Indeed it does. Which is why guns like the CZ-75, the 1911, the High Power.....will always been head and shoulders above the multitude of polymer wonders people sink $1200+ into. In all honesty, the steel framed guns shoot better if I had to make a choice.
Cz 75 , one of my favourite pistols I owned before the Government!, banned all semi auto pistols, I'm envious of my friends across the pond who enjoy the sport of shooting unrestricted! Greetings from Scotland
Went to a local gun shop looking for a CZ-75 chambered in .40S&W. Gun shop didn't have one, but they had this gem and bought it instead. I'm happy with my decision
I don't understand why taller sights for Suppressors aren't readily available on CZ-75s or CZ-97s. CZ sells threaded barrels but not slides for their use.
@@floyddog2283 Saeurkraut is in german and kielbasy is polish name, however that food is available from germany to balkan. If you wish a czech food, try something with sauce, like "Svíčková na smetaně", which is a tender beef steak with sauce made of root vegetables and cream, served with bread dumplings and of course, beer. Just remember the eating method: cut a piece of dumpling, stab it with fork, wipe the sauce off table plate and then stuff your face with it. This is the ancient method of eating sauce with fork, passed down in czech families, and foreigners struggle to eat like us :D.
Did you get the aluminum or wood grips? I bought my 97 because the grips filled my hands so well with the walnut, I can't stand the skinny feeling of the 1911.
Got a 97b with aluminum grips and a 1911 with hogue wrap around rubber grips. The 97 witg aluminum grips is thinner than the 1911 with the wrap around grips, but because it is thicker front to back it still fills my gorilla hands and actually feels better than the 1911.
First pistol I ever owned and it is an absolute beauty. Shoots straight and no malfunctions. I'll never get rid of it! And I got it when they were fairly inexpensive.
Jesse Botelho I can certainly understand that. Got mine for $700 Canadian maybe 10 years ago and the only change I'd like to make is to switch out the thicker wood grips for the thin aluminum ones, just to get a slightly better trigger pull.
If CZ really wanted to print money, they would make this in 10 mm with full capacity mags. The size and haft could definitely tame full power loads, and with 14 + 1 you'll be packing a lot of punch
Ive been looking at one. Just want a cz 10mm not a tang. Though you gotta take what you can get. They have that compact 10mm with all steel frame and slide wonder finish.
I stumbled on one in random visit to pawn shop. It was parked next to the 75b that I was looking at - owner traded them both. I just couldnt bring myself to separate brothers...and I still have them both :) I totally agree that is a VERY chunky gun, but at the same time fairly well made and damn unstoppable. Any ammo, any time, and with zero problems. Sitting next to my 1911 it does look like an Abrams tank next to a Corvette (almost Desert Eagle-ish), but it its not going anywhere from my collection.
The "B" doesn't mean that it's the 2nd version, it only indicates the firing pin block, just as the "D" says that it features a decocker. That's why ther're no "A" or "C" marked CZ pistols.
@@TSPhotoAtlanta CZ USA builds a 1911, typically w/o FPB. But a 97? Not to my knowledge. I can't certainly say that there wasn't some non-B prototype, although I find it highly unlikely, for the FPB has already been a standard safety feature long before the 97 came out. It just wouldn't make any sense.
@@SofaKingQuick Then why does one of their bestsellers, the CZ 75B, _not_ have a barrel bushing? And why would the bushing be such an important feature to add it to the name of the gun?
I just bought a 97BD and I love it, it's the softest shooting .45 ACP I've ever shot. I can hammer a 10 inch steel plate at 50 yards easily. Don't get me wrong I'm a 1911 fanboy but my CZ97 is just a better gun than any 1911 I've ever owned.
Fun Fact: here in Italy despite having Berettas and Glocks there's a HUGE fanbase for 1911 and now even more with models in 9mm working reliably... 45ACP it's also well loved, but it's pretty expensive even for those like me who reloads, but still, i think it's the most beautiful caliber for a semi auto, and in conjunction with the 1911... what a joy... i own two 1911 in 45 ACP and one in 9x21 (9x19 it's forbidden 'cause it's "a military caliber") and i can't stop thinking about gettin' another one, but not an A1... too bad that the only ones that rarely appears on the market are original from early 20th century ones at prices way out of my range
first handgun was a CZ75 P-01. There's a good reason nearly all comments about the CZ75's is "melts into your hand" or "fits like a glove", that grip angle just makes holding the gun feel so natural.
My CZ 75 Compact and my 1911 are 2 I will keep forever. IMO the CZ 75 grip is the most perfect ever devised, and it's steel framed. I just cannot force myself to like aluminum and plastic.
Absolutely love the style of this gun. It is so smooth and clean. I know the under-barrel rail and the front slide serrations are for utilities sake, but I can't help but feel it just looks so much sleeker without them.
Great video. I have this pistol. One major early design flaw (later corrected) is the early barrel bushing. It can rotate under recoil, and will seize up the gun/action. It happened to mine on my 2nd shot, totally disabling the gun. I'll do a video on it one day. To CZ's credit, they immediately sent me the new design (multiple recesses around the bushing) free of charge. Simple installation.
I have a substantial collection of 1911s. From Colt to Nighthawks. But I love my CZs. My CZ97 is one of my favorites. Maybe because whenever I go to range, I’m usually the only one that has one. Experience has taught me that CZ has a strong following in America.
As always, your videos are awesome, Ian. You are a huge credit to the firearms community. On a minor note, the barrel bushing isn't "totally alien" to CZ- you can get a '75 with the accu-bushing, which is a threaded barrel bushing. Wish they had been available when I bought my CZ75 some 15 years ago, though the gun still outshoots me so I suppose it doesn't make much of a difference.
