CZ P-10 C Ported: Best Budget Compensated 9mm?

The big takeaway on this model is that it takes a well-liked gun that has been around for almost a decade and gives it a series of small updates, as well as an integrated single-port compensator.

The compact, semi-automatic, striker-fired P-10 C 9mm was first introduced in 2017 and has continued to evolve over the past decade. Featuring a 15+1 magazine capacity, its 4-inch cold hammer-forged barrel, in addition to its new compensator, now sports a heavier profile to help keep the gun flat. The sights have been brought over from the new Nocturne P-09 series. The optics footprint uses a plate system.

CZ P-10 C Ported Optics-Ready Compensated 9mm Pistol
The P-10 C Ported has an overall length of 7.3 inches. Note the large port on the 4-inch heavy barrel, directed out the top of the slide, which creates a setback on the front sight. (All photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
CZ P-10 C Ported Optics-Ready Compensated 9mm Pistol
The unloaded weight is 26.8 ounces.
CZ P-10 C Ported Optics-Ready Compensated 9mm Pistol
The pistol is roughly the same size as the G19. 
CZ P-10 C Ported Optics-Ready Compensated 9mm Pistol
And compared to the company’s recently introduced P-09C Nocturne. 

The short answer to this one is that the CZ P-10 C Ported is one of the most reliable pistols we have evaluated. Over the course of about 800 mixed rounds across several ammo types and loads, we did not have a single stoppage.

We didn’t even suffer from a slide failing to lock back on an empty mag. And that is on a gun right out of the box with no additional lube or prep.

CZ P-10 C Ported Optics-Ready Compensated 9mm Pistol
The P-10 series has a reputation as one of the most durable and reliable pistols on the market. One of our favorite exports from Czechia. We feel Jan Zizka would approve. 
CZ P-10 C Ported Optics-Ready Compensated 9mm Pistol
The majority of what we fed the P-10 C was Remington 115-grain FMJ Range 1,145 fps bulk pack (500 rounds loose-packed inside a bag in a cardboard box). 
CZ P-10 C Ported Optics-Ready Compensated 9mm Pistol
Swapping it up, other loads included Federal’s red-tipped 150-grain Syntech Action Pistol flat-nosed rounds, CCI Blazer 115-grain FMJ, Winchester 124-grain NATO ball, and Federal’s 147-grain Gold Medal Action Pistol.
CZ P-10 C Ported Optics-Ready Compensated 9mm Pistol
After chugging through about 700 rounds of range loads, we switched to self-defense rounds and found the P-10 C to run Speer 124-grain Gold Dot, Federal 124-grain Punch, and 135-grain Hydra Shok Deep JHPs without issue. 
CZ P-10 C Ported Optics-Ready Compensated 9mm Pistol
Besides enduring use with the Czech military and others, the German Army recently tapped CZ to provide as many as 186,000 P-10Cs to replace that country’s P8 (Heckler & Koch USP) series pistol. 

The full review is in my column at Guns.com.

Leave a Reply