CZ P-09 C Nocturne Review: Home Run or Foul Ball?

CZ is no stranger to making double-action/single-action hammer-fired pistols.

The CZ 75 line of pistols is legendary and is one of the most copied handgun designs in the world.

But times are a-changing, and many shooters have moved away from traditional metal-framed pistols in favor of polymer-framed ones.

CZ is committed to continuing to grow their line of polymer pistols, and the P-09C Nocturne is one of their newest offerings.

So, how does it compare to its predecessor? Is it a worthy competitor in today’s market? We got our hands on one to find out for ourselves!

Specs & Features

Specs

• Caliber: 9mm
• Action: DA/SA, hammer-fired
• Capacity: 15+1
• Barrel Length: 3.74″
• Overall Length: 7.3″
• Height: 5.4″
• Grip Width: 1.5″
• Weight: 26.1 oz

Features

• 3-Dot serrated luminescent sights
• RMSc/Holosun K milled footprint
• Three interchangeable backstraps
• Swappable decocker and manual safety
• Comes with two 15-round magazines

How We Tested the CZ P-09 C Nocturne

To test the P-09 C Nocturne, we put 500 rounds of various types of ammo through it.

Including:

• AAC 115gr FMJ
• Sellier & Bellot 124gr FMJ
• Speer Gold Dot 124gr +P JHP

We conducted slow fire groups at 7, 10, 15, and 25 yards to measure practical accuracy. Mozambique drills were conducted at 7 yards to test combat accuracy. Testing was performed using a mix of iron sights and then later with a Holosun 507K green dot.

A Dvorak TriggerScan was employed to test the trigger pull and provide a full readout of everything that goes on during the trigger pull process.

Disclaimer: I purchased this gun through a local retailer with my own money. This firearm was not sent to Pew Pew Tactical for review.

A Little Backstory

Looking to cater to the concealed carry and duty-gun market, CZ introduced their P-07 pistol in 2009. These pistols were compact, polymer-framed DA/SA pistols and were the first to feature CZ’s Omega trigger system.

The Omega trigger system sought to simplify the older CZ 75 trigger internals while also making it easy for users to switch between manual safety and decocker configurations with no need for specialty tools.

Over the years, the P-07 has garnered a dedicated fanbase thanks to its reputation as a reliable and solid all-around pistol.

In late 2024, CZ released an updated and upgraded version of the P-07 in the form of the P-09 C Nocturne.

Who Is the CZ P-09 C Nocturne For?

The CZ P-09C Nocturne is for those who prefer a DA/SA hammer-fired pistol but want more modern features like a polymer frame and a slide direct-milled for optics.

If you aren’t a huge fan of all-metal guns but aren’t sold on striker-fired guns, the P-09 C Nocturne may fit the bill for you if you are looking for something that can flex between home-defense, duty, and concealed carry roles.

Ergonomics: Fit & Feel

While the general shape and feel of the P-09 C are relatively unchanged compared to the older P-07, CZ still set out to make some ergonomic improvements.

Grip

I will say out of the gate, that grip on Nocturne feels blocky to me. It is blocky in the sense that it isn’t thick, but it just feels very “rectangle” — almost like a Glock.

This more squared-off grip wasn’t particularly conducive to my hand shape when it came to recoil control. The grip shape is a far cry from the “fits like a glove” feeling of the CZ 75 series for me.

However, CZ did update the grip texture, which now extends higher on the grip versus the original P-07. Instead of dots on the front and backstrap, you get the same rough texture found on the sides of the grip.

The texture is done really well. I can see where some dead skin rubbed off on the backstrap, which means it was doing its job and grabbing my hand. But the texture isn’t too aggressive, and I had zero signs of any uncomfortable wear and tear on my hands. The grip had no uncomfortable hot spots during shooting, even during my extended range session.

There is a nice textured memory pad on each side of the frame where you can rest your support thumb. I wish it had a small ledge instead of being flush, but it is still a nice touch.

Three different-sized backstraps are also included.

Controls

One of the big calling cards of the CZ P-09 C is the Omega trigger system and its ability to let users seamlessly swap between a manual safety or a decocker.

I personally dig decockers on DA/SA guns so that I don’t have to fiddle with a manual safety on the draw, but the option is there for those who want to swing the other way or are undecided.

Some decockers are stiff or make you feel like you are breaking something in the gun, but not this one. It is easy to actuate and decocks the hammer relatively softly. The decocker/safety is ambidextrous.

The slide release is pretty easy to actuate, but it is a bit further forward, requiring me to shift my grip a little to hit it with my thumb.

Both the decocker and slide release levers have been redesigned over the P-07 to feature more prominent and easy-to-hit ledges — good work by CZ here.

