’m kind of glad I did, though. Not because I really enjoy the FNS-9, but that the newest generation P07 offered a lot of improvements. But before we get there, let’s talk a little about CZ and how we got to this point.
Bottom Line Up Front
I get it, this article is a long one.
I wanted to provide some background on CZ pistols and the evolution that led to the P07 as well as why my initial assumption of it being a “commie gun” was wrong. If you want to skip that part and go straight to the review, feel free by clicking here.
The bottom line is that I think the CZ P07 is a great option in the DA/SA polymer market. It’s accurate, comfortable, and very durably built. However, it lags behind other common carry options when it comes to weight and size. While I think the P07 is a good option, definitely compare it side by side with other quality pistols to see how it fits your needs.
Česká Zbrojovka Uherský Brod
CZ is short for Česká Zbrojovka, which roughly translates as Czech Armory. The second part of the name, Uherský Brod, refers to the city their location. There actually used to be several Czech Armories producing weapons, so they the name of the town the factories resided in further distinguished them.
In 1936, the Czechoslovakian government recognized the encroaching threat of Nazi Germany and directed its manufacturing plants further inland.
The plant at Strakonice, within 60 km of the border, relocated to the small town of Uherský Brod. Production of anti-aircraft machine guns and small arms began in 1937.
The Nazi’s still occupied the area during the war and forced the factory to act as a depot for German small arms. After the war, production returned to a mixture of military and civilian arms.
Of course, being behind the Soviet Iron Curtain didn’t help matters. The Warsaw Pact nations were required to produce arms in the same calibers and use common weapons for military purposes.

The CZ-75
I suppose you could say the engineers at CZ have always been rebels. Under Soviet control, Warsaw Pact nations all used Tokarev and Makarov pistols, and nothing was chambered in the “Western” 9×19 Luger.
Cheaper than Dirt actually did a nice bit of history of what comes next, but I’ll hit the highlights for you.
In 1969, CZ approached former engineer František Koucký to work on a new project. They wanted a new and innovative 9mm pistol, but Soviet law prevented the company from doing it. Since František was independent and not employed by CZ, he could design whatever he wanted.
Some folks out there think that František and his brother sought to make a clone of the Browning Hi-Power. To be fair, their design does borrow a lot of elements from John Browning’s pistol, but so did many other contemporary designs. I think it just shows how influential JMB was.
František finished the design in 1975 and the CZ-75 was born. However, there was another problem. CZ intended to sell the pistol outside the Iron Curtain, which was a big problem under communist control, especially when it came to patents. There weren’t any.
Once the pistol seeped through the the curtain, other manufacturers took notice. Moreover, they realized that there was nothing stopping them from reverse engineering the design and producing their own copies.
Some of the many clones produced by other countries and companies are here. I’ve also included the country of origin.
- Tanfoglio’s entire Witness pistol series – Italian
- The IWI Jericho/Baby Eagle series – Israeli
- KRISS Sphinx SDP series – Swiss
- Canik S-120 / Tristar T-120 – Turkish
- Sarsilmaz K series – Turkish
The reason for all of the clones is that the CZ-75 is a highly ergonomic design with immediate appeal to pistol shooters. To date, I’ve yet to handle any pistol that feels as goo din my hand as a CZ-75 design. The Beretta APX comes close, but when you look at its lines it should be no surprise where it took inspiration from.
Modernizing the Classic
After the Soviet Union collapsed, CZ could begin selling directly to the rest of the world. Of course, they were behind the curve. By the 1990s, those previously-mentioned companies had generated a market by selling essentially the same pistol.
To build on their name, CZ made considerable investments into their design and manufacturing capabilities, ultimately earned ISO 9001 certification in 1997. They then set about improving their designs for a new era.
The CZ P01
Prior to the 2000s, CZ already had a standard lineup of various sized pistols including duty-size, compact, and subcompact. The P01 represented the first big leap in design thinking.
In 2001, CZ utilized its new manufacturing capabilities to produce a lighter and more modern duty pistol. The CZ P01 used a new aluminum alloy for the frame, incorporated a 1913 rail on the dust cover, and had much tighter manufacturing tolerances. In 2003, it passed all of the stringent Czech National Police requirements and also earned a NATO stock designation.
If you’re interested, the requirements for the pistol to pass included:
- 4000 dry firings
- 3000 De-cockings
- Field stripping 1350 times without showing wear or damage
- Complete disassembly 150 times (all the way down to springs and pins)
- 100% interchangeability of parts between randomly selected pistols
- Drop testing at 1.5 meters 154 times with the pistol loaded and hammer cocked
- Drop testing from 3 meters with the pistol loaded and hammer cocked
- Must fire after being frozen for 24 hours at –35C (-36F).