My barrel bushing came out of battery during recoil and seized up the gun, making it completely unusable until the problem was identified and fixed. Bushing was bent, and needed replacement. A design defect, somewhat possibly remedied by the newer bushing. Still cause for alarm. To CZ's credit they sent me a new one free of charge.
For future reference Ian, i believe the manual for CZs says to put the gun on half cock (decocker position) to remove the slide, on mine there is very little friction holding the slide on if it is done this way.
The half-cocked hammer also gives you a reference point for the correct slide position, as the slide starts to push against the hammer right at the disassembly point. At least that's the case with the CZ 75B, I haven't tried the 97B.
There is also the Tactical Sport series of pistols that are 9mm pistols built on the CZ97 frame. They hold 20 rounds in a flush fit magazine and have very little recoil due to the heavy weight of the frame.
Just got one for Father's Day. Holding off on shooting it though. Ordering a fiber front sight and mag well and thinner grips from LOK. Two extra magazines as well and a holster.
My CZ 97B is all the above, plus - it's scary accurate out of the box. It's easy to shoot, the big grip spreads out recoil beautifully. It doesn't jam, no matter what cheap, old, or otherwise marginal ammo you feed it. The trigger is great, breaking sharply with no creep or drag. Compared to any of my 1911's, it's a Cadillac to their Pinto.
It's December of 2021. I work in a small gun store. The first CZ97 came in a couple of weeks ago & it was bought almost immediately. Two more have come in since. It'll be interesting to see what happens to them.
The magazines for my 97 are significantly narrower, side to side, than my Para-Ord or HK-USP. The front to back length is the same. I can slide the Para or HK mags in up to the taper where it's stopped by the width. Sliding the CZ mags in either of the other two guns fit with alot of room on the sides. You couldn't get more rounds into a flush fitting mag.
I just got my CZ97B for Christmas. I’ve put 400 rounds through it with zero problems. Mine is new and has the fiber optic front sight and aluminum grips. It’s a very sweet shooting gun with mild recoil for a 45 due to its weight and fairly low bore axis. Having owned and shot many handguns in my 51 years I’m pretty hard to impress, but this is a fine weapon for sure. They really should be more popular.
I am quite smitten when it comes to my 97B. It makes me giggle when I take it out to the range. I have several CZ pistols in my collection but none of them get that kind of reaction from me. Well, maybe my Kadet 2 kit is a very close second (especially on the frame of my SP-01) because it is so fun to hand that combo to someone and see their reaction. CZ: Come for the pistols, stay for the long guns.
Soy Fan de Cezca Zbrojovka desde México. La considero de lo mejor del mundo. Yo tengo una CZ P07 380 para Protección. Pero si estuviera legal el 9 mm tendría una Shadow sin duda.
Doesn't Mexico ban civilian ownership of military calibers? As I recall, that's partly the reason why 1911s chambered in .38 Super used to be so popular there.
simonferrer Exactly Colt 1911 38 Super are very famous here. I Like more 40 or 9 mm parabellum. But we have to use only 380 or 38 especial and only for home not for carry. Thats why Mexico is an Insafe place to live.
My most recent gun purchase was the CZ 97B. It is definitely a heavy, well built gun. I do like the aluminum grips on mine, but will hunt down the wooden ones to try them out.
This is amazing I was just thinking That you should do an episode on this exact firearm yesterday afternoon! Keep rocking it Ian! Easily my favorite channel!
I live in California and that configuration CZ 97B, with the wood grips and 3 dot sights, is still on the roster. CZ will put the grips and sights on for sale in California. THANK YOU CZ. I just bought one and pick it up this weekend. I plan to go back to the same place soon and get a CZ 75B. Such nice guns. Very underrated in the US, but that is changing. Ian, the 97B pistols are actually starting to become more popular. I think the people who are interested are people who are CZ and 1911 fans. you love CZ, you also love 1911s and have .45acp stocked up, purchase of a 97B only makes sense. I have always wanted a 1911, now I want a CZ 75. I will be buying both eventually but I bought the 97B because they are a bit difficult to find and I would love to have an out of production valuable rare but, but I see these getting more and more poplar, especially after this video. If I didn't see this video I wouldn't have never been looking for one in the first place. You know, I swear every time you do a spotlight on a firearm the prices and popularity go up.
I've modeled my 97B next to a 1911, they appear to be similar in size. The grip is another matter, though, the gun feels quite large in the hand, due to the double stack magazine. It has a LONG trigger reach, too, much more so than the 75. It shoots like a dream.
Note also that the Cz97B has faced a lot of competition from the Tanfoglio Witness .45 which preceded the Cz97B by about 8 years and they will use the same Magazines. Also the Grip on the Tanfoglio Witness is trimmer. I currently own and run two .45 Witnesses. One made in 1992 and the other in 2005.
Unfortunately you were correct about the likelihood that the 97 would be discontinued. I had bad feeling when I saw multiple retailers selling the gun for less than MAP. Normally it's hard to even find a retailer with a 97 B in stock and when they are in stock, they're well above MAP. Suddenly 10 days ago, several online retailers have it in stock and priced well below MAP.... yeah something is about to happen with the 97. Fast forward to a couple days ago and the CZ website lists the 97 B/BD as discontinued for 2022. I feel fortunate that I purchased a 97 B last week when I discovered the hefty discount.
I have 3 CZ'S, Love them all. I have an IWI all stainless Desert Eagle,... "Baby Eagle" in .45 acp also. Rather a rare piece now. It also has a 10 round mag capacity & as you know is also a CZ based design. I would love to see a comparison of the two. The Israelis don't make any junk !! It's a hefty 4" barrelled pistol also with a decocker / safety on it reminiscent of a Beretta 92 fs. Thee all Stainless is a beautiful firearm & it shoots the good Ol' American .45acp quite well. Wondering if the Baby Eagle operates & shoots like / as good as the CZ 97. Would be a good video from you. Thanks.
