What made you not choose the 1911?

[kreativecid]

I hope this post comes across as nothing remotely close to sarcastic or inflammatory.

For CZ shooters who focus on IDPA, whether you shoot SAO or DA/SA, why don't you shoot a 9mm 1911? All the kudos about the CZ's SA trigger are compared to a 1911 trigger. Why not just go for the 1911?

[burningsquirrels]

i'd rather shoot something 40 years old instead of 100 years old? :roflol:

[burningsquirrels]

don't forget that you're also talking about completely different divisions....

[eerw]

CZ cost is a little cheaper to run a CZ in ESP division than a 1911 in 9mm/38 super.

guns point very similar, CZ is very accurate and reliable in 9mm.

[Cy Soto]

I began shooting IDPA with the equipment I already had and I didn't even own a 1911 until much later.

[twodownzero]

I usually shoot SSP or CDP if I shoot IDPA, but if I was going to shoot ESP, I *would* use my 9mm 1911.

[ck1]

I've got a couple reasons (just based on my experiences and opinion only, YMMV):

(1) even the best quality and best set-up 9mm 1911's tend to run like s**t on a fairly regular basis as no matter what, whether ramped or not ramped, these mags or those mags, you're trying to run a shorter OAL round in a machine designed and built to use and work with a longer OAL round... sooner or later you'll get bitten. They're great when they work, but absolutly no one is surprised when they don't. In my experience, a CZ that's cleaned and lubed correctly will be bomb-proof through a 1000+ rounds of 99% of anything resembling a factory load, JHP, TMJ, FMJ, whatever, who cares...

9mm 1911's, on the other hand, mean an FMJ with a rounded ogive only or just prepare for the headaches...

(2) Grip/Bore axis... CZ's have a low bore axis, the same or lower than a Glock. 1911's are top-heavy in-comparison to CZ's, which can mean a sluggish feeling slide instead of it feeling fast and flat like a staple-gun which is a CZ trait. Also, there's plenty of real estate to accommodate an aggressive, high, thumbs-forward grip on the side of the pistol's frame without interfering with the slide, meaning that even if you go to real soft/fast recoil spring (like a 10 or 11lb) you' don't have to worry about retarding the slide and causing malf's which is fairly commonplace running 7-10lb springs in 1911's.

Edited December 17, 2011 by ck1

[motosapiens]

I'm not sure how other people got into IDPA, but when I found out about it, I already owned a CZ, and not a 1911. I wasn't going to go buy a gun just to compete. The whole point for me is about learning to shoot what i carry better. I carry a cz or m&p, so that's what I shoot for IDPA.

Also it fits my hand like a glove.

[Vermilion]

Cause my CZ's have been utterly reliable straight out of the box and not every 1911 especially ones not in 45 can say that. Plus I like to be different. I still like 1911's but, I prefer them in 45 and 45 is $$$ to shoot.

[59Bassman]

My opinion should carry no weight at all, as I do not currently shoot IDPA. However, I believe my reasoning is sound, and is inclusive of whether I shoot IDPA or not.

I shot USPSA in the mid 90's with a Kimber 1911, and that was the gun I shot when I came back to it last year. I am a 1911 guy at heart, and I dearly love shooting the 1911 in .45 ACP. However, I also discovered Steel Challenge and 3-Gun. In Steel Challenge, sheer ammo volume through the .45 started to turn me off, not to mention the target transition times shooting major .45 loads. In 3 gun, a 1911 is at a severe disadvantage unless you're shooting Heavy Metal, which no one shoots locally.

So I wanted to find a gun that was a high-cap 9mm that would work in as many disciplines as possible in Steel Challenge, IDPA, USPSA, and 3 gun. I tried shooting my wife's Beretta 92FS for a couple of matches, and found that the DA to SA transition didn't bother me on the clock. I also spent a day at my local range renting every 9mm I could. What I found was that other than the Beretta, the 9mm I was most accurate with was the range's old CZ75. I couldn't shoot a Glock to save my life, and the M&P or XD were not a whole lot better. I kept decocking the Sig.