- Must fire after being heated for 24 hours at 70C (126F)
There was also a requirement for mud and sand while also being stripped of oil.
In all, the Czech Police required service life of 15,000 rounds of +P ammunition. To be adopted, the expected reliability requirement is 99.8%.
A .2% failure rate equates to 20 stoppages in 10,000 rounds or 500 Mean Rounds Between Failure (MRBF).
According to since-deleted press releases, the P01 reached 7 stoppages per 15,000 rounds for a failure rate of .05%, or a MRBF of 2142. That sounds pretty great, right?
For comparison, the Army’s MRBF requirement for the modular handgun program won by the P320 was a MRBF of 5000, which the P320 far exceeded. That’s not really here nor there, but I’m just illustrating that marketing materials don’t always tell the whole story.
The P01 was, and continues to be, a very successful pistol. I would love to add one to my collection someday.
CZ 75-D PCR and SP-01
After succeeding with the P01, CZ applied what it learned to more designs.
The pre-existing CZ 75 Compact gained the same lighter alloy frame of the P01 in a more concealable format.They called it the PCR (Police Czech Republic). It’s a purpose-built pistol for year-round carry, open or concealed, and follows the same lines as the classic CZ-75 series.
The SP-01 is a larger and heavier pistol built around competition shooting. It’s also a viable defensive duty pistol, if not a little large.
Enter the Polymer Series
In 2009, CZ released the P07 Duty. This was the first of CZ’s polymer pistol series and featured several new innovations. The goal was taking the lessons learned from the P01 and PCR pistols and producing a modern polymer duty pistol with more reliability and functionality. To support that, they designed an all new trigger system, dubbed the Omega Trigger.
They also included changeable grip back straps, simplified the internal workings of the pistol, and made the wear components beefier.
The Omega Trigger system allows the user to easily swap between a decocker or safety function. If you’re like me and prefer to carry DA/SA pistols with the hammer down for a double action first shot, then you can do that. If, on the other hand, you prefer cocked-and-locked carry like traditional CZ-75s, then you can do that as well.
The original P07 Duty series wasn’t without some teething issues. There were cosmetic issues with “frame bulge” that caused the internals to bow out a bit in some circumstances, though it never seemed to cause malfunctions.
CZ took those lessons and developed the larger P09 pistol with a 19+1 capacity, longer barrel, mechanical improvements, and reformulation of the polymer. It was a hit, and remains a very popular competition handgun.
In 2014, CZ applied those same adjustments to the P07 series. I call the redesigned P07 the Series 2.
You can tell the Series 1 and Series 2 apart by the presence of forward slide serrations on the Series 2 slide. Don’t rely on the engraved “P07” or “P07 Duty” to tell the difference, since distributors could order them with either.
And that gets me to my actual review of the pistol.
The CZ P07 Pistol
Let’s start with the basics. I’m reviewing a CZ P07 purchased with my own funds in March 2018. It’s a Series 2 example with the forward slide serrations and the other production improvements.
These are the basic specs, per CZ:
Item | Specification |
---|---|
Chambering | 9mm Luger |
Magazine Capacity | 15 + 1 |
Trigger Mechanism | Omega DA/SA |
Sights | Fixed Three-Dot |
Barrel | Cold Hammer Forged, 3.75 inches |
Weight | 27.7 oz |
Overall Length | 7.2 inches |
Overall Height | 5.3 inches |
Width | 1.46 inches |
So how do these numbers compare to other popular carry guns? Let’s take a look at the Glock 19, HK P30, S&W M&P 2.0 Compact, and Sig P320 Compact for comparison. I’ve bolded the “best in class” for each row.
Pistol | Weight | Length | Height | Width | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
CZ P07 | 27.7 oz | 7.2 in | 5.3 in | 1.46 in | 15+1 |
Glock 19 | 23.65 oz | 7.36 in | 5 in | 1.18 in | 15+1 |
HK P30 | 26.8 oz | 7.12 in | 5.43 in | 1.37 in | 15+1 |
S&W M&P 2.0c | 27 oz | 7.3 in | 5 in | 1.2 in | 15+1 |
Sig P320c | 25.8 oz | 7.2 in | 5.3 in | 1.3 in | 15+1 |
From a pure specification standpoint, the CZ P07 doesn’t really win at anything here. It’s the heaviest and widest of them all, largely due to the beefier slide and ambidextrous decocking levers. You can see why the Glock 19 and M&P 2.0 are so popular for carry.
