As the title suggests, it would be first my purchase. I like either the CZ75 BD or the CZ-sp01 tactical. Was wondering if anyone had recommendations on a few things. Does the higher dovetail really matter that much, and does the added weight at the barrel on the sp01 reduce recoil enough to notice? I am pretty torn between these two. I also put a high priority on safety first as I am not familiar with guns and was not raised around them. I figured the decocker models would be safer as it probably will be a long time until I feel comfortable manually lowering a hammer on a loaded gun. Any thoughts and suggestions would be welcome. Thanks.
Is this your first handgun, or your first CZ? In the first case, I would simply get whatever I could get as cheaply as possible. For instance, I wanted a P07...or maybe a P01. Or maybe a straight up 75. But when I found a 75D Compact with two mags and a good kydex IWB holster for $350, that is what what I got. So, I’m getting to shoot the CZ, and if at some point I decide to go bigger or go polymer, or whatever, I can get most, if not all, my money out of the Compact, and get the one I “want”. So far, I’m completely happy with the compact. Is this going to be a carry gun or not? Lighter and smaller is better, generally. Good belts and holsters are important. Your question about manually lowering the hammer? Don’t. If you don’t have a decocker, go cocked and locked like the manufacturer intended, (WITH A GOOD HOLSTER!) or go condition 3, empty chamber, which is how I did it for years, because I’ve seen cocked and locked go bad, usually due to operator error. And I’m human, so it could happen to me. I LOVE the decocker guns. If it’s your first handgun ever...I really am on the fence. There’s a lot to be said for learning to handle pistols (or rifles) with a .22. I REALLY like my S&W Victory, or the “usually found for” $200 older version Smiths, the 22a series. But I collect .22s, so there’s a bit of a bias here.
About manually lowering the hammer. It's not something you should do. All that has to happen to have a negligent discharge is for your thumb to slip off the hammer. Use the decocker/safety.
I'd go with the BD. I already had four CZs when I bought my SP-01. I was a little surprised at the additional recoil -- I thought the additional weight would even it out to be like my 75B, but it didn't. But I'm a woman with very small hands, so take that into account.
First off good choices. If you don’t have a lot of experience with pistols in general, going with a decocker is a good deal. Either pistol will serve you well if you train. That being said, consider the cost of ammo. Also are you planning on shooting competitions with this firearm? I have the SP01 Tactical and use it all the time. Practicing in and out of the holster using DA is great practice and builds confidence. Also lots of dry fire training is also good. Let’s us know your decision. And good luck
I recommend to any first time pistol buyer to learn to master the DA/SA pistol. CZ’s, Beretta’s, Sigs and HK’s are the direction I steer people. Practice practice practice. Laser bore sights (don’t recall the name, but the ones that are made for dry firing not for sighting in) for dry firing can be useful training aids, as well as balancing a coin on the front sight while practicing the DA pull when unloaded. I would go with the SP01 personally, but I think it’s cooler looking. I tend to favor the aesthetics of non railed pistols, but rails are the way to go for everything now IMO. Lights are small enough to carry, and a light on the front makes it more front heavy further reducing muzzle flip. I manually lowered the hammer on my 75 compact for a couple years and grew tired of it and got a decocker. Definitely the route I wished I started, since I find CZ’s thumb safety to be disappointing and mushy. I plan to pick up an SP01 soon, that’s the model I would go with. I would carry it, but I carry full size and compact pistols. If looking for a better carry alternative but still sizeable enough for home defense duty, the p01, pcr, p07 etc are good options to look into. Lighter, smaller, but not too small. Compact pistols are my preference for all around guns. What works for one may not work for another. I find my CZ’s to have minimal muzzle flip and be soft shooting. My fiancée can’t stand them and prefers her M&P. But, most of my pistols feel about the same to me. I would strongly suggest renting a few different pistols and trying them out. Definitely cheaper than finding out it doesn’t work and selling it at usually a loss.