Great video as always. The only thing I would add is that there are a number parts actually shared between a 75B and 97B including the trigger, sear, hammer, sear cage etc. I know because I own a few CZ pistols, including a number of 75s and a 2017 manufacture 97B.
Well, for once there is something on Forgotten Weapons that I can go grab an example of without leaving the room. It does look like it didn't take long for them to put the forward serrations and newer type bushing into production, or at least so says the 2003 example in my hand. It is also interesting to point out that the shape of the hammer changed pretty quickly because it's a lot slimmer in profile on the one I have access to. I do have to say that while I love the look of the wood grips it came with, the newer aluminum skinny grips make a big difference in handling. I also get a kick out of having a fairly local city on the side of the CZs.
What a beautiful gun. I didn’t really know anything about CZ until I started getting into pistols recently. Seems to me like pretty much everything they make is really nice and very well made.
I succumbed to my CZ infatuation and picked one of these up last week. What a sweet shooter. Not too big at all for my medium/large man hands. Gonna polish the internals and install some bits and pieces from Cajun Gun Works, install some Lok Palm swell grips and maybe a red dot and call it good for local steel plate matches and other range fun. It is a shame the mag only has 10 rounds tho. Too bad some enterprising company doesn't make some large capacity mags or at least replacement internals.
Crazy that they are discontinuing this weapon. The Shadow 2 is a phenomenal firearm but I can’t believe that all the interest is in 9mm and polymer-framed striker fired guns. Really hoping CZ stays in the .45ACP realm, not just in their Dan Wesson and Colt lines. The 97B is the finest 45ACP handgun I’ve ever handled.
I own the cz 75- sp01, not a single malfunction even after a 1000+ rounds, straight out of the box, cz makes a good gun, just not many duty holsters available
I want to say that this gun is huge I own one personally and it is massive when you compare it to a 1911. I wish it had a larger mag but hey 10 rounds of .45 is a lot of lead and it is a great shooter. Also it is Legal in California which was kinda a big deal when I bought it since that was where I was. If anyone was interested in buying one I would definitely find somewhere with a display or show model or make a friend with one to test it out. I think a good number of women would have a problem holding it for prolonged shooting because of how wide it is. Even my dad who is not that much smaller than me has problems with it. But it does have some nice features over a traditional 1911 like Double Action, that loaded mag indicator and a few more rounds that makes double tapping targets pretty fun. Have I mentioned I really like this gun. I know there are better but really it is nice. Thanks Gun Jesus for making a video on it.
While mechanically very different, this gun’s aesthetics are closer to the Shadow 2 I own than the original CZ 75 (safety, beaver tail, full length dust cover, these things). Anyway loved the video, always great content.
Awesome Vid! I have owned two of these over the years, one blue, one polycoat, and both after a trip to CZ Custom for work came back shooting 3/4" to 1"sized groups with Winchester 230gr ball (factory was around 1.5" to 2")using the factory bushing. The blue one was awesome but came straight from CZC, I bought and shot the poly first before sending it to CZC, the trigger would stick on the reset randomly, I tried cleaning and looking for broken parts but no luck. CZC trip fixed that with the rework but I never figured out what would cause it, weird. I saw the title and it made me think of the story.
I just bought one 2 weeks ago and I love it. It is large and heavy but so am I so it fits me perfectly. I did change out the grips though. Great trigger and an accurate firearm.
just shot mine this last weekend , its an awesome handgun. also seems that mine which was made in 2016 has a longer guide rod and different barrel bushing
It can be done, but it isn't worth the tooling costs. If you want that, try the tanfoglio witness series. All the fun of cz75s, and all of the flavors.
Interesting thing here... The Magnum Research Baby Eagle (like many others, Springfield P9, IMI Jerico, EAA Witness, etc...) is based on the CZ design. All of the calibers including the .45 do use standard locking lugs between barrel and slide. If you ever look at the .45 version, the last locking lug, closest to the ejection port is interrupted as in only a half lug...The other thing that I noticed on CZ designs is the height of the rear site. I believe the geometry of the barrel to slide necessitates this and why you never see low profile sights on a CZ design. One of my EDCs is the MR BE Compact in .40 s&w. All steel (very hard steel as told by a gun smith friend) and 10 rnd. standard capacity mag. Uber reliable...
I do like the short distance you have to pull the slide back before you can disassemble the weapon. It seems that so many handguns require you to pull the slide halfway back or more before they let you take the pin out and it just becomes an unwieldy three-handed affair.
B is for the firing pin block, just like the CZ 40B I own, you can actually hear the block drop if you pull the trigger slowly after dropping the hammer
I owned one of those once. Excellent pistol. Shot better than I did. Only complaints was the grip was a bit too big to fit comfortably in my hand, and on the heavy bulky side. But other than that, it was accurate, reliable,and easy to break down for cleaning.
That really seems to be how they are viewed here in the us. I shot a glock for the first time after mostly shooting my sp01... I wanted to throw that plastic nonsense in the garbage.
I think it was introduced to compete with the Para P14. In the 90s for 9mm a lot of the ipsc competition guns where modified CZ 75 and for 45's it was the Para p 14. The CZ 97 never caught on for 3 reasons. P14's you could still get 14 round mags and the CZ 97 only had 10 rounders and the P 14 was much more comfortable to hold/shoot than the CZ 97. The 3rd is that the P 14 was a 1911 wide frame you could get a huge amount of aftermarket parts for it and there was almost no support for building CZ 97 open class guns.
