At my core, I’m a 1911 Guy. Though I have a great fondness for SIG, CZ, and Beretta DA/SA type pistols, and a love of Revolvers… my heart belongs to the 1911. I get asked about them from time to time, though not as often as I used to. Because everyone’s talking about polymer framed, striker fired pistols these days. People are generally forgetting about the amazingly wonderful 1911. When asked, I’m most often asked about what my top choices are in a 1911. And usually, I’m asked about this after the person buys their 1911 pistol and then gets their Feels bruised because their pistol isn’t on my list.
Now, as far as lists go, I’m not going to a top 5 Brands. Because that’s not just boring, but obvious. So I’m going to pick the Top 5 Pistols. The individual model version… This is a much more challenging list. Made far more difficult by limiting it to only 5 pistols when this list could easily – very easily – go to a Top 20. So if you’re baby isn’t in the top 5, it’s probably really close… so your knee-jerk reaction of “What about this?” is going to be answered with, “There Can Be Only Five.”
Also, this list is just for Production pistols… Wilson Combat, Nighthawk Custom, Carolina Arms Group, Ed Brown, Les Baer and the like, I classify as “Custom” 1911’s.
Anyways, without any more preamble, here’s my Top 5 Production 1911 Pistols: Continue reading Top 5 Production 1911 Pistols.
Tag Archives: CZ
Acute New Gun Itch.
Lads, I’m suffering from an acute case of New Gun Itch. It’s unbearable. It’s come down to one of three options.
This is the IWI ACE. It’s an evolution of the AK-47, through the Israeli Galil family tree. A gun shop just south of me has one at a reason price. The ACE’s are expensive, but there’s really nothing quite like it on the market. It’s probably the best AK type rifle on the planet, though it’s so evolved, it’s not really accurate to even refer to it as an AK type rifle anymore. I’ve played with one a bit and it’s very very good. I really like it. The only thing about it though that I don’t like – is that it’s a Quad Rail gun with Rail Covers. And I hate that. Seriously, that alone could mean it’s disqualification from consideration… but everything else about it is just so dang good. Bonus, it can use most common AK mag types. Which is good, because I’ve more than a few.
The CZ Bren 805 Pistol. The rifle would be fine, but I’d want this as an SBR eventually so I’d take this and put a Pistol Brace on it. The Bren is for those guys that want a SCAR, but want it for a Thousand Dollars Less. And yes, I’m that kinda guy. But also I want an SBR… so this meets and greets those desires perfectly. I’m also a huge fan of CZ, more than I can say… I truly am. I admire CZ a great deal. There is really no other Firearms company like them. The Downside to the Bren is that it’s 5.56mm and I already have a shorty 556 gun that I quite like, and it’s about to get even better. So this would be slightly redundant, but I could see this taking over as primary rifle.
Then there’s the Evo. Another CZ that I really quite like. The carbine version is rather long-ish. But it’s super light and balances very well. I dig everything about it. Its’ a 9mm though, and that makes it a Good/Bad thing. But the Good does outweight the bad. And considering that I’m thinking about another short weapon firing a rifle cartridge, giving up ballistic advantages for not using rifle cartridge is really a non-issue. The Evo’s mags are pretty easy to find for 20 to 22 bucks… It’s not really an issue either.
I guess one could say that it comes down to caliber… but really it’s more of a Rock Paper Scissors deal here. Any one of these three would be a winning a choice. I really like them all. I think I’m leaning to the Bren.
But then there is the Wild Card option. A PTR-91 PDW.
Which of course, is just another SBR Vehicle. Once the paperwork came back on that one, I’d but an HK Collapsable stock on it.
So… 4… Four options.
More Evo
CZ really hit a home run with the new Scorpion Evo 3…
CZ Scorpion EVO 3
Having a chance to play with a number of these new SMG type pistols… I keep coming back to the Scorpion.
