[tnxdshooter]

So,

I think I am buying me a cz82 in 9x18 makarov. What is the good and the bad about these pistols? Your opinions please?

It is in great condition with two mags.



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[docnyt]

The good- more capacity than the Makarov PM. Still small enough to carry. Ammo still affordable. Great little shooter.

The bad- Ammo may not be as available in your area. Harder to find magazines.

There's tons of threads on it if you search.

[golden]

I had a CZ82 in 9m.m. MAKAROV. It was a very well made pistol.

The good side was:
accuracy-it was an above average pistol for a pocket gun, it shot very well
reliability-I never had a misfire or jam with it.
trigger-this was a shocker, the double action was comparable to a BERETTA 92 that I have
sights-very usable
capacity-12 round magazine, nothing wrong there
comfort-very comfortable to shoot
grips-bulky, but gave a solid grip


The bad side:
heavy-heavy, all steel pistol
safety system-good for cocked and locked, bad for DA/SA carry
on my pistol, the magazine release works poorly, but that appears to be just my gun

I think the good outweighs the bad. It is a sound design. You may consider the more expensive .380ACP model 83. Quality ammo is cheaper and much easier to find.

Jim

[hAkron]

The good news is these are fun accurate shooters. Some would argue they are one of the best guns chambered in 9x18. They are a great value for the money.
They are almost entirely parts comparable with the CZ-83 which is still in production. The magazine is a double stack and holds 14? rounds.

They are a bit large/heavy to CC when you consider smaller more powerful guns are available. 9x18 ammo has gone up some in price recently. They are 'chunky' so people with small hands may not like the grip. The finish is t very durable so most surplus 82's have considerably blemished finishes.

The worst part is that they are a gateway for many to CZ ownership. You think they are inexpensive, well made, good shooting pistols, but they start to multiply like hamsters! They drain your bank account as you will need to buy them more and more often to satisfy your craving. I've purchased 5 variations of the CZ 75 in the past two months...2 in the last 2 days!

[tnxdshooter]

The good news is these are fun accurate shooters. Some would argue they are one of the best guns chambered in 9x18. They are a great value for the money.
They are almost entirely parts comparable with the CZ-83 which is still in production. The magazine is a double stack and holds 14? rounds.

They are a bit large/heavy to CC when you consider smaller more powerful guns are available. 9x18 ammo has gone up some in price recently. They are 'chunky' so people with small hands may not like the grip. The finish is t very durable so most surplus 82's have considerably blemished finishes.

The worst part is that they are a gateway for many to CZ ownership. You think they are inexpensive, well made, good shooting pistols, but they start to multiply like hamsters! They drain your bank account as you will need to buy them more and more often to satisfy your craving. I've purchased 5 variations of the CZ 75 in the past two months...2 in the last 2 days!

Dear God don't tell me that. I am already addicted to guns in general. No need for any more gun heroin.


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[Baba Louie]

Springs might need replacement. Do a search on this. Some of the little buggers are a PITA to install unless you have 3 hands. So you might not want to take it all the way down, unless you have a friendly gunsmith nearby... ;)

http://myweb.cableone.net/leolani/cz-82-disassembly.html

[Wishoot]

Love my CZ82.
Exceptionally accurate
Easy to field strip
12+1 rounds
Ammo is plentiful (although typically requires purchasing online)
Ammo cost is on par with 9x19 ammo.

OTOH...
Full re- assembly requires 3 hands and a ton of patience.
Holsters and aftermarket goodies are limited.
Heavy for it's size.

[Prince Yamato]

I think you can just buy cz-83 mags straight from cz. They are the same mag regardless if you shoot the 9x17 or 9x18 version.

[tnxdshooter]

I think you can just buy cz-83 mags straight from cz. They are the same mag regardless if you shoot the 9x17 or 9x18 version.

You can. I have a couple lined up as a matter of fact.


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[nathan]

I had my trigger spring broke with my CZ 82 more than a year ago. Disassembling it was a pain with all the tiny parts. I havent ordered the replacement springs yet from CZ USA as i forgot about it. (maybe my laziness to deal with fixing it, hhhaa). Thats my only gripe , the springs on these guns are the weak part. They are okey and accurate if working right. But much bettter to have the reliable Makarov . The Russian mak i carry is slim and robust. If i have to choose to get a 9mm makarov pistol, hands down it be a bulgarian makarov.

