CZ 75
The CZ 75 9mm Parabellum (aka 9mm Luger, 9 x 19mm) semiautomatic pistol is legendary among users of defensive handguns and is one of the most popular handguns ever made. The CZ 75 pistol was designed by František Koucký for CZ Uherský Brod and Cold War Pistols of Czechoslovakia by James D. Brown states that Koucký’s work was completed in 1975. At the time the CZ 75 was introduced, Czechoslovakia was still behind the Iron Curtain so at first glance, it seems odd that it was offered in 9mm Parabellum but the CZ 75 was, from the beginning, meant to be sold for export so the choice of caliber was a good one. What was definitely unusual was that the CZ 75 design never received patent protection outside of Czechoslovakia, which gave other gunmakers such as Tanfoglio, ITM, Israel Military Industries (IMI), Springfield Armory and Dornaus & Dixon the opportunity to offer their own versions of the CZ 75. Most of these clones of the CZ 75 were chambered for the 9mm Para. with the notable exception of the Dornaus & Dixon Bren Ten, a 10mm Auto semiautomatic pistol which, while not an exact copy, had a design that was heavily influenced by the CZ 75 and was good enough to receive the imprimatur of no less an authority than Col. Jeff Cooper. The CZ 75 is still made in the Czech Republic and it has found a ready market in the U.S. among shooters. As of 2011, a copy of the CZ 75 is also still being imported to the U.S. by EAA Corp. in 9mm Para., .45 ACP, .38 Super and 10mm Auto. As far as I know, the CZ 75 has not been adopted by any major U.S. law enforcement agency but it would still be an excellent choice for anyone that wishes to carry a defensive firearm. The slide rides within rails that are machined inside the frame, similar to the SIG P-210, which allows it to sit low on the frame and closer to the line of sight. It also makes for a pistol that is much more compact than some of its competitors, such as the Beretta 92FS/M9, another excellent pistol. The grip frame of the CZ 75 feels much thinner than most of its competition (thanks to good engineering) even though the magazine holds 15 rounds and the grip angle makes it a natural pointer. The only 9mm pistol I’ve tried that comes anywhere close to the way a CZ 75 feels is the Browning High Power which, in my opinion, is probably the best single action 9mm pistol ever made.
The double action mechanism of the CZ 75 is similar in operation (but radically different in terms of design) to other double action semiautomatic pistols such as the Walther P-38 in that it creates a trigger pull that resembles the long stroke of a double action revolver for the first round fired, assuming that the hammer is down for the first shot. Subsequent rounds are fired in single action mode with a correspondingly shorter trigger pull. The CZ 75’s wraparound trigger bar, in conjunction with the interrupter attached to the hammer, creates a very smooth double action trigger pull. The CZ 75 is a bit unusual for a double action, semiauto pistol in that it can be carried cocked and locked, ala the Colt M1911. Some may be uncomfortable with this mode of carry (i.e. a live round in the chamber, hammer cocked, safety on) but almost anyone that is serious about the defensive use of a handgun in America will have no qualms about it at all and with the proper training and gear, it is still a safe mode of carry. Some copies of the CZ 75 that I’ve seen over the years have slide mounted safeties that will not allow cocked and locked carry but they are still perfectly serviceable. They are meant to be carried with a round in the chamber and the safety engaged with the first shot fired in double action mode. Anyone familiar with the operation of a Beretta 92 will have no trouble adapting to one of these clones of the CZ 75.
