CZ P-10 C Pistol [Long Term Review]: 1,500+ Rounds Later
Looking for the best compact 9mm for EDC with a price that won’t break the bank? We take a look at the CZ P-10 C to see if this pistol fits the bill.
USPSA/Steel Challenge competitive shooter. Police Academy Top-Shot. TCCC/BLS/ALS/PALS/TNCC certified
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CZ P-10 C Pros & Cons
Pros
- Optics-ready versions available
- Good trigger
- Great ergonomics
Cons
- Grip texture too aggressive
- Front serrations too shallow
- Slide catch tough to reach
The Bottom Line
CZ's P10-C is an excellent compact 9mm handgun, especially if you're on the hunt for a budget handgun for concealed carry.
CZ's P-10 C checks many boxes for a do-all handgun. It's compact, lightweight, and even better...it's budget friendly.
Now that it has hit its lowest street price since its initial release in 2017, it piqued our interest once more as a strong contender in the compact striker-fired space.
Has this drastic price decrease earned the P-10 C a spot back in every gun owner’s arsenal?
We walk you through the specs and features and take it to the range to answer that question.
So, keep reading or check out our video review below!
Table of Contents
How We Tested the CZ P-10 C
The Pew Pew Tactical team has shot around 1,500 rounds through the P-10 C since it’s been in our gun safe. While this may not be an exceptionally high round count for some, most handguns will show any fatal flaw in design or parts issues well below this number.
With the exception of one P-10 C with a loose extractor pin, the other P-10 C performed flawlessly with no malfunctions.
For this review, I took the P-10 C out to the range and shot over 300 rounds of AAC 115g, Blazer 115g, Magtech 124g, Remington UMC 115g, and Federal HST 147g to test reliability and accuracy. The P-10 C ran all the ammo flawlessly.
We shot these groups with the optic-equipped P-10 C on a Ransom Tripod Rest to remove as much shooter error as possible. I also shot the iron-sight-only P-10 C at 10-yard intervals, with distances from 20 yards out to 50 yards.
9mm Ammo in Stock
CZ P-10 C Specs & Features
| Caliber | 9mm |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 15+1 rounds |
| Overall Length | 7.3" |
| Barrel Length | 4.02" |
| Height | 5.2" |
| Width | 1.26" |
| Weight (empty) | 26oz |
Background
The CZ P-10 C was released in 2017 as CZ’s break into the modern striker-fired pistol market. At the time, the Glock 19 and M&P 2.0 Compact were the dominant go-to choices for a compact-sized striker-fired handgun.
CZ spent years evaluating the current market offerings at the time and introduced what they thought were improvements to the status quo. Improved grip ergonomics, a trigger with a clean break, an ambidextrous slide catch, and a reversible magazine catch were some of the touted selling points of the handgun.
Now, the initial P-10 C has evolved into the full-size P-10 F, subcompact P-10 S, optic-ready, and several other versions.
Who Is It For?
The CZ P-10 C is the perfect option for those on a tight budget looking for a do-it-all handgun. It falls into the “compact” size range, typically a 4-ish inch barrel with about a 15-round magazine capacity and around 1.2 to 1.4 inches thick.
But why does this compact size reign as the do-it-all option? A compact handgun is what some may refer to as the “Goldilocks” of every gun owner’s arsenal, new and seasoned alike. These handguns check the most boxes -- home defense, concealed carry, and competition/training, albeit there may be better specific options tailored towards each individual category.
For those looking to jump into all or some of these categories, the CZ P-10 Cis an excellent choice, especially on a tighter budget.
Ergonomics: Fit & Feel
CZ’s advertised improved ergonomics of the P-10 C certainly is true in certain regards. The grip and beaver tail are the most prominent improvement over other striker-fired options.
Rather than having an extended beaver tail (think 1911), the P-10 C simply shifts the gun's grip a tad deeper towards the muzzle end. The result? You easily establish and maintain a high firing grip with the dominant hand while avoiding the dreaded slide bite.
Some of my favorite handguns to shoot and carry have left me with a semi-permanent scar on my right thumb. The CZ P-10 C did not injure me this way, with no modification to my dominant firing hand grip.
