The CZ75B or SP-01?: A Simple Question - A Difficult Answer

75B (left)  &  SP-01 (right)

CZ 75B OR SP-01?

Like most people who love guns, it's sometimes hard to make a decision when there are so many good options out there and this is definitely true when considering one of these excellent pistols produced by CZ (Česká Zbrojovka). Finding yourself in the gunstore looking through the glass at the CZ 75B and SP-01, you may find yourself in somewhat of a quandary ... Which one to choose?

LONG REVIEW - NOT UP FOR READING? - CLICK THE VIDEO BELOW
(The content discussed in this review is towards the end of the video)

BEAUTY IS ONLY SKIN DEEP... OR IS IT?

In comparing the two, one immediately notices the classical refined features of the 75B... and the aggressive menacing countenance of the SP-01.  Yet when you examine them a little closer, it's very easy to see that both pistols are really quite similar. The frame of each is virtually identical, along with the shape of the trigger, hammer, and even the grips. In all candor... I found that I was attracted to both, but as they say... beauty is only skin deep, right?

Well, yes and no.  Sometimes choosing a firearm is as simple as liking the way it looks, however,  there are times when a particular feature can make them special, maybe it just feels right in your hands, or perhaps the bulls-eye just seems to leap towards your bullets when using it! So let's answer some of those questions... what separates these two fine pistols?

THE "EYES" HAVE IT!!

In examining the differences, the first thing that stood out is the sights.  When looking down the 75B, one notices immediately how small the white three dot sights are!  Although they provide a shooter with a much finer ability to aim precisely, they can also be challenging to see depending on the lighting conditions.  The SP-01 comes with a three dot sight as well, but as you can plainly see, they are much larger, making target acquisition easier. In addition, they are tritium, so they glow beautifully in low-light or dark shooting situations.  Which do we prefer? Well, we were evenly split... half liked the 75B sights, and the other leaned towards those provided with the SP-01.

"MAG" NIFICENT CAPACITY

Both of these pistols come with the ability to stuff plenty of stopping-power into their magazines.  While the 75B is supplied with (2) 16 round mags.... the SP-01 adds an extension to the bottom of the magazine which allows for 2 additional cartridges (18 in total).  Though this does impact the overall weight initially, 2 shots downrange negates this... so it's virtually a non-issue.  So too is perhaps the argument that those last 2 bullets in the SP-01 might be the difference between life or death. Really?!?!   I'll just say it, "MAG CHANGE".  If  I honestly felt I needed 36 bullets to resolve any kind of life or death situation as opposed to 32, it's time for me to get out to the range and practice some more!

What I find more of a concern between the different magazines relates to COMFORT!   As you can see... the mags on the 75B have a standard base and those provided with the SP-01 have a plastic extension.  One reviewer did not like the feel of the extension on the SP-01, while the other preferred it. Once again, we were evenly split.

There is, however, a terrific thing that CZ did when making these magazines - they made them compatible with one another!  Yes... that's right.  Take a mag out of a 75B, slap it in your SP-01, and it functions flawlessly. Conversely, if you wanted extra capacity in your 75B or you like the way the extended mag feels when you are gripping your pistol, grab an SP-01 mag! We did this at the range and pushed a lot of ammo through each, both ways.  They functioned flawlessly!!

COMING TO GRIPS...

This is one of those personal things that really can be considered inconsequential! So many gun owners today change out their hand grips for a number of reasons, "Style", "Comfort" & "Function" being the primary three.  There are many custom choices out there for both of these pistols: wood, aluminum, blue, orange, thick, thin (the list goes on)!

However, in speaking directly towards what is shipped from CZ, the 75B was provided with black, hard plastic grips having a smooth front and rear, while the SP-01 was supplied with dark grayish, rubber grips and stippling on both the front & back of the frame.  Both reviewers found the SP-01 grips to be significantly more comfortable than the 75B's, however, both felt very nice in the hand, more-so than most of the pistols we have collectively handled.

One more thing we feel compelled to mention about the 75B & the SP-01 as it relates to this topic. These pistols are a lot to hold onto!  Both reviewers are over 6' tall... and these firearms felt incredibly comfortable to each, however, it did make us wonder whether a person with smaller hands might find them a "hand full". Just take a look at the gap between the fingers and the thumb swell in the image above.  This is indicative of both CZs.

ON TARGET!!

Ok... this is usually where I'd have a lot to say but I don't. Both the 75B and the SP-01 performed beautifully during our (10-shot) slow and rapid firing.  There's no feasible way to say one was better than the other. Just look at the target images.  Though the SP-01 did have a single flyer during slow fire, this was attributed to the shooter... not the pistol.  We were extremely impressed with both of these CZs after firing them!!  Each was easy to hold, had consistent triggers, & was well-balanced.  These pistols are simply awesome in this reviewers opinion.

Note: The "Groups" from each Rapid Fire session for both the SP-01 & 75B were transferred to show the grouping of the bullets.  This was done because the shooter shot each pistol lower on the target and the two lowest bullet holes for the 75B were actually just off the paper.  This "Transfer" has been done in order to facilitate the ability to compare both group sizes.

