Review: CZ P-10 F OR

P. E. Fitch

posted on October 20, 2025

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CZ P 10 F OR 1A — The CZ P-10 F OR with a Leupold DeltaPoint Pro mounted, showcasing its optics-ready slide and full-size frame.

Photo by P.E. Fitch

There’s no denying that Česká zbrojovka left a mark on the world with the design and development of its CZ-75 pistol. Those hammer-fired, metal-framed pistols have a propensity to shoot well, and they do so in a unique style—with slides that ride inside the frame. CZ’s subsequent models kept some of the CZ-75’s design cues such as the “inverted” slide and hammer-fired ignition. Not only is the CZ-75 one of the most cloned pistols, but its design is still the basis for many other high performance pistols. However, by the early 2010s, CZ found itself lacking a polymer-framed, striker-fired offering, so it set out to develop the P-10 series.

The CZ P-10 F OR sports an ambidextrous slide release and reversible magazine release. (Photo by P.E. Fitch)

Even though the P-10 series isn’t the Czech gun company’s first polymer-framed pistol, it is CZ’s first striker-fired product family. Ultimately, CZ’s goal was to develop an accurate and reliable duty-grade, polymer-framed striker-fired pistol that conformed to NATO standards. Of course, attributes like accuracy and reliability tend to lend themselves well to handguns used in action-pistol competitions.

OVERVIEW

The CZ P-10 F OR itself is the “standard” full-size 9 mm variant of the P-10 product family. CZ P-10 F handguns include an optics-ready slide, 4.5-inch cold hammer forged barrel and 19+1 magazine capacity. As a modern duty-oriented pistol, its design is fully ambidextrous. The CZ P-10 F OR includes a pair of low profile ambi slide-releases and its magazine release is reversible to the other side of the grip. Likewise, CZ P-10 magazines support ambidexterity, since they have cutouts on either side of the magazine body for an either left-side or right-side catch. It’s worth noting that full-size P-10 magazines are also compatible with the Dan Wesson DWX pistol. Standard magazine capacity is 19 rounds, but 10- and 21-round magazines are available.

Disassembled components of the CZ P-10 F OR, including the slide, barrel and recoil spring. (Photo by P.E. Fitch)

P-10s are like most other pistols on the market today, since they employ a variation of John Browning’s famous tilting delayed blowback action. The P-10’s ignition specifically comes via a pre-tensioned striker that’s supported by two robust internal safeties and the P-10’s specific trigger design. Its manual of arms is virtually identical to models like Glocks, HK VP9s, Smith & Wesson M&Ps, Walther PDPs, etc.

GRIP & FRAME

The definitive feature about the full-size CZ P-10 F OR is its grip, specifically how long it is. Measured from the bottom of the trigger guard all the way to the edge of the magazine well, the front strap measures approximately 3 inches, which is a tad longer than a standard 1911. That extra real estate makes this a viable choice for individuals with larger hands. Like most of its contemporaries, the P-10 F OR also includes an interchangeable backstrap system. Because the frontstrap has ample room, even the “small” backstrap was suitable for my standard sized hands.

The contour of the P-10 F grip itself follows modern lines, so it lends itself well to modern, two-handed shooting techniques. CZ employs a square-studded texture throughout the P-10 grip area (all models). The texturing specifically found over the frontstrap and backstrap areas does have a little more “bite.” I do think the standard design could benefit from some additional texture around the higher portions of the grip itself.

The extended grip of the CZ P-10 F OR measures about 3 inches—slightly longer than a 1911. (Photo by P.E. Fitch)

In addition to supporting the internal parts that support the slide itself, the rest of the P-10 frame is quite straightforward; it comes with the typical accessory rail that easily accepts tactical lights and such. All P-10 frames do include two square-stud textured index points just above towards the front of the trigger guard that serve as touchpoints for the shooter’s (forward) thumbs.

UPPER HALF

Like most major European gun manufacturers, CZ tends to rifle its barrels with cold hammer forging. CZ P-10 barrels are thus cold hammer forged, with conventional rifling and a 1:10-inch twist. P-10 Fs are paired with a 16-pound captive recoil spring enclosed in a polymer guide rod. The P-10 barrel’s most notable detail is the fact that it has the widest barrel lug of any 9 mm polymer-framed tilting blowback pistol I’ve ever seen. (Read my review I wrote last year about the slightly smaller CZ P-10 C OR for NRA’s Shooting Illustrated that also pertains to the CZ P-10 F OR’s slide.) Keep in mind that P-10 F models only have a 1/2-inch longer barrel than P-10 Cs. Other than overall length, barrels and slides are nearly identical.

The 4.5-inch barrel is cold-hammer forged with a 1:10-inch barrel twist rate. (Photo by P.E. Fitch)

Standard optics-ready P-10 models ship with basic white-dot photoluminescent iron sights. Whether they’re tall enough to provide a decent co-witness would depend on the specific mounted reflex sight. In my case, I’ve reviewed both the P-10 C and P-10 F using a 6-MOA Leupold DeltaPoint Pro and a CZ factory DeltaPoint Pro optics mounting plate. With this setup, the sights do not co-witness. Incidentally, P-10 optics plates are interchangeable with other CZ optics-ready pistols such as factory-milled Shadow 2s and Shadow 2 Compacts.

