I was raised on Colt and Smith and Wesson handguns and Winchester and Remington rifles and shotguns. When I started to carry regularly, I added Walther and IWI to my list of firearms owned. As I continued to collect, carry, sports shoot, and hunt the list continued to grow until by the early 2000’s I had guns from most major companies outside of those that specialized in polymer frames.
In the 2000’s I bought my first Glock, and through a series of experiences, I went ‘all in.’ In addition to Glock’s training programs, support of sports shooting through the GSSF, and opportunities to win free guns, my wife and I went from owning no Glocks to owning all of the Glocks in just a few years. We took their various classes, became Glock armorers, started writing for their publications, and both became master-level shooters in GSSF (winning multiple free guns each in the process). These experiences culminated when we were selected as Glock Brand Ambassadors for the 2018 NRA meeting in Dallas, TX. We have since continued to be regular contributors to The Glock Annual and compete in indoor and outdoor GSSF matches.
The story of how I went from steel frame snob to ‘Glock Guy’ has been written about elsewhere. Suffice it to say that even though I own firearms from most major manufacturers, most people know me for my Glocks. By 2020 I almost exclusively competed with and carried Glocks. My trusty Glock 17 Gen 5 had been at my side in yearly trainings since it was first released, served as my primary training gun, and was my gun of choice for any competition.
Yet lurking behind all this public use of polymer, the heart of a steel frame lover was still beating. I continued to buy and collect steel frame guns, just rarely for carry and almost never for competition (outside of running some historical guns in local leagues, because I could). This was all about to change unexpectedly when I paid a visit to my favorite gun store in early 2019.
The Right Price at the Right Time
I went into the gun store looking to restock ammo. My attention was of course drawn to a few new items in the display cases, one of which was a CZ Tactical Sport Orange in single action. At the time, I had yet to buy any CZs. As I understood them, they were primarily higher-end competition guns and I didn’t have much interest.
As I was chatting and looking at a few other guns, the owner pulled out the CZ and asked if I had one. I explained that I did not have any CZs. He insisted I give it a try. I was impressed with the overall feel, balance, and especially the trigger. Turned out it was a special commission sale. The current owner had just ordered it less than a week earlier, had yet to fire it, and suddenly found himself facing a divorce. The store was making no money on the sale but was offering it up to help him fund a lawyer. Having experienced a messy divorce myself years ago, my heartstrings were properly pulled. I purchased the discounted CZ, but did not use it for six months, in case the original owner changed his mind or had a reversal of fortunes so that he could buy it back, with no hassle, for exactly what I paid.
Six months later I picked up my CZ and took it to the nearest range and found out it shot even better than it felt dryfiring. I shot it in a few local house leagues and competitions and honestly, it almost felt like cheating. The heavy and well-balanced frame greatly mitigated recoil and the whisper-soft trigger was better than my best 1911s. I joked at the time that you could just point the gun toward a target and say ‘bullseye’ and it would accurately hit over and over again.
CZ Competition Guns — Growing Our Collection
About this time, I was discussing the Tactical Sport Orange with a few people at another gun store when an employee asked if I had seen the CZ optic-ready Shadow II single action/double action. They had one in stock, and they were willing to make a deal. Thus, my CZ collection went very quickly from zero to two.
Though my Glock 17 remained my training, carry, and organized competition gun, the two CZs became my go-to for local leagues, steel, and bowling pin matches over the next few months.
My wife was the instigator of the next purchase. During her initial foray into IDPA, she remained with her trusty Glock 17. Once she felt accomplished enough with her footwork and skills in that type of competition, she was ready to “level up” her firearm. After checking the rules, I suggested we try the CZ-75 SP-01. We found a couple for sale, and she loved the feel. We bought his and hers (differentiated by blue and red LOK Grips) along with carry gear from Crossbreed holsters. Since late 2019 these guns have served as our IDPA and other action shooting events guns.
Fortunately, I never quite got rid of the automatic thumbing off the safety when drawing, leftover from decades of carrying guns with external safety levers. Thus, even though I have been actively shooting Glock for years, I was likely thumbing the non-existent safety off on every draw unconsciously. My wife was much more used to Glocks and other internal safety guns. She occasionally lost a few seconds remembering the safety in her first few stages with the new CZ, but quickly adapted.
Our final CZ handgun purchase was a CZ-97 in .45 ACP that I purchased to use also use in IDPA. I have a deeply American affinity for the .45 ACP round. I still prefer polymer guns with an internal safety system for my carry. As such they remain my training guns as well. But I now primarily shoot the Glocks in Glock-sponsored events and use my CZ guns for other shooting. Who would have thought I would make such a transition in a few short years? But the CZ guns are here to stay.
Comparatively, CZs have a lot to offer as competition guns. They do weigh more than many similar guns, which would be an issue for everyday carry, but that same weight helps reduce felt recoil. Recoil reduction, matched with a light but crisp single action trigger, and great balance make them ideal for accuracy shooting. I am not sure how I had avoided these guns for so long, but having made the leap I am hooked. I love shooting them for sport and fun. If you haven’t tried a CZ yet, get one in your hands. Rent one or borrow one from a friend and give it a try. The only thing to fear is becoming addicted.