That said, all of these pistols are pretty darn close to one another in specs, and all make good carry options. Given the strength of the field, I feel like I need to justify my decision to buy the P07 over the other options.
Why I chose the P07 for CCW
Set the clock back to August 2017. A hairy confrontation while walking with family along some nearby wooded trails made it abundantly clear that it was time to get a carry permit.
The obvious choice was to carry what I already owned. Of the three pistols in the safe at the time, my Beretta 92A1 was too large and my 1911 has feeding issues with JHP ammunition. That left me with my FNS-9.
The FNS-9 has been a fantastic pistol for me since buying it in 2012. However, I quickly realized it wasn’t an ideal concealed carry pistol. It has 17 round capacity magazines, which made the grip slightly too long. The pistol prints through most of my shirts unless I’m very careful.
The next reason came from a small unit tactics course.
Training at MVT
Up until Fall of 2017, I assumed that my carry pistol would be different from my “combat pistol.” While at the MVT HEAT 1 class in October 2017, my “battle buddy” over the course of four days shared a little bit of philosophy with me.
During a lunch break, a conversation broke out about sidearms. My battle buddy, a retired USMC Force Recon Lt. Colonel turned private security contractor, carried a Sig P320 Compact on his belt throughout the four days.
I forgot how it came up, but he ended up saying something along the lines of, “Pistols are your backup. You really don’t want to have to fall back on them. If the difference in capability of a full sized and a compact isn’t that much, then it just makes more sense to carry the compact all the time.”
I suddenly felt a little sheepish about the Beretta 92A1 hanging off my belt.
In any case, that was a long way to say that I’ve come to believe in the idea of the “one” pistol. It’s the pistol that you carry concealed, carry openly on your gear, compete with, and practice with.
If the difference in capability of a full sized and a compact isn't that much, then it just makes more sense to carry the compact all the time.
The Carry Choices
I returned from that class with my mind made up to find my “one pistol.”
Had I asked the internet, the answer would have been a Glock 19. To be fair, it’s not a terrible answer. The Glock is reliable, has a track record, and is used for exactly this purpose all around the world.
However, I chose not to go that route for two reasons.
First, I’ve never really warmed up to Glocks. The grip angle, trigger feel, and other elements were things that I just never enjoyed. Sure, I could get past it if I needed to, but I just didn’t want to.
Second, I wanted a hammer fired gun in DA/SA. It’s just a personal preference. This requirement ruled out a lot of common options like the P320, VP9, PPQ, M&P, and others.
The remaining options came down to the HK P30, HK P2000, FN FNX-9, Beretta PX4, and three choices from CZ: the P-07, P-01, and 75D PCR.
I ruled out the FNX because it shares the same issues with its grip size and texture as my FNS.
The PX4 didn’t come in until later as a dark horse. It has a great reputation as a carry weapon, but the rotating barrel wouldn’t work if I ever wanted to suppress it.
The HKs have fantastic reputations for reliability, but not so great for tunability when it comes to tinkering.
The CZs all have great reputations, though not as “solid” as HK. But I couldn’t find the P01 or PCR in stock anywhere. I would have waited on them if it weren’t for my range having a P07 for rent. I checked it out for an hour, and found it immensely shootable. The double action was light and smooth, and the single action was crisp and predictable.
When I came across a great deal on one a few days later, I was sold.
CZ P07 First Impressions
My P07 came well packaged in a black hard sided case. It included three backstraps, with the smallest already mounted on the pistol.
The case also included two 15 round magazines. I noticed that the included mags had orange followers, unlike a lot of the pictures I’d seen in the past. It turns out that the P07 and P10c share the same magazine, which is a bonus.
However, the old-style P07 mags will not fit into a P10c. I would guess that CZ will phase out the dedicated P07 magazine in favor of the more universal option.
There was, of course, the included manual and warranty cards. There is also a printout showing the target impacts used when zeroing the sights.
Fit & Finish
The machining on the CZ P07 is very nice. In fact, I cannot find any machining marks inside the slide at all, which is more than I can say for my FNS.
Also, the metal portions of the CZ P07 are downright beefy. The slide and barrel appear thick and strong. I would bet they last a long long time.
The slide is a deep flat black, the result of a high-quality nitrided finish. After a year of use, I’m seeing a little bit of wear on the barrel itself, but still less than what I see on my well-used Beretta.
