Slowly I’ve been working my way into using red dot sights on pistols. So when I was looking for a full-size range pistol, the ability to add a RDS was desired. I already had a great 19-rd full size iron-sight pistol in my possession - my XDM 4.5 9mm with a great Powder River Precision trigger. But with 2 CZ P10-C models that I love to shoot, a big brother F model would be a perfect match. Particularly since my son-in-law had been begging me to sell him the XDM.
A word of disclaimer: I’ve seen it mentioned on at least two different guntuber channels that CZ owners are a fanatical and insufferable bunch (worse than Glock owners) - the kind of snooty aesthete that wears a thin mustache and drinks craft beer—was mentioned. So a CZ owner like me is evidently that type - and even more bohemian, because I run a red dot, as well. So be warned…Unfortunately, post-pandemic, optics cut F models were non-existent. After waiting a year, I finally bought a standard F model instead. Interestingly, it was made in the Czech Republic rather than the U.S. like my factory optics-ready P10-C.
I then sent the slide to Jagerworks. They did an excellent job and also milled the slide to accept Dawson Precision Glock suppressor height iron sights. Unfortunately, the sights were out of stock. So I got the F model back without any iron sights. They also mounted and bore-sighted the Holosun 507C red dot. This is the Primary Arms ACSS reticle that has an outer circle and a chevron instead of a dot in the center.
I had signed up for a 2-day Defensive Handgun course where I wanted to see how a red dot sight would work under pressure for speed and accuracy. Jagerwerks gave me a lead time that was past the class date. Therefore I planed on using the P10-C with the Trijicon RMR for the class. Fortunately Jagerwerks was much faster than advertised and I had the F back in time, sans iron sights.
I did almost daily dry-fire practice with either the F or the C in order to learn how to acquire the RDS fast. During this, I learned that a RDS is a great check of your trigger control. You can more easily see if you have poor trigger control just by watching the dot.
At the class, the full-size, optic sighted P10-F was great. The P10-series CZs come with excellent triggers right out of the box and good ergonomics that are both comfortable and allow you to grip the gun high. The low bore axis helps muzzle rise, and the pistol shot very well. With a standard capacity of 19, and extended factory mags that held 21, I could easily make it thru all the drills that didn’t require a reload.
If I did my part, the F would stack the bullets on top of each other easily. It was very accurate and very easy to shoot well. It was also a snap to shoot fast. The Holosun 507C X2 with the ACSS reticle really helped. I think the large outer ring helps guide the eye on target and the chevron worked fine, though not really any better than a normal dot. The practice helped because i was able to get on target quickly and shoot accurately. When the beep went off, I had no problem getting a fast controlled pair on target in a decent group - and do it faster than the majority of the other students. There were about 4 other RDS users there, but I couldn’t tell how they were doing. All I know is that I was particularly fast on the second and third shots with the dot, easily beating most of the other students. With both eyes open the dot would appear clearly on the target and the trigger pulled. No lining up sights or seeing a blurry target. Needless to say, I was very pleased with the red dot-sighted big CZ. Bear in mind that the slide was slick - no iron sights whatsoever to aid me in picking up the dot.
While not the most popular line of striker-fired pistols, the CZ P10s shoot extremely well and the red dot sight worked very well for me under pressure. After these two days, I knew that the using the red dot worked very well for me. I did receive some helpful hints from my instructor that did aid my speed with them, though.
And yes, not long after the class, the Dawson Precision sights arrived and I was able to install them. But I found out that without any iron sights to use as a reference I still did fine during the pressure of training and timed shooting. They seem to be very good iron sights.
The Holosun 507C X2 is a great optic. I like the fact that it is solar powered in sunlight and has a fantastic battery life. In addition, the battery is in a slide-out tray on the side and is easily changed without removing the optic (like you have to with an RMR). It also has a sleep/shake-awake feature to save the battery. The outer circle on the ACSS reticle seems to aid in picking up the dot quicker, but honestly the standard dot, or dot-in-circle reticle works fine too. The main thing is practice and seeking help or instruction.
But with or without the red dot optic, the CZ P10-F is a great choice in a full size pistol. CZ has just lowered the price on all P10s, so that makes them even more attractive. Of course you run the risk of becoming a CZ cult member, but that is a small price to pay, right?
CZ C and F models compared:
