GZOh_Jr
Member
I finally made it back to good old OH to visit dad. We got to spend some quality time at the range, and I finally got to play with the "toys". Each of these guns were on my short list of potential guns to buy, so I had eagerly awaited this trip to the range (in addition to of course seeing dad, ahem).
So. Here is my take...
1) Sig P229
I've grown up hearing about Sig this and Sig that, Spec. Ops., tactical, seen them on TV, in movies, etc., etc. But I finally got to feel how they shot, in comparison to other guns.
First off, I liked the balance of the gun. It was compact, somewhere in between the CZ P01 and the rest of the guns. The grip was not bad (especially for a compact), but it was not as ergonomic as others. I once saw something about it having a high bore axis, and I don't know if that is more of a theoretical concern than a practical one. I still don't know, but what I do know is that I was least accurate with this gun. I could respect it and its quality (with the exception of the cheesy STAMPED slide release!). But there was no love here, nor did it bring out the best in my shooting abilities.
Considering the money, these are all deal killers for me. For each his own: I will continue to respect Sig., but I can't see me buying this gun.
2) S&W 5906
I found this gun to be a bit more of an ergonomic fit for my large hands than the Sig--which should be no mystery since it is a larger gun. The gun is all steel, and it had a solid, beefy feel to it that seemed to "soak" up more recoil than the Sig. I was pretty amazed at its fit and finish, and for its street price, it is a steal (in fact, I felt it was better made than the Sig, regardless of price). But I didn't particularly shoot well with it either. I think it may have been that high bore axis thing again. But who knows.
If push came to shove, I could buy it and be happy that I got one solid pistol. Although not enamored with the gun, I think my "cheapness goggles" would eventually kick in, and I would learn to like it more and more.
3) FNP9
This was a bit of a let down, because dad had talked so highly of it. Its stamped metal slide release/controls immediately stood out to me. Let alone it is...plastic. I had always looked at the modern plastic designs, and thought they looked cool as hell (e.g., Glock, XD, P99, HK, etc.). But upon handling them, they just don't do it for me. The balance just isn't right. And there is the psychological notion that the gun just doesn't feel as solid to me as steel.
Similarly, I didn't like the feel of the grip on its plastic frame. Nor did I like the feel of the "hardness" of the plastic grip--and I don't think that aspect of it could be changed. It has interchangeable panels, and maybe a larger, more rounded heal would have helped.
I may have shot a bit better with it than the Smith or Sig, but I probably enjoyed it even less. Now don't get me wrong--I am not in a profession where I am required to carry a service pistol or anything. I am interested somewhat in personal defense, but mostly for the joy of shooting. I could see the FNP being great if I had to carry it daily--it is certainly light, relatively compact, and the parts that mattered were high quality. I guess I am just not the customer that FN had in mind when designing this gun.
4) CZ P01
Dad's done quite a bit of talking up CZ, let alone the P01. So this gun brought perhaps the most anticipation, but yet it perhaps brought the most disappointment. I liked the concept of its solidity and efficient compactness. But it just didn't fit my hands. No amount of adjusting could make it comfortable for me to shoot. Certainly it was all I could ask for in terms of aesthetics, quality, solidity, design, etc. The grip was very ergonomic, but in my case the ergonomics seemed to work against me; my fingers felt scrunched, and constantly felt like they were in the wrong position. Couple this with the fact that the frame was also small, and I had a gun that I never quite felt like I had control of. So for personal defense, let alone target shooting, this was undoubtedly a deal killer.
Apparently the handle is about half an inch shorter than other CZ models. And apparently CZ now includes a slightly larger magazine end cap. But that still isn't enough. I would be curious to try the extra large end cap, a la the SP01 or P06, but I suspect that for me the gun is still too compact.
5) CZ 75B
Sig has a tremendous following as a brand. And the 1911 has quite the following as a specific model. The '75 has a similar (but smaller) following, and now I know why. This gun was all I could ask for. It fit my hand like the proverbial glove. This one was stainless, and was gorgeous, with that Swiss watch-like fit and finish that I remember from dad's old S&W revolvers.