The pistol feels good in the hand, though nowhere near as good as a CZ-75.
CZ P07 Trigger
Given how much I was impressed by the one that I rented, I was excited to pull my very own P07 out of the box and test the trigger. It left me a little disappointed.
It did not feel at all like the one I rented two weeks before.
The double action was heavier, with lots of grit. The single action, while light, did not feel as distinct as the one I rented. It felt a little more like a rolling break than a predictable wall like I’ve come to expect from my Beretta.
This wasn’t really a surprise, though.
I did my homework ahead of time and already knew that it takes a few hundred rounds to “wear in” the stamped steel components of the CZ trigger. The one I rented at the range has thousands and thousands of rounds on it.
Parts and smithing services are available that dramatically improve the feel of the trigger, and they are less than half the cost of sending my Beretta off to Wilson Combat.
Putting those concerns aside, I mounted my MantisX to the pic rail and started squeezing off shots in dry fire mode.
The MantisX, if you don’t know, use accelerometers to measure movement of the pistol before, during, and after the trigger squeeze and then provides feedback. It’s a useful training tool when I can’t be at a range to see an actual score on paper. To my surprise, I was averaging 94 points on each trigger pull- including double action. That was out of the box. To compare, that is about the same average I generate in single action on my Beretta that I’ve been shooting for years. My double action scores hover around 90.
In short, despite the my initial impressions on the trigger, my actual performance with it seems to be pretty darn good.
Trigger Weight
For the record, I’ve recorded three consistent trigger pull weights.
When the hammer is all the way down, as in you pull the trigger and the hammer falls without the weapon cycling, the double action is 12 lbs.
At “half cock” after using the decocker, the trigger pull is 9 lbs. This is where my pistol sits while I carry it or when its in my bedside safe
In single action mode, the trigger is just over 3 lbs.
In some of the other long term reviews I’ve seen with 10,000+ rounds, the trigger weights continue to drop down down to 6 lbs and 2 lbs.
Slide Geometry, Frame, & Texture
One of of the signature features of a CZ pistol is that the slide rides inside of the frame. The legendary accuracy and recoil characteristics of CZs are at least partly attributed to this arrangement.
Because of this, the P07’s slide is not very tall at all and doesn’t leave much real estate to grab. To help, CZ has machined very nice serrations both at both the front and rear of the slide. While playing with it, I thought it would be more difficult to manipulate. But, in use, I haven’t had any problems with racking or quickly clearing induced malfunctions.
The frame of the pistol is well stippled. The front of the grip feels more like traditional checkering, while the sides feel closer to skateboard grip tape. It’s less aggressive than the M&P 2.0 texture, for sure.
There are also stippled portions on each side above the trigger guard. These are great indexing and resting the trigger finger.
Some folks complain about the grip’s side panels being irritating after long periods of carry. After carrying it for a year, I agree that it’s certainly a little uncomfortable against bare skin, but not nearly as bad as the texture on my FNS.
Decocker/Safety
Out of the box, the CZ P07 has a decocker installed. It’s an ambidextrous low-profile polymer lever mounted to the frame. To be honest, I didn’t like the way this looked when I first saw it. It’s downright utilitarian, though. The levers are nice and out of the way when I don’t need them and there’s a minimal snag hazard risk.
CZ also included a safety lever that you can swap out on your own. This turns the pistol in a cocked-and-locked for carry format.
The same low shape that I think works well as a decocker doesn’t work as nicely as a safety. I would rather the safety lever be a little more sculpted for that purpose.
Sights
CZ included a set of night sights out of the box. But this aren’t the same tritium-powered night sights you’ve come to expect when you hear the phrase.
Instead, these sights are treated with with luminescent paint that glows in the dark after light exposure. Just a few seconds from a bright flashlight is all it takes to have them glow for hours. It works, but I really do think this feels like a bit of a “cheap out” option.
I suppose it makes sense if CZ is trying to target a specific price point. As with Glocks, I suspect replacing the sights of the P07 is a common aftermarket task.
The P07’s First 100 Rounds
At the soonest opportunity, I took the P07 out to the range. It was the same range, and even the same lane, that I had rented one before.
The first 15-round magazine was all from single action, the second all double action.
The first few shots were right through the 10 ring at 7 yards. To my great surprise, the double action shots were even more accurate on average than my single action shots.
While the final target was nothing to write home about, I will say that no other pistol has performed that well for me right out of the box.
