Talk about a love hate relationship. I have had more fun with this CZ75 Compact CZ 75 Compact | CZ-USA (cz-usa.com) and can not seem to put it down for long. I do not like the fact that it comes from another country but it’s earned a place in my lineup. When I started messing around with CZ’s all I could think of is cold potato soup and stale bread from an earlier day in Czechoslovakia. This compact is all steel which really helps with recovery and recoil for the 9MM. This 34 0z package of a pistol carries well for me. Most 9mm compact companies don’t know how to sell anything except aluminum or plastic. That of course is what we get when the gun is carried more than it is shot. A trade off of comfort versus shootability.
I believe this CZ design is as timeless and right up there with some of our best American platforms. It has been copied by many throughout the world. The gun just plain works and for many thousands of rounds. The inverted slide to frame fit is a bonus that Smith and Wesson should have done on their 39 series. The Berretta or the Browning HP does not come close to the CZ in my opinion for ergonomics, durability, reliability and accuracy. I use this gun in CCP division in IDPA and carry it on occasion. It is dead on accurate and as reliable as your Cable bill going up.
This particular Compact CZ carries a Dawson set of sights CZ Dawson Fixed Sets Competition Black Fiber Optic Tritium Rear Front Gun Best (dawsonprecision.com). I am not of fan of Fiber Optics for Street carry but I keep a good eye on maintenance for this piece when I carry it. I also installed an extended mag release 32ES Extended Magazine Release - Cajun Gun Works as I have such small hands, the stock one requires too much gun manipulation to drop the mag. 2 things I would like to do to this gun is have the frontstrap checkered and the spur removed from the front of the trigger guard. I am not one who places a finger over the front of the trigger guard for shooting.
Many find fault with a double action first shot and then a change to single action. Not me. I grew up on revolvers and this thing fits my fancy just right for a first shot. One has to really want to fire that first shot and that’s what a street gun should be. A trigger that is deliberate. Now perhaps in USPSA I am a few milliseconds slower to the first shot than say my 1911’s but this gun will hold it’s own in USPSA Production Division or IDPA CCP Division.
The 15 round mags are easy to load and that’s important cause I do not use a mag loader. This is the highest capacity handgun that I own. Back in the day when I ran Open Class with Tangfos with 21 round big sticks and such I never would have thought I would downsize in handgun mag capacity. Now, I would be first in line to buy a Single Stack CZ in all steel trimmed to a sleek skinny package.
I raced SP01’s, Shadows. And Shadow 2’s for thousands of rounds. All great guns. All comfortable to shoot. All very reliable and accurate. But since I have been there and done that, this Compact will fill the bill for me. I find no need for the added magwell for CZ’s in my application. Mag changes are fast and efficient so there is no need to add the bulk.
Ran it through a few stages today outside at the range and she purred like a kitten. Had the place all to myself. After I was done with the stage I noticed some orange clay chips in the backstop so I did some one handed busting from about 20 yards. They disappeared quite nicely. Did I mention this gun will not jam no matter what I feed it?
I can run Wilson’s 5X5 in under 22 seconds with leather gear. A little faster with the Red Hill holster. Welcome to Red Hill Tactical - Custom Holsters One at a Time. I should point out that this CZ is select fire as well. You can start cocked and locked or first round double action. The black plastic grips that come with this gun have a small swell and are in fact very ergonomic. However, I replaced them with LOK Grips CZ Gun Grips | LOK Grips as I like a little more aggressive surface. I can’t complain about the plastic grips as the price point on this pistol is very reasonable. If it were a custom gun like a Wilson 1911 then I would not care for the plastic followers in his magazines. Small thing but it is important to me when I am spending that kind of money.
This gun is fantastic for weak hand shooting as well. It stabilizes far better than a lighter weight gun for me like the Glock, M&P and other lightweight or poly guns. If you are old enough to own a gun, then it is already too late for you to get too much practice shooting with one hand or weak hand exercises. Just sayin. One hand or weakhand stages usually pave the way for my better scores at matches than most. This small CZ does so well, all I have to do is hang on.
This gun breaks down for cleaning very easy and goes back together nice. You do not have to hold your tongue just right or shoot a hole in your hand. Now once in awhile my range brass fatigues and splits on the handloading bench. In inspection, I transfer those to a small collection baggie. While it is not very often one slips into my good stuff or splits at the time of fire. It appears the CZ has a supported chamber and good steel so this gun is not going to come apart on me with fatigued brass if one slips through.
The mill work you get on a CZ is a bonus. A flattened and serrated sight rib on top of the slide, cocking serrations work as designed and safeties, levers, and action have all been consistent on every CZ I have played with. Did I mention accurate? This gun prints less than 3 inches at 25 yards from a rest. I will not own a handgun that will not do at least that. The barrel cleans up with a few patches of Butchs Bore Shine. Butch’s Bore Shine | Butch’s Products (lymanproducts.com)
This gun has an OAL of 7 inches and stands 5 inches high. A package of power if you will combined with the dynamic loads available in 9MM Ultimate Defense Compact Handgun Loads | Remington makes this a gun that I hate to love.
