Firearms Review: CZ-75 Team Edition II
From A Practical Pistol Perspective
The original CZ-75 pistol was developed by the Koucky brothers who worked at the state-owned arms factory Ceska Zbrojovka in the city of Uhersky Brod in the Czech Republic. The pistol first appeared in 1975 and through its many revisions has developed into an attractive and reliable pistol. It is now in service with the Czech, Turkish and several US police departments.
CZ has further developed the pistol into competition models since the introduction of IPSC practical pistol shooting in 1976. Practical pistol is a discipline that involves shooting with both speed and accuracy across a number of varied stages. Each stage is timed and score is divided by time to give a final ratio. A good balance between speed and accuracy is key. Each stage typically involves movement and shots may be taken from a variety of positions (kneeling, prone, weak handed etc.) depending on the stage brief. More details can be found in the practical pistol section of this site.
CZ have introduced the Tactical Sports competition model to cater for the practical pistol and action shooting market. The German firearm distributor Frankonia sell the Tactical Sports within Europe, but also produce their own upgraded model - the "Team Edition". Frankonia customise the Tactical Sports in-house to produce a gun with a new look and smoother action. The two photos below illustrate the visual difference between the two pistols -
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| CZ Tactical Sports | Frankonia's customised Team Edition II |
This review will deal with version II of the Team Edition, which sports these features over and above the Tactical Sports -
- an enhanced trigger to further increase speed
- a larger magazine well for quick changes
- a beautiful black finish with silver coloured magazine release, safety catch and magazine well
- Hogue rubber grips
The full Team Edition II package consists of the following -
- The Team Edition II pistol (.40 calibre for this review)
- 4 magazines - ideal number for practical pistol, meaning you don't have to spend extra money on mags
- Spare parts
- Spare slide buffers
- Cleaning rod and brush
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| The Full Package |
The pistol is finished in a solid black and looks fantastic, however I've noticed that after 18 months
of use some of the original surface is visible at the edges. This is normal wear and tear for a
competition pistol though. The pistol looks attractive - the large size, black/silver contrast and black
grips complete a unique look that draws interest from fellow shooters. A nice "Team Edition II" logo is
etched along the slide. In my opinion the rubber Hogue grips are superior to the Tactical Sports - these
have a hard "checkerplate" style and tend to dig into the hand.
The weight of the pistol (due to its all metal construction) instantly gives a big advantage over a Glock. The recoil is damped much more effectively allowing for a more steady shooting platform and a quicker return to the point of aim. The general feel of the gun is comfortable and solid in the hand, although the wide grip can be awkward for those with smaller hands. The magazine release has been tweaked and is very sensitive. This is ideal for practical shooting but after a few "premature mag release" issues I learnt to keep my finger well away from it! The slide lock is sometimes difficult to reach until you get used to the gun.
The Team Edition has a standard all-black competition sight. I find it very easy and
fast to get a sight picture with it. The rear sight can be adjusted left or right but there is no vertical
adjustment. This was fine for me, as the pistol has always shot to point of aim - however some people in
the club have reported vertical alignment problems. 
The only options are to compensate, or file the
front sight! A fantastic single action trigger completes the package. The trigger is extremely light and
allows rapid double tapping. This is no long pull double action trigger - extreme care must be taken as it
can be easy to have an accidental discharge. Keep that finger well away from the trigger until you are ready
to shoot! The safety is easy to reach but this pistol does not provide any equivalent to the 3 safeties
of the Glock. This makes the gun less suitable for a beginner - it is aimed at the intermediate or expert
practical shooter. Four magazines are provided and have a capacity of 16 rounds each - meaning you can start
a stage with up to 17 rounds (16 plus one in the chamber). This is very useful for those long field stages.
The wide magazine well and sensitive release ensures that the only barrier to a quick mag change is you!
The pistol has been consistently reliable using my reloaded ammunition - not a single jam or malfunction
in 18 months of solid use.
The extras provided with the gun save extra cash outlay. You won't require any more than the 4 magazines provided and the spare parts and slide buffers will help keep the gun running reliably. The only other expensive requirement is a holster and a couple of magazine pouches. I use a Sickinger Tangfoglio speed holster that suits practical pistol perfectly. The CZ magazines will fit in a .40 Fobus (Glock) magazine pouch so I use a couple of these.
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| Holster and Magazine Pouches | Close Up of Holster |
In summary the "Team Edition II" is an excellent pistol aimed at intermediate to expert practical shooters. It's not the best gun to start practical shooting due to the safety issues of a sensitive single action trigger and manual safety. The Glock 35 reviewed elsewhere on the site is a better starter gun. However, if you are an experienced practical shooter and want to increase your speed and accuracy it is highly recommended.
Pros
- Light single action trigger
- Large magazine well and fast release
- Comes with 4 magazines
- Totally reliable
- Excellent and consistent accuracy
Cons
- More expensive than a Glock!
- Only one safety
- More to concentrate on (as if a practical stage doesn't have enough!)