That one little guy up at the top right was from losing focus during a double action shot, so don’t hold it against the gun.
Next, I took an Appleseed 100 meter target and stuck it out at 25 yards to see what I could do. It wasn’t impressive by any means, but all shots did land on the target. I then brought it back to 10 yards and finished off the first box of ammo, chewing out the middle of the target in the process.
To round out the first session, I took a crack at dot torture. The pistol did well, though I need to spend more time on with the double action.
By the conclusion of the first 100-round range session, the trigger was already smoothing out.
One Year Later
So here we are. As of this writing, it’s been 14 months since those first 100 rounds. How do I feel about it now?
My thoughts haven’t changed that much. It’s a really good all-around pistol. It conceals well, provided you are comfortable concealing a Glock 19-sized weapon, but also doesn’t look out of place riding in a duty holster, either.
I have not kept track of round count or dry fires to this point, but I would estimate 2000 squeezes of the trigger between live and dry fire.
The trigger continues to smooth out, and I’m sure it will keep doing so with time.
Malfunctions
I did have two malfunctions during a single range session early on. To be honest, I didn’t investigate them any further than a tap-rack drill. Both malfunctions were from the same box of generic ammunition my range sells for too high a price.
I’ve had zero malfunctions in the 12 months since then using known quality ammunition.
UPDATE – Cajun Gun Works
In the first version of this article, I laid out some of the plans for modification. These included new fiber optic sights from Dawson Precision and a tune-up from Cajun Gun Works. I sent the pistol of to CGW in November 2019 and got it back in Februrary 2020.
The work included:
- CGW Pro Package
- Blacked out rear sight
- Fiber optic Dawson front sight
- The “Old Style” metal 85 trigger adapted to the Omega system
The new pull weights are a consistent 7 lbs double action and 3.5 lbs single action. There is now a distinct “wall” on the single action that makes for a very nice feeling experience. My results on the MantisX bear this out.
I’m very happy with the CGW’s work so far, so look out for another review.
I still want to have the slide milled for a miniature red dot, but haven’t settled on which one yet.
I am aware that the trigger return spring is a known weak point on this pistol, and folks expect to replace them every 10,000 trigger pulls. Cajun Gun Works makes their own higher quality version reported to be much better, and has gone past 70,000 cycles in some cases.
Conclusions
With all of this said, would I suggest you buy a P07 for yourself? As of this writing, I have zero plans to replace this gun as my “one pistol.” It’s served me very well , and I think it’s only getting better with time.
So do I think this pistol is right for you?
Well, that depends. The biggest drawback to the CZ P07 is the aftermarket support for things like sights, holsters, and replacement parts. It doesn’t have nearly the options that you get with a Glock, HK, S&W, or Sig pistol. To be fair, it’s significantly better than it was a while ago. Word is spreading, but it’s still not on the same level.
The primary reason you would be looking at this pistol is if you’re in the market for a very durable DA/SA polymer 9mm for hard use. Given its Glock-19 size, it works really well for that role.
But so do two other pistols worth your attention: the Beretta PX4 Compact and HK P30. Both have their quirks that may or may not work for you, such as the slightly taller height of the P30 or the slide-mounted decocker/safety of the PX4, but they are both quality options.
At the end of the day, you really need go out and test what works for you.
Recommendation
The CZ really shines when you want to tinker. It’s simple enough to disassemble, and there is a bit of a cult following of people very knowledgeable about improving CZ pistols.
So, the bottom line: The CZ P07 is a great duty pistol for real life, and if you’re in the market for a DA/SA polymer gun, it’s worth taking a look at. On paper, though, it loses out to a lot of other common quality pistols like Glock, Sig, and S&W. It’s really going to come down to how it fits and performs for you.
Great review! I’ve been thinking of getting the CZ P07 for many of the same reasons you outline. As my duty gun I carried a Sig P220 in .45 and love it, but it is bulky for concealed carry. I’ve shot Glock a lot, but also don’t like the grip angle or trigger feel. I have a couple other guns I want to look at and feel I need to give striker-fired a fair shake, but the CZ P07 is one of my top two choices if I were buying today.
Thanks for the article!
Eric, thanks for coming by and commenting. I’m glad you liked the review! The P07 is definitely a worthy contender, and I’m very happy with mine.
Don’t count out the Holosun 507c as a possible slide optic. Some very knowledgable people are having fantastic results, comparable to RMRs. Plus, if you do get a lemon, your gun will already be milled for an RMR/SRO.
