CZ 82: expensive plinker or viable PDW?
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1,471 Posts
It's a fine weapon. That lil' 9x18 round is plenty for self defense.
I fired a Barnaul 95 gr into a gallon jug of ice and it went 3.25 inches before breaking into nine pieces. Good 'nuff for me.
I fired a Barnaul 95 gr into a gallon jug of ice and it went 3.25 inches before breaking into nine pieces. Good 'nuff for me.
In almost every case, choosing a handgun to carry concealed is a compromise between weight, size and power. (Sort of like the rule for buying a computer - faster, better, cheaper, pick any two.)
That said, I've carried a Makarov (in 9x18) for the last couple of years and have NOT felt underprotected. It's true that other guns shoot higher energy bullets, but I have not found another concealable (by me) gun with which I am as consistently accurate. I just got a CZ-82 and after my second trip to the range with it I find that it too is remarkably accurate. (My accuracy standard for both guns is based on consistently ringing foot-square steel plates at 50 yards - if the gun will do that, then I can choose which eyeball to hit at most social distances.)
One benefit of the 9x18 cartridge is that it is a very easy-shooting round in either the Mak or the CZ , which means that I can shoot it enough to get good and stay good with it. That is not something I have found to be true with either more powerful 9x19 (KelTec P11, Kahr P9) or less powerful 9x17 (KelTec P3AT) guns that I am able to conceal well. Those guns just beat up my hand and wrist too much to let me shoot 'em very much. (I could shoot something like my Browning Hi Power pretty much all day, but that's just too big for me to conceal.)
I do alternate HP and FMJ rounds in my carry magzines, in case there would be penetration issues with particular clothing choices. And no matter what, this is not a round with which to engage parties through car doors or windshields. But for the purposes which I carry concealed, my accuracy with the gun makes me confident of the effectiveness of the round. If you practice enough with your CZ-82, I expect you would get to the same point.
That said, I've carried a Makarov (in 9x18) for the last couple of years and have NOT felt underprotected. It's true that other guns shoot higher energy bullets, but I have not found another concealable (by me) gun with which I am as consistently accurate. I just got a CZ-82 and after my second trip to the range with it I find that it too is remarkably accurate. (My accuracy standard for both guns is based on consistently ringing foot-square steel plates at 50 yards - if the gun will do that, then I can choose which eyeball to hit at most social distances.)
One benefit of the 9x18 cartridge is that it is a very easy-shooting round in either the Mak or the CZ , which means that I can shoot it enough to get good and stay good with it. That is not something I have found to be true with either more powerful 9x19 (KelTec P11, Kahr P9) or less powerful 9x17 (KelTec P3AT) guns that I am able to conceal well. Those guns just beat up my hand and wrist too much to let me shoot 'em very much. (I could shoot something like my Browning Hi Power pretty much all day, but that's just too big for me to conceal.)
I do alternate HP and FMJ rounds in my carry magzines, in case there would be penetration issues with particular clothing choices. And no matter what, this is not a round with which to engage parties through car doors or windshields. But for the purposes which I carry concealed, my accuracy with the gun makes me confident of the effectiveness of the round. If you practice enough with your CZ-82, I expect you would get to the same point.
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548 Posts
CZ 82 : Viable and Economical
The 82 is turning out to be a great 1st handgun for my bride. Fits her hand well(women's glove size 7 1/2 , right on the line between women's medium and large) , medium mild recoil,
pretty good day sights, ambidex for a lefty , ( and learning weak hand.). Night sights are available.
The low price means money left over for a good flashlight ,pepper , a OK set of electric earmuffs,
and plenty of ammo for training and testing.
In this particular case finding a good , non-custom, lefty Cz 82 belt holster turned out to be a challenge. Ask a petite, athletic female about finding jeans that actually fit. Same kind of thing.
Good American hollow point ammo seems to be hard to find. I had Hornady on back-order (2 sources) since June , looks like 1 box is finally coming. Speer Gold Dots loaded by Georgia Arms functioned well. In water testing, they went thru about 22 inches of water, 7 layers of plastic
container wall and left a good dent in the far side of the last jug. Made a small but classic mushroom. Georgia Arms , Reed, and Stars & Stripes all load 9MM Mak with American hollowpoints. I plan on testing several loads.
