An internet search about the CZ P10 series, the Czech gun company’s affordable, striker-fired, polymer-frame pistols, tends to yield the same adjective in nearly every other link or comment: Underrated. After all, these days it’s hard for any individual striker-fired polymer pistol to stand out in the market. P10 pistols aren’t technically new, as these pistols made their debut in 2017 when CZ decided to bring a duty-grade, polymer-frame striker pistol to market. But, P10s are new to me. Admittedly, I’ve overlooked them in the past due to my affinity for other CZs like the Shadow 2. However, I spend a fair bit of time writing and shooting pistols, and P10s are on my radar frequently these days. Consider this review of the 9mm CZ P10C OR a testament of how curiosity got the better of me.
CZ P10C Overview
The CZ P10C (Compact) OR is a compact, fully-ambidextrous, double-stack, striker-fired 9mm handgun with a polymer frame and a 4-inch barrel. Like nearly every other double-stack compact currently available, it’s quite similar, dimensionally, to the Glock G19, the benchmark for modern compact, general-purpose, double-stack handguns.
P10s use the proven Browning tilting-delayed blowback semi-automatic action, by far the most popular mechanical arrangement in modern manufactured handguns. Similarly, the P10C uses a captured recoil spring assembly and its takedown procedure is identical to that of a Glock’s. To be clear, these aren’t Czech-made Glock clones, they merely work in a similar manner. This is mostly evident in the shape of the CZ P10C OR’s frame and the way its internal components are arranged.
Grip And Frame
For a modern semi-automatic compact pistol, the CZ P10C OR has a roomy grip that doesn’t feel cramped because the last three fingers of my (normal-size) firing hand don’t feel crowded under the trigger guard with a proper firing grip. This means that the P10C OR’s frontstrap is slightly longer than the norm for compacts. Its grip also has three principal elements that I consider vital for ergonomics and “shootability” in any pistol:
- At the rear where the backstrap meets the frame, there’s a generous radius allowing for a secure purchase between the thumb and palm.
- At the front, the junction between the front strap and trigger guard is decently undercut, and the bottom portion of the trigger guard is flat, not rounded.
- The last detail is crucial because the flat section provides the top of the support hand a stable spot to ride during shooting and it also serves as a key indexing point when building a proper two-handed firing grip.
Like most modern pistols, the P10C OR ships with different-size interchangeable backstraps. All four sides of the grip, including the backstraps, have some coarse (but not sharp) square studs molded directly into the polymer which are spaced with enough distance from each other to work effectively. Unfortunately, the upper portion of the left and right sides of the grip beneath the ambidextrous slide stops are completely smooth, and it’s my opinion that handguns always benefit from additional texturing over this area. Ahead of the takedown levers on either side, the P10C OR includes more square-stud texturing where the support-hand thumb makes contact with the frame. At the front of the frame, the dustcover has an accessory rail which does resemble those found on Glocks; my Surefire X300-U “A” tactical light snaps on and fits perfectly.
Slide, Sights and Barrel
CZ P10C OR slides exude many classic CZ styling cues; the machining is performed in a profile similar to that of the CZ P07 and P09 models, with parallel chamfered surfaces ahead of the ejection port and front and rear slide serrations, for example. At the muzzle, the outline of the slide as it sits in the frame is somewhat reminiscent of a CZ-75 too. Unlike classic CZ models, P10 slides ride over their frames instead of inside of them. Nonetheless, these slides still sit lower in relation to the frame. At the risk of using an overused catch-phrase, it means that the CZ P10C OR has a “low bore-axis.” In the hands of an experienced shooter, this helps the slide’s ability to track consistently and a dot’s return to index. Both slides and barrels possess a black nitride finish, and in true European fashion, P10 barrels are cold hammer forged. Since CZ designed these as service pistols from the start, their original specifications adhere to NATO standards, so shooting duty/defensive rated ammunition isn’t a problem.
As an optics-ready model, this P10C variant includes taller front and rear iron sights with a luminescent 3-dot pattern. Even though these iron sights are taller, their ability to co-witness with optics depends on the specific combination of red-dot sight and mounting plate. It’s worth mentioning that factory slide cuts on CZ P10s are identical to slide cuts on optics-ready versions of the CZ Shadow 2 and CZ Shadow 2 Compact, so the plates are interchangeable.