The magazine release is nearly perfect for me. With medium-sized hands, I can actuate it easily without changing my grip, and it ejects the mags with a decent amount of gusto. The mag release is also reversible for lefties. A+.

I had successful lockback on every magazine and didn’t run into any issues. The controls are pretty easy to use but out of the way enough not to cause me any headaches.

Trigger

While the Omega trigger is a more simplified version of the CZ 75 trigger that is easier to service, it does leave a bit to be desired.

I put the gun on a Dvorak TriggerScan machine to get an advanced trigger readout. This revealed an average trigger pull weight of 3.7 lbs in single action and 9.4 lbs in double action.

In single action, the trigger has a fair bit of take-up before coming to a wall. There is a bit of creep after the wall, but it doesn’t feel as bad as the graph might suggest. The break is nice and light.

In true double action, there is a small bit of take-up before hitting heavy resistance. This trigger gets up to that 9-pound pull very fast, and you are pulling at the full weight for a long distance. There is a fair amount of grit throughout the double-action pull as well. It’s definitely manageable but not the cleanest.

When the decocker is used, which is how you would likely carry it, the hammer goes into a half-cock position. In this position, the double action pull is a little bit lighter at 9.2 lbs.

There is a little bit more take-up, and the trigger takes more time before hitting that initial resistance, but the rest of the pull is the same otherwise.

Slide

All P-09 C Nocturne pistols come optics-ready. They are direct milled to accept RMSc/Holosun K optics — no adapter plates needed.

CZ also updated the slide serrations for the Nocturne. These serrations are thick, aggressive, and extremely easy to grab hold of.

Serrated metal front and rear sights grace the top of the slide. While they may look like tritium night sights at first glance, they just have luminescent paint.

The front sight is a little thick for my liking. While they are pretty quick to acquire, they are definitely more combat-oriented rather than precision-oriented.

As with many CZ pistols, the slide rides inside the frame. This means that there is less real estate to grab onto when racking the pistol — however, the excellent slide serrations help overcome that issue.

Frame

Between the upswept trigger guard that provides a bit of an undercut and the decently-sized beavertail, I was able to get a reasonably high grip on the pistol.

I do feel like CZ’s striker-fired P-10 C allows for an even higher grip and lower bore axis, but the Nocturne isn’t bad by any means.

Speaking of the P-10 C, the Nocturne is able to use P-10 C mags in addition to the magazines that come with the gun.

However, the baseplates between the P-10 C and Nocturne mags are different.

The P-10 C uses a flat baseplate, whereas the Nocturne baseplates have an angled and raised section in the middle that seats into a cutout on the bottom of the Nocturne’s grip. The grip cut and baseplates on the Nocturne help you be able to strip the magazine out if it were to get stuck for any reason.

While the P-10 C mags will fit and function in the Nocturne (I checked). However, the P-09 C Nocturne mags will not fit in the P-10 C. The baseplates of the Nocturne mags interfere with the bottom of the grip on the P-10 C.

Lastly, you get a 1-slot Picatinny accessory rail that allows you to mount most standard lights, lasers, or other accessories.

How Does the CZ P-09 C Nocturne Shoot?

This is where things started to go south for me, both reliability and shooting-wise.

The overall recoil impulse is relatively soft, but I did experience a bit more muzzle flip than I would have liked, especially for a slide-in-frame CZ gun.

It isn’t overly “flippy,” but it did feel like it had more muzzle rise than both my CZ P-10 C and my CZ 75 D PCR, both of which are around the same size.

I suspect this feeling is a combination of how the gun is sprung, along with the fact that I never really felt confident with the way my support hand was locking into the grip.

This loops back into the ergonomics I mentioned earlier. The rectangle shape isn’t bad; it just doesn’t quite work for my hands.

Accuracy

At 7-25 yards, I was getting solid accuracy out of the gun.

Slow-fire at 7 yards was producing groups where the rounds were all touching.

With the way the irons came from the factory, the gun was printing slightly to the left for me. The gun also requires a reasonably healthy 6 o’clock hold, which isn’t out of the norm for a duty pistol.

Holding the irons right over the target was yielding groups that were about an inch and a half high at 7 yards.

With the trigger breaking farther to the rear than I normally like, this did cause me to have the occasional flyer when I was getting tired or slightly lazy with my trigger discipline.

But even with a mediocre trigger and some sights that were a bit off, I was able to achieve perfectly acceptable combat accuracy out to 25 yards.

When it came to Mozambique drills (two to the chest, one to the head), I was able to get consistent X and 10-ring double-taps and well-centered headshots at 7 yards. Due to the grip shape, I felt like I wasn’t as quick on these drills as I wanted to be.

