CZ 75 Review: Hands-On Tested!

Today we are embracing hipster culture and putting our flannels on, sipping our craft beers, and shooting our CZ 75. The CZ 75 is one of the most reproduced pistols globally, and today we are chunking lead with CZ’s O.G., the CZ 75 B.

Spies, Secret Patents, and CZs 

From the name CZ 75, you can rightly assume that the 75 stands for 1975. The CZ 75 is one of the early ‘wonder nines’ that mixed a semi-auto platform, a 9mm chambering, and a double-stack magazine. The lineage of the CZ 75 can be easily traced back to the famed Hi-Power and the SIG P210. 

In 1975 Czechoslovakia wasn’t the Czech Republic and lived behind the famed Iron Wall. They developed the CZ 75 for export but never obtained international patents protecting their design. Instead, they were issued secret patents that aimed to conceal the firearm and prohibited anyone in Czechoslovakia from reproducing the firearm. 

The design was ahead of its time, and when the firearm leaked into the international community, the lack of international patents allowed anyone to make a CZ 75, so they did. The CZ 75 became one of the most copied pistols in the world! Italy, Israel, Turkey, China, and many more produced their copies of the famed pistol. 

These days if you want a CZ 75, you can pick and choose from a wide variety of copies, or like me, you can still get the O.G. from CZ themselves. Well, kind of. The CZ 75 B models implement longer slide rails, a half cock position, and a firing pin block. It’s not much different, and models with full-length slide rails have been produced since 1980, and models with the firing pin block have been around since 1993. 

CZ 75 Features

1 Internal Slide Rails 

2 DA/SA Trigger 

3 Hammer Forged barrels

4 All Steel Construction 

5 Manual Safety 

CZ 75 Gun Models 

The firearm we’re reviewing today comes with a few variations, let’s check them now below;

CZ 75 Review – Our Take

Ye Olde CZ 75 is certainly a product of its time. This big, heavy, full-size 9mm pistol holds nothing back in the size and weight department. Much like the M1911, the CZ 75 is largely a product of its time. It’s not necessarily the first pistol I’d pick up for home defense, concealed carry, or duty use. However, some of those old-school features make it an excellent competition series pistol. 

All 35.2 ounces of metal make it quite controllable, especially when paired with the low bore axis and the lightweight slide. The slide rides inside the frame instead of outside of it. That delivers us the very low-profile slide and the unique CZ 75 look. From a practical perspective, the lower bore axis and the lightweight slide reduces felt recoil and increases control. This is my favorite centerfire pistol for new shooters due to the low recoil and controllability. 

My CZ 75 B has the simplified Omega trigger. This trigger system is easy to upgrade, but I never saw the point. The double-action provides that long heavy trigger we are used to, but it’s also quite smooth and grit-free. Our single-action trigger is very light and crisp with just a hair of take-up. The worst part of the trigger is the somewhat long reset. It really takes away from a very nice stock trigger. 

Honestly, your accuracy may suffer a bit in double action, especially if you are shooting for tight groups, but with plenty of practice, you can master that trigger and become proficient with it. Lots of dry fire will make the double action second nature. In terms of accuracy, the CZ 75 does well. 

Hitting headshots at 25 yards is fairly simple to do. Heck, ringing steel gongs at 35 yards proved easy. Back to 50 yards, the front sight covered most of the steel gong, and I felt my accuracy slip. However, with that said, I could still hit it more times than I missed. Sure, that might mean six out of ten, but the point stands. The sights sit very low on the CZ 75 B and don’t catch the eye extremely well. 

It’s just a simple three-dot setup. I’d prefer a slightly thinner, maybe slightly taller front and rear sight. A good fiber optic front sight and all-black rear would increase practical range and speed. I think speed should be part of the conversation when we talk about accuracy. While I can hit the target just fine, other guns allow me to hit the same target faster. 

Ergonomically I love the CZ 75 B. The gun sits in my hand like it was made for it. The grip is just perfect and very slim, allowing shooters with various hand sizes to grip the gun comfortably. The controls are all large and easy to reach with minimal thumb movement. 

Engaging the manual safety is easy, and the safety itself is interesting. It cannot be engaged with the hammer down. With the hammer cocked to single action, you can activate the safety and carry it locked and cocked safely. 

The magazine release is a big metal button that can be reached with a slight downward shift of my thumb makes it easy to drop mags and reload. CZ made the slide lock/release massive and textured for easy access. This is one of the few guns out there that has a slide release that my thumb doesn’t pin down when firing. My only ergonomic issue is how small the slide is. It can be tough to grip, especially when you are new to the gun. 

In terms of reliability, well, it’s rock solid. I’ve owned this gun for years. I love it, and I shoot it fairly often. It’s also a gun I turn to when teaching new shooters, so it’s been in the hands of shooters of all skill levels with questionable skills and techniques. Yet, it’s chugged through everything. This includes JHPs, steel-cased ammo, reloads, and of course, traditional brass. 

I’ve had ammo-related malfunctions but can’t remember a single time the gun choked mechanically. Hard primers, projectiles sunk too deep into cases, and one crappy ProMag have caused issues, but the guns never failed to eject, extract, and have never suffered a double feed. 

CZ 75 Pros and Cons 

The CZ 75 B is a great gun, but it’s a gun without a home or purpose. It’s fun to shoot, easy to shoot, and enjoyable, and sometimes that’s enough. 

CZ 75 Ammo

CZ 75 Starter Pack

If you’ve decided to pick up the CZ 75, or found another firearm that suits your needs, there are some bare essentials you’re going to need to pick up in order to maximize its potential and your safety regardless of if it’s your first firearm or not.

• Gun Cleaning Kit: Otis All Caliber Elite Range Box on Amazon or build your own personalized cleaning kit with premium components.
• Shooting Glasses: All it takes is one piece of rogue hot brass, and you’ll learn the importance of shooting glasses. But not all glasses are built the same. See our recommendations for the Best Shooting Glasses.
• Hearing Protection: Firing a gun without wearing proper ear pro can be very dangerous and detrimental to your hearing. Find out the best hearing protection for you in our full length review.
• Storage: Check our our article on the Best Biometric Gun Safes
• Targets – If you’re wanting a great resource for shooting practice or zeroing your optics on your optics rifle or pistol, download our FREE Sighting in Targets below.

Upgrades and Accessories

CZ 75 Accessories

1. Do-All Outdoors Steel Resetting Target		Rated For . 38 – . 44 Caliber Pistols High Visibility Targets Reset Without Walking Down Range	Check Amazon
2. TRUGLO Fiber-Optic PRO Competition Sights		Ultra-thin and easy to see Perfect for close and long-range shooting Stands out and catches your eye	Check Amazon
3. VZ Grips Frag Gun Grips		High quality Design & Texture Comfortable Frag grip patterns lock your hand on the gun.	Check Amazon
4. Decibullz Custom Molded Earplugs		Great In-Ear option Custom molded – super easy and comfortable NRR: 31	Check Amazon

Caring For Your CZ 75

It’s critical not only to keep your guns secure, but also to understand how strip it down and care for it. In this video below we have found a great video which covers this topic.

Important Links and Manuals

• CZ 75 B Specifications
• CZ 75 Manual