Trigger
Through the lens of contemporary polymer striker guns, CZ P10s triggers are quite conventional with their requisite bladed safety being the chief means of preventing the trigger from inadvertently moving to the rear. The trigger’s face is almost flat and it sits inside the trigger guard at such an angle where it effectively functions like a flat trigger. Perhaps the only thing that deviates from the norm of typical striker-fired triggers and the P10’s trigger are the CZ-75 style dual trigger bars that serve as linkage connecting the face of the trigger to the sear and striker surfaces. On this CZ P10C OR, ten trigger pulls had an average of 4-pounds, 14.9 ounces according to my electronic trigger-pull scale, or just shy of 5 pounds. P10 stock triggers are quite utilitarian: they’re far from match triggers but are adequate in context for a service/defensive pistol. There’s about .4 inches of pre-travel before the trigger stops at a clearly defined wall. The break is very deliberate and will move the trigger approximately .3 inches further to the rear. Once the trigger breaks, it stops without any overtravel, mushiness or sponginess. This trigger resets after reverting to that same .3 inch clearance in the opposite direction, where its wall begins. Finally, P10 triggers aren’t fully pre-tensioned, and they function similarly to the Glock’s “Safe Action” trigger that doesn’t cock the striker until the trigger is pulled all the way to the rear.
Shooting The CZ P10C OR
Prior to shooting, I mounted a 6-MOA Leupold DeltaPoint Pro reflex sight to the P10C OR’s slide using a CZ factory optics plate. After zeroing the DeltaPoint Pro, I fired three different factory-loaded 9mm cartridges for accuracy off the bench at 15-yards. Among these is the Federal 147-grain Gold Medal Action Pistol FP, the Staccato Range 124-grain FMJ and the Nosler ASP 115-grain JHP defensive load. I’m under the impression that these guns are a tad more accurate than the groups below show (especially the largest groups). I’ve noticed that the limiting factor when shooting pistol groups from rest is oftentimes standard factory-trigger, especially on striker guns that aren’t pre-tensioned (like the HK VP9 or Walther PDP) due to the way the gun must be held when using a bag for support. With this said, it’s evident that the CZ P10C OR has the capacity to shoot 9mm loads of varying weights and bullet profiles quite accurately.
Though the P10 series had some teething issues early on, those reliability issues have since been addressed by CZ and those components phased out. My gun was manufactured in 2024 and had no issues shooting any of the above-mentioned ammunition nor the CCI Blazer 115-grain aluminum cased cartridges or my handloads that I also fired through the pistol while trying to get a feel for it. In addition to the 60 rounds used in accuracy testing, I fired an additional 100 rounds briskly at a hanging steel target downrange, getting the gun quite hot in a short amount of time. The recoil impulse is in line with most other polymer-framed striker guns that weigh 26-ounces, so a firm support-hand grip is called-for in controlling this pistol properly.
The only minor complaint I have of the P10C OR is ironically the same that I have for the Shadow 2 and Shadow 2 compact, the slide is rather short and not the easiest to grab. I wish the front serrations were either milled with more space in between them or milled taller to make them grabbier. Also, keep in mind that optics plates are sold separately from the pistol itself.
The Takeaway
The polymer-frame, striker-fired double-stack 9mm is the lingua franca of modern handgun design. Such guns are sold by nearly every firearms manufacturer at nearly every price point, ever since Glock started the trend during the late 1980s and 1990s. This style of pistol has “cracked the code” on function and reliability which is why most polymer striker guns from various companies work similarly and are also generally reliable. What stands out about the CZ P10C OR and the rest of the product family is that having been on the market for several years, they’ve now proven themselves and enjoy a robust aftermarket. But more importantly, for a European-made product sold by a major brand, these pistols can be extremely affordable.
CZ P10C OR Specifications
- Manufacturer: CZ
- Action Type: Browning delayed blowback, semi-automatic
- Caliber: 9mm
- Capacity: 15+1 rounds
- Frame: Fiber-reinforced polymer
- Slide: Carbon steel
- Barrel Length: 4 inches
- Trigger Pull Weight: 4 pounds, 15 ounces
- Sights: Tall luminescent, three-dot iron sights, factory cut for optic
- Length: 7.3 inches
- Width: 1.26 inches
- Height: 5.2 inches
- Weight: 26.3 ounces
- Accessories: Two magazines, backstrap inserts, cable lock, cleaning rod/brush, instruction manual
- MSRP: $449
Shooting Results
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