Yeah, I’ve been seeing Holosun pop up as a popular option among people who know things. I’d be willing to test one out, but of course I need a slide milled first.
You don’t need to mill your slide anymore. You can get the meprolight micro rds that comes with tritium night sights as backups in case of battery failure but the micro rds mounts to the rear sight with a quick connect and it looks awesome. I saw it on midway.
I’m putting a holosun 407k I think it gives the gun a detter look
Which duty and carry holster did you decide on for the P-07?
Hi Rafael, thanks for coming by! For a carry holster, I’ve been very happy with my Vedder Lighttuck. I reviewed it here: https://www.everydaymarksman.co/equipment/vedder-light-tuck/
For a duty holster, as seen on the battle belt above, I use a KT-Mech Akela. It seems to work well enough, but I need more time with it to really get a sense of if I like it or not. I also have two nylon holsters that it goes into occasionally. One is a modular holster from Tactical Tailor, which is mounted to one of my LBE rigs. The other is an old HSGI drop leg holster that also works well if you need a drop leg design, but they don’t make it anymore.
Matt, yours is a great report for P07. It makes me love more and accurize and smooth mines. I have both P07 in .380 ACP and ,22L.R. (Kadet pistol) this last one is my first and beloved one of CZ brand, so i started with it to do the internals polishing before doing the MCARBO springs kit further. Thank you a lot.
Jose, thanks for coming by and commenting! I really do enjoy my P07 as well, and plan to get it worked on as soon as I can. I also really want a CZ 75D PCR, too.
Did you look at the SIG SP2022? Very good, underrated polymer DA/SA pistol.
Hi Roy, thanks for dropping by! The SP2022 is indeed a very nice and criminally underrated pistol. I’ve only handled them a few times. To be honest, it didn’t occur to me as part of the buying process for this one because I was (and continue to be) on a bit of a CZ kick.
Sig does have my attention, though, and I plan on picking up something in the near future.
The reason CZ uses the phosphorescent sights, as I understand it, is due to import and export restrictions on tritium. The OD Green P07 comes with tritium sights; I assume that modification is done at their Kansas City, Kansas facility.
I obtained an OD Green P07 a little while back, after renting both a P07 and a P10C at a range. P07 won for me, hands down.
Specs can be a bit misleading. The width is across the decockers. The actual slide width is much closer to that of the Glock 19.
Harry’s Holsters makes a good AIWB. I have found AIWB works well for me; but when using AIWB, I really prefer a hammer fired pistol, so my thumb can ride the hammer while holstering.
The import/export restrictions makes sense regarding the sights. It’s not something I’m all that concerned with, as lum-painted 3-dot sights is still more than most other companies provide with their non-tritium night sights.
It’s true that the width includes the decocker, which the striker pistols aren’t going to have and therefore seem narrower. The pistol still handles more in line with others, but the extra width could become apparent during carry. I’ll be sure to add your points on the next revision, when I have my P07 back from CGW 🙂
I’m right there with you regarding hammers and AIWB carry.
I had a P-07 for a while and eventually sold it as something else caught my eye. And then, within 6 mos. I really regretted it and bought another P-07 OD. The trigger out of the box on this second P-07 was much better than the first one I owned, but I still did the standard takedown and polishing, along with installing a #15 hammer spring, reduced power TRS, and DA roller bushing from Cajun Gun Works. 700 rounds later, the trigger is really good – not match grade, but a heck of a lot better than the average duty gun. I also put a Night Fision orange front sight on it.
I shoot that P-07 as well as anything, incl. my two other all-metal CZs (SP-01 & PCR). And I shoot it a lot better than other pistols I’ve owned that cost twice as much. In fact, it’s hard for me to want to shoot much else anymore – CZs have really spoiled me.
It’s funny how often I hear that story. A lot of folks seemed to have bought it, liked it, sold it for something else, regretted it, and then bought another one. I really do shoot the P07 well, and I have a hard time justifying buying another 9mm right now “just because.”
I’m jealous of your PCR, though, I’d love to get a hold of one.
Man, that PCR was a unicorn hunt for me. I was bound and determined to find one in the flesh and check it out first, and not order one sight unseen. Couldn’t believe it when my LGS got one in. It’s everything you’ve heard.
Had both but much preferred the P07 over the PCR. That being said I also have the CZ75 P01. Has a rail and I shoot it better than PCR! But that’s just me.
Hey Jerry, thanks for commenting! Why the preference for the P07?
