Cz 75 P01 Omega Compact With Cajun Gun Works Pro Package Reviews

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By Nick Frollini

As a relatively recent (c. 2013) convert to Gun Culture 2.0 (sorry, Mom), I take establish myself searching high and low for The One True EDC Gun. It'due south a search known to many gun owners; this firearm is too small-scale, this firearm is too big, this firearm doesn't fit my hand, and and then on and and so forth. Of course, we eventually learn that carrying a gun involves compromises: chapters, sight radius, caliber, weight, condolement. And yet some of us proceed searching….

In Search Of…

I'd made my manner through several of the striker-fired 9mm pistols (Ruger SR9C, Southward&W Shield, Glock 19, then a Glock 26 and Glock 43 in quick succession, so back to a Glock nineteen, and then downward to a Springfield XD-S) and even entered the DA/SA earth with a Sig P225-A1, but I still felt a fleck like Goldilocks searching for a basin of porridge that was "just correct".

Complicating my search was a determination to explore appendix carry (yes, aye, I know), which meant that what I really wanted was a lightweight, easy to conceal, relatively high capacity, 9mm firearm with a hammer that could be thumbed down during reholstering to provide an extra layer of security (no, that'southward not an alibi for bad pistol treatment, simply an acceptance of the fact that stuff happens).

I was ready to compromise even so over again past going back to my Glock xix, this fourth dimension with a Glock Gadget striker block from Tau Development, when I had a take chances to try a friend's CZ P-01 at the range correct afterwards Christmas.

Enter The CZ 75

Now, I was familiar with the CZ brand – I ain a P-07 and a delightfully fun Scorpion Evo Carbine – but I had never fired a CZ 75 variant before picking up my friend'south P-01. In a word: Wow.

The ergonomics were amazing, the recoil was not-real, the DA/SA trigger was quite nice, and the stock sights were a flaming pile of luminescent garbage. I was sold, mostly. Merely I knew two things: i) I was going to buy a gun in this family of firearms, and two) I was going to have it worked on by a competent gunsmith to (at the very to the lowest degree) supplant those awful sights. (I suck at installing sights. Seriously. My OCD demands that things be perfectly centered and that can be challenging, even with a good sight pusher and a prepare of digital calipers).

After a bit of enquiry, I didn't purchase the P-01 only, rather, its "slightly better for concealed bear because it lacks a rail" blood brother the CZ 75D PCR Compact from the masters of CZ gunsmithing at Cajun Gun Works.

The PCR is, more or less, an alloy-framed version of the venerable CZ 75D Compact, a 9mm recoil-operated DA/SA pistol with a standard capacity of fourteen+one in a double stack mag. The alloy frame reduces the weight by a quarter-pound over its all-steel forefather.

The firearm has a 3.75" common cold hammer forged barrel, a safe stop on the hammer, a firing pin block prophylactic, and a loaded chamber indicator on height of the serrated-to-reduce-glare steel slide which provides a visual and tactile reminder of the camber'south status. This is useful because, as with nigh CZ pistols, the "slide rides inside the frame" construction – which makes for an exceptionally low bore axis and a high degree of accurateness – ways that it tin be a bit challenging to do a press check, even with the nicely fabricated forward cocking serrations.

And information technology's not just the slide that is archetype CZ. The ergonomics on this pistol are incredible. The backstrap curves gracefully up to a pronounced beavertail that enables you to comfortably go a high grip on the firearm.

The stock grips are a stippled rubber that are squeamish and fill the hand well, although I chop-chop replaced mine with a slightly thinner fix of G10 grips from VZ Grips. (I likewise changed out the forest screws that CZ uses to adhere the grips to the frame – seriously, they look similar they came from aisle 17 of the local Abode Depot).

All of this is to say that while the PCR weighs 27.5 oz unloaded – about four ounces more than an unloaded Glock xix – it somehow feels lighter in the hand. It'due south comfortable to hold, points very naturally, and is a dream to shoot. Fit and finish are terrific.

