CZ-75B vs. IMI-941 vs. Tanfoglio(EAA Witness)

[Blakenzy]

So, I must say that I own none of these pistols (yet), however I have some experience with them on the firing range. The original, the CZ, has got to be my favorite, because of its ergonomics and its looks and because it is so accurate it's scary. In a close second comes the Tanfoglio, particularly the polymer version (Force 99). In my very personal opinion, the Jericho 941 is not worthy to be in the same list as these two. Now, a few questions for those who know more than me:

What I don't understand is what in the world was IMI thinking when they took a perfectly good desing, particularly concerning ergonomics, and then went around and ruined it! I am talking about the funky grip on the Jericho 941. It's supposed to be based on the 75B right? And Tanfoglio also makes pistols based on the 75B, right? So why does the Tanfoglio have a similar grip to the CZ but the 941 does not? Is it because of copyright law? If so, how did Tanfoglio manage to have as good a grip as the CZ?

This one issue has ruined the 941 for me. In my area the 941 is the most affordable and popular of the three and you can imagine my disapointment when I first picked one up only to notice how wrong it felt in my hand. And when I shot it, well there is no need to say how unfullfilling the experience was. No only did the grip feel awkward, the damn trigger was too far away and too heavy to be used in double action. It didn't point right. It didn't feel natural. Triggers can be modified to be lighter, but the grip desing is uncurable. Over all it felt and shot nothing like a CZ or Tanfoglio in my hands. Well, I guess some one out there must have a hand that fits this pistol, else it wouldn't be so popular.

 

[SeanSw]

All of the above felt good in my hands but the Jericho (my version is the Baby Eagle) felt the best. For my hands it pointed most naturally and felt the most ergonomic. I can't compare the trigger pulls or accuracy between them but my pistol is superbly accurate but I do agree about the DA trigger, it is too stiff. I am about to attempt a trigger mechanism polish to remedy that. It will be a miracle if it ever goes back together again

Usually the argument against the IMI design is that it provides little ingenuity over the CZ-75 for the increased price tag, which is the opposite of what you're saying. The Tangfolio looked like an iffy proposition and I would have been happy with a CZ variant if they were available for a lower price. My pistol was NIB for less than the CZ would have cost, it was a well machined piece of metal, and it's a neat looking pistol to boot. You're the first person I've heard that didn't like how it felt.

That's the freedom of choice. They're all on my list. I'll buy the others eventually but am not in any hurry to unload my IMI Baby Eagle in the meantime.

 

[ozwyn]

Well... I have browsed some of the cz forums and only noted this:

EAA is well regarded as a CZ clone that provides support in some packages that CZ does not. (compact .45, 10mm)

10mm cz from EAA is a source of constant temptation to this happy 75b owner.

 

[offthepaper]

I can't speak for the other 2, but the CZ-75B is without a doubt my favorite handgun I own. Felt that way since I first picked it up in the store. If I could only have 1 to keep, it would be the '75, hands down.

 

[raz-0]

The reason for the jericho/baby eagle grip is that it was designed for the israelis. This means that it has to be use by anyone form small women to large men. The shape of the grip allows use by a wider range of people because the bump on the back of the grip is pushed down. This means the grip is overall smaller for someone with smaller hands, but still hand filling for someone with larger hands (provided you don't have really narrow hands).

At least on the baby eagle, I've found the triggers tend to come out of the box a bit smoother. Kind of like a cz after 5-6k rounds.

Repeat after me:

"ergonomics that I don't like don't make a gun bad"

Remmeber you aren't the only size and shape of shooter out there.

 

[david_place_834]

...

Blakenzy, your description of the Jericho 941 (aka Baby Eagle) does not quite jive with me. Understand that I am not trying to doubt your experience with the firearm. If you did not like the 941, or it doesn't feel right, or it pointed badly, etc... by all means, don't buy it.

I am confused about your comparison of the Baby Eagle to the CZ 75B. I own a Baby Eagle and occasionally shoot my B-I-L's CZ 75B. I've had wonderful experiences with both. I have smaller hands so the Baby Eagle was a better fit for me. It had a better fit because mainly the trigger reach was shorter compared to the 75B, not longer. Accompanied with its beavertail, the grip of the Baby Eagle is slimmer than the 75B thus making the reach more comfortable which is one of the BE selling points. By anecdote, I hear complaints about the 75B having the longer DA trigger reach. Perhaps from the half-cocked position the 75B may have had a shorter pull compared to the DA of the BE. The BE also has a half-cocked position, but I don't think that it was designed to be carried in that fashion. Anyone with the answer I would greatly appreciate it.

Also, the Jericho 941 should be priced considerably higher since it includes a 41AE drop-in barrel. I don't know where you are from (I'm in Norcal). I purchased from Bud's and the BE is about $40 greater than a CZ75B.

The CZ75B is a great design, and CZ is the great company. Anyone who frequents these forums will tell you the same. The CZ SP-01 feels almost exactly like by BE. In fact, the SP-01 is on my short list. It is an evolution of the of the 75B with a beavertail, shorter trigger reach than a base 75B, rail, and NS.