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Originally posted by monoblok:

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I looked at them for years but always thought the grip was too big, mine came with thin grips but oddly enough I took them off and put on the stock rubber grips. Much better now, even with the thicker grips. I don’t have big paws but I can still shoot the gun incredibly well.

I initially felt the same. At first glance it would seem that my smallish hands would be overwhelmed by this gun. But I know better; since I can handle a girthy 92FS in DA, this one's ergonomics is a relative cake walk. Those thin grips that the current 97 ships with--reminiscent in shape and design to the angled panels that comes on the 75 Shadow 2--fit well in my hands, even perhaps to the point that they feel a little TOO thin. I too was also thinking that the contoured rubber grips like my SP-01 came with might be an even better fit.

Almost there...but damn I hate Olympia, the state AG and the torment they cause. But it does seemed so long since I last bought a pistol.

Yup exactly I held them a few times at my LGS, but always said in my head “damn this grip feels huge”. Then used one pop up in mint condition and I decided to take a chance, well worth it! That’s exactly what mine came with the shadow 2 designed type grips, they work well also but the stock rubber CZ grips are my favorite hands down. I run them on all my CZ’s.

CZ97 is an excellent pistol, I had a glossy blue that I regret selling. Now I have a black one that goes hiking with me.

I keep bouncing between the 97 and an HK45 for my 1st 45.
Luv the CZ---but the slide release is a deal killer- cant reach it w/o shifting my grip too much.
I hear CGW has an extended release -anyone know if this fixes the issue

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Originally posted by sgalczyn:
I keep bouncing between the 97 and an HK45 for my 1st 45.
Luv the CZ---but the slide release is a deal killer- cant reach it w/o shifting my grip too much.
I hear CGW has an extended release -anyone know if this fixes the issue

I never even took note of the different slide stops on CZ’s. That extended slide stop CGW is offering is a OEM SP-01 or CZ shadow gen 1 slide stop. I won’t be near my guns for a couple weeks, but when I have the chance I’ll swap the slide stops and let you know.
IMO the CZ shots A LOT better than any HK45 variant.
I’ve rented a HK45C and full-size to compare to my PPQ45, the HK shoots flatter but the trigger is mediocre and the ergo’s were good but not better in my situation.

You might love it though if you rent one.

That's so cool to see that CZ does offer the 97 in 10mm! Thanks for the update jimmy. Another must have for me.

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Originally posted by kaschi:
That's so cool to see that CZ does offer the 97 in 10mm! Thanks for the update jimmy. Another must have for me.

I'm great at spending other people's money. That's what all of the yacht owners that I work for tell me. LOLOLOLOLOLL

I picked up a shadow 2 and held it last week, the grip doesn't fit me all that well.......but was a very nice gun with very nice stippling.

I’ve owned (purchased new) a 97B since 2004 and as others have mentioned, it’s a soft-shooting, crazy accurate pistol. Mine is stock except I put Hogue Fingergrips for a CZ-75 on the gun, as it helps significantly reduce the grip circumference. They don’t fit until you soak them for 30 seconds in boiling water, quickly dry off and stretch to install. For me, this grip makes a great gun even better.

Well, after a lot of soul searching and coming to the cold hard realization that I ain't gittin' any younger, it's finally home and has made it onto my desk.



It's late now (or very early, depending on POV) but later on today it'll join my P220 SSE, G21 and M45-A1 for a little fun with spittin' out 230GR boolits.

Congrats, looking forward to the range report!

Congrats 0n your pick up. Love how my 97 shoots!

Turns out this one shoots pretty well also. Typical CZ baseline factory trigger; not sweet by any stretch but workable as-is. Very reminiscent of my 75 SP-01 Tactical's initial DA/SA characteristics. Like the 9mm it's not a 'staging' kind of bang switch; jokingly you could even call it a THREE-stage trigger with how much creep travel this one has. Can't really call it gritty creep however since it's more gravelly than anything sandpaper-like. But this hunk of steel handles recoil very well; the mass of the gun dampens it nicely, much like my P220 SSE does it.

I have to say that between the two I do prefer the P220. I suppose that shouldn't be that much of a surprise since I've had a lengthy history with the SIG and it IS a well vetted upgrade over the standard P220 (and was more expensive by a significant amount during its production years). Thanks to its SRT it came with a nicely sorted trigger that has only sweetened with use over the years. The bit of creep common to most factory SRT installations is still present, but it's almost nothing compared against what I experience with the 97B. That being the case, if I just shoot the CZ like the service pistol it was designed to be (no trigger staging), I can make the gun send the bullets pretty much where I intended them to go...within an inch or two at 7ish yards. Basically a LOT like my 9mm CZs.

