Got a new 97 B from Buds yesterday and shot it today. Also took along an STI .45 Trojan 5" 1911 for comparison. Shot both guns bench rested at 15 and 25 yards, plus some off-hand at 7 and 15 yards. I had 200 reloads and a few AE factory ball ammo.
I was surprised that the CZ was as accurate as my 1911 with most loads and better with a few. The best two groups were from the CZ, one at 3/4" @ 15 yards and one at 1 7/8" at 25 yards, both rested and using range brass. The better sights and trigger of the 1911 were better for slow off-hand fire but the CZ was better at faster fire for sure! That's when the weight of the CZ is an advantage for me.
As for the CZ, first the good. It cycled perfectly with hollow point XTP's and FMJ. The gun arrived in perfect condition. Felt recoil is very light, even with fairly warm loads. The thin aluminum grips work for me (medium size hands) and look great. Since it's not a common gun where I shoot, two people asked me about it. The target that came with the CZ showed a 111mm group at 25 meters. It's doing much better than that for me.
Now for the bad. The sights are only fair. POI is about 2" high and 1" left at 15 yards. The trigger isn't as good as a 1911 but it's better than my CZ75 B was when it was new. The 75 has 1200 rounds now and the trigger actually pretty good now. I expect the 97's trigger to get better with use although it's not too bad now.
I am going to try some various bullets that don't feed well in two poly framed 45's I have. Interestingly, the manual recommends against LSWC bullets but I'll try some plated and jacketed SWC's for feed and accuracy. It's a pleasant surprise to get an accurate pistol out of the box. I've bought enough new guns this year and good accuracy is not a given thing. To sum up, I really like CZ's and this gun has exceeded expectations.