This gun was comfortable to hold and comfortable to shoot. It was easier to point, and I got tighter groupings with it. Although I would definitely go with a decocker model over a safety, the 75 is a gun that I could buy and be happy with forever. With the following caveat...
6) CZ SP01 Tactical
...being that this gun was absolutely perfect. It fit my hands even better than the 75 did--which is to say better than I thought a gun could ever fit. This is the exact opposite position for me, as compared to the FNP: I would never have to put up with the heavy weight when holstering the SP01, but for my needs the weight was perfect, and it was an absolute joy to target shoot with. (And for personal defense, there is always that mall-ninja issue bayonet so that bad guys literally would have trouble prying it from my fingers!). Bayonet aside, the light rail added some weight to the front of the gun, and made the gun's overall balance even better for me. Balance, grip, weight, I don't know, but this gun seemed to bring out my best accuracy.
I did notice that the trigger had a farther reach on this gun (and P01) than the others. With my hands, my finger was still completely on the trigger, but it was closer to the tip of my finger than the others--including the 75.
I would be tempted to say that if I ran across a steal of a deal on a plain 75 I would buy it and be happy--and my cheapness would probably dictate so. But here and now, I plan to save my money and step up to the SP01. Love, lust, and respect. Its all there, and this was the one clear choice for me.
7) CZ Kadet Pistol
This was in a way another curve ball for me. I grew up on a Ruger Mk.2, and had recently settled on that or a Bersa .22 (can't pass up that price). .22 shooting was something you did because it was cheap, but it was never as much fun as firing a full-sized pistol. But the Kadet changed that. I got pretty much the same enjoyment that I got with the full size 75, but with .22 cartridges that I could afford to shoot all day long.
Whereas dad enjoys having a variety of 9mm pistols, I see myself instead settling on a single 9mm, and then getting a couple different .22s (e.g., Bersa). In my case though, I think I will go with the Kadet kit, and add it to an SP01 so that I get the benefit of that perfect grip and balance.
Summary
So there you have it; I am no expert but I now have a better idea about what I like; the CZ SP01 and Kadet Kit.
In addition to thanking dad (thanks dad!!!) I should add that just like there are certain qualities in a wife that you should never take for granted--what about a dad who is willing to keep refilling the spare mags while you shoot each gun....? Damn, now that's a dad--shares his guns AND even reloads for you!
So. Here is my take...
1) Sig P229
I've grown up hearing about Sig this and Sig that, Spec. Ops., tactical, seen them on TV, in movies, etc., etc. But I finally got to feel how they shot, in comparison to other guns.
First off, I liked the balance of the gun. It was compact, somewhere in between the CZ P01 and the rest of the guns. The grip was not bad (especially for a compact), but it was not as ergonomic as others. I once saw something about it having a high bore axis, and I don't know if that is more of a theoretical concern than a practical one. I still don't know, but what I do know is that I was least accurate with this gun. I could respect it and its quality (with the exception of the cheesy STAMPED slide release!). But there was no love here, nor did it bring out the best in my shooting abilities.
Considering the money, these are all deal killers for me. For each his own: I will continue to respect Sig., but I can't see me buying this gun.
2) S&W 5906
I found this gun to be a bit more of an ergonomic fit for my large hands than the Sig--which should be no mystery since it is a larger gun. The gun is all steel, and it had a solid, beefy feel to it that seemed to "soak" up more recoil than the Sig. I was pretty amazed at its fit and finish, and for its street price, it is a steal (in fact, I felt it was better made than the Sig, regardless of price). But I didn't particularly shoot well with it either. I think it may have been that high bore axis thing again. But who knows.
If push came to shove, I could buy it and be happy that I got one solid pistol. Although not enamored with the gun, I think my "cheapness goggles" would eventually kick in, and I would learn to like it more and more.
3) FNP9
This was a bit of a let down, because dad had talked so highly of it. Its stamped metal slide release/controls immediately stood out to me. Let alone it is...plastic. I had always looked at the modern plastic designs, and thought they looked cool as hell (e.g., Glock, XD, P99, HK, etc.). But upon handling them, they just don't do it for me. The balance just isn't right. And there is the psychological notion that the gun just doesn't feel as solid to me as steel.