The batch of Silver Bear HP that I tested failed in water . No core expansion at all, the jackets did peel back and shed some petals. That was enough to make me give up on Silver bear for my bride's protection. OK for cheap practice. maybe better than ball for protection , for sure better than begging for mercy.
Pow-r-Ball did well in water, but 1 round failed to eject: the only time this 82 has malf'ed.
Your mileage may vary.
After looking around stopping power info , the best loads seem to do OK.
About 7 out of 10 average for 1 round (solid torso hit) stops.
Not far from the 230 grn standard pressure FMJ that Col Cooper used in WW2.
12 shots in the mag and faster recovery time,too. I think it's a keeper.
The 82 is turning out to be a great 1st handgun for my bride. Fits her hand well(women's glove size 7 1/2 , right on the line between women's medium and large) , medium mild recoil,
pretty good day sights, ambidex for a lefty , ( and learning weak hand.). Night sights are available.
The low price means money left over for a good flashlight ,pepper , a OK set of electric earmuffs,
and plenty of ammo for training and testing.
In this particular case finding a good , non-custom, lefty Cz 82 belt holster turned out to be a challenge. Ask a petite, athletic female about finding jeans that actually fit. Same kind of thing.
Good American hollow point ammo seems to be hard to find. I had Hornady on back-order (2 sources) since June , looks like 1 box is finally coming. Speer Gold Dots loaded by Georgia Arms functioned well. In water testing, they went thru about 22 inches of water, 7 layers of plastic
container wall and left a good dent in the far side of the last jug. Made a small but classic mushroom. Georgia Arms , Reed, and Stars & Stripes all load 9MM Mak with American hollowpoints. I plan on testing several loads.
The batch of Silver Bear HP that I tested failed in water . No core expansion at all, the jackets did peel back and shed some petals. That was enough to make me give up on Silver bear for my bride's protection. OK for cheap practice. maybe better than ball for protection , for sure better than begging for mercy.
Pow-r-Ball did well in water, but 1 round failed to eject: the only time this 82 has malf'ed.
Your mileage may vary.
After looking around stopping power info , the best loads seem to do OK.
About 7 out of 10 average for 1 round (solid torso hit) stops.
Not far from the 230 grn standard pressure FMJ that Col Cooper used in WW2.
12 shots in the mag and faster recovery time,too. I think it's a keeper.
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1,572 Posts
They look darn interesting. I almost bought one when I was looking for a truck gun. I finally settled on a RIA 1911, but I've got to say the CZ-82 was a close runner up. :^)
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1,646 Posts
My CZ82 was called up to service from the Minor's.
Mine is in the Fobus OWB holster that was bought for my Maks. Recently I have upgraded my Mak stable, and they are getting too pretty to carry.
The CZ82 fits perfectly in the holster and I love the 12+1 capacity. I was at a public range a few weeks ago, and a Range Marshal asked if that was a CZ82 I was shooting, because he was on the fence on buying one at a local Dick's. I said it was very accurate, and this one was spot on. I told him to help himself and fire the rest of the mag. "Are you sure?", he said. Yeah, go ahead. His first shot was a perfect bullseye! He said he was no longer on the fence . I should get a commission for that sale.
Mine is in the Fobus OWB holster that was bought for my Maks. Recently I have upgraded my Mak stable, and they are getting too pretty to carry.
The CZ82 fits perfectly in the holster and I love the 12+1 capacity. I was at a public range a few weeks ago, and a Range Marshal asked if that was a CZ82 I was shooting, because he was on the fence on buying one at a local Dick's. I said it was very accurate, and this one was spot on. I told him to help himself and fire the rest of the mag. "Are you sure?", he said. Yeah, go ahead. His first shot was a perfect bullseye! He said he was no longer on the fence . I should get a commission for that sale. For years I used a Mak, first EG, then Bulgie, as my car gun or carry gun for when I might
have to leave it in car. They are not cheap $150 guns any more. Have most done better
in stock market than if you had bought these when they were really inexpensive?
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970 Posts
When the 1st pile of CZ-82's were put out for sale a few years ago, they were much more expensive than they are now. No accessories, just the pistol and one mag for over $300 at the retail level and they weren't listed a C&R eligible.
I was trying to say that these are great shooters and are now priced right for what they are capable of doing. Unfortunately, I bought mine when they were really expensive a few years ago, compared to now.