But if you shoot it and you will love it, insanely accurate and easy to shoot accurately with (lazy) minimal effort. High mounted purposeful combat sights give great view. Grip feels bigger but it's bigger front to back than a Para/STI double stack side to side. A great range/target tool but hard to carry. Love 1911's but the CZ 97 is a great shooter in 45
I love mine, it's an incredibly soft, accurate shooter for what it is and that helps a lot when showing novices how to shoot. Living in CA means that we have a strange hybrid where the 97B is only legal with the wooden grips, but we got some of the other upgrades they've made over the years. The only reasons not to like it are having tiny hands or not being able to justify the $$ vs. a RIA 1911 if all you're looking for is "a .45".
I bought a RIA MAPP-1. It's marked "Tanfoglio" and "Philippines" on the frame, and "ACP Philippines" and ,"APINTL, Pahrump, NV" on the slide. I seems the gun has an identity crisis. It also has the worst safety of any gun I own. I takes two hands to manipulate the safety.
I have quite large hands, live in Canada (10 round mag limit for pistols) and shoot a single stack 1911 for SASS WBAS. I have shot both the 75 and 97 a fair bit and at least for me, I found the 75 to be my favorite 9mm so far, but the larger 97 just fit my hand better, plus I already cast and load for .45acp. When you consider the 10 round limit, and the fact that handguns in Canada are essentially for target shooting only, the 97 makes sense here as it may have during the assault weapons ban.
Imported by CZ USA headquartered right here in the Kansas City Metro, specifically in Kansas City, KS. Yes... The Kansas City Metro IS of a dual state setting.
My eaa witness shares a lot of similarities. Love that pistol. Accurate as hell and never had a problem with it. It does throw the brass quite far though.
Steel and wood will always look good
Qsaws d
Qsaws reason why I got a wood stock ak instead of a “tacticool” railed out magpul version . I like the look better.
true
Indeed it does. Which is why guns like the CZ-75, the 1911, the High Power.....will always been head and shoulders above the multitude of polymer wonders people sink $1200+ into. In all honesty, the steel framed guns shoot better if I had to make a choice.
Cz 75 , one of my favourite pistols I owned before the Government!, banned all semi auto pistols, I'm envious of my friends across the pond who enjoy the sport of shooting unrestricted!
Greetings from Scotland
Mostly unrestricted and we're doing our best to hold on to them for dear life.
Bruce Craigie Can you own a flat, or locker space in Ireland to circumvent that inane BS?
Cheers from (Western) Canada!
Matthew Caughey has
John Quinn Greetings--and get the hell out of SA. The writing has been on the wall since the end of Apartheid.
Bruce Craigie you all need to take back your country. Vote out anyone who opposes guns.
CZ fanboy here, thanks for supporting our addiction.
I too love a cz pistol
Daily carry a cz75b every day. I love it!
Daily carry a P07 and now I have to get a 97BD
Hell Yes! CZ FANBOYS!!!
Americanized Czechnology.
That Czechs out
Lol. Colt Z 40 is laughing at this comment.
Well, you're not wrong, but this is still Czechnology, as opposed to Colt slapping its name on something and calling it a day.
The BD is on my Czech-list
Lmao clever
Went to a local gun shop looking for a CZ-75 chambered in .40S&W. Gun shop didn't have one, but they had this gem and bought it instead. I'm happy with my decision
Boom Boom.
Cz 75 in 9mm shooting speer gold dot is the shit whatever u hits dying simple as that
My CZ-75B is a .40 and my only regret is not picking up a P-06 when they were readily available.
Nice buy! Enjoy for me please!
I'm in the market let's get Britney Griner back asap let the gun salesman go and satellite track them.
Best regards from Prague, Czech Rep.! Happy to see a Czech gun on this great channel.
Hello from America. I’d love to visit my heritage one day. Just had some kielbasy and sauerkraut today (Ik it’s Polish)
I always say the Czechs know how to make a fine weapon
I don't understand why taller sights for Suppressors aren't readily available on CZ-75s or CZ-97s. CZ sells threaded barrels but not slides for their use.
@Ryan snap caps and number 83 o ring problem solved.
@@floyddog2283 Saeurkraut is in german and kielbasy is polish name, however that food is available from germany to balkan.
If you wish a czech food, try something with sauce, like "Svíčková na smetaně", which is a tender beef steak with sauce made of root vegetables and cream, served with bread dumplings and of course, beer. Just remember the eating method: cut a piece of dumpling, stab it with fork, wipe the sauce off table plate and then stuff your face with it. This is the ancient method of eating sauce with fork, passed down in czech families, and foreigners struggle to eat like us :D.
Never thought I would see a gun I own on this channel. I love it, great shooter and dead reliable.
Same here!
Did you get the aluminum or wood grips? I bought my 97 because the grips filled my hands so well with the walnut, I can't stand the skinny feeling of the 1911.
Got a 97b with aluminum grips and a 1911 with hogue wrap around rubber grips. The 97 witg aluminum grips is thinner than the 1911 with the wrap around grips, but because it is thicker front to back it still fills my gorilla hands and actually feels better than the 1911.
The Czech pistols are so pretty.
Jonny Augz For the love of god, please don't look up old czech skoda cars.
My first thought when he cut to a close-up was "DAMN that's a good looking gun."
Czech girls too lol :)
@@Spazik86 I had a little crush on a Slovak exchange student back in high school...
@@AnimeSunglasses Slovak gilrs maybe a little bit better than Czech haha :)
First pistol I ever owned and it is an absolute beauty. Shoots straight and no malfunctions. I'll never get rid of it! And I got it when they were fairly inexpensive.
Sold mine and regret it to this day.
Jesse Botelho I can certainly understand that. Got mine for $700 Canadian maybe 10 years ago and the only change I'd like to make is to switch out the thicker wood grips for the thin aluminum ones, just to get a slightly better trigger pull.
