I recently traded up from my old tried and true Springfield XD-9 Tactical pistol to the new CZ P-09, and finally had some range time with my new man-toy. I must admit it was a difficult decision to sell my XD, as I had it for a number of years, and it served me faithfully from the time I purchased it new. Not even so much as a single FTF/FTE through multiple IDPA matches, and training sessions. However, I really liked the additional capacity of the CZ, and I’ve grown to love the Croatian-Born CZ pistols since I purchased my CZ 75 P-06 .40 Compact in 2012.
Anyway, back to the CZ P-09. It caught my eye earlier this year when I was shopping for a new pistol, and learned of its 19+1 capacity. After seeing that I had to take a second look at these pistols, because it carried more firepower than my XD, AND had a threaded barrel standard. In addition, it was a SA/DA pistol, which I find more interesting to operate and shoot, compared to the safe-action type triggers of XDs and Glocks. Add that to my appreciation for CZs, and I was sold! I found myself trolling YouTube for reviews, and they were all very favorable for the P09.
Features and Benefits:
As I mentioned already, the industry leading 19+1 capacity was the first attention-getter for me. Furthermore, at the release of this blog, there is a 21+1 round mag option now on the market for this model as well! 22 rounds of 9mm, stay-in-the-fight firepower, is something that sets this pistol apart. Add that to the excellent ergonomics and adjustable back straps for different hand sizes, and the shootability factor rises significantly for the CZ P-09. How does it shoot? We’ll get to that.
Another great value/feature of this pistol is the threaded barrel. Even though I do not currently own a can for 9mm, the fact that I can now facilitate such hardware makes doing all that arduous paperwork a stronger possibility. The HPA legislation is still being volleyed around the US Legislature, but even if it does not mature to a law, I will still most likely start the process. At least I will have plenty of range time to break in my new pistol while I am waiting the 6-9months for the BATFE to get around to approving my tax stamp.
Configurability is another benefit of the CZ P-09. It ships with a decocker, which functions just like other SA/DAs, allowing one to safely drop the hammer to DA mode. However, CZ also allows one to reconfigure the pistol and replace the decocker with a traditional thumb safety. In this configuration one can carry the firearm locked, loaded, and with the hammer cocked if desired. There are no tools or gunsmiths needed to reconfigure the controls, so it allows shooters to have the pistol tailored their preferences.
Another nice feature I noticed about the CZ P-09 is that everything about it is big. Big grip, large capacity, long site radius, sizable control surfaces; even the mag release button is big. You cannot miss it, as its right where it needs to be for medium or larger sized hands, and it protrudes out such that you can easily depress it to drop the mag. And as soon as you depress that release button, the magazine shoots out the grip like it had some bad chipotle. No time wasted getting the empty out of the way for the tactical reload with the CZ P-09. However, this could be a problem, which I will cover later.
How Does it Shoot?
Well, how does the CZ P-09 handle itself on the range, with a mediocre shooter like myself? Well, it made me look better than I actually am. During my first outing with the pistol, I was able to keep my shots within the 2-ring at 25feet, during deliberate sight placement. For rapid fire drills I was able to keep shots well within combat accuracy standards, even removing swaths of the target in the process. The DA pull is a bit long, but the break is clean and manageable. The SA pulls are short and crisp, with a fast and audible reset. Though the trigger is not match grade, it is a solid combat SA/DA trigger. Very much what one would expect from a CZ.
Gripes or things I would change
Only two things I noticed about the pistol that I did not immediately like. One was already addressed by CZ, thanks to their solid customer service department. I noticed it when I got the pistol home and checked the sight picture again; as one of the rear sight-dots was missing. It was most likely damaged during handing at the gunstore, or just a rare quality defect from the CZ factory. Whatever the root cause, once I called them and explained the problem, they threw a new rear sight in the mail for me the same day – no question asked. Can’t ask for much more than that.
The only other possible problem I see with the P-09 is the magazine release button. Yes, I just finished raving about how big and great it was, but its ease of accessibility could also be a problem when finding a holster for this beast of a sidearm. In similar situations I’ve seen with protruding controls, the mag-release can actually get depressed when the pistol is holstered; causing the magazine to drop without warning when sitting or waking about. Not a good situation these days. Just something to think about when shopping for a carry holster for the CZ P-09.
Overall, the CZ P-09 gets high marks from 2-Swords Tactical & Defense. There is not much you can complain about on this pistol, as it is has high capacity, solid accuracy, is reconfigurable, and can accommodate a suppressor right out the box. So, I have no regrets giving up my Croatian-born sidearm, for this Czech-inspired piece of liberty.