Until the fall of the Iron Curtain, the only way U.S. shooters and collectors could buy a CZ 75 was to go to Canada or some other overseas source. The process usually involved buying the gun in Canada or another foreign country that was on friendly terms with the United States of America and going through the bureaucratic maze known as BATF and U.S. Customs to have it imported to the U.S. It tended to consume a lot of time and the monetary costs involved, although not exorbitant, combined with navigating ATF’s bureaucracy and finding a willing importer with the proper FFL, were enough to discourage all but the most dedicated enthusiasts. Still, there were a few shooters in the U.S. that thought highly enough of the CZ 75 to bring them into the U.S., whatever the hassles may have been. The first commercial examples of the CZ 75 had 115mm slide rails and the slides and frames were deeply scalloped from just forward of the rails, making them very trim pistols. There were about 20,000 made between the CZ 75’s introduction and 1980 and they are coveted collectors items today. I have never seen one of the early CZ 75s so if you have one, count yourself lucky but please be careful handling it as all reports I’ve read about the pistols indicates they did not come with half cock notches and could, however unlikely, fire if they are dropped or if the hammer receives a heavy blow. James D. Brown mentions in Cold War Pistols of Czechoslovakia that the first 1,000 or so CZ 75s were reportedly built from parts made in Spain and that unlike most things that were produced behind the Iron Curtain, were very well made. A few were apparently made up as military style pistols with lanyard loops and it was hoped at the time by Ceska Zbrojovka that the CZ 75 would be adopted by the Czechoslovakian armed forces but it never came to fruition during Czechoslovakia’s communist era, partially because it was frowned upon by the Soviet Union. I don’t know if the CZ 75 is currently being used by the Czech armed forces but the 2011 CZ-USA catalog shows that the CZ 75 B Army (NSN 1005160000064), CZ 75 BD Army (NSN 1005160001552), CZ 75 D Compact (NSN 100516000861) and CZ P-01 (NSN 1005160008619) have acquired NATO stock numbers so someone in the NATO hierarchy must be a fan of the CZ 75. Anyone interested in learning more about the history of the CZ 75 would be well advised to acquire a copy of Cold War Pistols of Czechoslovakia by James D. Brown and perhaps a copy of Small Arms of the World, 12th Edition by Edward C. Ezell. Of the two, Brown’s book is much more comprehensive and I find it to be an indispensable resource for anyone interested in Czech pistols. Ezell’s Small Arms of the World, 12th Ed. doesn’t say much about the CZ 75 but there is a photo of one of the first military versions of the CZ 75 with a lanyard loop on it, as well as a detailed diagram of the CZ 75’s mechanism, and that alone would justify buying a copy.
The CZ 75 shown in the photos is marked “Made in Czechoslovakia” which predates the partition of Czechoslovakia in 1993, creating two new countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia (now the Slovak Republic). The metal finish appears to be some sort of paint that is baked onto the pistol and seems fairly durable but I do have to admit that I take very good care of my guns so I’m not sure how long it would last if I subjected it to daily carry. Over the years, CZ firearms have been imported to the U.S. by several different companies so it is possible to have two identical pistols that have completely different markings. My CZ 75 was imported into the U.S. by Action Arms, Ltd. but all of the products currently being offered by CZ are imported by CZ-USA. Since the CZ 75’s introduction in 1975, CZ has made some changes to the basic CZ 75 design to create numerous different versions such as the CZ 75 B and the CZ 85 B, both of which are still offered in several variations. Although most of the changes are, from my viewpoint, fairly minor one major change occurred in 1985 when a firing pin block was added. By my count, the 2011 CZ-USA catalog lists 21 different variants of the basic CZ 75/CZ 85, including 4 single action versions, one .22 LR pistol and a polymer framed pistol listed as the CZ 75 SP-01 Phantom. In addition, there is the CZ P-07 Duty, a pistol described in CZ-USA’s 2011 catalog as an exposed hammer, striker fired pistol with a new, simplified CZ 75 trigger system dubbed “Omega” and a pair of .45 ACP semiauto pistols, the CZ 97 B and CZ 97 BD. CZ also offers a .22 LR conversion unit for anyone that already owns a CZ 75 and would like to do some inexpensive shooting with it. Some versions of the CZ 75 are also chambered in .40 S&W for those looking for a bit more power although I find the 9mm Parabellum cartridge just about perfect for the CZ 75. Collectors will no doubt find the plethora of markings and variations on CZ 75s a fertile area for study.