Is it blued? I love the blue ones
animusity Looks just like the one in this video except it has added front slide serrations.
They're still fairly cheap for the gun you get. About 700 new and on the 400s used
My CZ 75BD is by a mile my favorite handgun. If I am grabbing something just to have some fun with, I grab it every time.
If CZ really wanted to print money, they would make this in 10 mm with full capacity mags. The size and haft could definitely tame full power loads, and with 14 + 1 you'll be packing a lot of punch
Aren’t Tanfo’s a lot like the 75’s, but not as beefed up as the 97’s?
Ive been looking at one. Just want a cz 10mm not a tang. Though you gotta take what you can get. They have that compact 10mm with all steel frame and slide wonder finish.
I have the Tanfoglio 10mm and its awesome. CZ don't need to make one. Thier interest is 9 and 40 . U really don't need a 10 unless ur hunting!
@@gshock3092 I have a Glock 20. It's not a fun gun to shoot.
@@kentnordland5034 i have a 10mm witness and its snappy with my handloads! So Amen
I stumbled on one in random visit to pawn shop. It was parked next to the 75b that I was looking at - owner traded them both. I just couldnt bring myself to separate brothers...and I still have them both :) I totally agree that is a VERY chunky gun, but at the same time fairly well made and damn unstoppable. Any ammo, any time, and with zero problems. Sitting next to my 1911 it does look like an Abrams tank next to a Corvette (almost Desert Eagle-ish), but it its not going anywhere from my collection.
Could you fire both left and right handed?
@@StevenHanover You can fire it no problem, but controls are not ambidextrous
The "B" doesn't mean that it's the 2nd version, it only indicates the firing pin block, just as the "D" says that it features a decocker.
That's why ther're no "A" or "C" marked CZ pistols.
I thought there was an early, ‘pre B’ 97 also that was made without a FPB...not so? Maybe it’s a unicorn: exists, but impossible to find
@@TSPhotoAtlanta CZ USA builds a 1911, typically w/o FPB. But a 97? Not to my knowledge.
I can't certainly say that there wasn't some non-B prototype, although I find it highly unlikely, for the FPB has already been a standard safety feature long before the 97 came out. It just wouldn't make any sense.
The ‘B’ stands for ‘ Bushing’ ...the B variant has the Bushing at the end of the barrel, the BD has a bushing and is a decocker.
@@SofaKingQuick
Then why does one of their bestsellers, the CZ 75B, _not_ have a barrel bushing?
And why would the bushing be such an important feature to add it to the name of the gun?
@@ShootAUT you are correct I was wrong. Point is B designation does not stand for second iteration however.
I just bought one of these and it shoots like a dream. Now I own 3 CZs with more to come hopefully.
I just bought a 97BD and I love it, it's the softest shooting .45 ACP I've ever shot. I can hammer a 10 inch steel plate at 50 yards easily. Don't get me wrong I'm a 1911 fanboy but my CZ97 is just a better gun than any 1911 I've ever owned.
Kimber 1911s rock
@@weirdscience8341 no they dont
Fun Fact: here in Italy despite having Berettas and Glocks there's a HUGE fanbase for 1911 and now even more with models in 9mm working reliably... 45ACP it's also well loved, but it's pretty expensive even for those like me who reloads, but still, i think it's the most beautiful caliber for a semi auto, and in conjunction with the 1911... what a joy... i own two 1911 in 45 ACP and one in 9x21 (9x19 it's forbidden 'cause it's "a military caliber") and i can't stop thinking about gettin' another one, but not an A1... too bad that the only ones that rarely appears on the market are original from early 20th century ones at prices way out of my range
This is one of the most accurate handguns I've ever fired. It's nearly impossible to miss.
first handgun was a CZ75 P-01. There's a good reason nearly all comments about the CZ75's is "melts into your hand" or "fits like a glove", that grip angle just makes holding the gun feel so natural.
I wish it was my first hand gun! Would have saved me alot of time and money! Lol
My CZ 75 Compact and my 1911 are 2 I will keep forever. IMO the CZ 75 grip is the most perfect ever devised, and it's steel framed. I just cannot force myself to like aluminum and plastic.
Absolutely love the style of this gun. It is so smooth and clean.
I know the under-barrel rail and the front slide serrations are for utilities sake,
but I can't help but feel it just looks so much sleeker without them.
Great video. I have this pistol. One major early design flaw (later corrected) is the early barrel bushing. It can rotate under recoil, and will seize up the gun/action. It happened to mine on my 2nd shot, totally disabling the gun. I'll do a video on it one day. To CZ's credit, they immediately sent me the new design (multiple recesses around the bushing) free of charge. Simple installation.
I have a substantial collection of 1911s. From Colt to Nighthawks. But I love my CZs. My CZ97 is one of my favorites. Maybe because whenever I go to range, I’m usually the only one that has one. Experience has taught me that CZ has a strong following in America.
Love my 97b, one of the best straight from the factory pistols I've ever owned or shot.
I love this pistol so much I have 2 of them. If you see a 97B or 97BD buy it! They are rare & never stay on the gun store shelf for very long.
I had one around 1997-1998, it was match pistol accurate, and light recoiling... but was an all steel absolute
Brick to carry.
As always, your videos are awesome, Ian. You are a huge credit to the firearms community.
On a minor note, the barrel bushing isn't "totally alien" to CZ- you can get a '75 with the accu-bushing, which is a threaded barrel bushing. Wish they had been available when I bought my CZ75 some 15 years ago, though the gun still outshoots me so I suppose it doesn't make much of a difference.
This is awesome! I just bought my first CZ, the 97B, this weekend! Good timing, Ian!