In single-action the CZ is an easy shooter at pace. The double-action could use some work though; it's noticeable in its heaviness, with slight hitches in travel until the break. Definitely could use some smithing to smooth, or a couple of cases of 45AUTO run through it and hopefully work out some of that roughness. That didn't really work for my SP-01 or my other 75Bs, so I might consider some action work for the gun. Between the three of us (me, my friend and his wife) we probably put about 350 rounds through the CZ today, with about 500 rounds through the P220. I probably shot the CZ the least; maybe 80 rounds tops as my strong arm's elbow pain was rearing itself again. The Glock and Colt did not make the trip and were left at home. Embarrassingly, for some reason I couldn't find but one mag for the G21, and by the time I gave up looking for the rest I lost interest in trying corral the M45-A1. Next time.

Other observations: the front fiber optic was okay; I tend to prefer green so a change out is probably likely. I'd also like to change the rear sight to something blacked out, blockier and silhouette in style. The grip has that longish, skinny feel that I usually don't like, but here today with the CZ I don't find it that objectionable. With my tiny fingers I'm always going to have to shift my grip to get on the mag catch regardless. The texture of the grip panels are decent enough to hold onto, but I could stand replacing them with something more aggressive. The minimal amount of grip texture on the front strap of the grip was disappointing in live fire; would be nicer if it had been larger in area. And to be honest, I think I would REALLY like this gun if it had been a decocker rather than a thumb safety kind of pistol.

As for our shooting results, everyone was in agreement that in general it's a wonderful shooter. Just one that has a few minor flaws. None of us really had a lot of difficulty getting decent accuracy with single-action, but double-action was definitely tougher. BTW, I think I forgot to separate our targets from the rest of the trash we generated, so it appears that my buddy's wife probably tossed them when they stopped for fuel on the way back from our shooting spot. Will have to try to remember to secure them the next time the 97B gets exercised. Meanwhile, now I need to source a bunch of mags for it; two is definitely not enough.

One particularly irritating annoyance that I've discovered: the takedown lever/slide stop is painfully tough to draw out of the gun. Extremely tight fit doesn't begin to describe the experience. I noticed it when I field stripped the gun overnight for its initial check-over and clean/lube. And again tonight as I broke down the gun for a light cleaning. I had to use a small screwdriver to create more leverage to pry it out of the frame; finger power alone wasn't doing it.

quote:

Originally posted by monoblok:
One particularly irritating annoyance that I've discovered: the takedown lever/slide stop is painfully tough to draw out of the gun. Extremely tight fit doesn't begin to describe the experience. I noticed it when I field stripped the gun overnight for its initial check-over and clean/lube. And again tonight as I broke down the gun for a light cleaning. I had to use a small screwdriver to create more leverage to pry it out of the frame; finger power alone wasn't doing it.

Slide stop removal will become easier with repeated removal.
Instead of prying, try aligning the witness marks then giving the protruding portion of the slide stop on the right side a sharp tap with the butt of the magazine.
That will pop it out past the retaining spring and it should be relatively easy to pull it out from there.

If double action is not important to you;
A single stage trigger with both pre and post travel adjustment can be fitted and make a major improvement (IMO) BUT this does require disabling the double action function.
If this idea appeals to you, one place to obtain the trigger, re-usable trigger pivot pin (well worth it) and green fiber for the front sight is Cajun Gun Works.
A lighter replacement trigger return spring might be a good idea as well.

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Instead of prying, try aligning the witness marks then giving the protruding portion of the slide stop on the right side a sharp tap with the butt of the magazine.
That will pop it out past the retaining spring and it should be relatively easy to pull it out from there.

Since I own CZs I'm already familiar with the procedure. For the 97B I did exactly that. Got the slide stop to the point where the protruding shaft of the slide stop was flush with the side of the frame. No joy beyond that. It's then the screwdriver was called upon.

As for the trigger, I had been thinking about sending in to CGW or CZ Custom and have them sprinkle some of their magic dust on it, but mostly for addressing the creepy single-action. Without a decocker I doubt that I'll make a regular habit of shooting it in DA. Your idea of a new trigger is definitely worth considering.

CJW does some amazing work. I sent my 97 to them for the pro package and couldn't be happier with the results. The trigger is super smooth and it really does break like glass--no creep, no wall, then bang. Worth every penny.