For spec geeks, the firearm has an overall length of just under 7.25", a meridian of just more than than 5", and a width of one.38 inches. Controls are not particularly friendly for southpaws, just you already knew that.

The firearm is finished in CZ'due south blackness polycoat, which gives it a nice, satin-like wait. While it ships with two 14-circular beautifully blued steel magazines (which look to be made by Mec-Gar), it can use larger CZ 75 sixteen-round magazines without issue. MSRP is $599.

Field stripping the pistol is equally yous would expect for a CZ: drop the magazine and check the chamber, retract the slide to the indicate at which the alignment marks on the slide and frame come across (pro-tip, putting the hammer at half-erect makes this considerably easier); flip the firearm over; using your 3rd mitt printing out the takedown/slide-stop pin with the underside of a magazine; allow the slide to move forward; remove the recoil jump (which is non captive); lift out the butt. Done and washed.

N.B.: Information technology came to me wet and I've run information technology wet, so you'll forgive the copious amounts of grease on the rails in the photo.

Now, the PCR isn't all sunshine and rainbows out of the box. As I alluded to earlier, the stock sights are atrocious. We're talking nearly as bad as the dovetail protectors that Gaston ships with his pistols, although these are at least fabricated out of steel.

For reasons known just to the "Police Czechia" – the organization for which the gun was originally produced and from which its name was derived– the rear sight sits forward on the slide. While this reduces the sight radius a bit, information technology's aesthetically just…odd.

The stock sights are steel, snag-free (no emergency manipulations with that rear sight), and feature a standard 3-dot configuration, painted with awful, terrible, no expert luminous green paint.

An odd curve at the bottom of the rear sight creates a "shelf" below the dots and is distracting as all go out. [See TTAG's fantabulous review of the P-01 if yous uncertainty me]. I knew from firing my friend'southward stock P-01 (which is the same gun with a rail at the front), that I was going to hate them… And then there are those grip screws.

Cajunized

I mentioned at the start of this article that I purchased my PCR from Cajun Gun Works (CGW). This conveyed the advantage of availability (the PCR, like several pop CZ pistols, tin be hard to detect on store shelves) and of ordering the gun customized to my liking.

To their credit, CGW requires you to telephone call them to identify an society for a firearm. While y'all tin gild many of their custom springs, triggers, and other parts on their website, they desire to talk to you to discuss your firearm and brand sure that y'all are getting what yous want. I spent most 20 minutes on the telephone with David (one of the owners) to talk nigh my PCR.

I ended up adding their "Defensive Behave Package" – which replaces quite a few of the internals, polishes them up nicely, and includes a trigger tuning; a set of PCR-specific night sights developed for CGW past Dawson Precision; and a stainless steel guide rod to add a bit of weight upward front.

All in, the firearm with the custom work price just over $1k and took virtually 10 weeks to transport from the time I placed the order. And then what did that get me (other than a bunch of extra parts neatly wrapped when CGW sent the PCR to my FFL)?

Well…it got me a firearm with the nicest DA/trigger that I take ever used. The CGW trigger work resulted in a silky smooth 7.four lb. DA pull with nearly no slack, and a crisp, 1911-like three.half-dozen lb. SA pull with no over-travel to speak of and a tactile/audible reset on the order of iii or four mm.

I'll get out on a limb here and say that as proficient as the Sig Sauer P229 Legion trigger is as compared to a stock P229, the CGW trigger work in the PCR makes information technology that much ameliorate than the trigger in the Legion. Non even kidding. It's jaw-droppingly good.

The Dawson Precision night sights are also terrific. They are 3-dot, tritium sights, merely the front end vial has a larger white outline and is slightly bigger overall than the rear vials which, combined with a generous notch in the dorsum, makes for quick sight acquisition. The rear slight is serrated to reduce glare. They are a bit sleeker than the stock sights (nevertheless no emergency manipulations) and look terrific.