[mgmorden]

Overall its a good gun. As stated its a bit bulky for CC but I've carried mine a few times. The only major complaint I'd say I have with mine is that the grips are very thick and the mag release is to a large degree inset into the side of the grip panel. Makes it nearly impossible to drop a mag with any speed.

Other than that though its good. Trigger feels great in DA and SA, you can carry cocked and locked or hammer down, and its higher capacity than almost any other 9x18 Mak pistol.

[Godsgunman]

I am under the firm belief that everyone should own at least one of these. Great gun, very accurate, easy and fun to shoot, ammo is cheap (especially compared to highly overpriced and weak 380 ammo). Getting the Brown Bear or Silver Bear HP from gun shows or online is the trick to keeping it around the 9x19 costs. It has a great trigger and very easy to field strip and clean. As far as carrying it, I carry mine just as much as anything else and never feel under gunned and its not too heavy either. I personally don't like plastic guns so even though it is heavier because its all metal I hardly even feel its weight, it becomes part of you. I'm a skinny guy and its easily concealable. My other carry gun is a S&W 6904 which is about the same wieght and size.
So as I said to start with, get one you won't regret it. If you decide you don't like it (which I doubt), you can always gift it to me :p

[PabloJ]

So,

I think I am buying me a cz82 in 9x18 makarov. What is the good and the bad about these pistols? Your opinions please?

It is in great condition with two mags.



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The only observation I can make is $300 buys very good pistol in excellent condition. My latest find is S&W 990L with 3.5" barrel chambered for 10mm Kurz cartridge. The problem with military surplus CZ82 is the cartridge it is chambered for. Ammo selection is dismal and what will be available will become more and more expensive to buy. Frankly I would not buy anything chambered for the 9x18 cartridge.

[Wildbillz]

The good points (as everyone else said)
Cheap to buy
Cheap to feed
Realy avaible on the current market.

The not so good points (and a lot of this is just my opion)
The cartridge is a bit lack luster, better then a 380acp but not as good as a 9mm Luger. There is not a huge selection of bullets (even if reloading) for it and some of the hybred (self defence type) rounds are very expensive.

Mags are not what one would call cheap for it. Used ones seem to be about $25.00 ea when you can find them.

The pistol is a bit on the large size for what it is. The grip seems out of propotion to the barrel and slide (to me). You can get a 9mm Luger gun that will be about the same size and hold all most as many rounds (Glock 26 and some of the others that have come out recently).

Best advice I can offer is see if you can find someone that has one that will let you take it for a test drive. Then make a decision.

YMMV
WB

[WardenWolf]

Hornady makes 9x18 Critical Defense hollowpoints now. That should cover your defensive ammo selection. For cheap plinker ammo, there's Silver Bear. You can order either of those online. The Critical Defense ammo is very expensive, but no more so than .380 self-defense ammo.

The CZ-82 is big and heavy, but a very fine piece. It's the largest of the 9x18 handguns, but also offers the most features. Beware, though, that it's a gateway drug to other 9x18-caliber guns.

[Furncliff]

I had to send my CZ 82 to CZ USA because the previous owner forgot to put some springs (1 really ) back when he did a paint job on it. It wasn't expensive to fix but the good part was I found out how great CZ customer service is. The gun smiths are knowledgeable and easy to work with. I got back a pistol that has been 100% reliable. Mine is accurate with cheap ammo (Brown Bear), it has some heft to it and is fun to shoot because of that. It's definitely small enough to carry easily, but still has a big enough grip and I have BIG hands. These guns were built to perform to police and military spec., they'll last a long time. The cz 82 has a place on my best bang for the buck list. Don't take it apart past the field strip.

[toivo]

heavy-heavy, all steel pistol
safety system-good for cocked and locked, bad for DA/SA carry
on my pistol, the magazine release works poorly, but that appears to be just my gun
Curious about your second point -- what is it that you don't like about its DA/SA capability? The fact that it doesn't have a decocker?

As for your last point, it's not just yours. The mag releases on these pistols tend to be sticky. I'm not sure why. I have three: one of them releases its magazines smoothly, and the other two don't. I've heard that they are prone to developing burrs in the release catch for some reason, but I haven't verified that.