NO TASTE FOR "REMANUFACTURED" HSM

One last item of special concern!  We had (3) "failures to feed" when testing these pistols. (2) with the 75B and (1) with the SP-01.  All happened when using HSM "Remanufactured" 115gr ammunition imaged above.  Though we found that all the troublesome cartridges had unusual bulges near the base of each case, they were within SAAMI specs for 9mm ammo.  One bright spot however, is that we had ABSOLUTELY ZERO FAILURES firing any of the other brand of 9mm cartridge tested and we used quite a variety: including Browning 115gr FMJ & 147gr BPT, Fiocchi 115gr FMJ, and Winchester 115gr FMJ.

SO, BACK TO THE INITIAL QUESTION - 75B or SP-01?

This question is impossible for me to answer... because it comes down to: Whichever YOU prefer!  These pistols are so close performance-wise, that you just can't go wrong either way.  It's really a matter of personal taste.

If you are attracted to one versus the other... get it.  If you prefer more capacity but want the 75B, buy additional mags of the SP-01 variety. If you require a rail, that makes your choice for you.  If you prefer the rubber grips, buy a set if they don't come with the pistol you chose.  If you like the smaller sights but they aren't included on your choice... trade online with someone else as I'm certain you'll find some takers.  If you like the bigger tritium sights but they don't come on your pistol, there are plenty of after-market upgrades to choose from!

Each of these CZs is a great choice and in this reviewer's humble opinion, you'll likely be very very happy with whatever decision you make.

The Ruger American Predator: Long on Distance… Short on Price! - By UGA

Video link for those that would prefer not to read.....

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Those of you who have been seeking the holy grail of long distance at an affordable price have just been provided a taste from the cup itself.  Ruger has apparently taken the pulse of the shooting community and recognized a trend which Boone & Crocket turned their noses up at… ”Long Distance Shooting”.  By doing so, Ruger’s engineers have come up with an excellent platform, chiefly, The Ruger American Rifle which consists of  a number of variants – The Standard (found in multiple configurations), The Ranch, & THE PREDATOR.

The Ruger American Rifle is sort of the skinny little brother to another heavy hitter that Ruger came out with recently to answer long range aspirations, The Ruger Precision Rifle.  While the RPR has gotten lots of attention from the press, the Ruger American has somewhat been living in it’s shadow, but make no mistake, this little guy is no slouch, and in my eyes, deserves some time in the spotlight for a number of good reasons!

First and foremost… this little gun is a shooter!  The Ruger American Predator  in 6.5 Creedmoor we tested was very accurate and would give many multi-thousand dollar guns a run for their money.  Using Hornady ELD 140 grain bullets, we were able to throw lead to 500 yards into groups that would make serious shooters take notice.

This bad boy was capable of shooting a 5 round group in just under 3.5 inches, which to put in perspective, is about the size of the palm of my hand!   Considering that we were only using a 10x scope and Kentucky windage to aim, I believe that the rifle is capable of even smaller groups.

Next, the gun is light!  I’ll be candid… and admit that I initially broke down and bought two Ruger Precision Rifles! I was enamored by the creativity that the engineers at Ruger put into the RPR, however, to my chagrin, the Ruger Precision Rifle comes in at a whooping 9.7 lbs for the 308 and a staggering 10.6 lbs for the 6.5 Creedmoor.  I say staggering because if you ever took this rifle for a long hike up a mountainside (or even small rolling hills for that matter), you’d be staggering back! The RPR isn’t a gun anyone except Arnold Swarzenegger wants to be toting around in the field.

Hunters that are going to be covering terrain need light versatile rifles and that’s where the Ruger American Predator shines! At most, the RAP weights in at just over 6.5 lbs!  That’s 64% the weight of  it’s bigger brother. Every serious hunter knows that 1 pound of weight feels like 10 pounds upon your return from the field.  You can do the math! Also, in field conditions, you may have to shoot standing, unsupported at fast moving game.  The RAP weight advantage allows for quick easy shots and swingability that feels natural. Trying doing this with the RPR and you’ll likely blow a disc in your lower back!

And the last real deal sealer… the Ruger American Predator has a street price of around $400!  That’s just an incredible value for a rifle that shoots this well.  If you want a light, accurate rifle on the cheap that I suspect is capable of boiler room shoots out to 1000 yards, look no further!  Heck, I’d rather buy an inexpensive firearm that shoots great than an expensive one that does. Why?  Because it means I have more money to put into better optics.  When you are shooting as far as this rifle can... accurately, you can’t hit what you can’t see!!

 Kudos to Team Ruger.  JOB WELL DONE

One last note: If you watch the video... and see that the rifle is not ejecting spent cartridges, do not be concerned! The Ruger American Predator had no issues whatsoever with a soft ejector! My son and I had just done a K31 Swiss review and had to chase a lot of brass. We decided on this review to just not fully engage the bolt stop and keep the brass at arms length, so we could toss it into our stand for easy retrieval!

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P.S.  We will be taking the Ruger American Rifle out to 1000 yards in the near future and I will update this blog with the results!