It’s a simple firearm. A good looking firearm. And one that feels good and runs better. It’s not perfect… but it’s close. There are some things I’d change about it. Such as that grip. And I’d make the rail sections removable on the sides. But really those are just Nit-Pick items. The gun is solid. The gun is good to go. It begs to be SBR’d and if you want an EVO, just factor in that 200 dollar tax stamp. Because you are going to want it. 
It’s just cool looking. It looks like a modern SMG, and not a 1950’s hold over. It looks like something that would make the head honchos at HK slam fists into tables. I need one of these. The next gun I’m going to get is probably going to be a KSG… But after the KSG, it’s going to be an EVO 3. 
The ergos on the CZ are not as nice as the SIG MPX, but are very good for an SMG if you are used to SMG’s. The HK Slap works well here, and is a welcome feature. As is the mag release.
I know a lot of guys are digging the Kriss or the SIG… and both are great. Both have strong reasons to consider them. The SIG because of the familiarity. If you can run an AR – you can run an MPX. The Kriss, as weird as it is – and it is really weird – is running common Glock 21 magazines. That’s an advantage. But the CZ, for me, just nails it… Hitting all the points I want in this type of firearm. And it’s the least expensive of the three.
Ellott Brother’s Show in Columbia
Pre-SHOT Show so not a lot of the newest. Mostly it’s Pre-Shot clearing of older products. But there was some new things:
This is SIG’s new BRAVO 4 optic. Much larger field of view than the Leupold HAMR, with brightness and clarity that rivaled ELCAN. SIG has a whole new line up of Optics and looking through them all… It competes square up against the Leupold HAMR and ACOG. It’s a fixed 4 power. HUGE field of view, wider than the ACOG, wider than the HAMR. 4 inches of eye relief – they said – felt more like 3.5 to me… but massive field of view and clarity I’ve only seen in an ELCAN. It’s MAP is about 1299. This is a staggering good optic.
When I asked how they did this – SIG snatched a lot of guys from Leupold. They have a Prismatic as well, called the Bravo 3. And other AR type optics and hunting optics… Binos and such…
SIG is doing them right too. These are good. I want one.
This is the CZ EVO… It’s very smooth, very cool, and I think I like it more than the SIG MPX. Especially since the mags are half the price of SIG’s. There is an adapter for a SIG arm brace – which means it’s a perfect vehicle for an SBR.
Leupold wasn’t just thinking outside the box here. They threw the box away. What you are seeing is a small 6 power optic with an objective lens on the side, and the occular lens were your back up iron sight would be. It’s lower than the mini red dot… so you can use the red dot for fast work and tuck in for a more precisely aimed shot. It’s weird and I’d really have to get used to it – but I like the concept. Optical quality was not that great though – which defeats the purpose. But hey – it’s just a concept. I like where it’s going.
We’ve seen the pictures. They don’t do the Curve justice. It’s a lot stupider than it looked. I like they are trying something new. But they just need to try a better idea.
New handguard on the Mossberg 464 SPX. Thinner, lighter… I love it. I’ll have to order one soon. Seriously. I’m going to have to.
The newest Ruger GP100 Match Champion… Now with an adjustable rear sight. It feels better in the hand than the photos suggest. For a Double Action Revolver – I think Ruger found perfection. I WILL have one.
Pick The Brand
DA/SA Service Grade Automatics. Who’s your favorite? Okay, we’re talking the Brand on the whole, considering all the related models and variations they make. Who’s your Top Brand and why?
SIG?
Beretta?
CZ?
Other?
The Traditional DA/SA auto seems to be in the gold years with more and more trainers and advocating striker fired guns with uniform trigger pulls from first to second shots. Glocks, M&P’s, an XDM’s being the Striker Triad. But I think that the DA/SA platform still has its place, and I still love them. Especially for Open Carry, Duty Service… They are big, menacing, sexy, and very stable and accurate. Outside of 1911’s I shoot them them best. A lot better than Safe actions or DAO guns.