So the CZ it was. I ended up with a 75 Shadow, and feel like I made the correct choice. I can load it with 10 rounds and shoot IDPA in SSP, USPSA in Production, or Steel Challenge. Or I can load my mags with 19 rounds and have a fantastic gun for 3 gun. It's versatile, reliable, and a great gun to shoot.

I like it enough where I'm probably going to buy a TS or CTS to shoot limited next year.

Edited December 21, 2011 by 59Bassman

[maka]

Why not just go for the 1911?

Price...

My CZ 75 Tactical Sports 9mm was 1,100 €, whereas the cheapest STI was around 2,000 €. Add to that the expense of getting a decent rifle, gear and ammo and you have to settle at some point. Which reminds me, still need to cough up the dough for a shotgun to complete my 3Gun setup...

[tbarker13]

I wanted to shoot ESP in IDPA.

And I have to admit that part of my thinking was that I wanted something different than the 1911s and Glocks that are so popular. I knew very little about the CZ until a friend mentioned he was getting a 75 SA. So I started nosing around the CZ Custom site and fell in love with the idea of the 75 Shadow.

Picked one up around August/September. So far, I've had no reason to regret it. Rock solid and reliable.

[mbopp]

Before I discovered IDPA / USPSA I had (still have) a 1911 Springer TRP. Unfortunately it's the bull barrel, bushingless half-rail Operator so it's not legal for IDPA and I'd have to run L10 in USPSA. Too bad, I really like the gun.

So I've been looking for a Production gun. Hated the way a Glock felt in my hand, XD's didn't do a thing for me, and the closest I found I liked was a S&W M&P. I actually liked the FNP best but accessories are few and far between for them.

Then a club member let me try his CZ-75 Custom (pre-Shadow.) I'm hooked! The piggy bank will support a CZ-75 now but I'm going to save up for the Shadow. Coming off a 1911 I like the external hammer, thumb safety, and DA/SA mode.

Edited January 1, 2012 by mbopp

[GForceLizard]

Variety is the spice of life. I had spent a season shooting a STI Trojan in CDP. Looked at some SA 9mm 1911s. Another 1911 just wasn't different enough. The trigger on my Trojan is better than on my CZ75B SA. I don't notice the difference unless I'm shooting slow fire. The CZ is accurate and dependable. It's cheaper than an STI Eagle. I'll have to pick up an Eagle one of these days.

[goldfish]

In 06 my friends invited me to a golf driving range, during our break the topic got into gun talk. The following weekend we went to a local range and another group was practicing stages. The guy I happen to ask was a 1911 shooter, on the way home dropped by a gun store and bought a 1911 in 40 for limited. Following weeks we made modifications to the fun, maxwell, more mags, the works. Played IDPA & USPSA with it and somehow was not happy with it, I got a 1911 in 9 to try out production thinking maybe it's the caliber it still kept jamming on me. Bought a cz sp01 in 07 for my bday, it stayed in the safe, nobody in our club shoots cz. In 08 a friend saw my cz and suggested why I don't I use it for production so I did and I have liked it and never looked back. I am not that good at it yet but it felt good and balanced in my hand, did not have the frustration with the 1911.I started to sell all my 1911s and stick with the cz family. Recently I see more of the cz in use in our club.

[goldfish]

In 06 my friends invited me to a golf driving range, during our break the topic got into gun talk. The following weekend we went to a local range and another group was practicing stages. The guy I happen to ask was a 1911 shooter, on the way home dropped by a gun store and bought a 1911 in 40 for limited. Following weeks we made modifications to the fun, maxwell, more mags, the works. Played IDPA & USPSA with it and somehow was not happy with it, I got a 1911 in 9 to try out production thinking maybe it's the caliber it still kept jamming on me. Bought a cz sp01 in 07 for my bday, it stayed in the safe, nobody in our club shoots cz.

In 08 a friend saw my cz and suggested why I don't I use it for production so I did and I have liked it and never looked back. I am not that good at it yet but it felt good and balanced in my hand, did not have the frustration with the 1911.I started to sell all my 1911s and stick with the cz family. Recently I see more of the cz in use in our club.

Edited March 18, 2012 by goldfish