The CZ P-07 is a compact DA/SA pistol known for its concealability, fiberglass polymer frame, and high accuracy. It was introduced by the reputed CZ family in 2009. Learning from its issues then, the CZ came up with an improved version in 2014.
Following are the specifications of the CZ P-07 9mm:
- Length: 7.2”
- Height: 5.3”
- Width: 1.46”
- Barrel: 3.75” Cold Hammer Forged
- Sights: 3-dot
- Chambering: 9x19mm
- Trigger: DA/SA – 7-12 lbs. / 3-5 lbs.
- Weight: 27.7 oz.
- Finish: Black Nitride
- Safety: Interchangeable Ambidextrous, Decocker/Manual Safety, Safety Stop on Hammer, Firing Pin Block Safety
- Capacity: 15+1
- MSRP: $510 – $524
The CZ P-07 is considered to be one of the least expensive handguns CZ offers. However, there are some problems that users usually encounter with this pistol, which, if fixed, this pistol is an excellent choice.
Problems
- Internal slide rail – thinner slide, hence, narrow area to grab
- Trigger – unfelt, unpredictable wall, fairly long reset
- Trigger return spring – trigger often gets stuck
- Muzzle Flip – slightly more muzzle flip than usual; affects accuracy
- Slide Lock – Quite large and extremely forward sitting; hard to drop down and grip issues
- Firing pin – gets deformed on dry firing
Solutions
- Internal Slide rail – making use of its sharp and positive serrations provided at both front and rear of the slide
- Trigger – replacing it with a suitable trigger that has got a predictable wall and a short reset
- Trigger return spring – replacing it every 10,000 rounds, or replacing it with a higher quality version with long term durability
- Muzzle flip – firm and tight grip; using less powerful cartridges; using devices like muzzle breaks, suppressors, and recoil compensator
- Slide lock – Improve hand position and use serrations for better grip to pull back the slide.
- Firing pin – using snap caps or dummy rounds; pin’s timely check (after 300-400 rounds
Internal Slide Rail
One of the most talked-about downsides of CZ P-07 is that it uses internal slide rails to mount the slide, i.e., the slide rides inside the frame rail. While it is sometimes argued to be better in terms of accuracy and recoil, it has an annoying disadvantage over the external slide rails.
Problem: Due to the internal rails, the slide is so shallow that it gives a very narrow area to grab it. It makes racking quite difficult, especially for those with beefy hands.
Solution: Since it is more of a manufacturing feature, one cannot do away with it completely. However, the gun comes with quite decent serrations at both the front and rear of the slide. The front ones are even inclined at an angle and spread over a longer stretch. These sharp and positive serrations provide a good hold on the slide.
Trigger
While it may suit some, most people find the trigger of this CZ to be disappointing.
Problem: One of the main issues with this gun is that just like the CZ P-09, there is no predictable wall, and it feels more like a rolling break. If you pull its trigger, you will find that it goes to a certain point – it stops – and then it has a little bit more pull, and then it breaks, but it feels mushy, and it is difficult to predict that stop.
Another problem with the trigger is that it has a fairly long reset. It resets well in front of where the wall will be in the single-action trigger. So, one has to have a lot of light, spongy take up before he/she feels what kind of feels like a wall, and then it feels creepy before hitting the unpredictable rolling break again.
Lastly, its double action is quite heavy, with lots of grit. But to be frank, this issue is quite insignificant compared to previous ones.
Solution: A one-step solution to these would be to look for any other suitable trigger (that has got a distinct “wall”, a short reset, and comfort in shooting with) and get it adapted to the Omega system of the gun. (Tip: the “Old Style” metal 85 trigger could be a choice.)
Trigger Return Spring
Problem: Trigger return spring is another weak point on this pistol. Its trigger gets stuck more often and does not return smoothly, which is not only irritating but can also prove fatal in a life-threatening situation.
Solution: While one option could be replacing it every 10,000 pulls (after which it does not work efficiently), one can also go for its replacement with a higher quality version, some of which are much better and even go past 70,000 cycles.