I’m thinking the Holy Trinity for DA/SA’s is SIG, Beretta, and CZ. Across the board, I think the Beretta Brand takes the lead for consistent quality. From what I’ve seen and dealt with with 8+ years behind a Gun Counter and… ahem… a few more years of shooting… I’ve seen problems with all of them. I’ve seen far fewer though with Beretta. But that’s not just the thing. It’s also how good they’ve been. How smooth the triggers and slides were. How tight they locked up. I don’t think any brand for any type of auto is nearly as smooth as Berettas. SIG’s are second and CZ is 3rd overall for smoothness.
However, for an out of the box trigger – the very best DA/SA trigger I have ever felt was on a CZ 97B. Just incredible! But other CZ triggers left me disappointed. Same with SIG, overall very good, but not quiet as good overall as SIG’s I’ve fired. One SIG though, a 229 SAS…. Oh man. That was truly a great trigger. Flip side, the SIG’s have shown some triggers that were less than stellar.
Beretta though wins in the same way a Race Team wins the Championship overall without having actually taken first place.
My 92FS had a very good trigger to start out with. I swapped the main spring for the “D Spring” and it got a lot better. It’s not a GREAT trigger. This makes me wonder, why doesn’t Beretta just use the D Springs as standard? Because the difference was dramatic!
I love the 92. I love the SIG 220/226/228/229. I love the CZ P-01/SP-01. Overall though, I think that Beretta takes it.
What are your thoughts?
CZ 100
You know how some things set a standard. They become the benchmark by which all others are judged. Well, for many of my reviews I have mentioned the CZ 100 pistol as an example of what I consider to be just about the worst trigger ever made on any production handgun ever. I’ve mentioned it but until now I have never introduced it to you. That’s been rather rude of me and I apologize. Let me introduce it to you now.
The CZ 100 is a polymer framed automatic that is a radical departure from CZ’s standard 75 series based guns. It is not just a polymer framed CZ 75 clone. If that is what you are wanting, check out an IMI Desert Eagle poly in 9, .40, or .45. I reviewed a pair of them last year. Those were outstanding handguns.
One of the biggest departures from normal CZ tradition is that the 100 is a double action only pistol. The trigger mechanism is unique in that the idea behind it is simple to the point of almost being brilliant. Pulling the trigger moves a hook that grabs a bar on the striker and slingshots it back. At the farthest point of travel, the trigger hook drops off the striker allowing it to fly forward to fire the gun.
I say “almost brilliant” because it of course fails miserably at being any sort of usable trigger at all. No, I’m serious, it’s bad. It’s the stuff of nightmares. The trigger feels exactly like those old toy guns you used to be able to buy at grocery stores that shoot those little plastic disks. I’ve actually had nightmares where a large dark looming threat is advancing on me and I pull out my sidearm and pull the trigger… it feels like this and in my dream little plastic disks fly out to bounce off the menace which is of course unfazed by the plastic disks. To put it bluntly, the CZ 100 is my nightmare pistol.
Let me describe the trigger pull. A long take up pull, then heavy stacking up to a level that is off the scale. If the trigger pull was just bad, that would be one thing… but when the trigger breaks, it pulls the front sight off to the right suddenly. Trying as hard as I might, I could not pull the trigger without the sight being jerked off target. Interestingly, when I dry-fired the gun left handed, the sights stayed on target. I don’t know why that is… maybe it is the way I manipulate triggers and I just do it differently left handed. The trigger is not just bad, it’s funny how bad it is. It’s almost as if it’s a joke. How could a serious arms company release a pistol so awful?
Actually, several have. AMT’s BackUp .45, the HK VP-70, Stanley Staplers, all have bad triggers on the epic scale, but the CZ 100’s is worse. Trust me.