Standard optics-ready P-10 models come equipped with white-dot photoluminescent iron sights. (Photo by P.E. Fitch)

TRIGGER

This excerpt from my P-10 C OR review pertains to the P-10 F OR’s trigger:

Through the lens of contemporary polymer striker guns, CZ P-10 triggers are quite conventional with their requisite bladed safety being the chief means of preventing the trigger from inadvertently moving to the rear. The trigger’s face is almost flat and it sits inside the trigger guard at such an angle where it effectively functions like a flat trigger. Perhaps the only thing that deviates from the norm of typical striker-fired triggers and the P-10’s trigger are the CZ-75 style dual trigger bars that serve as linkage connecting the face of the trigger to the sear and striker surfaces.

What I wrote last year about the standard P-10 C’s trigger is also true of the P-10 F featured here. For the specific trigger in the CZ P-10 F, 10 trigger pulls averaged to 4 pounds, 1.2 ounces.

Likewise, last year I also mentioned that stock P-10 triggers are far from being true match triggers, but in the context of a general-purpose, duty-rated handgun that adheres to NATO standards, they’re quite utilitarian and not disagreeable at all.

For competition, the P-10 F’s trigger pull isn’t going to prevent a good shooter from scoring decent points on a stage run, especially in Production or Carry Optics.

AT THE RANGE

Due to timing, I couldn’t bring the CZ P-10 F OR to a local USPSA club match the way I like to carry out these reviews. However, I lucked out by attending a single-day, 350-round basic pistol skills class by Cornerstone Performance.

Close-up of the grip texture that’s designed for a secure hold. (Photo by P.E. Fitch)

Cornerstone’s forward-thinking curriculum included different aspects of handgun shooting essentials including trigger manipulation, drawing, shot cadence, target transitions, shooting near vs. far and reloading. These exercises allowed me to get a solid feel for the CZ P-10 F OR without having to worry about navigating a USPSA stage, the Practiscore tablet or pasting targets. I still had to contend with the summer sun, however.

I hadn’t shot in a performance context in the previous few months. Despite this, the CZ P-10 F OR was surprisingly easy to acclimate to, out of the box. Thanks to its design and function, it was easy to knock the rust off and “get on with it.”

The P-10 F OR draws well, points well and most importantly its slide tracks well too. I had no problem watching the Leupold’s 6-MOA dot leave and return to its window during recoil whatsoever. At one point, I was so focused on shooting that I forgot that I was technically shooting with a “brand-new- to-me-gun.” At one point during class, we shot C-zone steel at 45 yards and this gun made it hard to miss, thanks to its boring return to zero.

Even its “standard” trigger facilitated ringing steel across the pistol bay. For a non-match trigger, it handles predictably and consistently which allows the shooter to shoot the P-10 F well, regardless of trigger pull weight.

ACCURACY & RELIABILITY

As I review more guns, I find that even those with modern designs tend to cycle better after a modest break-in period. With either of the P-10s I’ve reviewed so far, this didn’t take long. The P-10 F OR has been completely reliable and I noticed it doesn’t need much lube to run either. Between the Cornerstone class and my separate range trip to chrono and group the pistol, its total round count is somewhere north of 450 rounds—all fired and ejected without issue.

With its 16-pound RSA, the P-10 F has no problem cycling standard pressure and velocity 9 mm ammunition. After testing three different types of factory-loaded 9 mm cartridges including Eley’s Minor 9 115-grain FMJ, Staccato Range 124-grain FMJ and HOP Munition’s 147-grain Poly FP, I determined that the P-10 F OR tends to favor lighter projectiles in the 115- to 124-grain weight range. The P-10 F is a European-designed handgun, after all. Considering its 1:10-inch barrel twist rate, I was surprised, but twist alone is only one variable.

ACCURACY TABLE

Notes: Measured average velocity for 20 shots fired next to a Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph at the muzzle. Accuracy results for four consecutive, five-round groups at 25 yards from a sandbag rest. Temperature 88°F. Abbreviations: FMJ (Full Metal Jacket), FP (Flat Point), ES (Extreme Spread), SD (Standard Deviation).

THE TAKEAWAY

In a market filled with striker polymer guns, it’s not hard to drown amidst all the options. The CZ P-10 F OR offers a reasonably priced option from one of Europe’s major gun manufacturers. Even though the P-10 itself was created primarily for CZ to have a duty-grade service pistol that adheres to NATO standards, these basic pistols are still capable of offering out of the box performance in most action-pistol shooting scenarios. Back in 2023, new retail prices dropped across the board, which arguably made the P-10 family even more competitive in its tight market segment. Prices have stabilized to those more affordable figures since then.

I don’t have much to complain about the pistol itself. I do wish its front slide serrations were cut higher into the slide, closer towards the top. It would also be nice if it shipped with an extra magazine from the factory, as that would make this “standard” pistol match-and-training ready out of the box. But, all it really needs is a decent red-dot sight. In hindsight, I bet CZ is happy that it bothered to design and develop a striker-fired gun after all.