As good as the CZ 75 is, I couldn’t get my particular pistol to shoot to point of aim with any of the factory ammo I had on hand. I have to admit I didn’t try every brand or loading of factory ammo that is currently available but I did try some UMC 115 grain FMJs (full metal jacket) along with a box of Federal American Eagle 115 grain FMJs, both of which printed groups that averaged about 3 inches center to center. Unfortunately, they all hit the target at about the 8 o’clock position and about 10 inches from the center of the target with a normal 6 o’clock hold at 25 yards. I decided to reload some rounds with Oregon Trail Bullet Company’s Laser-Cast 122 grain lead TC BB (truncated cone bevel base) bullets and Alliant Bullseye and got subpar accuracy along with large amounts of smoke when I fired them. None of the rounds so reloaded would place a bullet anywhere near where I aimed. I got similarly poor results with rounds reloaded with Alliant Red Dot and the same bullet. I seated all the bullets as far out as the magazine would allow while still allowing proper function and initially thought there might be something about my loading technique at fault. After a while, despair began to set in and I started thinking of replacing the factory sights with something that would be adjustable so I could at least get close to hitting the 10-ring. I was reluctant to do so, however, since it would likely mean cutting the slide for a front dovetail and I wanted to keep my pistol as close to original as possible. I found some loading data on Hodgdon’s website for the 9mm Parabellum using 125 grain lead bullets and decided to give it one last try with IMR Hi-Skor 800-X. To my great joy and surprise, things started looking much better. The point of impact was just about at the point of aim, using an isosceles hold, firing rounds reloaded with IMR 800-X and Laser-Cast 122 grain lead TC BB bullets. There were no malfunctions and no billowing clouds of smoke, with excellent accuracy to boot. Most of the groups I fired with reloads using IMR 800-X would put shots into the target close enough to be touching at 25 yards, which is more accuracy than most shooters of 9mm Para. pistols would expect and it was more than I thought my CZ 75 was capable of. Considering what I had to go through when working up a load with other powders, this was very encouraging indeed. IMR Hi-Skor 800-X is not often thought of as a pistol powder but it is actually quite good for the relatively limited amount of applications it is suited for. My first exposure to it was when I bought some to reload 20 gauge shotgun shells with and although I never used it for that purpose, I did use IMR 800-X to reload 10mm Auto ammunition with very good results and I still use it to reload .41 Magnum cartridges with 215 grain cast lead bullets. IMR 800-X does leave a relatively large amount of powder residue in my CZ 75 but if I keep my pistol lubricated, it doesn’t affect its function so I can live with it.
Unfortunately, just about the time I had settled on my pet load with the Laser-Cast 9mm 122 grain lead TC BBs and IMR 800-X, I found out that Oregon Trail Bullet Company no longer offered it for sale. To say that I was disappointed is a major understatement and I hope they bring it back as a regular production item. In the meantime, I decided to try reloading some ammo with Oregon Trail’s 9mm 125 grain lead RN (roundnose) bullets and IMR 800-X. I found them to be good bullets too with virtually the same point of impact, although not quite as accurate as the 122 grain TC BBs. The 125 grain RNs also don’t produce the nice, clean holes in targets that the 122 grain TC BBs do but they will have to suffice for now. I also reloaded some rounds with the same bullet using Alliant Power Pistol and had excellent results, with accuracy on par but not quite as good as rounds reloaded with IMR 800-X. Although this is merely my subjective impression, Power Pistol seems to give maximum performance with much lighter powder charges than IMR 800-X in the 9mm Para. cartridge. So much so that the starting load listed in the Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading, 8th Edition for the 9mm Luger (9 x 19mm, 9mm Parabellum) of 4.3 grains of Alliant Power Pistol with a 124 grain bullet turned out to be close to a maximum load in my CZ 75. I’m sure part of that had to do with my using Remington 1-1/2 small pistol primers instead of the Winchester WSPs specified by Hornady but it could also be due to the chamber of my pistol having different dimensions than the S&W Model 39 pistol Hornady used to develop their load data. I always recommend sticking to established load data exactly as published by the major manufacturers of loading components but in this instance, I decided to give it a try with Remington 1-1/2 small pistol primers since that is all I had on hand. In retrospect, I made a mistake in doing so and I am glad I started at the minimum load as even a few tenths of a grain of additional powder could have caused unnecessary wear and tear to my CZ 75 and might have exposed me to serious injury. Reloading metallic cartridges, while not as dangerous as handling dynamite or TNT, is not something to be taken lightly so always proceed with caution and always start with a minimum published load. If Oregon Trail Bullet Company decides not to return their 9mm 122 grain TC BB to their product lineup, and if I can’t find a comparable bullet offered by their commercial rivals, I will start searching for a bullet mould that will fill my needs and cast my own. RCBS makes a 9mm 124 grain CN (cone nose) bullet mould that looks promising and since I already have one in my collection, it will be one of the first I will try. Saeco makes mould #377, a 9mm 124 grain TC BB that is very close in dimensions to the bullet Oregon Trail Bullet Company used to offer, so I will definitely try that one too. Lyman offers a 9mm 120 grain TC mould that I may look into and Lee Precision has a 9mm 124 grain TC mould that I think may also be worth experimenting with. I have a curious nature about most everything I come in contact with so it is virtually certain that I will try all of them at some point but that will probably be sometime in the future if things work out the way I expect.
