Why is CZ discontinuing everything?

[Krugermeier]

I discovered CZ last year with the CZ97B. I like them because I hate plastic guns. The 97B and 75 are the best feeling pistols I've ever held and shot. Yesterday I saw they made something called the RAMI in .40, which is perfect for what I'm looking for. Turned out they discontinued the 97B and RAMI. I hear there might be an acquisition by Colt as well? What gives? Why are they discontinuing everything, is there anything new on the horizon? Is CZ on their way out?

[double-d]

Yep, Colt is evil according to a thread on this forum.

[SI VIS PACEM PARRABELLUM]

Yesterday I saw they made something called the RAMI in .40, which is perfect for what I'm looking for. Turned out they discontinued the 97B and RAMI. I hear there might be an acquisition by Colt as well? What gives? Why are they discontinuing everything, is there anything new on the horizon? Is CZ on their way out?

The Rami .40 has been gone for awhile now as CZ gave up on the .40 a few years ago. The 97 while a great gun was likely not a superhot seller and wasn't produced in the high numbers other models are since the .45 is pretty much a US market only seller anyway. I have a pair myself. The standard 75 series guns seem to be pretty stable and likely won't be going anywhere soon. No one knows for sure what the Colt merger will look like but CZ isn't on their way out. CZ has many military contracts across the globe and they can survive just fine even without the US market. Given the sad state we are in here I wouldn't blame them if they did pull out of here.

[AZ_CZ]

They have been producing the CZ 97 since…. 1997. So I’d say your timing is just off. Now if you want to really start feeling bad start shooting CZ rifles. Lots of models discontinued and replaced by something not as good, IMO. Don’t even ponder the lack of current caliber selections compared to past production unless you have a box of tissues.

[studenygreg]

Everything? I still see many new P10, p07 and 75 series pistols at the LGS. Have they stopped making everything?

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[Claymore504]

You just happen to like two of the models that most likely were not selling very well. The 97 is very nice, but held on as long as it could and even past I think. The Rami is an excellent little handgun and I used to own a 9mm BD version that I should have kept. I just do not see it surviving the current market with all the micro 9mm handguns out these days.

As for Colt, that already happened. The other thread mentioned does not call Colt evil I would say, but focuses on how the company  is all but failed and CZ should turn them around.

[AZ_GunGuy]

Steel frame race guns are preferred for competition where more weight is preferred, i.e. Shadow 2, TS2.  Polymer guns are preferred for carry due to their light weight.  The 97 and Rami are not ideal for competition or carry.  I'm not happy to see them go but it makes sense.

[MeatAxe]

Steel frame race guns are preferred for competition where more weight is preferred, i.e. Shadow 2, TS2.  Polymer guns are preferred for carry due to their light weight.  The 97 and Rami are not ideal for competition or carry.  I'm not happy to see them go but it makes sense.

The CZ97 and the Rami are two prime examples of CZ having very good guns that they didn’t have the vision to carry far enough and ultimate screwed the pooch. Unfortunately, CZ seems to be making a habit of that lately (i.e. with Colt).

If Cz had bothered to chamber the 97 in 10mm, they’d be riding the crest of the 10mm resurgence right now, and if they’d really had some imagination, they’d chamber it in 7.5 FK Brno as well and make it optics ready.

The Rami is probably the sweetest subcompact ever made: supremely ergonomic, reliable, accurate and a nice DA/SA trigger. All it needed was to be updated with a rail and to be made optics ready.

But nooooo…they had to make a plastique Glock clone so they could try to cash in on the fad, cheap manufacturing / higher profit margins. And now CZ is forced to give rebates on their Glock clones (even though they arguably make a better Glock than Glock itself) because the Glock and Glock clone market is saturated.

They just don’t have the vision or the balls to follow through these days.

[Claymore504]

I do agree that CZ could be focusing on bringing the metal frame guns (along with P07/P09) "up to date" for a lack of better terms. The last real push I see to update the line up was with the SP-01 Tac. They should take note of Beretta and the revival of the 92. I believe that Ernest Langdon with his release of the Elite LTT really started the wave and then combined with Beretta coming out with the M9A4, X Models and the X Performance, the 92 is very alive and well and being talked about again.

I just hope CZ realizes that they hold a very significant share of DA/SA fans here in the US. We love our CZ handguns and regard them very highly which I think causes us to hold CZ-USA overall to a high standard.

