HK P30S or CZ P07 Duty

[gocubs6]

I had both a P01 and an SP01 for quite a long time. The pistols were fun to shoot and accurate as all get out. I'd say you'd be hard pressed for a better range gun. I did sell them both. The slide is very hard to grip if you are serious about running it and the edges are sharp as a knife. I busted my thumb open big time on the P01. I just picked up a P30S for a ridiculous good deal, so I'm ready to see how that runs.

[GJM]

I wandered into a gun shop today, and they had a CZ P07 -- my first time to handle the pistol. It was a 2013 model, the "Duty," since modified for 2014 to include changeable backstraps, a different trigger, removal of the "Duty" name, and forward serrations on the slide. Here is how I was struck by the P07.

The good.

The 15 round standard magazines were almost dead ringers for HK P30 magazines, and appeared to be very well made. The single action trigger was good. The DA trigger was heavy, although I understand Matt Mink, Cajun and CZ Custom can do a trigger job to improve it. The beavertail felt good, and the bottom of the frame extended a bit on the back, providing some protection against pinching your hand on a reload. The thumb safety and decocker location puts the decocker further forward and more out of the way.


The bad.

The P01 feels lovely in my hands, and exudes quality in how the outside is machined. I was expecting a polymer version of a P01, and it just isn't a polymer P01. The slide feels fat by comparison to the P01. The polymer is bit slick and could use stippling. The frame feels more blocky than the P01. CZ definitely missed the memo on Trijicon HD style sights. When I pulled the test target for the P07, the group wasn't quite as good as on any on my other CZ test targets, and the P07 group was shot at 15 meters compared to 25 meters on the targets for the P01 and SP01. I sure hope that isn't a clue as to CZ's accuracy expectation for the P07 (and P09).

With the caveat that I didn't shoot the P07, and give it a chance to charm me over, overall in that the P07 costs about what a CZ 75BD does, the classic metal CZ feels a better value, and a better base to do custom work on.

[joshs]

GJM -- I agree that the P07 doesn't seem to be as well made as the steel or aluminium framed CZs. I also don't like how much fatter the slide is compared to other CZs. Just based on handling one in a gun store, it seemed liked there was absolutely no way I would get slide lock with the huge slide stop/release. If I were to get another CZ it would be a P01 or 75BD.

[GJM]

Josh, I note that P01 and SP01, per the CZ website, supposedly have a different beavertail and some frame mods to allow for a higher grip than the CZ75. Is the difference just noise, or do you think it is material?

The Shadow doesn't have a firing pin block. If a person carried a Shadow in an appendix holster, what scenario would it take to make the pistol fire unintentionally, due to lack of the block?

[JAD]

. If a person carried a Shadow in an appendix holster, what scenario would it take to make the pistol fire unintentionally, due to lack of the block?

It would require rapid deceleration and a hard surface, in your pants. So, porn in a broken elevator should do the trick.

[joshs]

I think the newer frames are more comfortable. I tend to get a little bit of discomfort where the edges of the old style beavertail digs into the web of my hand when shooting higher round counts, but I didn't notice a performance difference that could be attributed to the beavertail (the big heavy dustcover on the SP definitely helps with recoil, so I couldn't tell you exactly what was coming from the heavier weight and what was from the improved ergos).

I'm very risk averse, so I wouldn't carry a gun without a firing pin block. That being said, on a gun that is carried hammer forward with the hammer on an intercept notch, it don't know that it's that much of an issue. I think it would take a serious impact to the back of the hammer to break the hammer or sear and have generate enough force to light a primer. One benefit of a firing pin block is that it will prevent the gun from doubling/going full auto in the case of hammer follow. At least I think the CZ FPB resets while the trigger is to the rear. This is one of the complaints that some people have with the Sig SRT trigger, since it holds the firing pin block in the up position to allow for the super short reset.

[YVK]

GJM were discussing this yesterday. One concern that I have is that all these sweet CZ trigger jobs include an extended firing pin and light fp spring. I'd go for fp block option for carry.

[Wendell]

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