Once I had settled on using IMR 800-X and Alliant Power Pistol for use in my CZ 75 with cast lead bullets, I decided to try both powders with jacketed bullets and settled on Hornady’s 124 grain FMJ-FP (#35567). I chose that bullet because it is sold in bulk at very reasonable prices and came close to the overall profile of the Laser-Cast 122 grain TC BBs that I grew so fond of. The Hornadys shot quite well with both powders but the accuracy was a bit better with rounds reloaded with IMR 800-X. Hornady’s 124 grain FMJ-FP paired with both powders shot to the same point of impact as the Laser-Cast 122 grain TC BB, making the Hornady my first choice in jacketed bullets for target shooting with my CZ 75. Which was a very pleasant surprise for me as I haven’t always had such consistent performance in a firearm. In many ways, each gun is an individual unto itself in terms of the ammo it shoots the best with so the results may have been different if I was shooting say, a Beretta 92 or Glock 17. For my CZ 75 though, IMR 800-X and Power Pistol are by far the best powders to use with 122 to 125 grain bullets. I used an old Hornady “New Dimension” titanium nitride 3 die set to create 9mm Parabellum rounds with Laser-Cast 122 gr. TC BBs and Hornady 124 grain FMJ-FPs but I used a relatively recently made RCBS carbide 3 die set to reload rounds with Laser-Cast 125 gr. RNs, mostly because I didn’t want to change and adjust the seating stems for the 3 different bullets from batch to batch. As it turned out, my decision helped me greatly when it came time to reload with jacketed bullets as the Hornady dies, originally set up for the Laser-Cast 122 gr. TC BBs, reloaded the Hornady 9mm 124 gr. FMJ-FPs without further adjustment and I expect a similar performance from the RCBS dies with whatever roundnose bullets I may decide to use. The process also allowed me to compare both die sets and I’m happy to say I enjoyed using both very much. I suppose an argument could be made for the superiority of Hornady’s 9mm Para. seating die as it has a floating bullet seating stem that ensures bullets are seated straight but I didn’t notice any difference in downrange performance and the RCBS dies are every bit as good in creating top notch reloads. Bottom line, every manufacturer of loading equipment in the U.S. offers reloading dies for the 9mm Para. cartridge so it is just a matter of choosing a die set with the features you are looking for at the price point that is most attractive to you.
One suggestion I would make when reloading for the 9mm Para. is to use a die set that has a sizing die with a carbide or other type of insert that will allow the resizing of fired cases without the necessity of lubricating the cases first. Unless, of course, you enjoy applying case lube on something as small as empty 9mm Parabellum cases before the sizing operation and removing the residue after. Loading data is available from several sources, in book form or online, although I was surprised to see that the Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading, 8th Edition advises reloaders to use little or no crimp when reloading the 9mm Parabellum (aka 9mm Luger, 9 x 19mm) since it would be very difficult or impossible to chamber a reloaded 9mm Para. round with no crimp in any of the 9mm pistols I’ve had the chance to try in my lifetime. I do agree that the crimp can’t be so excessive that it folds the case mouth in to the point that it isn’t possible to maintain proper headspace but if the reloading dies are adjusted properly, that shouldn’t be an issue anyway. If the reloading dies are set up properly, the expander die will bell the case mouth just enough to allow a bullet’s base to enter easily without shaving or distorting the bullet while the seating die will seat the fresh bullet and apply just enough crimp to prevent the bullet from being pushed into the case during the feeding cycle. A properly applied crimp will also ensure consistent bullet pull, which results in consistent ignition of the powder. I use a Carson lighted magnifier to check loaded rounds during the die adjustment process as it allows me to look closely at the case mouth and bullet to see if everything is as it should be. It is a delicate balancing act that is usually solved through trial and error but it is absolutely critical to get it right to get the best performance out of the 9mm Para. cartridge. As a final step to ensure everything is okay, I check all my 9mm Para. reloads with an EGW Ammo Checker and if a round fits there, it will work in my CZ 75.