So basically, buy now (IMO) if you're wanting one as a shooter, or a collectable piece.
Just like many other C&R pieces, eventually the well runs dry and the prices to go up and they will only be found on the secondary market at much higher prices.
Now we're able to get the pistol, a holster, two mags, lanyard and cleaning rod for @ $200.
That's a great price, IMO.
I'd be suprised if they get significantly lower than $200 from here on out.
If they do, I'm ordering a few more of them.
I was trying to say that these are great shooters and are now priced right for what they are capable of doing. Unfortunately, I bought mine when they were really expensive a few years ago, compared to now.
So basically, buy now (IMO) if you're wanting one as a shooter, or a collectable piece.
Just like many other C&R pieces, eventually the well runs dry and the prices to go up and they will only be found on the secondary market at much higher prices.
Now we're able to get the pistol, a holster, two mags, lanyard and cleaning rod for @ $200.
That's a great price, IMO.
I'd be suprised if they get significantly lower than $200 from here on out.
If they do, I'm ordering a few more of them.
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1,060 Posts
Man, I'm wishing I had the $200+ to order just one! I've handled a couple of CZ-82's, not to mention a few different Maks, and I would have no problems at all carrying one for self defense. I'd have no problems trusting in the 9x18mm round.
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About Minimal Round for Tactical use, IMHO
Back when I was a young NH State Trooper, many moons ago, I carried a .380 Mauser HSC DA as my off-duty (and occasional unauthorized back up) pistol.
I figured that the .380 was about on par with the .38 special out of a 2" snubby, and as such was about the minimum ballistic package that I'd want to bring to a conflict if I really wasn't expecting to get into one.
Anything smaller, I reckoned, could probably get the job done if one was a heck of a good shot with it and very lucky to boot - but the most value a smaller gun might have would be that it was "Better than nothing". I never in my life considered even the 9X19mm Para to be really adequate in combat, and the .357 magnum M66 S&W that I carried on duty was just enough to earn my confidence.
Isn't the 9mmMAK just a little hotter than the .380?
Given my choice of hardware for "packin' heat" I still have a strong affinity for "Old Slabsides" the M-1911A1 .45 or it's derivatives.
In the cooler seasons when I can stand wearing enough clothing to discretely conceal the big old Army iron when I'm out and about, there's usually a Systema 27 and a couple of spare racks of JHPs in there somewhere.
But when it's warm out, I sweat a lot and usually switch to a smaller gun that will tuck away out of sight when I'm in a T-shirt and shorts.
Some dudes can wear a loose Hawaiian shirt and get away with it.
I can't.
Might have something to do with having to wear suspenders to keep my trous from falling down - especially when I've got heavy things strapped to my belt.
Having sold, out of financial necessity, the HSC after I left the NHSP in 1976 (Which really I hated to do, as it was a handy-dandy little pistol) I now typically carry my late Father's little S&W M36 "Chief's Special" that's been bobbed, tuned, and converted to DAO by a Master Pistolsmith. Good little popper, with a lot of sentimental value - but again a "marginal" defensive round, and only 5 beans in the wheel.
For a while I carried my Polish Tokarev, as it is compact and with a lot of gremlins wearing body armor these days, the penetration of the hot little 7.62X25mm has it's utility.
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But the controls on a TOK are awkward - especially that cobbled up "import" safety so I don't dare carry with one in the chamber, and the sharp rear sight blade wants to cut the hand and catch on everything if we're not careful in handling it.
That and since it's a really nice specimen, I really hate to wear it out or ding it up by lugging it around.
So if this CZ-82 (one of which I have on the way from SOG, BTW) turns out to be all that it's cracked up to be here, then it very well may end up replacing the wheel gun as my "Summer gun".
Although the 9mm MAK in my opinion might be a little "marginal" as a defensive round, there is something to be said for a dozen of the little boogers in the handle ready to roll on a moment's notice!
Back when I was a young NH State Trooper, many moons ago, I carried a .380 Mauser HSC DA as my off-duty (and occasional unauthorized back up) pistol.
I figured that the .380 was about on par with the .38 special out of a 2" snubby, and as such was about the minimum ballistic package that I'd want to bring to a conflict if I really wasn't expecting to get into one.
