Although I've had the privilege of firing various rifles & handguns every few years for several decades, by way of friends here and there, I never could find the self-indulgence to spend hundreds on myself. I know I know, please don't bash me. Call me Puritan Ethic. NO, too many other expensive hobbies is more accurate. When it became apparent that our next Prez may be our current Prez, I got very concerned and knew it was TIME. Since Oct. 2008 I have purchased 5 handguns and handled many others, as well as some shotguns & rifles. But my love is handguns. You can see my self-introduction on the newbie page in the other forum from last week.
Living in Georgia, and in Greater Atlanta, I have the high privilege of being a part of a gun culture and many gun shows monthly. Being north of the suburbs a bit, I have friends who can fire on their own property. I've had my CC license for about a year. And I carry all the time. I have studied a lot online, talked to friends and shot with them, understand the solemn responsibility of being a sheepdog. I have many friends who shoot and who are very good, and two are FFL. So to cut to the chase, I purchased 2 revolvers and 3 autoloaders over a course of about 16 months and had never heard of CZ.
One of my friends is aged 84 & had a R&C or is it C&R license so I got a Tokarev from him, which I still love (and all my friends are impressed with) and learned a lot about Eastern Euro pistols. Like him I developed a fondness for them. Maybe it is the contrarian in me. He never talked about CZ but he gave me the respect for Eastern Euro manufacturing and especially that of the Czech Republic historically.
So I'm at a gun show about 3 months ago and pick up a CZ auto. Never heard of it. I LOVED the fit. It was so ergonomically natural that I knew I had to have one. I don't even know if it was a PCR or a RAMI or what. It never occurred to me there could be so many chamberings or styles, so I didn't write down its name. I then go to the CZ-USA website 2 months ago and am overwhelmed with the variety. So now what do I do?
Well fortunately the NRA National Convention was up the road a few hours in Charlotte, NC 2 months ago, and I had to go up that general direction for an antique show anyway. I couldn't hit any of the fabulous speakers or banquets, but I could get into town Saturday night and spend all afternoon Sunday in the show hall of the vendors!
What a gas that was! Five hours on my feet and still more to see. I was by myself so I could stop and start at booths whenever I wanted. I knew already my next gun WOULD be a CZ, and THIS was my big chance to handle every variation in one place at one time! And I did, spending about 45 minutes in their booth at one point, and then another 15 minutes or so later. I thought I wanted the P07 most of all, but then decided on the D PCR instead. Number two and three choices are the RAMI BD and RAMI P. Being able to acquire the 2010 CZ catalog at the NRA show has been very helpful.
So now I am on the prowl for a D PCR Compact as my first CZ. I know from this forum that I will love it, and will be adding more CZ's in coming years. I am in love with the alloy balance and weight, generally speaking. If anyone can recommend a .40 cal with a similar grip to the D PCR Compact, please let me know. I learned I definitely like the alloy more than the polymer, and don't want the weight of something traditional like a steel 1911. The Tokarev would be a perfect weight if I went to steel.
Don't carry a gun because of what may happen today. Carry because once, just once,
and at the least likely time imaginable, you may run into the worst monster you
ever could imagine. Be their worst nightmare and resist them with all the
stubbornness that our pioneer ancestors posessed. To do less is to be unamerican.