I bought my CZ P07 a couple years ago . I’ve owned many different pistols and know what works for me . It’s my second CZ . I bought a P-10c when that first came out . Prefer DA/SA for a carry or vehicle weapon . Really good gun . Many things to like . Went “all in “and got CGW rebuild kit , Night Fision sights and steel guide rod . One thing I must say is a green laser on a light / laser combo has reduced my group size . More so than any other accessory . Streamlight TLR 8 G fits gun perfect .
Good to know the laser helped! I’m interested in milling for a MRDS at some point. I use a TLR7 for a light and it’s a beautiful fit.
My main gripe w/ P07s (actually, all CZ polymers) is that they take different mags than cz75 series, including the P01. Now, polymers are a little higher capacity than CZ75 mags, but similar capacity CZ75 mags can be found, albeit a little longer. Secondary gripe is polymer frames have unknown long-term durability, especially if subjected to heat, UV, ozone, shooting stresses, etc — and polymer is hard to repair… Separately, the only P01 I’d consider buying that doesn’t use a similar Omega system to the P07 would the the ODG NATO/NSN marked gun for collectible reasons. Omega system has compromises, but if you want a decocker, it’s where you need to be. Point being, I do like the Omega on the P07. I have two SP2022’s, and CZs are most definitely a better and more gun at roughly the same MSRP, about $150 real world price difference ($500 vs $650 respectively) — and I think SP2022s are in the process of being phased out by Sig, so unknown long-term support. Case-in-point of the value difference — I’ve wanted a FDE SP2022 for awhile now, but at the $550 to $650 those are going for (and those FDE guns have most definitely been discontinued at this point), there’s simply no way I can justify it over a P01 Omega in the Urban Dark Earth that can be had for $625-$700. Now SP2022s are an excellent value FOR A SIG, but I find that the trigger is a little shorter distance from… Read more »
Great article! I had the gen 1 P07 and now the gen 2. I am currently putting together a battle belt for defensive carbine classes. What holster did you settle on for the belt?
Hi Phillip, thanks for commenting. I have a KT-Mech Akela mounted to a Tek-Lok so I can move it from my battle belt to duty belt as needed. That’s the main one, at least. i also have a Tactical Tailor modular holster that works well for another setup as well as my Vedder Light Tuck for CCW.
So far these guys have taken over a week to send me a fed ex sticker let me guess 6 weeks to get it back I have a po7 newer model it sucks still waiting on a sticker. I dare you to shoot against a g45 9mm you’ll lose stop fronting liars
Hi Brad, from who are you waiting on for a FedEx sticker?
Awesome review! Not sure if you have already learned, but the p07 accepts CZ 75 mags. I have a pair of Jericho’s and a p07 and they all use the same magazine pattern. Also, the 15rnd mags that come with the pistol will hold 16 rounds. Been doing it for 2 years now and haven’t had any issues with feeding or anything else. Anyway, glad I found the article and I’ll definitely be checking out the rest of your website!
Thanks for reading! I’d heard that the CZ75 mags would fit, but with a little bit of play in the magazine. There were a few changes when going from Gen 1 to Gen 2 P07, and one of those made fitting 16 rounds in the 15-round mag a lot more difficult (if not impossible). Of course, I could be wrong and perhaps it still works with the P07 mags, but I’ve been using P10c mags.
The Po7 was discontinued in 2018…they dont even hake magazines for them amymore.
I was surprised by your comment so I had to look into it. The P07 in 9mm (as I reviewed here) is still very much in production,
https://cz-usa.com/product/cz-p-07-9mm-black-polymer-interchangeable-back-straps-15-rd-mags/
However, it does look like they discontinued the .40 S&W model in 2018. They may have stopped producing P07-specific magazines, but that is somewhat irrelevant since it works perfectly well with P10c magazines, which is what CZ even included in the box with mine.
I own a CZ-75 myself and can only say that it are good pistols
C7 P0 7 lags behind is a misleading statement considering the fact that it beasts most of it’s competition in major gun categories owners expect and want.
seems like u have an obvious though subtle reason to write about it as you did. btw you’re the only gun reviewer i have seen to do so. hmm
Hi there, I appreciate the comment but not the veiled implication that I’ve got an agenda. I said it’s a great option right in the bottom line, and the P07 still my daily EDC and go-to pistol. I don’t know what you consider “major gun categories owners expect and want,” but my experience is it is highly dependent on what the user wants out of it.
For a concealable duty pistol, such as this one, that is a combination of reliability, size, weight, and capacity. There’s no getting around the fact that the P07 is larger and heavier than the average for its class. It also has a known weak point with the trigger return spring. In general, CZ is not known for being dry-fire friendly without some simple modifications like rubber o-rings.
