CZ P07 - Beretta PX4 Compact Comparison?

[David S.]

Triggers aside, what do you think about other characteristics like muzzle flip, accuracy, ergonomics, location of controls...etc

Again, my experience is with the P-09, not the P-07, so it's not apples to apples comparison.

Muzzle Flip: I don't know. I wouldn't be surprised if the PX4 was slightly less flippy.

Accuracy. I'm sure they're very similar, but the CZ's longer sight radius might make that accuracy easier to achieve with iron sights. If you discount called flyers, I'm keeping rounds inside of 3" freestyle slow fire at 25 yards with my P-09 with an RM07. I wouldn't be surprised if my examples were capable of 1.5" in the hands of a better shooter. I'd love to shoot an RMR'd PX4 for a comparison.

Sight Options. RDS is simpler to mount to the CZ. I really dig Langdon's Ameriglo sights for defensive use of the PX4. I don't think they're available for the CZ. Beyond that, both have a fairly limited selection.

The CZ is available with a threaded barrel, if that matters.

Ergos. The CZ fits MY big hands better. The P-09's beavertail prevents the slide bite I occasionally got with the PX4, H&K P30 and Glocks. It seems like there's a lot more surface area on the CZ grip, which allows me to better support hand contact. I don't think the CZ's bore axis is actually lower. . . it just looks that way because of the reversed rails. I haven't actually measured tho. The PX4 requires additional texture in the form of Talon Grips or stippling. I'm OK with the stock P-09's texture.

Location of controls. Both are great. I like the PX4's slide mounted decocker better than I though I would. The huge OE decoker levers hit my strong side thumb every time the slide cycled unless I consciously re-adjusted my grip. The Stealth levers are too flat, making decocking awkward. The LTT's Fugly levers and their replacement solve that problem. The P-09's factory decocker works fine for my grip. The video above mentions that you need longish thumbs to reach the CZ's slide catch lever. I must have short-ish thumbs, because I have to release the slide with my support hand.

If you buy used, smokin' deals on Langdonized PX4's pop up regularly in the Classifieds. Hardly ever with the CZ's.

If you buy new, both are going to cost about the same to get it up to speed (from my perspective).
PX4: Aftermarket sights, Talon Grips, LTT decocker levers, TJIAB.
P-07: Aftermarket sights, Ship off to Cajun or CZ Custom for trigger work.

Adding a RDS to the P-07 is half the price of the PX4.

[David S.]

Trigger “perfection” isn’t as important as many other aspects of a gun. When pulled at speed, what effect is there in a slight lack of smoothness?

You're probably right, and I don't have metrics.

I feel like I have to work harder to run the trigger well on my CZ than my PX4, even at speed. Then again, it's entirely possible I have crappy trigger control at speed, and I'm just seeing it more of that crappiness with the dot (vs PX4's short sight radius).

[s0nspark]

All of the CZs I used to own had absolutely garbage triggers out of the box. DA was rough, overly heavy, and stacked like it was notched. SA was ok but had a lot of creep and overtravel.

After the first one was Cajunized I just factored that work into the price when buying a new one.

As a comparison, the stock PX4s I've handled and shot all had triggers comparable to the tricked out CZs.

I ended up selling all of CZs as a result of the timing issues @GJM brought to light last year that could cause the initial DA trigger pull falling to half cock - there may a fix for that now but it really caused me to lose confidence in CZ as a company and their guns as serious self-defense tools.

If I were going back to a TDA platform now I would only seriously consider Beretta.

[JTQ]

What shocked me is when I put them side by side they were almost exactly the same size!

I was able to get all my fingers on the P07 grip but not on the PX4.

That said I have XXL hands and even with the L back strap the grip is too small and two short for me to shoot it as well as I would like at speed.

While I suppose they are similar in size, I don't think each company is marketing these guns as competitors.

I see the CZ P07 as a duty sidearm that can be concealed and while the Beretta PX4 may be in the ball park as far as size goes, it is smaller. I don't think Beretta envisions this gun in duty holsters, though I suppose there may be some, but more as a concealment gun which is probably why folks with bigger hands have issues with it. I'd put the more natural comparison to the CZ P07 in the Beretta line-up as the PX4 full size.