[cougar1717]

To add to what's been said:
1) I would replace the original recoil spring with a heavier aftermarket Wolff spring.
2) Do not be overly concerned about the finish of the gun. The 82's finish is more like protective paint. Even the best examples can flake over time. This is why some owners refinish them.
3) I wouldn't bother with any expensive wood grips. The reason being that 82's are hard on plastic grips as it is. Make sure to keep the grip screws snug, but not over tight. Use blue locktite as necessary as they have the propensity to loosen up with shooting. Loose screws or thin wood grips usually lead to cracked grips.
4) A little bit of bright white paint and a small paint brush makes a big difference with the sights.

[tnxdshooter]

I reckon these dont have lifetime warranties huh? LMAO


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[wkumatt]

I have three plus an 83. Order the 9x18 from classicarms.com or copes distributing for$10.50 per box, add a buck a box for shipping roughly. I order a thousand rounds at a time. One issue with mag release but you can correct that without taking the whole pistol down, just remove the trigger guard. Wideners has a package with everything for $230 and I got ten mags from Century Arms for $9.87 apiece.

Bottom line very well built reliable and cheap all the way around. Taught my wife to shoot with one. As pointed out they are a CZ gateway drug, I've gone a little overboard on them but I like them a lot. Buy with confidence my friend.

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[flyskater]

If you reload, you can make some very hot loads for the Cz. (hotter than buffalo bore)
But you have to use 9mm luger brass and cut it down because the 9mm brass can withstand higher pressures than a mak brass.

[Acera]

I own a pair of them.

One point that has not been mentioned is that they are very friendly to left handed shooters.

The magazine releases no matter if you press the button from right to left, or left to right.

The safety has a lever on each side.

It does not have a magazine safety like most European guns.

The recoil spring surrounds the barrel, allowing it to be lower in the frame and reduces felt recoil.

Easy take down.

Academy Sports in my area carries the ammo for $<10 a box of 50

Power of the round is comparable to a .38 Special.

I can't find too many downsides to a $200 pistol with all those features and the ones listed above that has preformed flawlessly for me.

[fatcat4620]

I have been carrying mine for a few weeks and love love it. I dont think you can go wrong with one.

[tnxdshooter]

Unfortunately i have no clue about reloading.


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[the count]

Had a CZ82 in excellent condition for about 3 years and just sold it for the same amount I bought it....about $220.00 Wish everything kept its value like that :-)

[Jaymo]

I love mine. It's ambidextrous and holds 12 rounds in the magazine.
It also gives higher velocities than Makarovs, because of the oval rifling. When you look down the barrel, they look like a smoothbore, unless you look closely.
Accurate, reliable, good trigger, handy size.

I don't get all the complaining about it being big/heavy/bulky. This is why I don't own many Tupperware guns. I don't want to get soft and wussy about steel framed guns.

Heavy and bulky is my Ruger Redhawk/7.5" barrel.

CZ82 is big and bulky compared to a Kel Tec P3AT or Beretta 21.
Compared to a 1911, no.

[Prince Yamato]

In many ways it is an overbuilt gun. I'd love to try one in .32acp.

[toivo]

In many ways it is an overbuilt gun. I'd love to try one in .32acp.
Me too, but they're pretty hard to find. I satisfied my .32 jones with a Bersa Thunder.

Another .32 on my wish list is a Sig P230 -- one of the Japanese police turn-ins.

[plouffedaddy]

Here's my review of the 82:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGYFwc02fEY

It's probably the best pistol for the money on the market today. Great little gun.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l178/tiffani33/Guns/IMAG1173.jpg

[Acera]

Jaymo wrote:
It also gives higher velocities than Makarovs, because of the oval rifling. When you look down the barrel, they look like a smoothbore, unless you look closely.

That is called Polygonal Rifling, same as what Glocks have.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygonal_rifling

[Flashcube]

The CZ 82/83 series pistol is one of the few I could just never come to like. The low bore axis that everyone extols as a benefit, for me, translated into a recoil impulse that was snappy to the point of being painful. It was a brand new 9x18 83 too, so I know it wasn't the result of worn out springs ... just my sissy hands. lol :rolleyes:

[PabloJ]

In many ways it is an overbuilt gun. I'd love to try one in .32acp.
Those have more then few parts. Good number have been sent to CZ-USA in ziplock bags because owners could not put them back together. The .32acp are hard to find because those were "cold sellers" couple of years ago LGS had to sell some at closeout prices. The magazine capacity was 15 or 16 rounds of .32 if I recall correctly.