The CZ 75 currently has a lot of competition in the American gun market with a large number of very high quality pistols available, both new and used, to American shooters. I haven’t tried some of the newer pistols such as the Springfield Armory XD but if it is anything like the Glock 17, I’m sure I will like it. The current trend in handguns seems to be toward firearms that are meant for concealed carry with a premium placed on compact guns chambered in 9mm Para., .40 S&W and .45 ACP. Good examples of such guns are Kimber’s Solo, Kahr Arms’ MK Series Micro pistols and the Ruger SR9C. I haven’t tried any of them but all have good reputations and are made by manufacturers that know how to build guns so I’m sure any of them would be a good choice for use as a concealed, defensive handgun. In the end, a gun is a tool and if it doesn’t excel at what it does, it generally doesn’t survive in the marketplace for very long so if you see people buying them, it’s a good indication that it works and is worth consideration. Quite a few of the current crop of 9mm Para. pistols use frames made of polymer and they are ideal for everyday carry as the polymer frames are very durable and light. Many of the defensive pistols available today also have accessory rails built into their dust covers that allow the attachment of lasers and tactical lights, making them even more suitable for personal protection.
As practical as I can be about guns in general and small, light, defensive pistols in particular, I have to admit that I will always have a soft spot in my heart for a full-size pistol that is made from steel with few, if any, bells or whistles. I’ve noticed lately that there are quite a few guns on the market with built-in locks that require a key to unlock the mechanism or some other so called “safety device” that, in my opinion, does nothing but add more parts that may break and do little, if anything, to enhance safety. I can’t say I care much for devices or mechanisms that are just a way to make up for sloppy gun handling but unfortunately, I don’t see this trend toward “safety” going away as much of it is government mandated. Which is why the CZ 75 appeals so strongly to me. It is still one of the simplest semiautomatic pistols in the world to operate and in skilled hands, it will do anything that might be asked of it. The CZ 75 is also quite a bargain, as I see it, with retail prices in CZ-USA’s 2011 catalog starting at about $500.00. If you’re in the market for a high-capacity 9mm Para. pistol, take a look at the CZ 75 and if possible, give it a try at the range. You may come away pleasantly surprised by the experience and become one of the large number of fans of this excellent example of Czech engineering and gunmaking skill.
For the past several months, Rep. Darrell Issa and Sen. Chuck Grassley have held hearings on BATFE’s “Operation Fast and Furious,” a botched gun smuggling sting that was ostensibly dreamed up by BATFE to bring to public attention the supposedly large numbers of guns that are being bought in America by Mexican drug cartels. The cartels apparently smuggled the firearms bought by their minions in the U.S.A. to Mexico, even though BATFE could have easily prevented it, and the guns were later used in the commission of crimes, one of which cost U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian Terry his life. Unfortunately, it is beginning to look like this was all a scheme concocted by BATFE to justify the further infringement of our 2nd Amendment rights and although several members of BATFE and the U.S. Department of Justice have testified in Congressional committees, relatively little has been said in public about it. I haven’t watched all the hearings but my first impression is that Attorney General Eric Holder has not been entirely forthcoming about his knowledge of or role in the operation and should be sacked at the first opportunity. I also don’t personally believe that President Obama knew nothing of “Operation Fast and Furious.” Especially considering the comments he made to Sarah Brady, one of the most ardent gun control advocates in the world, about taking steps “under the radar” to infringe our 2nd Amendment rights. All gunowners should make every effort to organize and get out the progun vote for this fall’s elections so we can defeat Obama and his fellow antigunners at the polls and send them packing. The NRA has already rightly pointed out that Obama’s two appointees to the U.S. Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, do not believe in the 2nd Amendment. If Obama is reelected, it is a virtual certainty that he will be able to place at least one, and perhaps two more, Supreme Court justices on the bench with similar views and heaven help us all if that day ever comes. If you can’t get involved in the upcoming political battles on a personal level, try to support organizations such as The Firearms Coalition and the NRA. I’m a big fan of the tea party but if that doesn’t appeal to you, make sure your political representatives know how important your rights are. Above all, get out to vote and be peaceful and respectful no matter what you do. If you don’t stand up for your rights, you may wake up one day and realize you don’t have them anymore. -- John Swikart (February 16, 2012)
Copyright February 2012 John Swikart