Now the question is this; is the 100 otherwise a decent pistol handicapped with a bad trigger? Let’s take a look at it objectively. When you first take up the 100, it feels pretty good in the hand. But the more you hold it, the more odd it feels. It gets to be downright awkward. The pistol’s styling is also interesting. They went to the trouble of making the gun as slick sided as possible, including the breaking of the slide release lever and take down pin into two separate parts instead of one combine unit. Then they hide the slide release under the frame and have the release lever sticking out an odd little window. It’s like a cross between something you might see on classic Star Trek and The Next Generation. The lines of the pistol are all wrong. Looking at it from a side view, it merely looks ugly. Change your viewing angle to look at it more from the front and it becomes absolutely hideous. This is the Pontiac Aztec of handguns.
Like the Pontiac Aztec, even for being an abomination, it does offer good utility. For example, you can sometimes fine CZ 100’s for under $300’s. They are very reliable. It has a unique belt/holster snag feature up on the top to help aid in one hand slide manipulation. They needed this because you can’t quite hook your belt on the rear sights… because as a cruel joke they topped this pistol with an adjustable rear sight as if someone with a room temperature IQ might mistake it for a target pistol. There is the hint of frame rails under the muzzle, tempting one to think it a tactical pistol. All the tactical lights I’ve tried on it either don’t fit and even if they did, they are not able to lock on to it. So it isn’t a tactical gun, or a target gun, and being a 9mm it is not an overly powerful gun… so what is it? I’m not exactly sure. I guess it is trying to be a self defense gun. Let’s see if it is.
If you can manage rowing that trigger all the way back, the gun will fire every time until you have emptied all 15 rounds. Of course you will feel like Ben Hur at the oars of a Roman galley by then, but still… the gun does work. That 15 round magazine is a decent payload for a gun so slim. The 100 is rather slick sided for being so ugly… but then again so is the Swamp Thing. All this can be yours, an easy packing, reliable, high capacity 9MM, for under $300. Like your momma told you about lima beans, it doesn’t matter how bad it tastes, it’s good for you. I’ve actually seen examples for sale for as low as $225. At that price you are at the Makarov level. I’m not sure which one I’d buy if they were side by side for the same price, but I’d probably lean to the Mak.
I don’t mean to bash the CZ 100 so completely, but I can’t help it. It is kind of like nachos… you can’t eat just one. Unless by one you mean a plate full. One plate full is a good stopping point. Those who are familiar to me, know that I am extremely fond of CZ firearms. So much so that one day I hope to make a pilgrimage to the Czech Republic to where CZ guns are made. My favorite handgun remains my CZ P-01. I especially like CZ’s magazine fed bolt action centerfire rifles. Dang near everything else from CZ I find to be excellent and most worthy. I wouldn’t hesitate to spend my own cash on anything from CZ, anything save the 100. The 100 is just awful and should be avoided as much as possible like it was mosquito borne West Nile Virus.
Unless you are a full blown CZ Freak and just have to anything and everything from CZ. That being the case, I can’t blame you. The 100 is a very interesting pistol. You can’t help but to look at it. Like a weird mole on the face of someone you are trying to talk to. There is some weird fascination about it that draws you to it. And that is the oddest thing about the CZ-100… for all it’s warts, for as ugly and utterly nasty as it is… you can’t help but to kind of like it. Like ET in a way. Shooting the 100 well is a challenge and there in is the draw. It’s like riding a GP class bike with a tight clutch and a throttle like the trigger on a detonator. Awkward and difficult… it’s fantastic. But it’s not something for everyone. Unlike the GP bike, the 100 is awkward and difficult, but it isn’t for anyone.
If this article contradicts its self, it is a good metaphor for the pistol.
