Minivan Door Gunner: CZ P-10C - Initial Observations

TL:DR - I like it.

My P-10C Coming Home

The first gun I ever bought was a Gen3 Glock 17 the day I turned 21, though I've never bought into "Glock Perfection". But despite their 2x4 egronomics, grip angle (yes I know you can train around it), and sloppy trigger, they are still my go to handgun for serious purposes. I won't fault them for lack of ambi controls since they can still be activated with the left hand with practice, and many other guns don't execute their southpaw controls very well, especially slide stops. Typically, the left side lever engages a notch on the left side of the slide. The right side is connected via a pin and there is often some flex. On my M&P and P320 it was mushy and never felt positive. On my VP9 and PPQ, they were better, but the VP9 lever was too long and my thumb would prevent slide lock on the last round. True ambi mag releases haven't been much better. On my XD and XDS, The right side would protrude out enough to get partially blocked by my middle finger. Also, the button rotates about 15 degrees as you press it, making it feel awkward. Also, with the XDs and the PPQ, the thumb abductor muscle of my support hand would often depress the mag release when I got a strong two-hand grip. Nothing is quite as embarrassing as having to call in the range master to retrieve your mag that bounced past the firing line. Then there's the size. My G19 is the perfect size for pretty much any situation I'm likely to carry it. The barrel length is just long enough to run a high lumen weapon light but I can conceal the grip under a t-shirt. Both the VP9 and PPQ are longer in the grip with chunkier slides, while the P320 has a sky-high bore axis and comparably massive slide. I seriously wonder why the P320 isn't offered in .460 Roland. The M&P isn't available in a size between the 12 round compact and 17 round full-size and both of mine required $120 in Apex parts to make the trigger acceptable. Speaking of triggers, pretty much every striker fired trigger was better than the Glock out of the box with the exception of the M&Ps. My favorite was the PPQ, yet every striker fired gun that I've owned was sold for then next one that was suppose to deliver on the promise of improving on Glocks "perfection".

So when CZ-USA announced the P-10C last year I wasn't particularly enthralled. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of CZ. I have an SBR'd Scorpion Evo that I love as a range toy, but I've never considered their slide-in-frame design a positive feature and I'm not a fan of DA/SA handguns. Like every other new striker-fired polymer handgun, the "Glock Killer" hype from CZ fanboys was incessant. Still, upon further research it looked good on paper. A Glock 19 with a CZ grip and PPQ-like trigger sounds pretty close perfection to me. In the days following SHOT and NRAAM, I found myself checking CZ's Instagram and Facebook pages for updates on the P-10Cs release. I re-watched Youtube reviews and started calling gun stores in my area. A friend of mine informed me that 2-3 had arrived. I gave them my credit card number over the phone and secured it for $550 after tax and transfer fee. I picked it up this morning along with a third magazine and have been fondling it ever since. While I don't have any live rounds through it, I'm very impressed. Here are my observations compared to my Gen 4 Glock 19 so far.

The pistol arrives in a black CZ marked box with gold colored plastic latches. Nothing to write home about. It works. Inside are the usual safety pamphlets, manual, test target, two magazines, two backstraps, cleaning rod and brush, and the ubiquitous cable lock.

P-10C Case

Nothing Fancy

For hand size reference, I wear size L Mechanix and PIG gloves.

First the negatives. It's 2 ounces heavier than the Glock. The bottom of the backstrap is flush with the magazine, so there is a technically a little more grip material to print. It's slightly larger in every dimension except the grip circumference, and the bore axis is slightly higher. The mag and slide releases are a little stiff. The extractor uses a traditional roll pin through the top of the slide, unlike Glock's easy to remove plunger system.

As far as the similarities, they both have the exact same take-down procedure and hold 15 rounds of 9mm.

