CZ P-07 vs Walther PPQ

[LaughingNowHaHa]

New here, first post. Long story short, things got real tight and my entire collection had to be liquidated. Looking to replace my general purpose/EDC handgun first and I've narrowed down to a CZ P07 or a Walther PPQ. Any info or suggestions based on first hand knowledge would be appreciated.

[sigarms228]

IMO it mainly depends on if you want a hammer fired or striker fired pistol. Both have an excellent reputation IMO though Walther has a better lifetime warranty to original purchaser. As always it is best to try out what you are considering first with live fire to see if one works better than the other for you. Some don't like the skinny grip area on the slide of CZs so check that out to and see what you think of it. Walther PPQ will most likely have the better trigger out of the box and much shorter trigger reset if that is a concern to you.

[LaughingNowHaHa]

The Walther's trigger is superb. IMO both hammer and striker have their own strengths and weaknesses. Seems like the narrow grip of the CZ might lend itself better to concealment.

[LaughingNowHaHa]

Thanks for the heads up on the Walther Lifetime warranty. I was unaware.

[Fishbed77]

Both are high-quality pistols and you need to decide which trigger system you prefer. Personally, I find the P07 to be the better shooting of the two, but I have no problem shooting DA/SA pistols. Felt recoil seems slightly less on the P07 as well, but it is a heavier pistol.

Also consider the P99AS - basically the same pistol as the PPQ with a DA/SA striker-fired trigger and decocker, and superior paddle-style mag release. It has the best trigger feel of any striker-fired pistol I've encountered.

Honestly, any difference in warranty would not figure in my decision. Both of these pistols should function flawlessly out of the box. If not, you will know quickly and can address under warranty (not a likely occurrence with either of these pistols). If they run well out of the box, they will likely run well for many years if properly maintained.

Seems like the narrow grip of the CZ might lend itself better to concealment.

While the PPQ and P07 are extremely similar in size, I find the PPQ/P99 design to be slightly easier to conceal due to the profile of the slide and grip. The P07 is a bit chunkier in profile, despite similar overall dimensions. It is also a bit heavier. YMMV.

[LaughingNowHaHa]

@Fishbed77 Thanks for the info

[LaughingNowHaHa]

@Fishbed 77 the p07 looks like it would have a lower center of gravity (bore axis) than the ppq.

[sigarms228]

The Walther's trigger is superb. IMO both hammer and striker have their own strengths and weaknesses. Seems like the narrow grip of the CZ might lend itself better to concealment.
They both are very similar in size. I have no trouble concealing my PPQ IWB with a good holster and belt though these days I primarily CCW a Walther PPS because of how thin it is and the resulting increase in comfort level.

Regarding your comment on bore axis, they are pretty much identical but I am not a shooter that concerns myself with bore axis. I just shoot the guns and then judge on how well I like it. There are pistols with notably lower bore axis, if that is a major concern, such as Glocks and S&W M&P.

[Fishbed77]

Fishbed 77 the p07 looks like it would have a lower center of gravity (bore axis) than the ppq.

The bore axis of these two pistols appear to be about the same as far as I can tell. The large beavertail of the P07 limits how high of a grip you will get. I attribute the difference in felt recoil & "flippiness" between these designs to be more a function of weight. Honestly, both are soft-shooting pistols.

Personally, I find the importance of bore axis to be a bit exaggerated by many. A SIG P226 has a considerably higher bore axis than either of these two pistols, but I've never found it to be an issue.

[jetinteriorguy]

P07.

[rickmelear]

I own both. I think the PPQ is the finest striker fired pistol ever produced. Love the feel, never had a bobble in 3K plus rounds and the trigger is simply phenomenal.
However, that awesome trigger keeps me from carrying the gun. At the range I’ve double tapped many times by accident. But, I try and shoot off the reset which may be a weakness on me.
Now for the P07, good feel, good d/a trigger and I like the s/a trigger too.
My favorite range gun is the PPQ, my carry is the P07.
You will have to choose, I suggest you rent and try both.

[JDBerg]

I honestly do not think there is a bad choice to be made between the CZ P-07 and the Walther PPQ M2. Between the 2 I think I’d prefer the P-07, but I wouldn’t argue with someone who prefers the PPQ. I would actually prefer my own CZ 75B over the P-07, and I prefer the Walther P99 AS over the PPQ, strictly “MHO”

[Areoflyer09]

I had a set of PPQs, which were replaced by a P-09 and a P-07 will be the next purchase.

I’ve shot the 9mm P-07 and recoil felt similar to the PPQ. I had less perceived muzzle flip with the P-07, but I think this just a factor of grip shape and how it fits me. The big differences between them is how the grip feels in your hand and the trigger. The PPQ still has the best striker fired trigger I’ve felt, but I was consistently more accurate* with the P-07. The P-07 has a decent trigger from the factory, but a little elbow grease and a couple of of CGW parts will do wonders.

You really can’t go wrong with either choice, they are both great guns. Just different sides of the spectrum.

My decision to stay with DA/SAs meant I bought a P-09 first for HD use as that was the primary concern. But the P-07 will be next and I like that I can set the triggers up to be very close. No thinking required between what is the HD option and what will be the carry choice.