CZ USA could make this a much more appealing weapon system, but it would require a completely different fire system. I would suggest they take a close hard look at a couple other good fire control systems. Kahr Arms has perhaps one of the best examples of a DAO (Double Action Only) system. Then again they could do it as a Single Action system like the Springfield XD. That would be my choice if I was the Head Honcho at CZ. I’d also do something to the looks and the size. I would clip the grip frame down to “CZ Compact” size, and then recontour the slide to something more appropriate to concealed carry. The weird way the slide overhangs the dust cover at the muzzle end… reminds me of the front end (the bow, sorry) of an Aircraft Carrier. But considering that CZ’s lineup already has better pistols for these purposes… the P-01, the PCR, really there is no point in the 100. There is no necessity for CZ to force out a polymer framed pistol before it is really ready for prime time. The only reason for using a plastic frame is to reduce weight. The only gun that this is needed in are for guns intended specifically for concealment. And CZ has already done a poly version of the RAMI. I guess the best thing for CZ to do would be to just drop the gun altogether.
Another thing about the 100 is that it has a brother. There is a .40 cal version that wasn’t imported into the USA. They called it the CZ-110. If you ever thought that the 100 was great, but it just needed a little more horsepower, well, your wrong. The 110 was just as bad as the 100 ever was but added snappier recoil. Good times. Ugly and awkward and now uncomfortable! Brilliant!
To sum up the CZ 100 quickly, if you are a CZ collector, fine, get it. If not, spend your money on a more worthy pistol.
This is a great email
I normally don’t post emails that I get… namely because I just flat out get too many of them. And I may not answer them all. But I do read all of them.
Hi Ogre,
My wife and I have been batting around the idea of purchasing a pistol or two for a few years now. Considering some recent events, on both national and local scales, we are making that more of a priority. We’ve visited our local Cabellas and a couple of independent shops, test fired a few pistols, and so on, but we’ve still got some lingering uncertainties about exactly what we want. With that in mind, I thought it might be worthwhile to ask someone who knows about guns, and isn’t going to try to swamp us with a load of BS in hopes of making a big sale – i.e. you. (If you already have something like this on your site, I apologize for missing it.)
I understand that “what do you recommend” is a difficult question to answer without some additional info, so here’s what I think you will need to know to provide some useful advice:
1 – The primary purpose will be home/personal defense, and by extension target shooting to build up the relevant skill and confidence that we’ll need to use the weapon properly.
2 – We’re reasonable sure that 9mm is the ammo size we want – Good stopping power with not so much recoil as to be problematic for inexperienced users like ourselves.
3 – We want our weapon(s) to be semi-automatics. I’ve seen enough that I am confident in the mechanical reliability of newer weapons, and we also like their recoil-damping capabilities compared to revolvers.Here’s what we’ve tried so far, and our impressions:
Beretta 92FS / M9A1 – This is our overall favorite to date. We especially like how the decocking lever and slide release work, although when test-firing, the accuracy seemed a bit random. That could be our lack of skill, or because the specific weapon is a range gun that anyone can use, and has probably had 50,000+ rounds shot through it by now. We found the slide to be a bit stiff when racking in a round. I thought it would have been a bit large for my wife’s hand, but she said she was comfortable with it. I kind of wish the decocking lever were below the slide, but you can’t have everything.Beretta PX4 – This was the easiest for my wife to use, and she also likes how the slide will not manually operate one a round has been chambered. I don’t care for that as much, as it seems to make removing a dud round without dropping the magazine difficult. The rotating bolt also seems to be more mechanically complex.
CZ 75 – This one seemed to be a knockoff of the Beretta 92 – This one seemed loose, our shots went all over the target, otherwise the differences we noted were mainly superficial.
Kimber Team Match II – This one was a near-immediate reject for us. The slide was so stiff my wife could barely operate it, and while the grip safety is nice, it seemed that when we racked the the slide, the lever safety would come off and we would have to manually re-engage it. Neither of us liked the thought of accidentally firing a round because the safety came off when we didn’t expect it.
I know there are many other manufacturers out there – S&W, Springfield Armory, Sig, Glock, Wathers, HK, etc. etc. etc. Each with various pros and cons, but if we spent the time to handle and test every one, we’d spend months thinking about it and enough money on range fees to have bought one or two pistols.
If there is anything else you need to know in order to make recommendations/suggestions, please drop me an e-mail.