[WardenWolf]

I love mine. It's ambidextrous and holds 12 rounds in the magazine.
It also gives higher velocities than Makarovs, because of the oval rifling. When you look down the barrel, they look like a smoothbore, unless you look closely.
Compared to a 1911, no.
The original Makarov has polygonal rifling as well.

[Baba Louie]

...translated into a recoil impulse that was snappy to the point of being painful.A lot of blowback actions are quite snappy, true. One of the good points about the little (relative term here) CZs in this regard is the size/weight/mass of the little beast might help reduce that a tad when compared to other lighter smaller blowback actions in the same caliber. (well Doh! Baba)

But for the money spent in todays market, an outstanding little weapon with great bang for the buck value.

[towboat_er]

Great gun. Cheap ammo if ordered by 1000 online. Get one.

[jj1962hemi]

FWIW, I'd also look at the P-64 (mfd by Radom). Classic Arms has them for ~$190, they appear pristine, they're also in 9X18, and they look to fit well in the hand (only 6+1 in a single stack). I wish they had all of these pistols in 7.62x25.....

[plouffedaddy]

FWIW, I'd also look at the P-64 (mfd by Radom). Classic Arms has them for ~$190, they appear pristine, they're also in 9X18, and they look to fit well in the hand (only 6+1 in a single stack).

Agreed---great guns for carry if you swap out the hammer spring.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l178/tiffani33/Guns/IMAG1187.jpg

Review:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLe0SkgouMo&feature=g-upl

[Stringfellow]

Its a great little pistol for the money. Every time I think of selling it because it really doesn't fit a particular need within my collection, I spend about 5 minutes dry firing its sweet trigger, and all inclination to sell goes away.

Think of it as a 4" police .38 Special revolver, but with 12+1 rounds. If you are OK with carrying such a weapon, they you will be happier with the '82 as it is more compact, accurate, higher capacity, and fun to shoot. I wouldn't consider it to be snappy or uncomfortable in any way.

[pps]

I have the 83 (essentially the same gun but in .380) and love it. I never considered the recoil to be anything but mild. The heft of the gun makes it a pussycat to shoot. My 10 year old loves shooting it because it's so mild.

If there were an 82 here locally, I would have bought it.

[golden]

TOIVO,

You hit is on the button. I do not carry cocked and locked. I prefer to use a double action only pistol, but carry a SIG 232 because of the high quality trigger it came with. The night sights, reliability, light weight and excellent accuracy did not hurt either.

I like to shoot the CZ, but do not like that safety.

Jim

[antiquus]

95% of the CZ-82 owners I know of are very happy with the purchase. If you carry it, you can carry cocked (dumb), cocked and locked, or hammer down and DA.

Since I usually carry revolvers the last one is my choice, and it's what Stingfellow is saying above about it being a 4" .38. Not quite as powerful, but powerful enough for anything that a .38 is appropriate for.

The other issue is introducing you to CZ guns on the cheap. There's a large risk you may become dissatisfied with a lot of other hardware.

[Gato Montés]

Eh, kinda a love hate relationship for me. I got my C&R right about the time these were hitting the market so I was able to score an impressive deal. Funny enough it's the only firearm I've ever purchased using that license.

The compact size I find ideal; I really have no use for full size handguns minus my target .22s. The trigger is superb and the round count is nothing to scoff at even in the 9x18 chambering. The sights are greatly aided by the application of some white nail polish.

The weight and girth, as others have mention, are really what kill it for me. The grip is a little bit too wide for me, and the always sticky mag release is blocked by the grips forcing you to maneuver the pistol in your hand if you want to drop the mag. I do find the recoil snappy, even with a spring change and the weight.

Overall you really can't beat this pistol in it's price range, especially considering the trigger, but the ratio between weight and power is skewed leaving it a little undesirable, at least for me. I think a Bulgarian Makarov is in order.

[snakeman]

I have one and at first couldn't shoot it to save my life. Then, i practiced, and practiced and practiced. Yesterday, I shot two badgers at about 30 yards and dropped em in two shots. So I guess I shoot it better now and even like it a little.