[GRU7_Mike]

I think CZ missed the real deal with the 45 cal line.  A 45 cal P0-1 would have been a much better seller than the 97.  Would make a great EDC firearm.

[Bret]

If Cz had bothered to chamber the 97 in 10mm, they’d be riding the crest of the 10mm resurgence right now

This is what I was going to say, but you beat me to it.

I'm glad that I purchased a 40S&W CZ75 while they were available.  Same with the 40S&W HiPower.  I wish I had purchased a 40S&W RAMI.  Mostly, I wish I had purchased a CZ40 B.  Perhaps CZ will revive it since they've purchased Colt.


 

[armoredman]

It's all down to what makes money. If the sales were there to keep models in production, they would stay in production. Note the PCR, PO1 and Compact pistol are all still listed in production, because they are very popular. The P-10 series has taken off like a rocket, hence the new models. There was exactly one CZ-97 chambered in 10mm, and the guy who shot it told me they practically had to saw the pistol in two to make it work. I believe that pistol is on display at CZ headquarters. As for 10mm, heck yes, I'd love to see a Scorpion in 10mm, best subgun cartridge out there in my uninformed opinion, but the sales aren't there to justify the tooling and dies.
40 S&W is still around, but not nearly as popular as it was back in the day. I agree the RAMI was a neat pistol and my son loves his, but it was a reworked shrunk down version of the CZ 40, itself a "use up" of leftover Colt Z-40 parts. As CCW guns go, it was just fine, but I guess the market didn't think so. The P-10S has taken that niche, and the P-10 Micro taking it one step further to compete with the Ruger LC/EC 9 series.
I make no excuses for what CZ does, but ultimately they are a profit driven company, and as sad as it is, (I miss the CZ 527 series!), they try to stay current and produce what the market here and overseas wants.
Now, having said all that drivel, if you want to keep certain models, it never ever hurts to contact CZ directly and let them know. If the company sees a market for something, well, we know how this works. 

[MeatAxe]

It's all down to what makes money. If the sales were there to keep models in production, they would stay in production. Note the PCR, PO1 and Compact pistol are all still listed in production, because they are very popular. The P-10 series has taken off like a rocket, hence the new models. There was exactly one CZ-97 chambered in 10mm, and the guy who shot it told me they practically had to saw the pistol in two to make it work. I believe that pistol is on display at CZ headquarters. As for 10mm, heck yes, I'd love to see a Scorpion in 10mm, best subgun cartridge out there in my uninformed opinion, but the sales aren't there to justify the tooling and dies.
40 S&W is still around, but not nearly as popular as it was back in the day. I agree the RAMI was a neat pistol and my son loves his, but it was a reworked shrunk down version of the CZ 40, itself a "use up" of leftover Colt Z-40 parts. As CCW guns go, it was just fine, but I guess the market didn't think so. The P-10S has taken that niche, and the P-10 Micro taking it one step further to compete with the Ruger LC/EC 9 series.
I make no excuses for what CZ does, but ultimately they are a profit driven company, and as sad as it is, (I miss the CZ 527 series!), they try to stay current and produce what the market here and overseas wants.
Now, having said all that drivel, if you want to keep certain models, it never ever hurts to contact CZ directly and let them know. If the company sees a market for something, well, we know how this works. 

RE: the failed 10mm CZ 97…and yet, Tanfoglio has been successfully churning out excellent 10mm CZ 75 clones, with both plastic and cast frames, for years in various models and in various calibers (.45, .40 & 9mm). But CZ, who invented the design, can’t (or won’t) do it. So CZ has missed the resurgent 10mm wave.

[Crazy8]

Those bastards also discontinued the optic ready version of p10s 

Doesn’t make sense when everyone else is moving towards optics ready pistols.

[MeatAxe]

Those bastards also discontinued the optic ready version of p10s 

Doesn’t make sense when everyone else is moving towards optics ready pistols.

Good God!!! I hadn’t heard that, but that’s supremely stupid — but not at all surprising from CZ at this point. Not that I’m any fan of the (factory cash rebate) Glock clones, but every model of CZ’s pistols, especially the metal CZ75 variants, should at least have the option of getting an optics-ready slide from the factory.

It seems over the past few years that CZ has been on a mission to commit brand suicide. At this moment, CZ is hard at work, pouring tons of money into Colt, busily rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.