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CZ –P09, pushing past what a duty pistol is.

Ceska Zbrojovka is a firearms manufacture from the Czech Republic started in 1936. The plant was formed during the rise of the Third Reich so Czechoslovakia would have the means for production of defensive weapons. In 1991 CZ entered into the free market and in 1997 we got CZ-USA, based in Kansas City, Kansas, responsible for the importation and distribution of CZ products in the United States.

I will admit, I was not totally in the loop on what CZ had to offer until SHOT show 2014. I stopped in the booth with the intent to educate myself. After talking to a few of the guys and looking over their guns I was able to get a new CZ 75 B Omega sent to me as a test sample. After really wringing that pistol out and truthfully falling in love with it, CZ had another fan. You can read the review of the 75B Omega by following this link.

This year at SHOT I got by the CZ booth to see my friends and what they had brought this year. I really wanted to do another review for CZ  and they were good enough to let me choose, and though that was a hard choice I really wanted to try the P-09. While still a hammer gun, not striker fired, it has a glass fiber reinforced polymer receiver. What really caught my eye was it held nineteen rounds in a flush fit magazine and had an optional threaded barrel. CZ put my name on the list and it was not long before the P09 shipped.

I had a chance to look the pistol over just before we took it to the range.

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Left and right sides

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Close up of the right side of the ambidextrous de-cocker (or safety depending on how you choose to configured it)

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The Omega trigger broke clean at 4 pounds single action with some take up and little overtravel and at 12 pounds double action. Here you can also see texture on the receiver where a left handed shooter could index their thumbs.

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Full length Picatinny rail and forward cocking serrations.

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The grip area is also well textured. One thing I liked an awful lot was this duty pistol has a lanyard loop. I choose the largest grip insert of the 3 included for a custom fit.

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Left side ambidextrous de-cocker (or safety), the slide stop, textured area for a right handed shooter to index his thumbs, and the magazine release is pronounced and worked well.

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A defining characteristic of the CZ line of pistols where the slide is machined to fit inside of the receiver. This lowers the bore axis and helps reduce perceived recoil and adds controlability.

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The 3 dot sights. They are not night sights but photo-luminescent. A few seconds under light and they glow bright for quite a while

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The P-09 field strips easily by lining up the take down notches on the rear of the slide and receiver and pressing out the slide stop. The magazine base pad corner makes pushing out the slide stop easy.

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The other 2 backstraps that ship with the pistol as well as 2 magazines.

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The safety that ships with the pistol, to convert the de-cocker to a safety.

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Initial and second range trip

CZ P09 Accuracy

Accuracy as shot from 25 yards from a rest. Reload 1 is a cast lead bullet from Lyman mold at 19 Brinnell loaded with IMR 700X. Reload 4 is a 124gr JHP loaded with IMR 800X

Conclusions

This pistol has a lot going for it, light weight but controlable, large standard magazine capacity, accurate, full length Picatinny rail, and CZ reliability. I could see how it would appeal as a duty pistol, match gun, range gun, and/or home defense. It would serve well as all of those but with the Picatinny rail for a weapon mounted light and/or laser and large capacity standard magazine it really shines for home defense for me. It also works well if you have an over abundance of 9mm Luger ammunition and need to be rid of it in a hurry. Polymer receivers have gotten very popular over the past several years, and with good reason. Keeping weight down without sacrificing strength or reliability and I am glad to see CZ is doing it right.

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Specifications

Caliber (rate of twist) 9 mm Luger
Magazine Capacity 19
Trigger mechanism operation SA/DA
Frame polymer
Sights fixed
Overall length 8 inches
Barrel length 4.5 inches
Height 5.7 inches
Width 1.4 inches
Weight 1.77 pounds
Safety features hammer decocking
manual safety
hammer safety notch
firing pin block

MSRP: $577 as tested, $530 without the threaded barrel

Acknowledgments

CZ-USA

Hornady

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Hunter Elliott

I spent much of my youth involved with firearms and felt the call early on to the United States Marine Corps, following in my father's and his brother's footsteps. Just after high school I enlisted and felt most at home on the rifle range, where I qualified expert with several firearms and spent some time as a rifle coach to my fellow Marines. After being honorably discharged I continued teaching firearm safety, rifle and pistol marksmanship, and began teaching metallic cartridge reloading. In the late 1990s I became a life member to the National Rifle Association and worked with the Friends of the NRA. Around that time my father and I became involved with IDPA and competed together up until he passed away. I began reviewing firearms for publications in the mid 2000s and have been fortunate to make many friends in the industry. Continuing to improve my firearms skills and knowledge is a never ending journey in which we should all be committed. I am also credited as weapons master on a few independent films.

22 thoughts on “CZ P-09, pushing past what a duty pistol is.”
  1. Great review s always Hunter, well done. Swap out the mainspring for a 13# spring and the DA pull will drop noticeably.

    CZ’s are amazing pistols glad you discovered them, more Americans will I am sure. When are you going to wonder up here I got a 40# Salmon in the river with your name on it. Linda says hi.

    Take Care

    Bob

  2. Bob, I owe it to you for turning me onto CZ. I appreciate that for sure. I would love to take a trip and come see you all. I know it is beautiful where you live and I would be very cool to visit with you all.

  3. I have to admit to being a lover of the P-01/PCR but never bothering with the poly models. Your review will now make me take a closer look.

    1. Joe, thank you for the feedbackvbrother. It would be worth it to take a look at the polymer CZ pistols. Saves a lot of weight when every day carry. Keep me posted on what you find.

  4. Nicely done! I’ve spent the last three months researching pistols, calibers, etc. and the p09 9mm is where I landed for my next pistol. I got into some small bore target rifle stuff last year and bought a CZ 455 Varmint. I was really impressed with how solid the gun felt and how well it performs! Still though, CZ wasn’t really on my list as far as 9mm pistols go. I’m glad I needed time to save up some money because that led me to researching and finding guys like you that stand behind the CZ brand. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

    1. Thank you very much Dave for your thoughts.
      CZ does make a fine pistol. I bought the P09 test sample and have had it out a few times since the test was concluded and she is still running fine. Once again, Thank you for your kind words and feedback. Please keep me posted on your opinion of the CZ when you have time.

  5. I am brand new to the fire arms world, and just purchased my first hand gun and it is the CZ-P09. I love the feel of the gun, the weight, and the way it shoots.

  6. Just sold my S&W MP 40 so I could buy this or , I’m not sure . So many to still look at. I’m CZ CRAZY

  7. You are very descriptive when reviewing the gun. Your input is very precise and very knowledgable.

    Dean.
    Key Largo Florida

    1. Thank you a great deal Dean. I spent a little time in Key Largo, man that is such a beautiful place. We ate at some old restaurant right on the main highway and the food was amazing.

  8. I was interested in the p09 and decided to check reviews because I wanted it and I gotta say it’s a definite buy now that I’ve read this. Thank you sir!

    1. Kevin,
      I appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you thought of the article.
      I bought the test sample after this review and the pistol is still running strong and still without failure.
      I think you will be happy with the P-09

  9. Hunter

    Great to watch your review of the P09 brother. Luv that gun! having used the Shadow in IPSC and have really enjoyed the P09 I have found it lighter and easier to acquire the target and not at all “flighty” due to its weight. Like you the large rear back strap is perfect for my “paws”.
    Conceal / carry is a “bridge to far” in Australia at this time but can see how the P09 would work well.

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