[MrDig]

By all accounts detail stripping them is a bad idea, mostly because reassembling them is equivalent to arm wrestling an octopus..
They are great guns otherwise really simple to field strip, which is all you need most of the time. I wish I still had one but hopefully will get another soon, although if I can find one an 83 might be my choice

[Jaymo]

CZ82 does not use polygonal rifling. Polygonal rifling is easy to see, as a polygon with rounded corners.
CZ82 bore looks like a smoothbore. It's been referred to as oval rifling. I stand by my original description of the rifling. It looks nothing like polygonal rifling.

I can't say whether or not the original Mak had polygonal rifling. I've owned Russian commercial and Chinese Maks and didn't notice polygonal rifling in either.
That doesn't mean that the original didn't have it, just that I haven't seen it.

The CZ82, otoh, does not have polygonal rifling. When you look down the bore, it looks like a smoothbore. You have to look very closely to see the "lands and grooves" that look like very slight lobes that are the same shape, not a polygon.

Just because Wikipedia says it, doesn't make it so. You can see a distinct difference between polygonal rifling and the rifling in the CZ82, if you look at both-side by side.

[Acera]

CZ82 does not use polygonal rifling. Polygonal rifling is easy to see, as a polygon with rounded corners.
CZ82 bore looks like a smoothbore. It's been referred to as oval rifling. I stand by my original description of the rifling. It looks nothing like polygonal rifling.

I definitely think you need to check out what polygonal rifling is, because that is what is in it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygonal_rifling

There are variations of the style.

[CZguy]

A CZ-82 has polygonal rifling. And as Forrest Gump said, "that's all I've got to say about that".

[snakeman]

I can say this much. It ain't no 1911!

[Jaymo]

And we all know Wiki and Mythbusters are NEVER wrong.
I think you should actually look down the bore of a CZ82.
Wiki can call it polygonal all they want, but it ain't a polygon. it has VERY slight lobes. So slight that you have to look very closely to see them. It looks like a smoothbore at first glance. Polygonal rifling does NOT look like a smoothbore.
Exactly what king of polygon is a circle with VERY slight, tiny bulges? Bulges that are almost imperceptible.
But, we can agree to disagree.

You can call a tail a leg, all you want, but but a tail is a tail, not a leg.

[Acera]

Hey Jamo, have you checked to see what CZ calls it? Did not think so.

Since the thread is about the CZ-82, and that means it's a 9x18 Makarov caliber handgun. So you don't have to look, the following page is from the CZ manual.

Hope you give CZ enough respect to admit that they know what they are talking about. :neener:

Look down to Barrel Bore, then move right across the diagram to the 9x18 column, ha, there it is.

http://i494.photobucket.com/albums/rr301/300Acera/CZ-82.jpg

[Jaymo]

Nope, I don't agree with them. Marlin calls their box magazine fed rifles clip fed, even though they don't use a clip in any shape, form or fashion.
I contest that they called it that for lack, on their part, of a better term.
It shares a lack of sharp lands and grooves with polygonal, but that is where the similarity ends. They have nothing else in common.

Anyway, mine gets higher velocities than my Mak, due to the rifling.

[Acera]

So does Weatherby, but onlyAR (http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/anal-retentive) gun guys get their panties in a wad over it.

http://www.weatherby.com/product/accessories/shootersaccessory/40439

Can't find a respected professional reference where it refers to that rifling as something different.

[wkumatt]

You realize of course that "polygon" may have an infinite number of angles and thus legs (sides) and at a point where this number of sides grows very high: a polygon is indistinguishable from a circle to the human eye if constructed of regular equal vertices.

Thus polygonal rifling may very well lack strong corners, as you have so adamantly claimed.

Personally I don't care what you call it. It shoots great and its cheap.

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[Jaymo]

Not an AR guy.

Anyhoo, what I'd like to see is a commercial (semiauto) version of the Stechkin. 20 rounds plus a longer barrel would be sweet.

Yes, I realize that a polygon can have an infinite number of sides. However, that is a moot point. The CZ82 rifling doesn't have sides. It has lobes.

[snakeman]

Whatever the rifling, they shoot good once you learn how to use em. I can hit a gallon jug at 40 yards offhand fairly regular now that I've shot 200 rounds through it.