The CZ 75 is a classic handgun by any measure.
One of the original Wonder Nine handguns of the 1970s, the CZ 75 is among the most copied handguns out there, and CZ has no plans to end production some 50 years on. But that has not stopped CZ from offering updated versions for those of us who don’t cotton to carrying a full-sized piece of steel.
The recent additions of the CZ P07 and P09 brought the format to the polymer era. Sandwiched in between the all-steel 75 and the latest polymer-framed versions is the CZ P01, an aluminum-framed compact version of the 75.
After years of polymer pistol market domination, metal-framed compact handguns are starting to make a comeback. But is the P01 worthy to ride the wave? We put a fresh out-of-the-box CZ P01 through its paces to find out.
The CZ P01: History and Features
The CZ 75 was a groundbreaking handgun, and as mentioned above, it was one of the original Wonder Nine handguns from the 1970s, chambered in 9mm Luger with a 16-round capacity. Unlike the Browning Hi Power that preceded this generation of pistols, the CZ could be safely carried fully loaded, as it is a double action/single action pistol.
The CZ 75 remains the company’s flagship design, but it was intended as a service pistol. It is a full-sized handgun with a steel frame, which does not make it friendly for concealed carry. As the 75 became more popular, the desire for a lighter and smaller version was echoed by the Czech National Police, among other military and law enforcement departments worldwide. The answer came in 2001 with the introduction of the P01.
Like any compact from its time, the P01 is little different from its predecessor model but is chopped to be smaller. The barrel is shorter, at 3.9 inches, and it comes with an abbreviated blued steel slide to match. The grip is also slightly shorter, cutting its magazine capacity down to fifteen rounds. Where this model goes further is that the P01 trades a steel frame for a lightweight 7075 series black anodized aluminum frame. Otherwise, it is mechanically similar to the old CZ 75. It even takes extended CZ 75 magazines.
The CZ P01 proved to be a popular item, and NATO approved the pistol for issue shortly after its inception. In the 20 years since then, the concealed carry market has changed dramatically. But as we have moved to single-stack polymer-framed framed 9mms to micro-compacts, CZ has offered some modest upgrades and additional models. However, the base design remains largely unchanged.
The CZ P01, as it is currently offered, features dovetailed tritium night sights and a sighting plane that is knurled to cut down on sun glare. The pistol is available with a left-side mounted decocker. Unlike earlier versions and the current CZ 75 Compact, the P01 does not feature a manual safety for the pistol to be carried cocked and locked.
The slide features both forward and rearward cocking serrations. Like all CZs, the slide rides deep in the frame for a lower bore axis and less muzzle flip compared to other locked-breech pistols. The frame wears checkered rubber grip panels and a coarsely serrated front and back strap for a tactile hold on the pistol. It also wears a large slide release on the left side and a proud, reversible magazine button release. The front of the trigger guard is squared off and knurled to facilitate a forward-firing grip that some shooters prefer.
As its police pistol origins would suggest, the CZ P01 retains a small lanyard loop at the bottom of the grip. Unlike the similarly sized CZ 75 Compact, the P01 is distinguished with a Picatinny light rail.
On the whole, the P01 is lighter and more flexible than its predecessors, but it is old-fashioned for a carry handgun by today’s standards. But does old fashioned mean outmoded?
CZ P01 Disassembly and Internal Construction
If you are familiar with any of the classic CZ pistols, you will know how to take down the CZ P01. If you are not familiar, there are echoes of the Colt 1911 and the Browning Hi-Power. In any event, field stripping is different from a modern striker-fired handgun, but no more involved.
With the magazine removed and an empty pistol in hand, grasp the slide and pull it back to line up a pair of hashmarks etched into the frame and slide. With those marks lined up, push the slide release out from the right side with your fingers and then pull it out from the left side. With that accomplished, yank the slide off the frame.
Now, in two halves, the polymer guide rod, recoil spring, and barrel can be pulled out from the bottom of the slide. Reassembly is done in reverse order.
Inside and outside, the bluing on steel is matte and well-executed. The anodizing treatment on the outside of the aluminum frame is tough and uniform. Interestingly, the inside of the frame is left unfinished. In any event, there are no burs and milling marks to note.
CZ P01 Quick Specs:
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Capacity: 15+1
- Barrel Length: 3.75 inches
- Overall Length: 7.20 inches
- Slide Width: 1.40 inches
- Weight: 34 ounces (loaded)
On the Range with the CZ P01
9mm pistols have come a long way since 2001, just as they have come a long way from the start of the round in 1905 to the CZ 75 in 1975. Today’s microcompact pistols like the Sig P365 XL and Springfield Hellcat can rival or exceed the CZ P01’s 15-round capacity, but with a lightweight polymer frame and a relatively thin slide and grip by comparison. These options even come optics-ready from the factory.