Muzzle Flip
The tendency of the barrel of a gun to rise up after firing is called muzzle rise or muzzle flip. The reason for this phenomenon is that, usually, the bore axis of a gun is above its center of mass, while the contact points between the shooter and the gun (grips or stock) are below it.
Hence, when the gun is fired, a rotational couple gets created by the backward recoil along the bore axis and the countering forward push from the shooter’s hands and body. This exerts a torque around the center of mass and the muzzle gets elevated.
The CZ P-07 has a slightly more muzzle flip than usual.
Problem: Muzzle flip has an adverse effect on maintaining accuracy as a moving muzzle can throw off the shooter’s aim, causing subsequent shots to miss the intended target, especially while firing in quick succession.
Solutions:
- Having a firm and tight grip and reducing the distance between the barrel and contact points,
- Lowering the recoil by using devices such as muzzle breaks (which vector away a part of the recoil) or suppressors (which slow down the escaping propellant gas, resulting in lesser recoil),
- Using less powerful cartridges if one can, or
- Using a recoil compensator, or a ported barrel, or other asymmetric muzzle fixtures that exert a downward (reactional) force on the muzzle by vectoring some of the escaping propellant gas upwards.
Slide Stop
Like other semi-automatic guns, the CZ P-07 also uses a slide stop or a “slide lock”, which is placed as a small lever on the side of the pistol. After dropping the lever, it locks the slide to the rear after the last round in the pistol’s magazine is fired.
Problem: The issue with this pistol is that due to its extreme forward sitting and the lock being quite large, it is difficult to drop the lever using the thumb, as is the case with other pistols.
Since one needs to simultaneously hold the slide to the rear while dropping down this oversized lock, it requires strong muscle power which causes fatigue to the user. Further, due to the sitting of the decocker in front of the slide lock, it becomes very difficult to access this lock from the thumb without losing the grip over the pistol. For a left-hand user, dropping this slide lock can be extremely tedious if it is a right-hand pistol, i.e., the slide lock is on the left side.
Solution: Though this lock can be an issue, it can be easily overcome by improving upon our hand placements on the gun. At first, the web of the shooting hand should be as high as it can be on the backstrap of the gun. Further, the shooting-hand thumb should be straight and tight on the slide stop of the firearm.
Then, the supporting hand must be put firmly on the slide and serrations should be used for maintaining a solid grip. After pulling the slide backward while dropping down the lock with the thumb, the slide will be rear backward. A left-hand user can use its trigger finger in place of the thumb to drop down this lever.
Firing Pin
The firing pin is a small metal rod that exerts a force on the primer to ignite the cartridge when the trigger is pulled.
Problem: In this pistol, it is observed that after dry firing, its firing pin or the retaining pin is seriously deformed. Since dry firing involves shooting without any cartridge, the pistol’s firing pin, which is exclusively designed to strike the primer of the cartridge, does not serve its actual function (hitting the primer) and hits the shoulder of the chamber wall that breaks it.
Due to this, whenever the shooter will resume normal shooting, that is, with the cartridges in place, it may misbehave and there are high chances that the firearm is not discharged when the trigger is pulled (in other words, the firing pin may fail to engage the primer). This firing pin may also get deformed in normal shooting after 300-400 rounds in this pistol.
Solutions: For dry firing, the prepper can use the snap caps or the dummy rounds to avoid damaging the firing pin. These snap caps are faux cartridges that are made up of a real casing but rubber primer and do not contain dangerous components, that is, the propellant and the powder.
Similarly, dummy rounds – loaded in the chamber through the magazine – are made up of plastics, and thus serve the purpose. These are instrumental in protecting the firing pin while going for dry firing and protecting the firing pin.
Secondly, every prepper must make timely checks of its firing pin after 300-400 rounds and replace it with a new pin.
Final Thoughts
Every pistol has its ups and downs. Although the CZ P-07 does have some pesky features, it is possible to fix and prevent them. So, if one likes hammer-fired pistols with a polymer frame, then one can go for it and reap its utmost benefits by incorporating the above-discussed measures.
