CZ 75 B 9mm Review

 

The CZ75B, a 9mm, has been used by more military, police, and security forces than any other pistol in the world. In fact, in 2007, over a million were produced by CZ alone, but there are many other clones of the CZ75 that account for a lot of pistols around the world. The original CZ 75 pistol was made in 1975 in Czechoslovakia.

Now, many people think that CZ stands for Czech, but CZ actually stands for Cezka Zbrojovka. Say that three times fast. It is considered to be one of the first wonder nines, and in the late 70s, most police agencies were carrying revolvers.

Because of the lack of reliability with most semi-automatics, revolvers were the mainstay for most police forces. CZ 75 and a number of other pistol designs, the 9mm semi-automatic really came into its own in the late 70s. It’s not necessarily one of the polymer frame wonders, but it sure is an incredible firing pistol that can be an excellent choice for home defense or for just self-defense.

First thing we want to do is safety check the gun, and as we can see, it is unloaded. Czechoslovakia has always been a renowned area for firearms manufacturing, and in 1948, when the Soviets took over Czechoslovakia, they retained their firearms manufacturing facilities and made most of their own personal firearms for their armies instead of relying so heavily on the Russian offerings. But the CZ 75 was particularly made for import and to be sold into other areas.

In fact, even into the West. But unfortunately, because of import restrictions with the United States and other Western countries, the CZ 75 was pretty much an anomaly for most of your Western shooters for a long time. In fact, it wasn’t until the early 90s were CZs imported by numbers into the US.

There are a lot of different countries that have produced the CZ 75 clone. When the CZ 75 was designed, it was a secret patent only in the Czech Republic. They did not file patents internationally, and so any country could copy this without any problems of a patent infringement.

The CZ 75 has over 20 different pistol companies making clones. That tells you a lot about the design. It’s just an incredible classic pistol.

In fact, the CZ 75 is the most copied pistol design, only second to the 1911. CZ makes over 25 different models, but the CZ 75B is their top selling and what they call their flagship model. It has an all steel frame.

Of course, it has an all steel slide. It is really ergonomic, so natural to hold. Even carrying 16 in one in the magazine, which really was one of the originals with the staggered magazine, after, of course, the Browning Hi-Power.

The CZ 75 did rely very heavily on John Browning’s Hi-Power design. It has a very nice poly coat finish. Has a matte finish.

Now, there are some different ones where they do a two tone. They do a glossy blued finish, and they also do a stainless steel. It does come with three dot sights.

It has a nice commander hammer, and then it does have a natural beaver tail in the frame. Nice, heavy plastic grips with checkering. This is the double action, single action model.

One thing about the CZ 75 is it can be carried, cocked, and locked, just like your old Colt 45s. In fact, Jeff Cooper said this was the world’s best service nine. The serrations on the top of the slide here … Now, one of the things that you’re going to notice is that the slide itself rides really close into the frame of the pistol.

Internal slide rails are in the frame itself. It is an incredible, accurate pistol. In fact, there have been many World Cups won with the CZ 75 design.

Now, while the CZ 75 is very unusual in most of your semi-automatic pistol designs because of this rail system, this was taken from the SIG P210, which had the similar interior slide rails. It does have a very positive slide release. Everything is intuitive.

Everything is very ergonomic. The controls are right at your fingertips, really where the control should be. This is a double action, single action design, and that means that you can, with a hammer down, pull the trigger and actuate the hammer.

But also, subsequent rounds, leave the hammer in the rear position, and this puts it in single action mode, so you can fire from that position. Then, if you want to stop, you can raise your safety, and you’re in safe mode, cocked and locked. It does have a half-cock mode as well.

There are ridges across the top of the slide, and this helps with reflection, so when you’re looking in bright sunlight, it keeps the reflection down. It has a very smooth back strap and a smooth front strap. There is a little checkering here on the front of the trigger guard, but really, it’s a very smooth design.

The plastic grips do have this little thumb rest that really add to the ergonomics of the pistol. It does come with two steel 16-round magazines, and just all metal, even the butt plate. Reliability, accuracy, excellent with these pistols.

Now, the original CZ75 did not have a firing pin block, and the reason for the designation of the CZ75B is that they added a firing pin block to the pistol, and that way, if the pistol is dropped onto the hammer, it’s not going to allow the gun to fire. Trigger pull is really smooth, even in double action. Really nice, crisp trigger.

There’s some resistance at first, then it’s just real smooth, and then you have your click. In single action, it’s a really nice trigger pull. Now, the pistol itself weighs just under two and a quarter pounds, 2.17 pounds, so it’s not a light pistol, but to be honest with you, the way it feels in your hand, it belies its weight, and really, when you’re out at the range, you can really tell that you’re shooting this rather than one of the lightweight polymer models.

The recoil is much less, and with the internal slide rails, that seems also to affect the recoil because of your bore axis is lower in your hand. It doesn’t take much just to look over the web of your hand and to get a hold of those sights. Now, CZ also makes this same style CZ75 style pistol for the 40 Smith & Wesson, and also, they make the model 97 for 45 ACP.

Now, I just recently purchased the CZ75SP01, which is pretty much the CZ75, but it’s upgraded to NATO specs, and one of the things that they’ve added is an accessory rail on the bottom of the frame, which requires that they extend the frame. Now, this is the full steel model, but they do make the SP01 Shadow, which is a polymer framed pistol in the CZ design. There are also a number of compacts that they make, both in this design, the SP01 design, and in the original CZ75 design.

Another thing about the SP01 over the CZ75B is the magazine. The magazine holds 18 in one, while the CZ is 16 in one. Of course, your CZ75 magazine will fit in your SP01, and vice versa.

Of course, another huge advantage of the CZ75 family of pistols is their cadet model. I’ve recently done a review on the cadet, and it is a 22 conversion that’ll fit directly onto your CZ pistol. It will fit on both the SP01 and the CZ75.

The cadet is accurate, and it’s super reliable. You can also buy the cadet separately as a full pistol. Disassembly is pretty simple with the CZ design.

You’re going to have these notches right here, and you’re going to want to line those notches up. Of course, after you safety check the pistol, and then you push through right here, this notch, pull out your slide stop, pistol breaks down. You have your recoil spring, which you push forward, and then pull out.

Guide rod, which is a plastic guide rod. Then you have your barrel, comes right out. Very simple.

Here, you can take a look at the internal slide rails, and then on the frame itself. Then to reassemble, just do it in reverse order. Line up your notches, ready to go.

First, let’s go out to the range and put some rounds through this classic. The CZ75B. It’s an incredible pistol, not only for the range, but an excellent self-defense weapon, and also a great service pistol.

I would put this right up there with the Browning Hi-Power and the Colt 1911.

Be strong, be of good courage. God bless America, long live the Republic.