Thanks much!
This is how to write an email of this type… he gives me enough background information so that I might be able to give the best possible response. Because normally my response would be “Get a SHOTGUN and a GLOCK.” Because I know those work and without any additional information, that’s the best that could be done. “Oh, for you, I’d get the SIG 226. Absolutely the SIG 226.” Yeah, see, I can’t do that, because I don’t know you and that means everything. How big you are or are not, how you dress, where you go and how you get there etc. And this guy knows that I don’t know him, so he fills in the details.
No, don’t send photos of yourself… Unless you are a Smokin Hot Mamma wearing something small and thin. Other than that, just fill in the information like this guy did.
Now, to answer the question. Let’s get to it!
The Beretta is indeed one of the finest fighting hanguns you can get, and if your wife can handle it, it’s a solid choice. They are extremely accurate and reliable. Your evident problems with accuracy though, means it would require some additional range time with the gun, which is great, but you need to do that before you can carry it. So while I would recommend it… that’s a commitment you would have to make. I’ve sold several to women who say that like the feel and have no problem with the gun’s grip size, but it is large.
Mechanically the CZ and the 92 are about as different as a V-8 and a Wankle Rotary Engine. Both are great, but operate differently. And like the guns, I like both engines. The CZ is a great handgun, one of the best. In fact, the late Jeff Cooper hailed it as one of the most advanced 9mm pistols you could get. I’ve had several and all of them were very good. You can’t go wrong.
The Px4 Storm, is once again, a very different system mechanically and operates just like the 92 from the Operators standpoint when shooting. The upshot to the Storm is that more novice shooters will find the Storms to be more accurate and softer shooting thanks to that rotating action taking some energy from recoil.
For general use as you indicate, I’d say go for the Beretta Storm and get to know it better. The barrel and locking lug should be lubricated with some Slipstream Grease while the rest oiled normally with a good gun oil… such as Slipstream Styx. You can order those off Amazon.com or CrusaderWeaponry.com as you wish.
For some other pistol options, I am of course a fan of the Glocks. A Model 19 would fit the bill perfectly for both of you, if you can both handle a 92, the 19 would be no problem. A Gen 3 19 is the way to go as pulling the slide back for your wife will be no problem. Another pistol to look at if you can find one, is the Caracal F. Much like the Glock in that there is no exterior manual safeties, but the internals are different and the trigger is better, smoother. I really like the Caracal and have shot one rather a lot. I could probably be tempted to trade off something to get one. The Caracal has a grip more like the CZ and much less blocky like a Glock. Butter smooth action too. Take a look.
With these options, it’s just a matter of taste as to which one would best suit your needs.
CZ vs The High Power
Don’t get me wrong here… I love the CZ 75, and clones. The P-01 and SP-01’s are fantastic. CZ does indeed deserve much love.
But not matter how good the CZ is… it’s a mere shadow of the awesomeness that is the High Power. The High Power is the original design that the CZ apes. The High Power, even in 9mm, is one of the greatest handguns of all time. I know that Colonel Jeff Cooper spoke very highly of the CZ, laying on it much accolades… but I am going to go out on a limb here and say that Cooper was mistaken and he should have named the High Power as the advanced handgun that could unseat the 1911 as the next greatest thing ever.
Look at it… Similar single action function to the 1911. High capacity. Low recoil. Attributes that many of the top shooters are advocating. So many shooters are going for expensive custom 1911’s chambered in 9mm. Efforts to regain what was there all along… in the High Power.
If I was sitting at a chair around the board table at CZ USA, a company that has listened to my suggestions before… I’d strongly suggest that they take the CZ75 platform, and not just many a single action only version for competition… But make a new High Power of it, suitable for Duty use. No magazine disconnect or brake, night sights, lock and load carry, and a higher capacity than the original. Make it look like a High Power. And put it out with those awesome grips that are on the SP-01 and P-01 pistols.