Similarly, I didn't like the feel of the grip on its plastic frame. Nor did I like the feel of the "hardness" of the plastic grip--and I don't think that aspect of it could be changed. It has interchangeable panels, and maybe a larger, more rounded heal would have helped.
I may have shot a bit better with it than the Smith or Sig, but I probably enjoyed it even less. Now don't get me wrong--I am not in a profession where I am required to carry a service pistol or anything. I am interested somewhat in personal defense, but mostly for the joy of shooting. I could see the FNP being great if I had to carry it daily--it is certainly light, relatively compact, and the parts that mattered were high quality. I guess I am just not the customer that FN had in mind when designing this gun.
4) CZ P01
Dad's done quite a bit of talking up CZ, let alone the P01. So this gun brought perhaps the most anticipation, but yet it perhaps brought the most disappointment. I liked the concept of its solidity and efficient compactness. But it just didn't fit my hands. No amount of adjusting could make it comfortable for me to shoot. Certainly it was all I could ask for in terms of aesthetics, quality, solidity, design, etc. The grip was very ergonomic, but in my case the ergonomics seemed to work against me; my fingers felt scrunched, and constantly felt like they were in the wrong position. Couple this with the fact that the frame was also small, and I had a gun that I never quite felt like I had control of. So for personal defense, let alone target shooting, this was undoubtedly a deal killer.
Apparently the handle is about half an inch shorter than other CZ models. And apparently CZ now includes a slightly larger magazine end cap. But that still isn't enough. I would be curious to try the extra large end cap, a la the SP01 or P06, but I suspect that for me the gun is still too compact.
5) CZ 75B
Sig has a tremendous following as a brand. And the 1911 has quite the following as a specific model. The '75 has a similar (but smaller) following, and now I know why. This gun was all I could ask for. It fit my hand like the proverbial glove. This one was stainless, and was gorgeous, with that Swiss watch-like fit and finish that I remember from dad's old S&W revolvers.
This gun was comfortable to hold and comfortable to shoot. It was easier to point, and I got tighter groupings with it. Although I would definitely go with a decocker model over a safety, the 75 is a gun that I could buy and be happy with forever. With the following caveat...
6) CZ SP01 Tactical
...being that this gun was absolutely perfect. It fit my hands even better than the 75 did--which is to say better than I thought a gun could ever fit. This is the exact opposite position for me, as compared to the FNP: I would never have to put up with the heavy weight when holstering the SP01, but for my needs the weight was perfect, and it was an absolute joy to target shoot with. (And for personal defense, there is always that mall-ninja issue bayonet so that bad guys literally would have trouble prying it from my fingers!). Bayonet aside, the light rail added some weight to the front of the gun, and made the gun's overall balance even better for me. Balance, grip, weight, I don't know, but this gun seemed to bring out my best accuracy.
I did notice that the trigger had a farther reach on this gun (and P01) than the others. With my hands, my finger was still completely on the trigger, but it was closer to the tip of my finger than the others--including the 75.
I would be tempted to say that if I ran across a steal of a deal on a plain 75 I would buy it and be happy--and my cheapness would probably dictate so. But here and now, I plan to save my money and step up to the SP01. Love, lust, and respect. Its all there, and this was the one clear choice for me.
7) CZ Kadet Pistol
This was in a way another curve ball for me. I grew up on a Ruger Mk.2, and had recently settled on that or a Bersa .22 (can't pass up that price). .22 shooting was something you did because it was cheap, but it was never as much fun as firing a full-sized pistol. But the Kadet changed that. I got pretty much the same enjoyment that I got with the full size 75, but with .22 cartridges that I could afford to shoot all day long.
Whereas dad enjoys having a variety of 9mm pistols, I see myself instead settling on a single 9mm, and then getting a couple different .22s (e.g., Bersa). In my case though, I think I will go with the Kadet kit, and add it to an SP01 so that I get the benefit of that perfect grip and balance.
Summary
So there you have it; I am no expert but I now have a better idea about what I like; the CZ SP01 and Kadet Kit.
In addition to thanking dad (thanks dad!!!) I should add that just like there are certain qualities in a wife that you should never take for granted--what about a dad who is willing to keep refilling the spare mags while you shoot each gun....? Damn, now that's a dad--shares his guns AND even reloads for you!