[Wheeler]

While I suppose they are similar in size, I don't think each company is marketing these guns as competitors.

I see the CZ P07 as a duty sidearm that can be concealed and while the Beretta PX4 may be in the ball park as far as size goes, it is smaller. I don't think Beretta envisions this gun in duty holsters, though I suppose there may be some, but more as a concealment gun which is probably why folks with bigger hands have issues with it. I'd put the more natural comparison to the CZ P07 in the Beretta line-up as the PX4 full size.

I bound the P07 and PX4 to be of similar size. An extra 3/8" at the bottom of the grip would have done well for me to get a full three finger grip. I would compare the full size PX4 to the P09.

I also left out that I felt that CZ did an excellent job of texturing the P07/09 series pistols. I had to maintain a death grip on the PX4 to keep the gun from moving in my hands during recoil. Because I mentioned it earlier, I feel Sig did a much better job texturing the frames of their P250s than Beretta's PX4s as well.

[s0nspark]

I also left out that I felt that CZ did an excellent job of texturing the P07/09 series pistols.

I personally found both guns to be too slick for my taste - I had my P-07s stippled as a result.

I liked the stippling on the P-10C much better. Aggressive front and back, smoother on the sides.

[Clusterfrack]

All of the CZs I used to own had absolutely garbage triggers out of the box. DA was rough, overly heavy, and stacked like it was notched. SA was ok but had a lot of creep and overtravel.

I ended up selling all of CZs as a result of the timing issues @GJM brought to light last year that could cause the initial DA trigger pull falling to half cock - there may a fix for that now but it really caused me to lose confidence in CZ as a company and their guns as serious self-defense tools.

Here’s a post on how to break in and lubricate a P-07 to significantly improve the trigger. https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....l=1#post744301

Let’s not revisit the “drop to half cock” issue in this thread, but I do want to say that I do not believe this is a timing issue, or that anything is wrong with the design. There is no “fix”, and no parts I have tried change the function. If you interrupt the trigger pull at the exact moment the DA sear breaks, the sear will return and catch the hammer at half cock, as a drop safety.

I have not had a single malfunction in my P-07s, and neither have my buddies. In every P-07 I have tested, I have been able to induce the gun to drop the hammer to half cock from a DA pull if I interrupt the force of the trigger pull just at the moment the DA sear breaks. I can do it by sticking my finger deep so I'm pulling the trigger with my 2nd knuckle, and so the tip of my trigger finger hits the frame at just the right moment. This is a very contrived trigger pull, and I cannot make the gun do it under any normal condition, including pinching gloves or cloth behind the trigger. Bottom line: I'm not concerned about it.

[Jared]

I really think both are good pistols based on reviews here on P-F, my own shooting experience with the PX4’s, and data from trusted sources elsewhere. I’ve never shot a P07. Every time I play with one I realize how much overlap there is with the PX4 CC and I pass. Most people seem to do some work on both types to get them where they want them. The only thing that really really concerns me about the CZ is that the bores and chambers are in the white. I’d rather they be chrome lined or some other finish to prevent corrosion in humid weather

[Clusterfrack]

The barrels are nitrided, and the chamber is polished. Still corrosion resistant.

[s0nspark]

Let’s not revisit the “drop to half cock” issue in this thread, but I do want to say that I do not believe this is a timing issue, or that anything is wrong with the design. There is no “fix”, and no parts I have tried change the function. If you interrupt the trigger pull at the exact moment the DA sear breaks, the sear will return and catch the hammer at half cock, as a drop safety.

No need to rehash but it was my understanding at the time that David @ CGW was indeed on track for a remedy.

Perhaps that never materialized.

Oh and my user of timing was more in the "if you time it wrong" sense ;-)

Regardless of how you classify it, it was just not something I could get past for carry. Not really different from why I don't carry a revolver or a 1911... Comfort level.