*This is 100% my own doing. The more time I spent shooting my DA/SA ranges guns the worse I got with the PPQs, even when spending equal amounts of time shooting them. This is not a fault of the PPQ, when it was my only pistol I was much better with it. The lesson was I much prefer a DA/SA than a striker.

[wild cat mccane]

Owned both.

The CZ P series comes with a long reset trigger.

No thanks, for me.

Yes. Laid on top of each other the bore axis is the same.

[Fishbed77]

I would actually prefer my own CZ 75B over the P-07, and I prefer the Walther P99 AS over the PPQ, strictly “MHO”

I agree with this statement.

The only exception is for concealed carry, where the smaller size and safety of the decocker option puts the P07 ahead of the CZ75B in my opinion.

[OhioGuy]

I have both pistols, and love both pistols. You won't go wrong with either.

That said, they're very different animals.

I use my PPQ (5") for target shooting, some Steel Challenge, etc. I use my P-07 for carry, training, some IDPA style shooting.

In my opinion, the exposed hammer on guns like the P-07 offers a great measure of passive safety when holstering the weapon. I get remarks about "booger hooks" and "bang switches" and "safeties between your ears" all the time, but the fact to me is that having the hammer means that a potential snag on an article of clothing will not shoot me in the leg, at least not easily. There's a 10 lb. trigger plus the pressure of my thumb to overcome, and I will feel that pressure and stop my action. That's my plug for hammers.

That said -- gun vs. gun...

The PPQ trigger really is the shining star everyone says it is. It's fantastic. The PPQ is very nicely balanced and the ergonomics are great, though I'd suggest Talon Grips as the plastic is rather slippery in my hand. Easy to point, easy to shoot, easy to follow up with.

The CZ's trigger is pretty good in its own right. Gritty at first in DA, but it smooths out a lot with use. If you're not familiar with DA/SA, there will be an extra level of practice required to master it, but I've become very good with that DA shot, and subsequently better at shooting every other gun including the PPQ. The trick to learning the DA trigger is to shoot and dry-fire the hell out of it in DA mode. No magic, just practice and lots of deliberate exercises. The SA trigger is light and crisp, and makes the PPQ feel heavy. In SA I can shoot the P-07 as well or better than the PPQ.

I can fire rapid strings with the P-07 easily. It fits my hand better overall, too.

I've since milled my P-07 to take an RMR optic and love it. If I were to do that on the PPQ, I'd probably get the Q4 TAC model that's already cut for optics.

Neither model has the aftermarket enjoyed by S&W or Glock. But it's good enough.

So between the two, I'd probably break for the P-07, unless you don't want to invest the training to become good with DA/SA, in which case the Walther is an awesome gun.

(My experience -- I would not recommend the P-07/09 for cocked-and-locked, simply because the decocker/safety lever is very difficult to hit easily on the draw, at least for my hands. I think these guns are really designed for DA/SA use, but they can be converted to SA-only with thumb safety).

[wild cat mccane]

The Walther P99AS does all the above DA/SA but comes with a lighter single action and same action as the PPQ.

[ms6852]

Have no experience with the CZ and am very reluctant when it comes to black polymer pistols, but I was very surprised when I shot the Walther PPQ that my wife had selected for her protection. As mentioned above the factory trigger out of the box is really good. Gun is very accurate and reliable and its ergonimically designed to fit your hand very well. I carry a 1911 because always loved the feel of the grips in my hand, but would not mind carrying the PPQ as it has changed my mind about how I feel about "plastic" guns.

[P-990]

Pick the trigger action you want. Neither is a bad choice. Bear in mind, I say that having no experience with the CZ P-07/09 pistols.

I do have a PPQ M1 in 9mm . I prefer the paddle-style magazine release on these to the "American" thumb-button on the M2. It's truly fully-ambidextrous with this set-up, with no mag-release change out required. The trigger on it is superb, and honestly I vacillate on my feelings about whether or not it's a good trigger to put in the hands of a less-experienced shooter. I can see why Walther doesn't market this pistol as a general-issue type weapon for large forces. The P-99AS and the early P-990 DAO (see my screen name...) are probably better for use where a gun may be drawn often and not fired.

Accuracy on the PPQ is very good. Head shots on an IDPA or IPSC type target at 25 yards are easy. Reliability is great. Mine hasn't had a failure to feed, fire or eject in a couple of cases worth of ammo. The magazines seem to be very well built. Which is good, because they're pricey when they're in stock.

Concealability and carriability of the PPQ is also very good. It isn't a large pistol by any stretch, being roughly equivalent to a Glock 19. The shape of the slide and grip help quite a bit in how easy the pistol is to carry. Instead of being large, blocky, square shapes, most of the edges are well rounded, reducing the overall profile.

OK, if you ask me, I'd get the Walther, a couple of spare magazines, some sights you like, a good holster and a case of ammo. Then go shoot happy without worrying about what I might be missing not picking the CZ. ;)

[Fishbed77]

I can see why Walther doesn't market this pistol as a general-issue type weapon for large forces.

The very similar P99RAD and P99Q exist in the European market for just this use. I can't elaborate on the trigger used in these pistols versus the PPQ, though.