It is a calculated risk for a foreign arms maker to tool up production for handguns chambered in .45 ACP. To play it safe, 9mm Luger is the way to go. 9mm handguns are candidates for NATO certification and have a worldwide appeal for law enforcement, military, and concealed carry, where legal.
Even at its height, .45 ACP is a distinctly American cartridge. That’s both its appeal and its detriment. Even in these United States, 9mm handguns are the best sellers. But there will always be those who prefer a .45.
CZ took a stab at the .45 with their CZ 97. But it entered a market that favored striker-fired handguns over older double-action hammer-fired models. CZ is best known for their line of handguns based around the 9mm CZ 75. More recently, they have ventured into striker guns with the P-10.
The P-10’s superior ergonomics and reliability have won it fans since its debut in 2017. Now, CZ has upsized the design for .45 ACP in the P-10 45. As a longtime fan of the CZ 75, and a recent 1911 aficionado, I had to give the P-10 45 a swing.
The CZ P-10 45: The Britannic of .45s
On first pickup, I was struck by the sheer size of the P-10 45. Although deceptively light thanks to its polymer frame, all the dimensions are wide. The slide and barrel are widened to accommodate the .45 ACP, and the grip had to be wide enough to accommodate 13 rounds in double-stack steel magazines that ship with the handgun.
This version is the P-10 45 F—F for full-sized. It has a 4.5-inch barrel and a height of 6.2 inches for a full firing grip. Although not quite as titanic in size as something like the HK45, it has a footprint slightly larger than the Glock 21 and dwarfs the classic 1911. Once loaded, though, it rivals the 1911 in weight.
Sheer size aside, the P-10 45 appears to offer plenty compared to other .45 ACP platforms. The textured grip features a prominent palm swell, which can be further adjusted with a choice of three backstraps included with the pistol.
As with CZ’s more recent designs, the backstrap curves dramatically to form a beavertail just below the slide. This lets you get a high grip for better recoil control.
The frame also features a two-slot universal rail for mounting a weapon light, and the squared-off trigger guard is smartly stippled for those who like to hook their support hand index finger while firing. The frame-mounted controls include an ambidextrous slide release and a reversible magazine release button mounted behind the bladed trigger.
Slide, Finish, and Features
The slide is finished in black nitride and features angular cocking serrations at the front and rear—neither aggressive nor subtle. It comes with a pair of tritium night sights that deliver a light glow in low light.
The P-10 45 also comes optics-ready, with a cover plate just forward of the rear sight. CZ includes the standard cleaning kit and backstraps, but optic adapter plates must be purchased separately through CZ-USA.
The pistol ships with two steel-bodied, 13-round double-stack magazines.
P-10 45 OR Quick Specs
- Caliber: .45 ACP
- Capacity: 13+1
- Barrel Length: 4.6 inches
- Overall Length: 7.75 inches
- Width: 1.25 inches
- Height: 6.2 inches
- Weight: 39.8 ounces (loaded)
On the Range with the CZ P-10 45 OR
There is plenty to like about .45 ACP. It is a low-velocity round that’s easy on the guns that chamber it, and it is infinitely suppressor-friendly. Despite being slow and fat, .45 ACP remains effective—even with FMJ ammo. And the P-10 45 holds quite a few of them.
I headed to the range with my impressions colored by the 1911 platform. I was sure I would be getting a consistent trigger pull like the 1911, but how would the recoil and handling compare—given that we’re dealing with a polymer-framed striker-fired pistol instead of all steel?
As it turns out, the CZ P-10 45 exceeded expectations.
Accuracy
I started on a rainy day, using paper targets to test accuracy. The drill involved five-round groups from each type of ammunition, fired offhand at 10 yards.
To ensure reliability across the gamut of .45 ACP ammunition, I brought along several lots of ammunition, including:
- Winchester 230 grain FMJ Target
- Hornady 185 grain American Gunner JHP
- Federal Hydra-Shok Deep 210 grain JHP
- Buffalo Bore 255 grain +P Outdoorsman
Of all the loads, the Winchester White Box 230 grain FMJ load shot the mildest and produced the best groups. With the stock iron sights, putting five rounds into a hair over one inch at 10 yards was easy to do.
Out to 25 yards, the story was repeated. The front sight is deceptively narrow compared to the blocky rear, and it was easy to pick out my bullseye without covering the target. At that distance, the Winchester 230 grain load again took the cake with groups inside four inches.
The other loads were not far behind, but where exactly those rounds hit varied. The lighter and faster 185 grain Hornady XTP load patterned two inches high. The hot, fast, and heavy Buffalo Bore dangerous game load favored half an inch low. The Winchester 230 and Federal 210 grain loads were right on the money.
Optics-Ready Compatibility
Almost all my shooting with the CZ P-10 was done with iron sights, but you don’t have to go old school to shoot a .45. The pistol comes optics-ready and uses an adapter plate system so the user can pick and choose the optic. Plates do not ship with the pistol. Instead, the plate of your choice can be purchased directly from CZ-USA.
I ended up with an aluminum Shield plate to use my Viridian RFX 15 3 MOA Green Dot. The optic is mounted tightly, and the sights are just high enough for a lower 1/3 co-witness with the dot.
Reliability
300 rounds of .45 ACP through the CZ P 10 .45, and I counted no malfunctions. Every load cycled and fired reliably. Ergonomically, the P 10 functioned flawlessly as well. The magazine release and slide release performed readily, whether I was shooting left-handed or right-handed.
Shootability
While I do not think it is fair to say so, the .45 ACP cartridge and pistols chambered for it are sometimes characterized as unwieldy. To be fair, a big cartridge requires a bigger, bulkier handgun, and the CZ P-10 is guilty as charged.
But .45 ACP isn’t as hard-hitting or unmanageable as some think. The cartridge’s reputation for recoil partly stems from World War II-era 1911s, where lack of training led to poor accuracy at anything but point-blank range. Greater muzzle rise with the .45 does not help. But with a well-appointed handgun like the P-10 45, that heavy chunk of lead is surprisingly easy to shoot.
High velocity rounds like 9mm tend to generate more snappy recoil. While the .45 generates more recoil overall, its low velocity makes for a soft push. The P-10 .45 nullifies it even more thanks to its upswept beavertail that puts the firing grip high relative to the slide and barrel. The weight of the slide also takes up some of that recoil. The sparse stippling on the frontstrap and backstrap of the grip ensured that I never came close to breaking my grip.
Lastly, the trigger helps with the shooting experience. While it has the typical mush one would expect from a striker-action handgun, the trigger breaks clean at 6 lbs. The trigger spring is responsive and snaps the trigger forcefully and quickly to a sweet 1/6 inch worth of trigger from reset to break.
The sheer size of the P 10 initially worried me because of how all the controls and switches would have to be arranged around an obese double-stack .45 magazine. While smaller-handed shooters won’t have trouble hitting the magazine release or slide release, an optimal reach for the trigger is questionable.
The hollowed beavertail and scalloped finger rests along the grip frame help larger hands get a proper purchase. I had no issues operating controls with my large hands, and the oversized slide is easy to rack, even though the slide serrations are of the traditional type.
The CZ P 10 .45: A Good Buy?
While it is useful to look at a handgun on its own merits, comparing it to its contemporaries shows what a given product really has to offer. Compared to the flood of 9mm handguns on the market, there are precious few .45s.
Among them, the CZ P-10 45 stands out. It bridges the gap between traditional 1911s and striker-fired handguns. Though .45 ACP is sometimes derided as a dinosaur of a round, the P 10 45 is an excellent modern choice that not only handles it, but masters it as well.