But as I came to grips with those guns, as a shooting iron, I found that these guns might be just a bit too small for caliber. 9mm is no powerhouse, but putting it into a light gun can make it a challenge to shoot, or at least, to shoot quickly.
As such, I went to a legacy steel-framed option in my CZ 75. It is easy to shoot quickly, but not great along the belt line. I sought out something for carry that was smaller and lighter, but not too light. I arrived at the P01 and on first inspection, I worried it was too light and it might lose some of the 75’s shootability. I was mistaken.
I fed my new P01 300 rounds of a mix of ammunition ranging from Magtech Steel Case and Igman brass case FMJ target ammunition to defensive ammunitions ranging from Winchester 115 grain JHPs to Federal HST 147 grain subsonics. I also had some Hornady Critical Duty 135 grain +P loads on hand to try out. As I came to expect from a CZ, the P01 ate all of it without any malfunctions.
Reliability was boring, but the shooting experience was not. I expected a decided step down in accuracy and recoil control going from a steel-framed handgun, but that was not the case.
It has a similar footprint to a Glock 19, although it is a scant few ounces heavier when loaded. It is smaller and lighter than the CZ 75, but it is still substantial enough to get a full firing grip. And the aluminum frame does a fair job at taming recoil without going too light and too top-heavy, as can be the case with polymer handguns.
As a basis of comparison, I paired the P01 with my 75 during a few range sessions. Although the longer-barreled CZ 75 gave me a slightly finer sight radius, the P01’s identical sights worked just as well and I happily hit paper with both handguns out to 100 yards. Out of a given 10-round string, I could hit a torso ten for ten with both pistols, although the slightly lighter trigger pull on my 75 allowed me to get the hits a bit faster.
Speaking of triggers, a benefit and demerit of the CZ P01 is that it is double-action/single-action. This system is safe to carry loaded with a long pull of the trigger as a redundant safety and an exposed hammer to thumb down for added safety while re-holstering. But it requires some muscle memory to follow through with two different trigger pulls: a long first pull and light subsequent pulls as the hammer is recocked by the slide.
Fortunately, CZ has been doing double action pistols well, and it shows. The trigger pull in double action is quite long but without grit. It starts off light and ends light, with a heavier spell in the middle of travel. The final crisp break measures at 7 3/4 lbs. on my Lyman trigger scale. The single action pull has about 1/3 of an inch of play to work through before hitting the 4 lb. wall. The weights and lengths of travel were different, but the tactile feel was identical.
As it happens, when you drop the decocker lever, the hammer does not fall against a hammer block. Rather, the trigger engages the hammer at the half-cock notch. In double action, shooting from that half-cock position is a pound lighter and a bit shorter. While conducting two-shot drills, it only took about 20 rounds to find my way around the trigger. I never felt that I was throwing the first shot away when shooting in double action.
The combination of the P01’s trigger and the substance of its aluminum frame and tactile checkered rubber grips allowed for some very good accuracy. Even while shooting semi-rapidly as quickly as I could reacquire the sights on the bullseye, it was difficult to post a five-shot group at 10 yards that was larger than 2 inches.
In slow fire off-hand, the P01 grouped out to two inches at that distance with the Federal HST subsonic load. Ironically, the P01 seemed to like cheap 115 and 124 grain target loads best. Global Ordnance’s Igman 124 grain load consistently grouped in an inch. The steel-case Magtech 115 grain FMJ came ever so slightly behind. The duty-ready Hornady 135 grain+P fell in the middle of the aggregate. This load was also the snappiest in terms of muzzle rise, but there was never a point of discomfort with any of these loads.
In terms of ergonomics, the CZ P01 is well set up for most shooters. And when I mean most shooters, I mean right-handed shooters. The magazine release can be switched to the right side for the left-hand shooting thumb, but the decocker and slide release are not mirror-imaged.
The P01 also comes with forward and rearward cocking serrations. They lack the sophisticated artistry of other pistols, but they help to overcome the lack of real estate on the scanty slide. For a design from the turn of the century, I was surprised to see this style of serrations and a reversible magazine release. But it might be due for an updated future model.
The Achilles’ heel of the P01 and most CZs is the aforenoted lack of gripping space on the slide. It is both a feature and a bug. The slide rides inside the frame, allowing for a lower bore axis and less recoil. The tradeoff is that there is less slide above the frame to manipulate. In my own shooting on fair days, there was never a problem, but I found myself wanting a bit more slide on colder days when manipulating the pistol with numb hands. It is a minor caution for a pistol that otherwise gave me no malfunctions and shot quite well.
In the end, I doubt I will give up my CZ 75, even though it is big and will not attach a light. The P01 gives you light capacity, a decided plus for a home defense handgun. While I doubt the P01 is on the short list for ambi controls and a red dot plate, it is certainly one of the most fitting vintage designs that deserve a look, even in its bulletproof stock form.