In nearly every other metric I like the CZ more. While the magazine button requires a little more effort, it doesn't have a "sweet spot" you have to hit like the factory gen4 Glock. My first draw of the day with my G19 tends to point slightly high, while the P320 pointed low. While I can adjust for that, no such adjustment is needed on the P-10. The front and back straps are aggressive on the P-10C, almost as cheese grater-like as my FNX-45, and no finger grooves. Finger grooves actually don't bother me on the Glock, but for some it's a hot button. The grip shape feels like an M&P with narrower palm swells. My hands prefer the medium backstrap. Like my Glocks, I plan to sand off the factory grip texture and apply a carry friendly stipple, but I'll wait until I have a few hundred rounds down the pipe first. The grip tang is wide and flatter than the Glock, but still narrow enough that I don't feel the corner dig into my thumb knuckle.

P-10C - Frontstrap

P-10C - Backstrap

P-10C - Aggressive Texture

As far as holster compatibility, there really isn't. Sure it'll fit the same leather or universal molded models as the Glock, but it won't "click" into place on my kydex G-Code or Guncraft holsters. With a light however, it will work with my TLR-1 HL and X300U Glock holsters since they use the light for retention.

The CZ does take a few departures from the Glock. The barrel lockup areas are huge and features traditional land and groove rifling. I don't consider it better or worse than polygonal rifling. What I do like is the striker safety system which is integral to the striker assembly. Instead of pressing a plunger up into the slide, the trigger bar moves it to the side. Unlike the plunger system, the spring can't get kinked and debris is less likely to jam up the plunger. There is a weep hole in the slide to allow water to drain from the striker channel. Also, it's much easier to make a rotating part smoother than a sliding part. This is evident in the take-up of the trigger. It's smooth up until the last millimeter of grit before the wall.

P-10C - Barrel

P-10C - Striker Safety

P-10C - Striker & Safety Assembly

Let's talk about the trigger. My Glock has seen a ton of triggers. Apex, Agency, Overwatch Tac, Skimmer, and nearly every connector made by Ghost. The best combo of parts I've found for a 4# trigger with minimal take-up, over-travel, and maintaining all safeties is an Agency trigger shoe on a Haley Skimmer trigger bar, with a Ghost Evo Elite 3.5 connector fitted for over-travel, and Apex Ultimate Striker Block and spring. The P-10C absolutely kills it. I measured the take-up to around 2lbs, 11oz. The break is crisp averaging 5lbs, 1oz. On the whole, it's like a PPQ. The break is slightly cleaner than my VP9. There is some creep but I really have to concentrate on a slow pull to make it hitch once before the break. I've dryfired it about 500 times and it's smoothed out a little bit. It may not impress a dyed in the wool trigger snob, but for a striker-fired handgun it's tops. The reset is as short as my Agency triggered G19. Unlike the M&P, it gives your finger more of a shove forward like on the Glock. You don't have to put any effort into resetting the trigger. Just relax your booger hook and the trigger pops forward to the reset point. Over-travel is minimal, similar to a budget 1911. The shape is different than in the photos I've seen before. It's less flat and has serrations like the G19/26, probably there to satisfy some dumb import law, where serrated triggers are considered features of target guns which make them legal for sale in the US. The trigger face comes to a point at the trigger safety "dingus", making the trigger feel heavier than it is. I hope Apex, CZ Custom, or Cajun Gun Works can come out with a flat replacement. As it is, the trigger has just enough curve to get consistent finger placement and the reach is perfect for my hands. I don't feel my trigger finger drag the bottom of the trigger guard. The break point is also a little further forward in the trigger guard which is amply sized so the tip of my trigger finger doesn't catch the front of the trigger guard like on my Glock. As far as trigger weight, up to the wall it feels like 3 pounds, jumping to 6 pounds for the break. I will measure it properly with my digital scale soon. Unlike other striker-fired guns, the P-10C mimics the Glock safe "double" action. The striker is only pre-cocked about halfway before the trigger is pulled. On the VP9, PPQ, M&P, XD, and P320, the striker is fully cocked, held in place by the sear and ready to fly like a mousetrap. On the P-10, you can watch the trigger bar move straight back about 3/16" before it starts to drop down into the frame, exactly like on the Glock. I'm glad I got mine now because I wouldn't be surprised if CZ finds a lawsuit on their hands. Remember in the 90's when Glock sued S&W for the abominable Sigma?