Reliability

Man, oh man, this one hurt.

I am a huge CZ fan. I love my CZ 75 series guns, my Rami, my P-10 C. They have all run extremely well for me over the years.

But the P-09 C Nocturne didn’t bring that same reliability to the table.

Throughout testing, I had 11 stoppages. Each time, it was the same thing — failure to feed. Every few mags, I would get a round that would just get stuck on the feed ramp.

This happened on both factory mags and with both the AAC 115 gr FMJ and the S&B 124 gr FMJ. After the first few stoppages, I made a conscious effort to ensure my fingers weren’t on any controls.

I also tightened my grip even further to eliminate the possibility that I was limp-wristing. I even cleaned and lubed the gun again at the 250-round mark, but all of that was to no avail.

The nail in the coffin was when I was on the second to last mag of testing. I was doing Mozambique drills, so I had a very firm grip. My first double-tap had the rounds impacting only a few millimeters apart. As I transitioned to make the headshot, I realized I had another failure to feed. This was disappointing, to say the least.

Even though 11 stoppages over 500 rounds is only a 2% failure rate, it is way more than I want to see in a duty gun.

These stoppages happened both before and after the optic was mounted. A quick search on the internet shows that I am not the only one that has had this issue. Although many users report their Nocturnes run fine, it looks like mine may not be an isolated incident.

I will be sending my P-09 C Nocturne back to CZ to have them take a look at it, and I will update this review once I get it back.

What Sets the CZ P-09 C Nocturne Apart?

There are really no other handguns out there that are optics-ready, polymer-framed, hammer-fired, DA/SA pistols with a slide-in-frame design that are also easily convertible between manual safety and decocker configurations.

While a little niche, the Nocturne’s unique feature set is something that some shooters may find attractive.

By the Numbers

Ergonomics: 3.5/5

The controls are very intuitive and well-thought-out, but the boxier grip shape just didn’t work for my hands.

Accuracy: 4/5

Despite a middle-of-the-road trigger, the mechanical accuracy of the Nocturne was good. With a better shooter, tighter groups would definitely be possible.

Reliability: 2.5/5

This was the Achilles heel of the Nocturne. I experienced intermittent failures to feed across multiple ammo types and magazines throughout the duration of the testing.

Customization: 3.5/5

A full accessory rail and an optics cut cover most accessories. Full aftermarket trigger jobs and parts are available from Cajun Gun Works. A few other accessories and upgrades are available on the market as well.

Value: 3/5

These guns are feature-rich and priced well, but since they are marketed as a carry and duty gun, the reliability issues put a dent in the overall value.

Overall: 2.5/5

Upgrades for the CZ P-09 C Nocturne

For home defense and duty, it is hard to go wrong with a good weapon light. The TLR-1 HL provides 1000 lumens in an affordable and durable package.

The Nocturne comes directly milled to accept K-series optics. Our favorite micro red dot for the money is the Holosun 407K.

Eye and ear protection is a must when hitting the range. We might be biased (since it’s our brand), but our favorites are the ShellShock Protection Combo.

Why Trust Pew Pew Tactical

This review was written by Pew Pew Tactical Editor Wyatt Sloan. Wyatt is an NRA-certified instructor with previous experience as a competitive shooter. He owns over 200 firearms, over 100 of which are handguns, and has 10 years of home-based FFL firearm sales under his belt. Wyatt uses his extensive experience with firearms at large to test guns for Pew Pew Tactical — evaluating them based on our standards and metrics.

Editor-in-Chief Jacki Billings runs our experienced team of reviewers and edited this review. She is an NRA-certified Basic Pistol Instructor as well as a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, ACES: Society for Editing, and the Professional Outdoor Media Association. Jacki has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and has worked as a media professional for close to 20 years, specializing in gun media for almost 10 years. With 2,000+ articles to her name, she uses her professional journalism and editing experience to set testing protocols and editorial standards for Pew Pew Tactical.

Final Verdict

Honestly, this one was a mixed bag for me. As a CZ fanboy, it was a tough pill to swallow.

The Nocturne is sized really well and has some nice design features. Although the grip and recoil profile aren’t quite to my liking, I can see how some people may really enjoy the way this gun shoots.

If CZ gets this gun running 100%, it will definitely let some of the better aspects of the pistol shine through.

But as of now, if I were looking for DA/SA guns around the same size, I would lean towards something like the Beretta PX4 Storm or CZ 75 P-01 unless I was dead set on running an optic.

What do you think of the CZ P-09 C Nocturne? Let us know in the comments below. For more guns in this class, check out our article and video on the Best Compact 9mm Handguns!