By Chad Adams
I cut my teeth on the first semi-auto pistol I bought myself—an HK USP Compact in .40 S&W. I had a buddy whose dad possessed an FFL just for his own hobby of acquiring every kind of gun under the sun, back in the days when acquiring an FFL was a bit more wide open. As such, we got our hands on new gear all the time. So, when he opened the box on that USP one fine weekend, I was immediately hooked.
Purchased right out of high school, that pistol would accompany me across the country through my young adult life, becoming my first CCW and truck gun. Looking back, it’s a curious thing to start out in the handgun world with a decocking pistol. As a teen heading into my 20s, it felt completely badass to learn this new manual of arms and send .40-cal lead downrange.
The more I traversed through the military and into the firearm industry, the more I pulled away from that first love. I mean come on, through those portals I gained access to all of it—truly every gun under the sun. It made those adolescent range days seem nearly juvenile by comparison, and somewhere along the way I think I soured on the idea of how that USP Compact operated compared to the world of Glock 19s, 1911s and all the rest.
Shooting the CZ 75 BD
During a recent FE range day though, I got taken back when I picked up the CZ 75 BD. I couldn’t tell you the last time I encountered a decocker-variant pistol, and it brought back a flood of gunpowder-singed memories.
But it also brought me a new connection with the famed CZ 75 platform, a gun I’ve long admired from afar, but one I admittedly haven’t shot as much as one might expect, given my vocation.
Simply stated—the CZ 75, in any form, is every bit as advertised. And without a range day such as this one, full of OPA (other people’s ammo) and a near limitless opportunity to get on the trigger, it’s easy to look past one of the great pistols that’s ever been built.
I would imagine many of us at least sometimes operate in a similar place. A lifetime of internal debate over the virtues of the 1911 versus the striker-fired polymer 9mm. The CZ 75, when picked back up, elegantly threads the needle between the two camps.
The steel-frame 75 BD, with its black polycoat finish and three-dot sights, presents a capable bedside and carry option. The DA/SA action, with the decocking mechanism, delivers a unique manual of arms and options on carry condition, offering hammer-down carry on a loaded chamber, while the “B” in this model reminds of the firing pin block safety.
Wonders That Never Cease
Introduced in 1975, the CZ 75 is one of the original Wonder Nines, the movement that followed the Browning Hi-Power, giving us a stable of fighting, steel-frame, double-column fighting 9s.
Arguably no gun from that era has enjoyed the success and staying power as the venerable 75. To that end, the contemporary CZ 75 BD offers an old-school Euro pistol that pushes to the extreme end of durability, accuracy potential and reliability.
Those of us in the weeds in this business—it’s easy to get blinders to the classics and keep our eyes focused on what lies ahead. But the classics are classic for many, often highly compelling reasons. This range day again reminded me of just how beautifully rugged and dependable the iconic CZ 75 platform remains. A 50-year-old wonder nine, still relevant in this modern age.
Price: MSRP of $899.
Pros: Bombproof and built for military demands of yesteryear, this is a platform you can trust. As one of the most copied guns in history, a massive accessory market supports whatever crazy build desire you might conjure.
Cons: Though I’ve carried a decocker before, that’s not a road I’m willing to go down again. I think you either go all in on such or stay away from it. The Marine in me believes in training for a very particular manual of arms. So, personally I would pivot to the CZ 75 B or other variant. That said, should you go down this road, there are few better daily drivers to handle the curves ahead.