Grip texture is subjective for each shooter, and manufacturers have to decide what will benefit the highest percentage of prospective buyers. CZ opted for an aggressive square/pyramid pattern on the front, back, and sides of the P-10 C’s grip.
I found the texturing did a good job of locking my dominant hand into the gun. That said, I experienced some moderate discomfort towards the end of the shooting session due to the sharp texture. However, I wish the texture extended higher on the left side of the grip, as the contact with the upper portion of my support hand had only bare plastic for friction.
This texture on the gun is most definitely not a reason to skip purchasing this gun, as it can be easily modified to fit the individual shooter's preferences.
You can apply grip tape or specific grips made for the P-10 C from companies such as Talon Grips, Handleit Grips, and more for a non-permanent option. If you prefer something more permanent, send your frame off for a professional stippling job or DIY if you’re bold or skilled enough.
Trigger
The trigger is great for a stock striker-fired factory trigger.
Every striker-fired trigger has pre-travel and then reaches a defined wall of pressure. Past this wall, CZ’s trigger has the most minimal creep of any factory striker-fired trigger I have used.
Instead of a rolling break, where most shooters will not know exactly where in the creep the gun is going to go off, the P-10 C gives you around a 4 3/4 to 5-pound pressure to break, and then the gun goes off.
The benefit of this trigger design is that the shooter knows exactly when the gun will fire. This results in better shot accountability and higher accuracy with correctly applied shooting fundamentals.
Controls
I preface this knowing I am fully in the minority on my preferred mag release technique… but the P-10 C’s magazine release is one of my personal favorites.
As opposed to most shooters who use their thumb to release the magazine, I use the middle finger on my firing hand to release the magazine. This technique allows me to release the mag without breaking the grip on my dominant hand.
The P-10 C only makes this process easier for me with its long, somewhat rectangular magazine release that is beveled towards the muzzle end of the magazine release.
It’s extremely easy to use during speed reloads, and I never had issues with stuck mags or difficulties depressing the release button.
On the other hand, the slide catch had the opposite effect for me. This isn’t an inherent problem with the gun’s design, but rather my smaller hand size (medium size glove) not being able to actuate the slide catch as designed.
To lock the slide to the rear, I had to fully break my grip to gain enough leverage to hold the slide catch up. Even after breaking my grip, I did not have enough strength to depress the slide catch with just my thumb.
I have run into this issue with the majority of other handgun designs, so I have a deeply ingrained training habit of simply racking over the top of the slide with my support hand to load, reload, and clear malfunctions.
This technique proved to work well during my testing of the P-10 C, leading into the next category…slide serrations.
Slide
The slide serrations leave something to be desired. They worked just fine for manipulating the slide using the over-the-slide technique mentioned above, but my main concern is the design of the front-slide serrations.
The serrations are very short and shallow. They don’t reach high enough on the slide to be useful for many people. I don’t clear malfunctions by racking the front of the slide with my support hand, but if I wanted to, the front serrations are too slick to allow me to do so.
For example, if your hands are sweaty or weak, you may have an issue press-checking the gun using the front of the slide. This isn’t a deal-breaker for the gun by any stretch of the imagination, just a minor critique that many newer handgun designs have addressed since the release of the P-10 C.
How Does the CZ P-10 C Shoot?
Putting all of the gun's features together, the shooting experience for me was quite good with the P-10 C.
During my testing, I shot AAC 115g, Blazer 115g, Magtech 124g, Remington UMC 115g, and Federal HST 147g to see how it would do with multiple ammo types. The P-10 C ran all the ammo flawlessly.
Of the ammunition tested, it showed the best groups at 7 yards with the Federal HST 147g. All of the groups were within 2.5 inches at 7 yards.
During the 300ish rounds I fired during the session, I felt very confident placing a first-round hit from the holster onto a reduced-sized c-zone steel out to 20 yards in under two seconds.
The aggressive texture allowed me to maintain my grip during longer strings of fire on multiple targets. I ran many drills, mostly from the appendix inside the waistband position, and found drawing the gun using the “claw” grip method to be exceptionally easy with the beaver tail and grip design of the P-10 C. Other guns can be very painful utilizing this method without modifying the length of the beaver tail, but the P-10 C out of the box was exceptionally easy to draw from the AIWB position.