P-10C - Trigger Face

P-10C - "Dingus"

P-10C - Trigger Bar Movement

The mag release can be activated from both sides. Unlike the XD, it slides in and out with no rotation. It acts on a lever that pulls the top of the release away from the magazine notch. I can hit it without shifting my grip, but it's easier to press if I roll the gun slightly inboard. It's the same technique I honed with my Glock 19, but the button has a more positive "pop". This is probably due to the metal release disengaging a metal magazine. It's just cleaner and less mushy than plastic on plastic. To my relief, pressing in the mag release doesn't press the opposite side button against my middle finger. On my G19 and G26, sometimes the meat of my palm will touch the magazine pad/extension. This is often enough pressure to keep the mag from dropping free at slide lock. I alleviated this on the G19 by adding an Agency magwell, but it makes stripping a mag harder during double feed drills. The longer backstrap on the P-10C clears my palm and the mags fly from the magwell. The lanyard hole gives me a spot to use my thumb to grab the back of the magazine. The scallops in the grip do allow for a small amount of grip on the sides of the magazine, but I prefer the front to back method.

P-10C - Magwell

The slide release is stiff. Instead of being u-shaped, it's a hoop circling the entire magwell. The rear of the hoop catches the bottom of the slides breachface. The upside is that there is no flex in the release from either side. The only part that isn't mirrored is the tab that engages the follower. The downside is that the catch point is behind the release lever instead of above or in front like most handguns. With less leverage, it takes a deliberate push to drop the slide. This may be an issue if you have smaller hands or a weak thumb. Not an issue if you prefer to go over the top of the slide.

P-10C - Slide Release

Segwaying into slide operation. The top corners of the slide are chamfered, tapering deeper as they head toward the muzzle. The front and rear serrations stop at the chamfer, so there's less traction as you move up the slide. I'd like to see the serrations continue all the way up the chamfer to the top of the slide, but that would add cost, though I'd be willing to pay it. The pistol arrived covered in oil and the slide slipped once on me while I was messing with it at the gun counter. Racking effort is lighter than the VP9 or Glock 19. One thing I like is how the serrations stop about 1/8" from the bottom of the slide. Coupled with the wide tang, even if you have meaty hands, you shouldn't ever get bitten by the slide serrations. Also of note, the guide rod is polymer. While I'll never melt it by doing a 1,000 round torture test, I won't be surprised if a steel replacement pops up shortly in the aftermarket. The extractor also serves as a loaded chamber indicator.

The metal luminescent (glow in the dark) 3-dot iron sights are acceptable but not optimal. The rear faces aren't serrated, so I notice some glare off both the front and rear. I prefer black rears and a fiber front. I need to order a P-07 front from Dawson precision. Until someone makes a P-10/Shadow duty style rear sight, I'll black out the dots with a Sharpie. The rear sights are shaped with a ledge to hook on your belt/holster/shoe/etc, but they are still pretty small. I wouldn't mind seeing these enlarged a tiny bit. The front sight measures a standard.125" wide, while the rear notch is .115" wide.

A note on light compatibility. My TLR-1 and TLR-1HL both fit just fine with either the Glock or 1913 Picatinny key. With my X300U-B, it only fit with the Glock key. My X300U-A would barely slide on the rail, the same problem I have with it on any other picatinny rail until I loosened the mounting screws. The dustcover feels more substantial than the Glock, so I'm not concerned with over-tightening the TLRs or X300U-B.

X300U-B w/ Glock Key
TLR1-HL w/ Glock Key
TLR1 w/ 1913 Key

My future plans were to get the slide milled for an RMR but my recent Sage vehicle defense class has me re-thinking that. I love red dots on handguns, but wiping mud off of the emitter and the fogged up glass as well as struggling to find the dot in unorthodox shooting positions made me appreciate just running irons. I plan to bring the P-10 to a few IDPA matches, a pistol course this month with Chris Cerino, and the next Sage Dynamics handgun class I can.

More photos...