At the Range

The PCR performed wonderfully at the range. It ate every brand, weight, and type of armament that I fed it without issue or malfunction. While I am not an experienced or competitive shooter, I managed on the gild of sub-2" groups at 7 yards; that's as shut to a tack commuter as I'k ever going to get.

Recoil was all but non-real (thanks to the depression bore-axis), so getting the sights back on target was adequately effortless, and the exceptionally expert trigger made follow-on shots like shooting fish in a barrel. The controls were all right where they should be and easy to operate, at least if y'all're right-handed.

Aftermarket Support

While the PCR is dovetailed for standard CZ 75 sights, the slide has an odd cutting out below the stock rear sight which means that sights not specifically fabricated for the firearm may look a bit out of place.

A scattering of firms, including CGW, are offer custom PCR-specific sights in a variety of configurations, simply it's still a niche production – so if y'all accept a favorite "must accept" fix of sights, you lot may not exist able to notice them for this firearm.

I should also have a moment and talk about holsters…considering who purchases a new firearm and doesn't immediately order a couple of holsters that will eventually finish upward in the "drawer of misfit holsters" later on?

The PCR is more-or-less a CZ 75D Meaty…but the slide profile is ever-so-slightly different. This means that kydex holsters made for a CZ 75D probably won't fit, but leather holsters probably will.

Kydex holsters made for the CZ P-01 will also probably fit (with just a scrap of extra space up front). Luckily, a number of holster manufacturers support the PCR, including Werkz, JW Custom, StealthGear U.s.a., and Cook's Holsters – so you have options – despite the fact that some manufacturers (I'm looking at you T-Rex Arms) don't support this firearm.

I've settled (mostly) on an AIWB rig from Werkz, slightly customized with parts from HolsterCo, and have an OWB holster from StealthGear (which only recently announced PCR support) on the way.

Ratings (out of five stars):

Reliability: * * * * *
100% flawless operation with everything from cheap range ball ammunition to defensive rounds with odd geometries. It just works.

Ergonomics: * * * * *
The CZ 75 is renowned for its ergonomics, and the PCR is no exception. While the backstrap is stock-still, the lines work well for shooters with varying hand sizes and the replacable grips mean y'all can get as much buy on the firearm equally yous like. The depression bore-axis makes shooting a cakewalk.

Accurateness: * * * * *
The gun shoots ameliorate than I do, which I know isn't saying all that much, but with an fantabulous trigger and terrific sights, it's easy for even an inexperienced shooter to impress at the range.

Aftermarket Support: * *
Hither's where the gun falls a bit short. Grips are plentiful (if it fits a CZ 75 Compact, it fits the PCR). Holsters are…less plentiful. Sight options are paltry. At least you can get Mec-Gar magazines easily and inexpensively.

Cost: * * * stock, * * as configured
At an MSRP of $599 – and a street price a little bit less – the PCR is an excellent option for a defensive deport gun, if you tin can find it. The stock sights are mediocre (OK, they're lousy), but otherwise it's adept to exit of the box, although there are many other good options for the same money or less. With respect to the piece of work that I had CGW do, while the stock trigger is perfectly serviceable, I'm very glad that I spent the actress money on the upgrades. Still, at $1k for the total bundle, information technology definitely won't be for everyone.

Overall Rating: * * * *
The Cajunized CZ PCR is, for me at least, the platonic EDC firearm. It is lightweight, very easy to behave (with the added layer of safety afforded by a DA/SA system), has a terrific trigger and great sights, and has been 100% reliable in my testing. It wasn't cheap, but given the number of carry guns I've purchased and sold (mostly at a loss) before it, I wish I'd discovered it sooner. Net-cyberspace: my search for The One True EDC Gun is over. For at present . . .

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Source: https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/gun-review-cajunized-cz-75-d-pcr-compact-content-contest/

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