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I believe this CZ design is as timeless and right up there with some of our best American platforms. It has been copied by many throughout the world. The gun just plain works and for many thousands of rounds. The inverted slide to frame fit is a bonus that Smith and Wesson should have done on their 39 series. The Berretta or the Browning HP does not come close to the CZ in my opinion for ergonomics, durability, reliability and accuracy. I use this gun in CCP division in IDPA and carry it on occasion. It is dead on accurate and as reliable as your Cable bill going up.
This particular Compact CZ carries a Dawson set of sights CZ Dawson Fixed Sets Competition Black Fiber Optic Tritium Rear Front Gun Best (dawsonprecision.com). I am not of fan of Fiber Optics for Street carry but I keep a good eye on maintenance for this piece when I carry it. I also installed an extended mag release 32ES Extended Magazine Release - Cajun Gun Works as I have such small hands, the stock one requires too much gun manipulation to drop the mag. 2 things I would like to do to this gun is have the frontstrap checkered and the spur removed from the front of the trigger guard. I am not one who places a finger over the front of the trigger guard for shooting.
Many find fault with a double action first shot and then a change to single action. Not me. I grew up on revolvers and this thing fits my fancy just right for a first shot. One has to really want to fire that first shot and that’s what a street gun should be. A trigger that is deliberate. Now perhaps in USPSA I am a few milliseconds slower to the first shot than say my 1911’s but this gun will hold it’s own in USPSA Production Division or IDPA CCP Division.
The 15 round mags are easy to load and that’s important cause I do not use a mag loader. This is the highest capacity handgun that I own. Back in the day when I ran Open Class with Tangfos with 21 round big sticks and such I never would have thought I would downsize in handgun mag capacity. Now, I would be first in line to buy a Single Stack CZ in all steel trimmed to a sleek skinny package.
I raced SP01’s, Shadows. And Shadow 2’s for thousands of rounds. All great guns. All comfortable to shoot. All very reliable and accurate. But since I have been there and done that, this Compact will fill the bill for me. I find no need for the added magwell for CZ’s in my application. Mag changes are fast and efficient so there is no need to add the bulk.
Ran it through a few stages today outside at the range and she purred like a kitten. Had the place all to myself. After I was done with the stage I noticed some orange clay chips in the backstop so I did some one handed busting from about 20 yards. They disappeared quite nicely. Did I mention this gun will not jam no matter what I feed it?
I can run Wilson’s 5X5 in under 22 seconds with leather gear. A little faster with the Red Hill holster. Welcome to Red Hill Tactical - Custom Holsters One at a Time. I should point out that this CZ is select fire as well. You can start cocked and locked or first round double action. The black plastic grips that come with this gun have a small swell and are in fact very ergonomic. However, I replaced them with LOK Grips CZ Gun Grips | LOK Grips as I like a little more aggressive surface. I can’t complain about the plastic grips as the price point on this pistol is very reasonable. If it were a custom gun like a Wilson 1911 then I would not care for the plastic followers in his magazines. Small thing but it is important to me when I am spending that kind of money.
This gun is fantastic for weak hand shooting as well. It stabilizes far better than a lighter weight gun for me like the Glock, M&P and other lightweight or poly guns. If you are old enough to own a gun, then it is already too late for you to get too much practice shooting with one hand or weak hand exercises. Just sayin. One hand or weakhand stages usually pave the way for my better scores at matches than most. This small CZ does so well, all I have to do is hang on.
This gun breaks down for cleaning very easy and goes back together nice. You do not have to hold your tongue just right or shoot a hole in your hand. Now once in awhile my range brass fatigues and splits on the handloading bench. In inspection, I transfer those to a small collection baggie. While it is not very often one slips into my good stuff or splits at the time of fire. It appears the CZ has a supported chamber and good steel so this gun is not going to come apart on me with fatigued brass if one slips through.
The mill work you get on a CZ is a bonus. A flattened and serrated sight rib on top of the slide, cocking serrations work as designed and safeties, levers, and action have all been consistent on every CZ I have played with. Did I mention accurate? This gun prints less than 3 inches at 25 yards from a rest. I will not own a handgun that will not do at least that. The barrel cleans up with a few patches of Butchs Bore Shine. Butch’s Bore Shine | Butch’s Products (lymanproducts.com)
This gun has an OAL of 7 inches and stands 5 inches high. A package of power if you will combined with the dynamic loads available in 9MM Ultimate Defense Compact Handgun Loads | Remington makes this a gun that I hate to love.
View attachment 94014 View attachment 94015 View attachment 94016 View attachment 94017 View attachment 94018 View attachment 94019 View attachment 94020
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Original Thread Here
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/handguns/489173-cz-compact-75-review.html#post8516455
Original Thread Here
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/handguns/489173-cz-compact-75-review.html#post8516455
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