To me, those are clear lagging elements, but they don’t bother me enough to not carry it.
This is simply how I do reviews, as honestly as I can with pros and cons.
I always take firearm advice from people that cant even spell tanfoglio correctly…..lmao what is tangfolio?
You got me. Have a nice day.
Really liked the in-depth review! Many reviews I find don’t provide the detail I am looking for, but this one definitely did. I was wondering why the SIG P229 wasn’t referenced as a competitor to the P-07 in this article, as they have the same action, caliber, and size? Was it the different material (metal vs polymer) or was it the price difference that kept it off the comparison list?
Hi Andrew, the P229 is certainly a fine pistol. My main reason for not including it is that I was focusing on similar polymer-framed 9mm pistols. I still have a soft spot for full-metal pistols like my Beretta, and fully plan on picking up a CZ P01 or PCR someday even though it fills the same niche.
Thanks for the review. I’m curious what you use for the daily carry holster, and where you carry it? It’s on the beefy side for a daily carry, I’d love to have some advice if someone’s found ‘the right way’ to carry it.
THANKS!
Actually, please reply to this comment as I accidentally disabled the ‘reply notifications’ on the previous.
Hi Steve, I typically carry AIWB using a Vedder Light Tuck (I wrote a review on it) or an ANR Design light bearing holster. I have not written a review on that one yet. Whether I use one or the other depends on how I feel about having a light on the pistol that day.
Try carrying it in a belly band I carry czpo7 fnx40 cz75 px4 9+19 and a sig 320 45acp all fits well.
I came to your review through a web search on trigger pull weights of the P07, looking for the numbers after I already have one. I shot some Ruger .22LR pistols in high school ROTC (back when they used ammo that went *BANG*), but had led a life such that I didn’t feel I needed a handgun enough to invest in one. Over the last several years, however, life events have convinced me that having, and knowing how to use, a pistol is worth the time and energy and money. I started by handling some products on offer at a local gun shop, and found the CZ P10F fit my hand well. It’s not a good CCW piece, however, so a P10S found its way into my safe. That one could stand to be a tad bit longer in the grip for better results (remember that the -F fit my hand well), so a P10C eventually became the EDC piece. But, while the -C and -S were jockeying for the title, I happened upon a P07 at what seemed a reasonable price, during a day when some overtime wages were burning a hole in my pocket. The “N+1” bug bit, and since I had read a bit more about the DA/SA modes, I was interested in trying to shoot this model. None were available for rent, but having shot a few boxes of bullets through a Sig P365XL and a couple of M&P variants, and being a little spoiled on… Read more »
Matt , I’ve had both ‘series’ of P07 . . I got my first Duty in 2008 . It had the bulge on the frame , but the worst was you needed a come-a-long to yard out the clip . I called CZ USA and told them I wasn’t the original purchaser but I had these issues . So they say send it in we’ll take a look . In about 6 weeks I get a tracking eMail from them that the ‘Duty’ was on it’s way back . That also had an invoice amount of $0 due . I get it , open it and , ummm CZ made a mistake . There’s a brand new P07/clips the whole thing .
So above a quality pistol I would rate CZ USA #5 on customer service /support . Way over and above what I could ever imagine .
Still working out for you??
Hey David, it is indeed. I still carry the P07, though more often when I want to have a weapon light. I have since also picked up a CZ 75D PCR that I also carry a lot.
Looking for new carry. Must be metal frame, hammer fire, DA/SA 9mm. Plusses would be red dot ready and threaded barrel.
Optics ready out of the box?
Your best bet is probably the Sig 229 Elite optics ready, or the Beretta 92X Compact RDO.
There aren’t many metal framed DA/SA carry guns on the market to begin with, and then going optics ready narrows it down even more. The next option is something like a CZ P01 and then having the slide milled.
Thanks for the reply. My first pick is the CZ p-01 then the Sig 229 I didn’t even give the Beretta 92X a thought. This is what I’m looking for more ideas, thanks again for the help.
My main go-to carry gun these days is a CZ 75D PCR. Very similar to the P01 but without the rail. I’m a huge fan. The P01 would lend itself better to optic milling, though. As far as the Beretta 92X, It’s a great pistol but to be honest I’ve never liked how it looks to mount optics on it. The flow of the lines just bothers me. The P229 Elite is probably the best option for a factory optics ready gun, otherwise the P01 would be a fantastic project piece.