Question for CZ-75 compact PCR owners

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SeanSw

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I have read conflicting reports on these guns regarding their trigger pull and weight. Some people have written that the DA trigger is lousy but in the videos I've seen it doesn't look bad at all. Some say that the PCR actually has an improved trigger over the standard models. Also, a video on youtube has someone stating that the PCR (specifically a custom shop version) weighs less than the RAMI. The CZ-USA website shows 1.71 lbs for the PCR and the 1.59 lbs for the RAMI. Would that be a discrepancy between the factory PCR and the custom shop version, or is the comparison simply wrong to begin with?

I cannot find a PCR locally but have handled full size CZs in the past and loved them. Nothing fits my hands better and they are on my short list of possible ccw pistols. The RAMI may also be an option but if a gun is going to be that thick I am tempted to choose one with a larger payload. These would eventually be carried IWB with a quality holster and pistol belt.

Also, I am not a very large person. Is it reasonable to consider a PCR with a variety of smaller guns available in 9mm? I would love to see how others carry this pistol.
 
I had a CZ PCR and loved it. Double action wasn't bad, but I did change out the main spring to a slightly reduced weight(15lb I believe?)

You mention you are not a very large person, one thing I would be aware of is that the trigger sat pretty far forward in DA on my PCR. I dont have small hands, but my finger never rested perfectly on the trigger face.

I would recommend finding a CZ 75 in DA locally to try the trigger reach.

Other than that, I am sure you would be very pleased with the PCR. In my mind it is about the prefect size for a CCW
 
I have the 75 D PCR. As far as dependability goes it has been flawless through 5,000 rounds, about 4000 of those have been my reloads.
The DA is not bad, the SA trigger pull is fine. I hate the serrated trigger (the groves cut in the trigger face) after 100 rounds at the range and the tip of my finger is numb.
As far as a carry gun it is fine, I have both an IWB and OWB holster for it. A little on the wide side but you do have a double stack with 14 rounds. I am considering a LC9 for carry.
Other than just not being able to shoot it worth a dang ( sure it is just me as I even had a friend from my club try it out and he did great)
It is a nice gun.
 
PCR triggers are like all DA CZs, pretty heavy. The only exception I've found to this is the DA trigger on my 40B, which is the best of all CZs! For carry guns, I prefer plastic, but a good belt and holster make all the difference on larger heavier guns. I've tried to carry steel or aluminum framed guns, but always go back to poly for carry. A Kahr CW9 is filling that bill just fine....
 
I didn't have my PCR long. However, I did use it to qualify on my concealed carry license, so I spent time practicing with it beforehand. I don't remember anything negative about the DA trigger mode, and I picked the CZ over the Glock to qualify with.
 
One of the reasons I'm considering a PCR for purchase is because I own and shoot a 9mm Baby Desert Eagle very well. Unfortunately that pistol is far too heavy to carry and it has become unreliable. I do not have much trouble reaching the trigger but it is pretty stiff in DA although I have learned to use it. My hands aren't large (playing bass guitar has taught me a hard lesson in hand size!) but they are fairly strong. The internals were polished but a worn out factory hammer spring and reduced power mainspring both caused a lot of light primer strikes and there is still an unresolved FTF/FTE problem. Before becoming unreliable it was just a fantastic shooter and those CZ based ergonomics keep calling me back.

My hands have been on a lot of new pistols recently and I've found a lot of guns that were reviewed with poor triggers were quite acceptable IMO. I thought the PCR may be victim to this. For instance My new Taurus TCP has an excellent trigger. Much nicer than the comparable Ruger or Kel Tec. Knowing that the CZ has aftermarket support or customization for trigger work is reassuring too.

The size is still a factor since I am slightly built. It will take concerted effort for me to conceal anything larger than my .380 for most of the year and If I am going to wear a cover garment for concealment I would like to have a payload to go with it. The Ruger LC9 didn't speak to me and the Glock 26 just seems too big for what it is, and I have never played well with Glocks. The M&P shield is on my short list but I'm not quite convinced it's a better option than the M&P9 compact. The Kahr 9mm (whichever one is the "premium version") was great but it was sitting with a $700 price tag, with mixed reviews to boot. Nothing with a tac rail will do either so the Springfield XDs is out as well.
 
I bought my 75D PCR new in 2000, and it has been my main carry piece ever since. Mine has a very nice trigger which s stock. It is lighter and crisper in both DA, and SA than my 75B even though round count is much lower, not that the 75B is bad, actually it has a darn good trigger pull also, The mainspring (hammer spring) feels lighter on the PCR.

If you are concerned about the DA and/or SA trigger pull Cajun Gun Works sells parts to make it better. You can also send the gun to them to install the parts if you want, or have a local gunsmith install them if you don't want to do it yourself.

http://www.cajungunworks.com/
 
I also love my PCR. I have XL hands so the trigger reach is a non-issue but I choose to start with it at half cock because it is a lighter DA pull. The SA pull is very nice, IMO. It is not a 1911 trigger so "very nice" means different things to different people.

It is larger than my PM9 and Solo but at 2x the capacity, the trade off is worth it, IMO. It is easy to carry and, to me, it is the most accurate 9mm I shoot without regard to size or weight. It's just something about the design, ergonomics and my personal likes. I have a 9mm 1911, several BHPs and the PCR is more accurate than either of those 2 in my hands. It is the best kept secret in the 9mm world.

