Opinions on CZ97B

[DeerfieldCurly]

I have come across a CZ97B that has really grabbed my attention. What guidance can anyone give on what to look for or expect from the gun. I would likely run it in production, which is no doubt overkill. Like to get something heavier than the M&P 9 Pro I am shooting now.

[entropic]

Why not get a CZ in 9mm instead? Even if the 97 you found is a great deal, it won't take much shooting to recover your money in brass and bullets. And you will have a more enjoyable, more competitive gun....just my .02.

[Czhase]

I think the 97b would be a little more at home in L10, but I'm sure the gun won't disappoint however you choose to use it.

[kneelingatlas]

It has the biggest grip of all the CZ75 pattern pistols, that could be good or bad depending on the size of your hands. I owned a 97B and a Witness .45 at the same time, I preferred the Witness.

[DeerfieldCurly]

Czhase makes a good point about L10.

[twowheels]

I love my 97B, which started as a BE from CGW. I've added ambi safeties, taken out the fpb, put in a short reset disconnector, put on some sights from CZC since they fit my eye better than the CGW, and cut down some nils grips. The thing feels great, has a remarkable trigger, is as accurate as a laser and hardly recoils. However, I shoot my shadow in production. I may someday try the 97 in limited 10, but haven't done so yet.

[huskerlrrp]

I love my 97B, which started as a BE from CGW. I've added ambi safeties, taken out the fpb, put in a short reset disconnector, put on some sights from CZC since they fit my eye better than the CGW, and cut down some nils grips. The thing feels great, has a remarkable trigger, is as accurate as a laser and hardly recoils. However, I shoot my shadow in production. I may someday try the 97 in limited 10, but haven't done so yet.

I'd be interested in seeing a picture of your short reset disconnector and ambi safties in your 97BE.

[eerw]

I'd like to see how you did the ambi safety. That ysounds great.

Did you mill the frame? Etc.

[twowheels]

Look at post 20 in the thread linked below for a picture of my 97 and my compact with ambi safeties. Stuart, Dave makes a drop in ambi safety that I installed in both guns with no milling required. I was very happy when Dave told me it was possible. Husker, the short reset looks the same as it does on the 75s; the part dramatically reduces the pre travel in SA.

The compact has a CZC short reset installed. You can see the difference in trigger position. Stuart, do you remember my compact? Your shop did a full action job on it. It's wonderful.

On the 97, I used Dave's short reset part but it took a lot of fitting. My 97 is absolutely fantastic, as is my compact. They are examples of the exceptional work done by both CZC and CGW.

http://www.czfirearms.us/index.php?topic=51940.15

Edited November 19, 2013 by twowheels

[eerw]

Nice..is that being retained off the shaft of the LHS?

is the inside surface of the RHS flat?

any other points that the RHS is being held?

very nice .

Edited November 19, 2013 by eerw

[twowheels]

If its not clear, in the picture the SRS is not yet installed, not are the CZC sights or the trimmed nils grips.

Stuart, yes the rh safety is retained off of a flat of the shaft from the lhs only. There are no other points of contact. I was a little worried about it at first but in practice it works fine. It's a great solution for us lefties.

[Gary1911A1]

Big pistol. Has a longer trigger reach for Production. I agree with Czhase about considering it for Limited 10, but even there it will be more expensive to shoot than a .40.

[CDPMatt]

Great guns. Very accurate. Longer trigger reach but a trigger change takes care of that. Great for prod (loaded down), L10 or CDP.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DeerfieldCurly]

Thanks for all the great input and comments. For better or worse I've taken the plunge. Haven't been to the range yet but can't wait.

A quick response to Gary1911A1; I have been resisting adding .40 to my reloading gear. I am reloading 9mm and .45 ACP (for my 625).

[Akacala]

I just got one from CZC with some work done on it. Using it for IDPA and love it.

[Fivetears]

My new 97d failed to fire 30% on 100 rounds of Sellier & Bellot 230gr ball ammo my first trip out on 19 June. I was not pleased. But the darn thing tears the center out of targets. I took it home, field stripped it and found a complete absence of oil or lube. After remedying that, I went back out today with 50 rounds of Winchester 230gr FMJ's. The fire arm performed flawlessly up to the 43rd round, where I encountered a failure to feed. Bullet jammed at the top of the feed ramp slightly off angle. I dropped the magazine and discharged the round. Finding only a mild scratch on the projectile, I reloaded it into the mag and continued without incident.

Would I trust this firearm for defense? Not yet. If I can get 500 JHP's through the pipe without a problem... I'll entertain the thought.

Realizing this firearm wasn't designed for hollow points in the beginning, and noting the redesigned and polished feed ramp, does anyone have a proven good experience with a specific JHP for this smooth firing beast?

[Garmil]

If you like the cz97 take a look at the Sar k2 45. similar in design but I think more gun and for less money.

[Fivetears]

With my money tied up in steel CZ firearms, I'll stay the course. This CZ97 is a wonderful beast to shoot. It has very little recoil and highly accurate right out of the case. I've shot my fair share of SADA handguns. These steel CZ's are the proverbial luxury Cadillac's for shooting. I've also been married 34 years. When you find something this good... it's easy to stay faithful.

[.45 ACP nut]

If you like the cz97 take a look at the Sar k2 45. similar in design but I think more gun and for less money.

Been there. Done that. Sold the Sar. Still have the 97B.

[kells81]

I ran across a 97B in my day yesterday. I have been trying to keep my eyes out for other CZ pistols because I am looking for one I just do not know which one. There isn't a gunstore around that has more than 2 CZ 75/97/P01 etc style pistols and all of them I have came across so far are the lower end ones.

I almost bought it after just picking it up and playing with it for a second. There are reports here that it has a large grip. The grip did not seem near as large as the Grip on the Tactical Sport even with aluminum Grips on the TS. I figured I would do some internet research before jumping in though.

[MrRick]

Love my 97BD. Extremely accurate and easy to shoot. My wife got it for me for L10 but it is very pleasurable to shoot and I only shoot it when I'm stressed. Beside it is too pretty to get holster wear.

Holster for them is hard to find too. My Ghost STI holster does fit but it is a tight fit. I have another holster for my TS that it does fit but it is a production type holster.

Edited July 3, 2016 by MrRick

[Joe L]

I have a 97B with the "E" barrel bushing and conversion to SAO by CGW. I use it for bullseye matches. I have long skinny fingers so the large grip is a bonus to me. I put some CZ rubber grips on it, then fattened up the grips a little more with Sugru and added some grip tape. Trigger was easy to tune to the required 3.5 lbs minimum. It is 100% reliable with 185 gr JHP Atlanta Arms ammo. Good groups.

The gun is large and heavy, just what I want. Too much so for a lot of folks, however. Here are a few videos out to 100 yards, and the group size is pretty much dependent up the shooter's ability to place a red dot at the same place every round. The gun is good for well under 2" at 50 yards from a rest. Almost as good as a P-09, LOL.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7GbOFIiTV0wwMk4-4SokhrBLpz9ckRcz

Highly recommended, IF the size and reach and weight are suitable for you.

Joe

Edited July 5, 2016 by Joe L