Anything smaller, I reckoned, could probably get the job done if one was a heck of a good shot with it and very lucky to boot - but the most value a smaller gun might have would be that it was "Better than nothing". I never in my life considered even the 9X19mm Para to be really adequate in combat, and the .357 magnum M66 S&W that I carried on duty was just enough to earn my confidence.
Isn't the 9mmMAK just a little hotter than the .380?
Given my choice of hardware for "packin' heat" I still have a strong affinity for "Old Slabsides" the M-1911A1 .45 or it's derivatives.
In the cooler seasons when I can stand wearing enough clothing to discretely conceal the big old Army iron when I'm out and about, there's usually a Systema 27 and a couple of spare racks of JHPs in there somewhere.
But when it's warm out, I sweat a lot and usually switch to a smaller gun that will tuck away out of sight when I'm in a T-shirt and shorts.
Some dudes can wear a loose Hawaiian shirt and get away with it.
I can't.
Might have something to do with having to wear suspenders to keep my trous from falling down - especially when I've got heavy things strapped to my belt.
Having sold, out of financial necessity, the HSC after I left the NHSP in 1976 (Which really I hated to do, as it was a handy-dandy little pistol) I now typically carry my late Father's little S&W M36 "Chief's Special" that's been bobbed, tuned, and converted to DAO by a Master Pistolsmith. Good little popper, with a lot of sentimental value - but again a "marginal" defensive round, and only 5 beans in the wheel.
For a while I carried my Polish Tokarev, as it is compact and with a lot of gremlins wearing body armor these days, the penetration of the hot little 7.62X25mm has it's utility.
But the controls on a TOK are awkward - especially that cobbled up "import" safety so I don't dare carry with one in the chamber, and the sharp rear sight blade wants to cut the hand and catch on everything if we're not careful in handling it.
That and since it's a really nice specimen, I really hate to wear it out or ding it up by lugging it around.
So if this CZ-82 (one of which I have on the way from SOG, BTW) turns out to be all that it's cracked up to be here, then it very well may end up replacing the wheel gun as my "Summer gun".
Although the 9mm MAK in my opinion might be a little "marginal" as a defensive round, there is something to be said for a dozen of the little boogers in the handle ready to roll on a moment's notice!
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49 Posts
Gosh Uncle Jaque - That CZ-82 from SOG sure is taking a long time to get to you!
What's up with that?
I got mine from SOG the 2nd day after I hung up the phone.(It would have been the NEXT day, but I called them too late in the day for that).
Are you getting it with a C&R license (as I did) or are you having to go thru your local FFL?
Looking forward to pictures and your opinion of it whenever you get it.
Ron
I carry mine. As I am old and fat I carry mine in the issue holster. (both open and ccw carry are legal here) It has only been recognized as a firearm once.
If you are looking for a left handed holster look into regular small of back holsters. Just move them to the 9 o'clock position.
If you are looking for a left handed holster look into regular small of back holsters. Just move them to the 9 o'clock position.
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7 Posts
Keep an eye on the board tomorrow, and we'll have a little special for you...
/Magnus
/Magnus
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1,030 Posts
SOG Hang-Up...
It occurs to me that I mail ordered my CZ instead of doing on line with a CC, so they are probably holding my order until my check clears.
That's a pretty common practice, and since I think that this might be my first order from SOG in a while, I should expect it, really.
So I've got no gripe.
I just emailed them asking that they might advise me when it eventually does ship with the UPS tracking no. (Century routinely does this for me) so that I can arrange to be around when the LBT comes with it.
I'm not in any big hurry - have lots of other unfinished projects to diddle with in the interim.
At least I got to "meet" a CZ-82 at the store the other day so I have an idea of what they look and feel like now.
Hopefully they at least have one on "hold" for me.
It occurs to me that I mail ordered my CZ instead of doing on line with a CC, so they are probably holding my order until my check clears.
That's a pretty common practice, and since I think that this might be my first order from SOG in a while, I should expect it, really.
So I've got no gripe.
I just emailed them asking that they might advise me when it eventually does ship with the UPS tracking no. (Century routinely does this for me) so that I can arrange to be around when the LBT comes with it.
I'm not in any big hurry - have lots of other unfinished projects to diddle with in the interim.
At least I got to "meet" a CZ-82 at the store the other day so I have an idea of what they look and feel like now.
Hopefully they at least have one on "hold" for me.
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29 Posts
I decided that I needed both!
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