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CZ 75 D PCR 9mm

Submitted by Average Joe on Thu, 2014-12-18 22:15

I'll let you in on a little secret.  CZs are a particular passion of mine which is odd because when I became infatuated with them they went against my normal sense of what a gun should be.  They are a Traditional Double Action pistols meaning that the first shot is a long, heavy double action pull followed by much lighter single action pulls. The "D" in the prefix means "Decocker" so great, one more thing you have to remember to do before holstering the pistol after shooting.  The Traditional Double Action operation is 80 + years old having been popularized by Walther's PP, PPK and P-38 pistols that came out prior to World War II. My feeling prior to trying my first CZ in 2004 was that this was an operating platform whose time was past.  My second strike about the CZ line-up was the over abundance of them were chambered in 9mm.  Both of my criticisms melted away when I tried my first CZ.  The action was smooth, and the Double Action pull what not that heavy.  The accuracy astounded me.  Suddenly I was not so concerned about the puny 9mm as I was able to put the shot exactly where I wanted it.  The news continues to get better as the ammunition makers continue to develope very efficient loads for the 9mm and I no longer feel under-protected when I pack a 9mm.

You'll note that after plucking this model off the shelf I replaced the grips.  This pistol comes with checkered rubber grips that have nice palm swells and they work great.  However, I wanted to make the grip slimmer and these VZ grips fit the bill perfectly reducing the width from 1.38 inches to 1.18 inches.  

 
So, let's cover the rest of the specifications:
 
The CZ 75 D PCR is a Double Action/Single Action operation and is basically the same size as the CZ 75 Compact model.  The differences are primarily in the material of the frame and the sights.  The compact model has a steel frame while the D PCR has an alloy frame that shaves a quarter pound off the weight.  The rear sights on the compact model are of the straight post variety while the D PCR sports low profile, anti-snag sights.  The rest of the specs stack up like this:
 
Capacity: 14 + 1 rounds
Overall Length: 7.2 inches
Barrel Length: 3.8 inches
Height: 5 inches
Trigger Pull: Double Action-8.14 lbs. Single Action-4.15 lbs.
This photo clearly shows the front and rear sight configuration and as well as the grip palm swells.  I want to reiterate that the rubber grips worked fine I just wanted to slim them down a little and put a little pizzazz to the pistol.  

The ergonomics of the pistol is fantastic.  The design of the grips and grip frame allows my  finger to reach the trigger in just the right spot to ensure well centered hits.  While we're talking about the trigger the double action pull comes in at 8.14 pounds does not cause me to throw shots. The single action pull at 4.15 pounds allows me fast follow up shots and the accuracy to put one right over the other.  I think this 4 plus pounds of trigger pull is just about right for a single action pull on a defensive handgun.  Far too often I have shied away from carrying a 1911 simply because some of the more expensive ones have very light trigger pulls and I find myself with an occasional accidental discharge during recoil.  

Now getting back to ergonomics the placement of the decocker is perfect for my reach and I can manipulate it easily without shifting the pistol or changing my grip.  
One of the other very noticeable features of CZ pistols is that the slide rides inside the frame.  Because the slide rides inside the frame there is less of the slide exposed when you need to grasp it to charge the pistol or clear jams.  The good news is that I didn't have any jams; however, in the heat of battle things always go wrong.  But there are some advantages of the inside-the frame slide set-up.  First of all it allows for a higher grip and a lower bore axis which helps control recoil therefore helping your accuracy and follow-up time.  It has also been said that the slide inside-the-frame set-up helps accuracy as in the design of the exulted SIG P210 which was once thought to be the most accurate pistol in production.
 
As for accuracy?  I took this pistol to shoot it when my Chicago team qualified.  I ran the course three times with the CZ 75 D PCR and out of a possible score of 30 points I racked up two 29s and a 30.  In fact I loaned it one of the team members who carries a SIG P226 as a part-time police officer.  He shot a 28, 29, and a 30 with it and felt it was every bit as good, if not better, than his larger, heavier and twice as expensive SIG.  

So let's see some targets!

Here's an average 21 foot target:
Here are two from 30 feet:
40 Feet
50 feet
 
75 feet
Part of the reason that CZ pistols work so well for me as it did my team member is that the pistol fits well.  The proper fit of the pistol in your hand is very important.  These pistols fit my medium sized hands very well.  

I will end with a challenge: the next time you are in the shop, ask to examine one closer.  See how it fits in your hand and see how well you can reach the controls.  For my sized hands the CZ pistols fit so well that I don't have to think about how to operate it as it seems to become an extension of my arm and during the intensity and confusion of a shooting incident that fit makes your mission just a little bit easier.
 

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