Utilizing a proper strong support hand grip, I could easily maintain my shooting grip through drills and re-acquire my grip after reloads, resulting in positive hits post-reload.
During longer courses of fire shooting the 15-round magazines to empty, I maintained a 100% hit rate on steel at 15 to 25 yards, shooting relatively fast splits between shots. Even with the iron sights, I accomplished first-round hits out to 50 yards with the P-10 C.
Utilizing an optic on the P-10 C would only enhance the already amazing abilities of the gun.
CZ P-10 C Considerations
The P10 series offers multiple variations to suit the individual shooter.
CZ’s P-10 C is the original version of the P10, offering a compact-sized grip holding 15 rounds and a 4.02-inch barrel. Its closest competitor size-wise would be the Glock 19.
While the P-10 C grip is slightly longer with a magazine inserted than the Glock 19, the difference for concealed carry is minimal. If you can conceal a G19, you won't have an issue concealing the P-10 C.
The P-10 C is offered in both the standard irons-only and optic-ready configurations for a small price bump.
The P10F is the P-10 C’s bigger brother, boasting a much larger 19+1 round capacity and 4.5-inch barrel in exchange for a significantly longer grip and barrel length. This version is more comparable to a Glock 17. It would fill the role of a full-size handgun for dedicated home defense or competitive shooting rather than the P-10 C, which can be concealed relatively easily.
CZ also offers the P10S, a concealed-carry-focused baby brother of the P-10 C that holds 12+1 rounds. This comes at the cost of three rounds of capacity and, for many shooters with larger hands, the sacrifice of a full firing grip offered by the P-10 C.
| Model | Overall Length | Height | Width | Barrel Length | Weight (Unloaded) | Magazine Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CZ P-10 C | 7.3" | 5.2" | 1.26" | 4.02" | 26oz | 15+1 |
| CZ P-10 S | 6.6" | 4.6" | 1.26" | 3.5" | 24.4oz | 12+1 |
| CZ P-10 F | 8" | 5.8" | 1.34" | 4.5" | 31.7oz | 19+1 |
| Glock 17 | 7.95" | 5.47" | 1.26" | 4.49" | 25.06oz | 17+1 |
| Glock 19 | 7.36" | 4.99" | 1.26" | 4.02" | 23.65oz | 15+1 |
By The Numbers
Reliability: 5/5
All factory ammo functions flawlessly.
Ergonomics: 4/5
Grip texture is aggressive, but the shape feels great in the hand.
Accuracy: 4/5
This gun is going to be more accurate than the shooter.
Customization: 3/5
Not as many sight options as other guns.
Value: 5/5
Great gun at an even better price.
Overall: 4/5
CZ P-10 C Upgrades & Accessories
We always suggest a red dot, and since the CZ P-10 C comes in a red dot-ready version, it makes sense to toss one on. The C&H Precision Comp Pistol Red Dot is what we ran for this review and we dug it.
Of course, we also have to suggest you grab some extra mags for range days, competition, or just to have.
Finally, a good pair of ear and eye protection is really important to keep your eyes and ears safe while shooting. Pew Pew Tactical started its own eye and ear protection company after years of testing others that weren't super comfortable or had features we really wanted. So, of course, we're going to suggest you check those out.
How to Field Strip the CZ P-10C
We break down how to disassemble and reassemble the P-10C in the video below!
Final Verdict on the CZ P-10C
The CZ P-10 C is untouchable in the price point segment in which it currently finds itself. The gun isn’t trading reliability, accuracy, and shootability as many other options in this price category do.
Even compared to the more expensive and popular options, the P-10 C is an excellent choice. The money saved from purchasing the P-10 C can then be used for ammunition for training, range fees, or even for a class from a professional instructor.
If you own a CZ P-10 C, what has your experience been with the gun? Love it? Hate it? Drop a comment down below and get the conversation going! Curious about the P10F Competition version? Check out our review.
Latest Updates
August 2024: Complete re-write with all new info after testing and 1,000+ rounds through it and video of testing.