I’ve been contemplating getting a DA/SA for a while, and I would like a new carry gun to sub in for my Shield. I’ve been reading good things about both the. Beretta PX4 CC and the CZ P07. Is there likely to be a clear winner between these two options? Does anyone own both that could compare how concealable and controllable they are, reliability, etc? Unfortunately I’m not in a position to test fire either before purchase.
Thanks for any thoughts -
Very little experience with the Px4, but some with the P-07. I like the P-07 and I would be happy to pick one up eventually.
Oh boy, you just stepped into my head !
I’m a huge fan of the P07 since I read and watched all those videos by Mr. Mike Pannone. Since 2014, the 07 has been my favorite non 1911 handgun, I like it even more than my beloved M&P, and I have two M&Ps plus a Shield. I bought the 07 used for $375 and it’s the best $375 I’ve ever spent on a gun. I put a tritium front sight on and installed the Cajun reduced power hammer spring. The DA pull is around 8 lb and very smooth. I’ve shot it in a training class, in front of Mr. Ernest Langdon, the Beretta guy himself. He was surprised. The gun is extremely accurate for a short gun and so far is completely reliable with all kind of ammo. The recoil is mild and follow up shots were easy. I’m a big fan of the DA/SA platform. Prior to the 07, I’ve shot a lot of Berettas (Vertec, Centurion, G-SD and a Wilson Brigadier Tactical). The cheap 07 impresses me as much as any of the higher priced Beretta.
So back to Ernest Langdon, we know that he is the spear head behind the PX4CC and also the full size PX4. He showed me the prototype PX4CC that was his personal carry gun and I was impressed. I’m cheap, so I wanted to convert a regular PX4 Compact to something as close to the CC as possible. I stumbled on a factory G model PX4 Compact for really good price, it had never been shot by the first owner. It did not have the night sight as the CC nor the stealth decocker. But I actually like the factory decocker, I find the stealth lever too thin for me to activate consistently. I ordered LTT’s 12 lb hammer spring and also Talon Grip stickers. Everything is pretty much ready for the head to head show down between the CC and the 07, I even threw in the M&P Compact 2.0 and a ghost Glock 19 in the test.
In the time span of 3 months, I shot standard drills such as the El Prez, Bill Drill, Hackathorn Wizard Drill, Vickers Test, Wilson 5x5, Dave Spaulding’s many drills. After the brass settled, I was surprised and disappointed at the same time. The gun that I shot the best overall and consistently was the P07, second place was the stock M&P 2.0 Compact. The PX4 G compact was pretty much tied with the pretty much stock ghost G19 (factory glock internal parts). The PX4 was very accurate when slow fired, it was accurate as the 07 and M&P. The recoil was very soft due to the rotating barrel system. But when I was shooting timed drills, the PX4 fell behind quickly in the accuracy area. I was not doing something right with the trigger (DA or SA), I was snatching the trigger. One might say, if you snatch the trigger on one gun, you’re snatching them all. Not this time, I didn’t snatch the 07 and M&P. I tried to like the PX4 but in the end I wasn’t one with it. I traded it for a lawn mower and cash.
I’m sure others may differ, the above was my experience.
Picture from one of the sessions, no M&P on that trip.
You might want to go over to pistol forum.com and under the semi auto forum look for a 41 page thread titled “New P07=Mind Blown” it seems that the P07-09 pistols have a flaw where one can make tbe hammer drop to half cock when the trigger is pulled, CGW is curently working on a fix, and so far, CZ has ingnored the problem altogether… I recently bought P07, and after finding this out, I sidlined my pistol to range duty only, I myself haven’t been able to replicate the issue with my pistol, but from what I’ve read, some do it, some don’t. When CGW went through about 10 stock 07/09’s they had on the shelf, 7 out of 10 did it… I’m not trying to alarm people, but you should go over to pistol forum.com and find that thread, and make up your own mind… Myself I think this is a serious issue… Until a fix is available, the CZ 09/07 should’nt be seriously considered as a CCW…
I am a huge Beretta fan.
But not a huge PX4 fan.
EL made the compact have a little moment of interest because for a little while based on rules and a parts swap it was the largest, softest shooting gun in one division of one shooting sport.
I have gone into depth on the PX series before.
There are a lot of options for a compact carry gun with a safety/decocker. Hammer fired or striker. Metal framed or polymer.
I am a huge Beretta fan.
But not a huge PX4 fan.
EL made the compact have a little moment of interest because for a little while based on rules and a parts swap it was the largest, softest shooting gun in one division of one shooting sport.
I have gone into depth on the PX series before.
There are a lot of options for a compact carry gun with a safety/decocker. Hammer fired or striker. Metal framed or polymer.
I shot a .40 PX4 about 2-3 years ago and liked it. Very interesting recoil impulse.
Hmm. That P07 malfunction is disconcerting, so it falls off the list. And I’m not hearing a ton of support on the PX4, which is expensive enough that I’m probably not willing to dabble in the mixed reviews.
What other reasonably priced, high quality options am I overlooking in the polymer 9mm DA/SA decock only world?
Thanks for the info and pictures! Very helpful.
HK P2000, HK P30 are two that came to mind. I’m sure there maybe a few more.
As for the reported failure in the 07, mine is running good, I have at least 4000 rounds through it. It may not sound much, but it’s been tested. I have heard of the trigger return spring break with high round count, I’ll deal with it if it does break. And if it does break, I have other guns to shoot, it’s not the only gun.
In addition to the P-2000, P-30, I’d also suggest a HK USPc. New, they’re not exactly reasonably priced, used however, they often are…It’s a rock solid design, very reliable, very accurate, able to be converted to over a dozen different variants…
I love my CGW CZ P07, it is the best pistol I have ever owned.