My barrel bushing came out of battery during recoil and seized up the gun, making it completely unusable until the problem was identified and fixed. Bushing was bent, and needed replacement. A design defect, somewhat possibly remedied by the newer bushing. Still cause for alarm. To CZ's credit they sent me a new one free of charge.
yikes... glad youre ok
For future reference Ian, i believe the manual for CZs says to put the gun on half cock (decocker position) to remove the slide, on mine there is very little friction holding the slide on if it is done this way.
The half-cocked hammer also gives you a reference point for the correct slide position, as the slide starts to push against the hammer right at the disassembly point.
At least that's the case with the CZ 75B, I haven't tried the 97B.
On quarter cock, the witness marks line up perfectly.
*No replacement for displacement!*
This message was brought to you by: The American Association of Large Engines & Calibers.
Alberto Amoruso As far as I can tell, nothing. He just made a joke.
With the exception of 10mm Auto. ;) ;)
*see "shot placement"
the American association of compensating for something
Oso 11 you and your obsession with penile size
There is also the Tactical Sport series of pistols that are 9mm pistols built on the CZ97 frame. They hold 20 rounds in a flush fit magazine and have very little recoil due to the heavy weight of the frame.
Just got one for Father's Day. Holding off on shooting it though. Ordering a fiber front sight and mag well and thinner grips from LOK. Two extra magazines as well and a holster.
You are going to love it. If you do your part, the gun can hit 8" gongs at 200 yards.
And the low bore axis!
I'll take one in .45acp, and one in 7.62 X 25 Tok.
My CZ 97B is all the above, plus - it's scary accurate out of the box. It's easy to shoot, the big grip spreads out recoil beautifully. It doesn't jam, no matter what cheap, old, or otherwise marginal ammo you feed it. The trigger is great, breaking sharply with no creep or drag. Compared to any of my 1911's, it's a Cadillac to their Pinto.
Just purchased and BNIB CZ 97BD. Can't wait to hold this beauty!
Lol! Me too!!
It's December of 2021. I work in a small gun store. The first CZ97 came in a couple of weeks ago & it was bought almost immediately. Two more have come in since. It'll be interesting to see what happens to them.
CZ75B is my EDC and I dont regret it at all. Only thing is that it is a bit big for concealed carry, but the urban carry hides it pretty well.
That's a aesthetically pleasing gun.
I am a cz fan boy. Love my cz p07 and it shoots so well. Recommend anybody a cz built like a tank and not priced like one.
Damn. That’s a beautiful looking pistol.
The magazines for my 97 are significantly narrower, side to side, than my Para-Ord or HK-USP. The front to back length is the same. I can slide the Para or HK mags in up to the taper where it's stopped by the width. Sliding the CZ mags in either of the other two guns fit with alot of room on the sides. You couldn't get more rounds into a flush fitting mag.
This is one of a few euro's that feel perfect in the hand, and the EAA witness in .45, just fits and shoots very well.
I just got my CZ97B for Christmas. I’ve put 400 rounds through it with zero problems. Mine is new and has the fiber optic front sight and aluminum grips. It’s a very sweet shooting gun with mild recoil for a 45 due to its weight and fairly low bore axis. Having owned and shot many handguns in my 51 years I’m pretty hard to impress, but this is a fine weapon for sure. They really should be more popular.
I've got a couple cz's.....absolutely love them!
I am quite smitten when it comes to my 97B. It makes me giggle when I take it out to the range. I have several CZ pistols in my collection but none of them get that kind of reaction from me. Well, maybe my Kadet 2 kit is a very close second (especially on the frame of my SP-01) because it is so fun to hand that combo to someone and see their reaction. CZ: Come for the pistols, stay for the long guns.
Soy Fan de Cezca Zbrojovka desde México. La considero de lo mejor del mundo. Yo tengo una CZ P07 380 para Protección. Pero si estuviera legal el 9 mm tendría una Shadow sin duda.
Doesn't Mexico ban civilian ownership of military calibers? As I recall, that's partly the reason why 1911s chambered in .38 Super used to be so popular there.
simonferrer Exactly Colt 1911 38 Super are very famous here. I Like more 40 or 9 mm parabellum. But we have to use only 380 or 38 especial and only for home not for carry. Thats why Mexico is an Insafe place to live.
The FNX is an excellent example of how to squeeze more .45 in the same size magazine.
My most recent gun purchase was the CZ 97B. It is definitely a heavy, well built gun. I do like the aluminum grips on mine, but will hunt down the wooden ones to try them out.
This is amazing I was just thinking That you should do an episode on this exact firearm yesterday afternoon! Keep rocking it Ian! Easily my favorite channel!
I love my CZ PCR. Carry it every day. If I were going to get a .45 this would be at the top of my list
I have a cz97, I love it. Arguably one of the best pistols ever made.
Excellent video !!!
Thanks. 👍👍
I live in California and that configuration CZ 97B, with the wood grips and 3 dot sights, is still on the roster. CZ will put the grips and sights on for sale in California. THANK YOU CZ. I just bought one and pick it up this weekend. I plan to go back to the same place soon and get a CZ 75B. Such nice guns. Very underrated in the US, but that is changing.
Ian, the 97B pistols are actually starting to become more popular. I think the people who are interested are people who are CZ and 1911 fans. you love CZ, you also love 1911s and have .45acp stocked up, purchase of a 97B only makes sense. I have always wanted a 1911, now I want a CZ 75. I will be buying both eventually but I bought the 97B because they are a bit difficult to find and I would love to have an out of production valuable rare but, but I see these getting more and more poplar, especially after this video. If I didn't see this video I wouldn't have never been looking for one in the first place.
You know, I swear every time you do a spotlight on a firearm the prices and popularity go up.
Very well done. Covered all the facts. I like it a lot. Many thanks.
