CZ83 your thoughts....

[nwilliams]

Ok so I'm already in the market for a new summer carry gun. One that's easily concealed and reliable. I've held the CZ83 and liked the way it feels but I've never shot one. Despite the fact that its a .380 it does come with a 12rd mag so it makes it more appealing to me as a carry gun. For some reason carrying a single stack .380 pistol doesn't appeal to me, which hurts because I really want a Sig232 but the fact that its a .380 single stack burns it for me. I've had CZ's in the past and loved them so quality isn't an issue. I'm just curious if there are other people out there that carry a CZ83 and how it feels to carry. Also for those who have shot them, how do they shoot? The thing I like about the 83 is that it has all the features you'd find in a full frame autoloader in a very compact package.

Oh and please contribute if you have actual experience with this gun, I'm not a big fan of "my friend told me..." or "I read somewhere...." if you've read it on the internet then then I have to, believe me I've researched the heck out of this gun! I want real personal experience. Thanks all!

 

[Majic]

A very soft shooting .380 acp that feels good in the hand. Maybe a bit heavy for some, but it's not a pocket pistol and on a belt you just about forget about it. Learn to be happy with the stock grips. They aren't bad, but if you want wood stocks beware that most if not all won't hold up to usage (they crack). If you want more power then they did come in 9x18, but can be a little hard to find. Visit the guys over at the CZ forum. There's a page for the 83s.

BTW....I had a pair of them in .380 acp (one was confiscated by my son).

 

[North Bender]

My 83 is in 9x18 and I just love the pistol. Like Majic said, it fits a hand really well. It shoots very accurately, the finish is good, and I haven't had a mechanical hiccup at all. It seems a bit large for a .380 carry though. I bought my 9x18 just for the collector in me.

 

[Baba Louie]

Mine is very accurate, rugged, trigger is smoothing out nicely, I paid $239 for it NIB a few years back... all good things.

Bad things are... kinda big (and heavy) for the round size nowadays compared to newer small 9mms that are available, 9x17 (.380) ammo is kinda not cheap when compared to 9x19 fodder, nice wood grips are scarce, few holsters readily available at gunshops.

But I've got mine. I've shot it against/with my boss' 2 SIGs (230 & a 232). Her factory (wood) grips feel thick in my hand when compared to the plastic ones on the 83, the SIGs triggers aren't quite as sweet yet (she doesn't shoot them enough I told her), accuracy is equal, for a lot less money.

Get one. Or two (9x18 Mak Model 82). Or three (.32acp).

In the world of .380's they're hard to beat, bang for the buck-wise.

 

[nwilliams]

Thanks for the replies, sounds like a decent gun but again and again people seem to agree its too big for its own caliber. When I held it it didn't feel that big but then again its the smallest gun I own is a Beretta PX4 so maybe I'm just not used to sub-compact gun sizes.

I think I'll start a new post and see what people think is the best "summer carry" weapon.

 

[M2 Carbine]

I bought a new CZ83 from makarov.com because it was 9x18.
Because of the mag capacity I thought I might carrying it sometimes but it proved too unreliable, especially with JHP ammo, to be a carry gun. So now it's just a range gun.

I don't intend getting rid of it but if I had it to do over I'd spend the money on a couple Makarovs instead of the CZ.

 

[106rr]

It is a remarkable gun. By far, more accurate than other 380's. The size of the gun relative to the cartridge size is irrelevent. The real issue is "can you hit the target quickly with every shot" With a CZ 83 you will have the utmost ergonomic accuracy available. It handles very well and with a 12/13 round mag it is a formidable defense pistol. Most people find that the first thing to degrade in a real fight is accuracy. I think it's important to have every advantage in hitting the target. The recoil is soft, the sights are excellent and night sights are available. Good quality ammo is availble from several makers including Cor Bon Power Ball, Remingtom Golden Sabre, Winchester Silvertip, and Federal Hydrashock. Cheap practice ammo (WWB flattnose) is availble at Wal Mart for less than $20 per 100rds. Some speculate that WWB flatnose would be good for SD but I don't know if it's been tested. The CZ 83 has given me more satisfaction than almost any other gun I own.

 

[dano6257]

I just bought a CZ83 last month and although I haven't used it as a carry gun yet (holster), I think it will be just perfect. I personally don't like the micro-compact pistols, to me they just don't feel right and the 83 is about the smallest thing I found that I like the way it feels. It is well balanced and it is fun to shoot. The thing I like the most about it is the ease of stripping in down. For the money, it is an excellent choice, IMHO.

 

[usp9]

I have both the CZ83 and a CZ82 in 9x18. They are fun to shoot, a great range gun, but neither has proven reliable enough for carry. A better choice for carry is the Beretta 84. It is the same size, holds more ammo, has wood grips that don't snap in two, is as accurate and certainly much more reliable.

One factor to consider is the availability of holsters for the CZ. There aren't many out there.

 

[armoredman]

The CZ-83 used to be available in .380, .32, and 9 Mak, but the only ones you'll find nowadays is .380. The CZ82 is the former Czech military firearm in 9 Makarov, and CDNN Investments is dumping them quite cheap. 9Mak is a better round than 380, IMHO.
I havefired the CZ83, and it is a very reliable accurate pistol, but the operating system is not the sameas the CZ75. The safety is almost 1911 style, no decocker.
Good pistola, large for the bang.

 

[Onmilo]

Here is my take on the CZ-83 as a serious carry weapon.

As can be seen, the CZ-83 is larger than a Glock 26 but of smaller caliber and carries the same number of cartridges when a +2 magazine base is installed on the Glock 10 shot magazine.
A Glock 19 really isn't much larger than the CZ-83 and carries fifteen rounds in a standard capacity magazine.
My CZ is actually a .32acp that holds fifteen rounds but I still wouldn't consider it a viable carry weapon when there are so many better choices available.

 

[gazpacho]

While I love the CZ83, I can't recomment it for CCW either. Granted, it is a police pistol, and therefore duty capable, there are too many compact 9mm pistols that can do the job better.

But if I had to have a 380 acp weapon as my primary CCW, I'd choose the following first:

1) Taurus PT938, Brazilian version 19+1, Locked Breach
2) Taurus PT938, US Version 10+1, Locked Breach
3) Glock 25, Europe only 15+1 , Blowback
4) CZ 83, 13+1, Blowback
5) Beretta 84, 13+1, Blowback
6) Beretta 86, 8+1, Blowback, 4.6" barrel
7) Taurus 138BP-12, 12+1 , Locked Breach

The Taurus PT938 is a DA/SA full featured Locked Breach pistol. I've had the pleasure of shooting it's predecessor the PT58 which was very accurate with a nice trigger and low recoil. The US version was castrated with a 10rd magazine, but the Brazillian version sported an impressive 19rd magazine.

I rank the CZ above the Beretta only because the safety works in the proper direction, pushed down to take safety off.

The Beretta 86 makes the list because of it's barrel. 380 acp doesn't have much in the way of power, and that barrel is an inch longer than the typical 380 acp barrel, giving the bullet a little more push.

 

[usp9]

gazpacho said,
I rank the CZ above the Beretta only because the safety works in the proper direction, pushed down to take safety off.

Just to be accurate:
The Beratta safety does in fact flip down to go off, same as the CZ. The difference between them is that the Beretta has a decocker, while the CZ does not.

Also the CZ mags hold 12 rounds, not 13 as does the Beretta.

 

[gazpacho]

Original capacity was 13rds, and current magazines will also hold 13rds (12 in 9x18) eventhough CZ-USA says 12rd. CDNN sells the old mags cheap.

I'll take your word on the Beretta.