So after reading about a 41 page thread that seems according to how it was presented here to be 41 pages about a serious issue with the P07. I went there and read the whole now 42 page thread. A few posts were about this problem, which in all my reading on the P07 at the CZ forum to the best of my memory has never been posted on.
I know that my CZ will someday have something break on it, even though I know of 1 P07 with 100,000 rounds through it with nothing breaking after CGW did their magic.
I have broken Hi Powers and Glocks in my time, so when it breaks big deal. If it happens on the range, fun is over for that day. If it happens in real life, then I will beat the bad guy to death with my P07.
So take the time if you want to understand a 42 page thread fully to go through it. But most of the 42 pages was taken up with P07 praise or questions about putting in CGW parts.
Don’t think it is a 42 page thread of P07 having issues that CGW and CZ can’t fix, cause that just is not the case.
I will be going into the murder capital of the USA tonight, armed with my CGW CZP07.
Thanks to a combination of amazing reviews, members of this forum running them, and the like, I picked up a P07. Been EDCing it for the past months and truly feel comfortable with it. The recoil impulse is unlike much of anything I have ever shot.
I believe someone provided that forum article to me, or maybe I found it with google, but I never really worried about the report of it. I am/was far more concerned about the weak Trigger Return Spring that is reported to break. But never this half cock stuff.
For what it’s worth, I feel 100% comfortable and confident in the hardware offered for the cost. I paid less than 600 for the Holster, Light, and Pistol.
Just replace TRS, with the one from CGW worries over
Been on the CZ forum for 15 years. Own a few CZs including some P07s and P07s. None had this “serious issue”. Just bought a stock 09 with 700 rounds,and put about 400 more in it. First P07 has over 1000 and all are fine. I would buy a P series CZ without hesitation in terms of reliability- period. Never heard of “the serious issue”. I’ll throw the huge BS flag on this.
if you get a P series gun without holding it, you MAY get a gritty trigger that stacks. It happens. But it can be smoothed. Change the trigger return spring and maybe do the Cajun thing and move out with confidence. One plus is a shorter trigger throw than a SIG or HK.
The relevant thread is “P09 ignition problems.” If you think it is BS, why don’t you give Cajun a call, discuss this with them, and inquire why there are developing a new part for some issue that doesn’t exist.
Not saying this issue doesn’t exist for someone. I am suggesting it is not wide spread. Again, been on the forum forever and own several and never heard about it. SOME guns will not ignite Wolf 100% with a 15 LB spring. OBTW - I dry fire the snot out of my guns - in maybe 15,000 dry fires I have not duplicated what you are saying. So… widespread? No.
BTW - the OP in the thread has ignition problems with a Cajunized gun - NOT a stock gun. He is using a reduced mainspring. So… this is NOT a general CZ problem - not by the OP.
Yes, IF you start changing rollers on a P series gun you CAN run into problems. I had one where WITH the CGW SR Kit I could not get a complete DA pull all the time. I had NO over-travel. CGW sent me a larger STOCK roller and it works fine. The SR Kit will shorten over travel, which is a GOOD thing, but on some guns it will eliminate it and you have to play with it. In a stock gun I have not seen this issue.
And I’m not blind to P series problems. IMHO too many come with triggers that are gritty and stack. My first P07 was HORRIBLE. After a 1000 rounds, thousands of dry fires, CGW SR Kit and the right polishing it is very nice. So, I am generally critical of their triggers.
Another suggestion though is the SP 2022. ROCK SOLID. Smoothest and lightest OTB DA in the business.
I do think the P30 trigger is decent, albeit a longer DA - which may make it more difficult for some on the first shot.
GJM is right…I had quoted the wrong thread… And for that, I’m sorry… it wasn’t my intention to mislead anyone…Read the “P09 ignition issue” thread… You just might change your mind…I know I did… There is a issue with these pistols that the root cause is yet to be determined, as it is, after reading that thread, I’d think twice before using a P09/07 as a EDC, until this issue is resolved.One thing for sure, I would’nt blow it off just because yours dosen’t do it…Hopefully if enough people start asking questions, or start noticing that their pistol does this from time to time, CZ will step up to the plate and start looking into it…
I think I understand that the issue is with some modified P09/07.
So then this isn’t an issue of stock guns, as I now understand it.
My brother in law owns a huge diesel repair shop, and he drives a diesel pick up. That he has tweeked like crazy. He has 5 different tunes in the computer on his truck. So he took it out to a drag strip to play with it. He pulled up the most radical tune and basically had all 4 wheels spinning for most of the strip. He backed it down to the 4th setting and was getting some stupidly fast times for a diesel pick up.
He went back to the 3rd setting and drove home after an afternoon of big boy fun.
The next morning driving into work the head gasket let lose.
Moral of the story he tweeked it to far.
Many people have heard me say I like my P07 better than my big money custom Hi Power, this is true. But nobody knows how many times I had to send the pistol back to the smith to get it to run perfectly.
I today would carry that Hi Power to defend my life with no second thoughts. The same way I will for sure 100% carry my CGW P07 to defend my life with today and every other day. It has gone bang every time and I tried to get it to puke like was shown in the video. No go it just worked every time like it has so far on maybe 10,000 rounds of NATO spec ammo and maybe 50,000 dry fires.
I on the other hand have seen Glocks under heavy use have some issues, so did the Hi Powers before that.
So this for me is a non issue and I havent changed my mind that a CGW P07 is the best fighting pistol I own
This issue effects both completely stock AND CGW modified pistols.