I've modeled my 97B next to a 1911, they appear to be similar in size. The grip is another matter, though, the gun feels quite large in the hand, due to the double stack magazine. It has a LONG trigger reach, too, much more so than the 75. It shoots like a dream.
Note also that the Cz97B has faced a lot of competition from the Tanfoglio Witness .45 which preceded the Cz97B by about 8 years and they will use the same Magazines. Also the Grip on the Tanfoglio Witness is trimmer. I currently own and run two .45 Witnesses. One made in 1992 and the other in 2005.
Unfortunately you were correct about the likelihood that the 97 would be discontinued. I had bad feeling when I saw multiple retailers selling the gun for less than MAP. Normally it's hard to even find a retailer with a 97 B in stock and when they are in stock, they're well above MAP. Suddenly 10 days ago, several online retailers have it in stock and priced well below MAP.... yeah something is about to happen with the 97. Fast forward to a couple days ago and the CZ website lists the 97 B/BD as discontinued for 2022. I feel fortunate that I purchased a 97 B last week when I discovered the hefty discount.
I have 3 CZ'S, Love them all. I have an IWI all stainless Desert Eagle,... "Baby Eagle" in .45 acp also. Rather a rare piece now. It also has a 10 round mag capacity & as you know is also a CZ based design. I would love to see a comparison of the two. The Israelis don't make any junk !! It's a hefty 4" barrelled pistol also with a decocker / safety on it reminiscent of a Beretta 92 fs. Thee all Stainless is a beautiful firearm & it shoots the good Ol' American .45acp quite well. Wondering if the Baby Eagle operates & shoots like / as good as the CZ 97. Would be a good video from you. Thanks.
Shoots soooo smooth.
Great video as always. The only thing I would add is that there are a number parts actually shared between a 75B and 97B including the trigger, sear, hammer, sear cage etc. I know because I own a few CZ pistols, including a number of 75s and a 2017 manufacture 97B.
Well, for once there is something on Forgotten Weapons that I can go grab an example of without leaving the room. It does look like it didn't take long for them to put the forward serrations and newer type bushing into production, or at least so says the 2003 example in my hand. It is also interesting to point out that the shape of the hammer changed pretty quickly because it's a lot slimmer in profile on the one I have access to. I do have to say that while I love the look of the wood grips it came with, the newer aluminum skinny grips make a big difference in handling. I also get a kick out of having a fairly local city on the side of the CZs.
I have the BD model and have found it to be superb. 700+ rounds out of the box, hasn’t been cleaned, flawless operation.
Very nice run through of this 97b. Well done.
That gun is worth every penny in my opinion, I own one. Tack driver, good weight balance to mitigate recoil. Good looking too
Next firearm I'm getting will be a CZ. Either P-10c or Shadow 2.
why not both? :)
Hiromuz Eventually both, yes haha. Just not sure which on as of yet. Would be my first CZ. Kind of want to sell my G19 gen 4 and get the p10c.
Hiromuz Eventually both, yes haha. Just not sure which one first. Would be my first CZ. Kind of want to sell my G19 gen 4 and get the p10c.
I hate P-10C it is just another glockish peace of plastick, Shadow is one of the best 9mm on the market
The P10C is just like a glock 19 with better ergonomics, better trigger, and a violently grippy grip. I like mine a lot.
These CZ's are so elegant looking. I'm a Beretta and Glock guy but would love to have a CZ in my Arsenal. Love the wood grips!
What a beautiful gun. I didn’t really know anything about CZ until I started getting into pistols recently. Seems to me like pretty much everything they make is really nice and very well made.
CZ make beautiful hand guns.
I succumbed to my CZ infatuation and picked one of these up last week. What a sweet shooter. Not too big at all for my medium/large man hands. Gonna polish the internals and install some bits and pieces from Cajun Gun Works, install some Lok Palm swell grips and maybe a red dot and call it good for local steel plate matches and other range fun. It is a shame the mag only has 10 rounds tho. Too bad some enterprising company doesn't make some large capacity mags or at least replacement internals.
shout out to CZ for the 45 model picking up my 97 B this weekend
Crazy that they are discontinuing this weapon. The Shadow 2 is a phenomenal firearm but I can’t believe that all the interest is in 9mm and polymer-framed striker fired guns. Really hoping CZ stays in the .45ACP realm, not just in their Dan Wesson and Colt lines. The 97B is the finest 45ACP handgun I’ve ever handled.
The CZ 75 B is an awesome gun. Combine that with the awesome capability of the .45 ACP cartridge and you have a winner.
I own the cz 75- sp01, not a single malfunction even after a 1000+ rounds, straight out of the box, cz makes a good gun, just not many duty holsters available
Now that they're discontinued, they will become higher in price. And demand for them will not diminish. They are that good.
Just bought one, cant wait to pick it up
Now he can do a review of the CZ 550 and its replacement.
I want to say that this gun is huge I own one personally and it is massive when you compare it to a 1911. I wish it had a larger mag but hey 10 rounds of .45 is a lot of lead and it is a great shooter. Also it is Legal in California which was kinda a big deal when I bought it since that was where I was. If anyone was interested in buying one I would definitely find somewhere with a display or show model or make a friend with one to test it out. I think a good number of women would have a problem holding it for prolonged shooting because of how wide it is. Even my dad who is not that much smaller than me has problems with it. But it does have some nice features over a traditional 1911 like Double Action, that loaded mag indicator and a few more rounds that makes double tapping targets pretty fun. Have I mentioned I really like this gun. I know there are better but really it is nice. Thanks Gun Jesus for making a video on it.
While mechanically very different, this gun’s aesthetics are closer to the Shadow 2 I own than the original CZ 75 (safety, beaver tail, full length dust cover, these things). Anyway loved the video, always great content.