CZ75PCRleft-1.jpg
 
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Love mine. I wouldn't say it has a match trigger, but it is very functional. Heavy enough that the lack of a safety isn't a concern, but light enough that I haven't felt the need to change it.
I'm picky about what I call a 'good' trigger. It's good enough, for not being a 1911.
I'm also not a large person. The PCR feels a little thick for carry, but I've had no issues with it. Even with the trigger reach that some people seem to have problems with; my hands fit medium gloves, and the reach fits the ergonomics well IMO.
 
I bought mine used. It's date stamped 99. I don't know the history prior to my owning it, but I doubt it was given a trigger job. I have the serrated black trigger which is my favorite style of CZ trigger. The smooth faced trigger cause my finger to slide down. The trigger pull is very crisp and light.
 
Thank you for your impressions everyone. It sounds like I would be pleased with the PCR even if it doesn't become my primary ccw. The PCR is definitely one of the larger options on my list. None of the single stack 9mm available would conceal easily on my build and it's very hard for me to deny the 14+1 round count.

Also, it was a mistake to look at all the aftermarket grip options. THey dress up very nicely!
 
Good size stout little gun. Trigger is good but not top notch. Its good for what is its intended purpose. I gave mine to a friend (at half the price as a favor/donations) who was short on cash and could not buy anything decent.
 
The trigger pull of all of the CZ-75B based guns is similar; the parts internally are the same, but the hammer spring is different in the compacts, and the trigger can feel different. The PCR has a differently shaped trigger, too.

You can improve the situation by dry-firing a lot. It'll smooth out with use. (If you have an older model, without the "doubled" roll pin or solid roll pin in the slide, you might want to use a snap cap, or put a piece of rubber or erase in the rear of the slide, where the hammer falls.)

You can also go to slightly lighter hammer springs. Wolff has some different weights. It will make a big difference in the "feel" of the trigger.

All of the Decocker models decock to the half-cock notch, and that is where they're supposed to start from. No reason to ever (manually) decock farther than that -- unless you messing around with detail stripping, etc. The safety-models can also be safely carried on the half-cock notch, and started from there. It shortens and lightens the trigger a bit.

CAJUN GUN WORKS (http://www.cajungunworks.com) also has a kit that will shorten the trigger pull.
 
Also, it was a mistake to look at all the aftermarket grip options. THey dress up very nicely!
Click to expand...
Spend once, cry once!:D
VZ grips are the best!! Best feel of them all, and I've tried them all...
 
The specified width of the PCR is 1.38". Is that measurement taken at the widest point over the decocker or slide catch? That seems a little wide compared to the H&K USP .45 compact that I handled yesterday which is only listed at 1.14".
 
I believe any width measured is at the widest part which would be the decocker. The wood grips I have in post #8 above are the thin model. It reduces the grip thickness a good bit. The factory rubber grips are outstanding but for CC they can stick to clothes or whatever.
 
Absolutely love mine, only complaint is the trigger (hey I'm a 1911 guy). Will be sending it to CZ custom to help rectify my fetish.;)
 
suggest that you go to the range and shoot a rental CZ before purchasing. I am very accurate with the CZ-75B, but the couple of times I have fired the compact version I am not getting the same level of accuracy. Not sure if it's something to do with the shape or the grips on the compact ... I think the latter. I couldn't get quite as good a grip on the compact as on the full-size pistol. anyway, try it out and make sure it works for you.

CA R
 
Do newer CZ 75 Compacts have improved trigger pins?
Click to expand...

I doubt it. Trigger pins shouldn't have much effect on the trigger. (You may be trying to ask a different questions.)

Are the triggers in newer CZ compacts better? Probably not. I've generally just gotten a trigger job when I bought a new one (not often), or reduced the weight of the main spring (hammer spring) on used ones, if the trigger seemed to need work.

The trigger pull weights shown above seem a bit on the high side... quite a bit.
 
"(If you have an older model, without the "doubled" roll pin or solid roll pin in the slide, you might want to use a snap cap, or put a piece of rubber or erase in the rear of the slide, where the hammer falls.)"

Yes Walt Sherrill, I got it wrong. The solid pin that Cajun Gun Works replaces, is that now a stock item? Thanks

Going looking for the AA, BS, PHD thing, suspect it's MD
 
RE: solid pins...

CZ shifted to a doubled roll pin for the firing pin retention pin some years ago and, I'm told, more recently converted to a solid pin.

The CZs I've owned had solid trigger pins, and the Witnesses I've owned had roll pins, and either one was fine with me. The solid pins had to be "staked" to keep them in place in some guns; the roll pins generally stayed put. I don't know which trigger retention method is now used on the newest CZ guns as I haven't bought a NEW CZ in quite a while -- I generally go for USED deals with any brand, and let the original owner suffer sticker shock.

There was nothing wrong with roll pins in either application, but the original roll pin used to retain the firing pin in a CZ-75B could break with repeated dry-firing. (I used to scoff when I heard that could happen, until it happened to me, with a CZ-40B. I dry-fired a lot with 75Bs and never had a problem. It was an easy fix, as I found the appropriate pin at the local hardware store. That possible breakage was why folks used to advocate using snap caps or rubber o-rings over the firing pin at the rear of the slide -- not generally required with center fire handguns.
 
"I generally go for USED deals with any brand, and let the original owner suffer sticker shock." Some firearm owners don't visit these sites and therefore shot less, doing the hard work of breaking the firearm for others.

"That possible breakage was why folks used to advocate using snap caps or rubber o-rings over the firing pin at the rear of the slide -- not generally required with center fire handguns."

Been holding off dry-firing the Compact (steel) for that reason. Even thought about a piece of leather between the fireing pin and hammer.
 
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