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CZ is known for making fantastic firearms, and the P07 is one of their best yet- especially for filling the roles of both concealed carry and everyday carry in one firearm. It's so good for this, in fact, it is my personal weapon of choice for just that purpose since it fills both niches perfectly.
Introduction:
With the possible exception of a few other well-known handguns- namely the Glock 19 and other small, polymer-framed, striker fired pistols, there are very few that are as good all-around for so many uses as the CZ P07- Small, lightweight, incredibly reliable, and low-recoiling thanks to its unique slide design, it reads off like a checklist especially for concealed carry. At only 5.3 inches tall and 7.2 inches long- and weighing less than 28 ounces, it's in the right neighborhood in terms of size and weight for any carry situation.
The company that produces the P07- CZ of the Czech Republic- is another one of the big names in the firearm industry (there are hundreds of manufacturers, so to be so readily recognized is a rare honor). While known for their 75 model (which has been featured in much popular media- including video games such as the famous first-person shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops), they have regularly produced exceptionally well-made firearms- the CZ 75 is only the most well-known of several in a family of particularly well-made firearms. CZ pistols have seen service in militaries and police departments across the world since at least the 1970's- including many in their home country of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (now two countries- the Czech Republic and Slovakia).
But what makes this particular entry of theirs worthy of your personal consideration? Read the review to find out!
Initial impressions and hands-on experience:
I (mostly) grew up on hammer-striker fired 9mm firearms like the CZ 75- the small slide didn't bother me that much because they always seemed to go bang no matter what (and thus never needed to fumble with it that much), but even so, I always had something of a loathing for the fact that they were so heavy compared to the newer (and at the time somewhere between revolutionary and the new norm) poly-striker pistols like the Glock family. They were uncomfortable to carry- even if they did feel quite elegant, sturdy as a rock and very pleasing from a visual standpoint.
So, fast forward to my adulthood, and I'm finding myself looking for my first handgun as a young man- one day, a friend tells me about this unusual polymer framed gun from CZ that is a DA/SA hammer-fired pistol instead of being a much more common single-action striker-fired pistol, and although he didn't have one, I am already interested and soon I'm doing research of my own. Once I learned its size closely compares to that of a Glock 19 and it only weighs a few ounces more, I decided to go out and get my hands on one myself and compare it to its more famous rival to see if it was indeed the right choice.
Fast forward again a few weeks and I found a brand-new P07 in a gun store a decent 30 or 40 minutes from where I was living at the time. Upon picking it up, I decided to test out the main feature I heard about that caught my attention in the first place- as previously mentioned the CZ P07, unusually for a polymer pistol, features a hammer-fired action with a remarkably crisp double-action/single-action (DA/SA) trigger pull. This means that, for the first shot fired, the trigger will require a bit more effort to pull all the way back than the following shots will unless the user de-cocks the gun either by pulling the trigger and gently releasing the hammer or via a decocking lever (which the P07 has, although a manual safety can be installed in its place in just minutes if the user wants one). In the opinion of some, this makes it safer for carrying with a round in the chamber than Glock-like pistols because it means that the gun is harder to fire on the first round and is less hazardous to holster due to the heavier first round trigger pull. Users can also put their thumbs on the hammer to stop it from traveling rearward before firing, adding another layer of safety to the P07. For those who are worried about accidental or negligent discharges, these features could prove comforting, and as someone who worries about such discharges during holstering in particular myself (there are plenty of videos on YouTube showing this happening), I was ultimately satisfied with this as a safety feature (although again, the gun can readily be converted to have a manual safety instead if you want to be doubly safe).
Another great thing about the P07 is how, despite its small size, it handles very well- which is something smaller guns normally have a hard time doing. For example, you can still get a very firm grip on it, and the mag release button functions as it should and is the right size where it won't interfere with your grip very much unless you have exceptionally large fingers. It handles as well as any full-size handgun with two exceptions- the first is the slide release- it feels a bit farther forward than on most other handguns I've shot, is quite stiff- especially at first- and you (might) need to break your grip to release it. The second is the decocking lever- while it's otherwise perfectly functional, it's even harder to use without breaking your grip, although it's still possible to flip it without doing so.
Overall, the CZ P07 very much performs like a full-size pistol and has all the same features for the most part- for example, it sports a hefty 15 round magazine capacity- typical of larger, full-sized "duty" pistols such as the Beretta 92 series. My first time out with it, I got a chance to both slow fire and mag dump hundreds of rounds of 115 grain Sellier and Bellot when I discovered another pleasant attribute- because of the very thin slide design present on the pistol (like the CZ 75), the gun had very little "flip" when firing- it stayed on target, and the recoil was, for the most part- straight back. I fired about 400 rounds total my first day with it and although I only used one type of ammo I was extremely pleased at how reliable the P07 was, and decided that this was going to be the weapon I'd carry concealed should I ever need too, because it will work very well as a concealed carry pistol due to its size, and it's magazine capacity and low recoil means it would likely be a good gun to carry if you were working security or as a police officer and needed a gun with a large magazine capacity to fight more than one attacker, if necessary (while it goes without saying that you should hope you never have to use a gun on anyone, knowing you have a versatile firearm that can fulfill multiple roles if you do find yourself needing to use one is a psychological comfort, at least).
Additionally, for those of you who want durable firearms, rest easy- while I'm not sure exactly how durable the P07 specifically is supposed to be, I wouldn't be surprised if these guns lasted tens of thousands of rounds between barrel changes, given how long I've heard other, older CZ pistols lasting in much more strenuous circumstances that occasional range trips. In any case, there are spare parts and aftermarket parts freely available online, so if something in your gun did go south (or if you just wanted to improve it a little), you should be able to find what you're looking for without too much difficulty.
So, I was sold. It's the right size, weight, has all the right functions I needed, is reliable and controllable, and is just all-around a great handgun. But as much as I'd like to say it is, It's not entirely perfect.
Pros and cons:
Again, despite my best wishes, it's not perfect. However, as stated above, we covered a lot of the features of the CZ P07- the good, and the bad. So, to recap...
Pros:
-Lightweight and small- a good choice for concealed carry (only slightly larger than a Glock 19)
-Boasts large magazine capacity for its size
-Supremely reliable and durable (you always need this in any firearm- no exceptions)
-Recoil is extremely manageable- especially for a smaller pistol
-Convertible decocker/manual safety system makes it both more versatile and safer than a Glock
Cons:
-The decocker lever is in a pretty awkward spot
-Slide release is also awkward and will take some getting used too
Final thought, best deals and gun stats:
Overall, the CZ P07 is a fantastic gun- I've shot it many times and never had any issues with reliability, and even fully loaded, the gun still feels light and almost toy-like (this may turn off some, but it doesn't affect the reliability of the gun in many ways, however) they are the rare kind of gun that will readily fit pretty much all the marks for what you could need in a pistol and I would highly recommend this gun to anyone who plans on concealed carrying as long as they are comfortable with the DA/SA trigger, since this can be difficult to master and thus intimidating for newcomers.
The CZ P07 will normally cost around 500 USD, but it's well worth it. Some of the best brands to buy it from include:
Caliber | 9mm Luger |
Action | Double Action to Single Action (DA/SA) |
Height | 5.3 inches |
Barrel length | 3.75 inches |
Overall length | 7.2 inches |
Width | 1.46 inches |
Weight | ~28 ounces |
Magazine capacity | 15+1 |
Safety | No manual safety by default, although base model comes with a factory decocker (these, however, can be replaced with manual safeties) |
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