Awesome Vid! I have owned two of these over the years, one blue, one polycoat, and both after a trip to CZ Custom for work came back shooting 3/4" to 1"sized groups with Winchester 230gr ball (factory was around 1.5" to 2")using the factory bushing. The blue one was awesome but came straight from CZC, I bought and shot the poly first before sending it to CZC, the trigger would stick on the reset randomly, I tried cleaning and looking for broken parts but no luck. CZC trip fixed that with the rework but I never figured out what would cause it, weird. I saw the title and it made me think of the story.
Very beautiful and it's one of the best 45s ever made .
I just bought one 2 weeks ago and I love it. It is large and heavy but so am I so it fits me perfectly. I did change out the grips though. Great trigger and an accurate firearm.
just shot mine this last weekend , its an awesome handgun. also seems that mine which was made in 2016 has a longer guide rod and different barrel bushing
I'd like a CZ-97 BD in 10mm, if you please. Why can the Czechs not figure this out?
It can be done, but it isn't worth the tooling costs. If you want that, try the tanfoglio witness series. All the fun of cz75s, and all of the flavors.
Looks so smooth, i think its a beaute
Interesting thing here... The Magnum Research Baby Eagle (like many others, Springfield P9, IMI Jerico, EAA Witness, etc...) is based on the CZ design. All of the calibers including the .45 do use standard locking lugs between barrel and slide. If you ever look at the .45 version, the last locking lug, closest to the ejection port is interrupted as in only a half lug...The other thing that I noticed on CZ designs is the height of the rear site. I believe the geometry of the barrel to slide necessitates this and why you never see low profile sights on a CZ design. One of my EDCs is the MR BE Compact in .40 s&w. All steel (very hard steel as told by a gun smith friend) and 10 rnd. standard capacity mag. Uber reliable...
I do like the short distance you have to pull the slide back before you can disassemble the weapon. It seems that so many handguns require you to pull the slide halfway back or more before they let you take the pin out and it just becomes an unwieldy three-handed affair.
Every one I Let shoot my cz75 falls in love with it. a 97 has been on my Xmas wish for years
B is for the firing pin block, just like the CZ 40B I own, you can actually hear the block drop if you pull the trigger slowly after dropping the hammer
Great looking gun....I saw this in my local Turners and will grab this soon...this will be my second 45 ACP gun ( my first gun is the HK USP 45)
Check out the cartoon Gunsmith Cats were the main carracter carries a military graded CZ75!
A friend of mine has one. Very pleasant shooting handgun.
I owned one of those once. Excellent pistol. Shot better than I did. Only complaints was the grip was a bit too big to fit comfortably in my hand, and on the heavy bulky side. But other than that, it was accurate, reliable,and easy to break down for cleaning.
I like the looks.
"CZ is just another one of those mid-range foreign gun companies". Yoh those are fighting words!
Lol shadows and 4000 race guns. Mid range lol and Dan Wesson pistols.
Cz are one of the best firearm makers in the world korth is fantastic too and walther is probly the best in my opinion
@@weirdscience8341 I've never seen anybody spell FN with a W before. Weird indeed
That really seems to be how they are viewed here in the us. I shot a glock for the first time after mostly shooting my sp01... I wanted to throw that plastic nonsense in the garbage.
@@davidgalietti3398 I own a poly pistol, then I bought a CZ, don't think I'll ever buy another poly!
I think it was introduced to compete with the Para P14. In the 90s for 9mm a lot of the ipsc competition guns where modified CZ 75 and for 45's it was the Para p 14. The CZ 97 never caught on for 3 reasons. P14's you could still get 14 round mags and the CZ 97 only had 10 rounders and the P 14 was much more comfortable to hold/shoot than the CZ 97. The 3rd is that the P 14 was a 1911 wide frame you could get a huge amount of aftermarket parts for it and there was almost no support for building CZ 97 open class guns.
But if you shoot it and you will love it, insanely accurate and easy to shoot accurately with (lazy) minimal effort. High mounted purposeful combat sights give great view. Grip feels bigger but it's bigger front to back than a Para/STI double stack side to side. A great range/target tool but hard to carry. Love 1911's but the CZ 97 is a great shooter in 45
Colion Noir can call me a CZ yuppie all he wants but I love mine lol
I love mine, it's an incredibly soft, accurate shooter for what it is and that helps a lot when showing novices how to shoot. Living in CA means that we have a strange hybrid where the 97B is only legal with the wooden grips, but we got some of the other upgrades they've made over the years. The only reasons not to like it are having tiny hands or not being able to justify the $$ vs. a RIA 1911 if all you're looking for is "a .45".
I bought a RIA MAPP-1. It's marked "Tanfoglio" and "Philippines" on the frame, and "ACP Philippines" and ,"APINTL, Pahrump, NV"
on the slide. I seems the gun has an identity crisis. It also has the worst safety of any gun I own. I takes two hands to manipulate the safety.
I have quite large hands, live in Canada (10 round mag limit for pistols) and shoot a single stack 1911 for SASS WBAS. I have shot both the 75 and 97 a fair bit and at least for me, I found the 75 to be my favorite 9mm so far, but the larger 97 just fit my hand better, plus I already cast and load for .45acp. When you consider the 10 round limit, and the fact that handguns in Canada are essentially for target shooting only, the 97 makes sense here as it may have during the assault weapons ban.
Imported by CZ USA headquartered right here in the Kansas City Metro, specifically in Kansas City, KS. Yes... The Kansas City Metro IS of a dual state setting.
My eaa witness shares a lot of similarities. Love that pistol. Accurate as hell and never had a problem with it. It does throw the brass quite far though.
I was just looking at these. I wish they had a rail.
3:38 wooden grips in the style of good old Luger 08 :)