Sidearms & Scatterguns USPSA Production

ridenrunwv

Supporter
Supporter
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 22, 2013
329
12
Charleston, WV
I have been wanting to get into USPSA and have been looking into getting my first full size pistol to get started competing some in Production. I have narrowed my choices down to the M&P Pro and CZ 75 SP-01 and wanted to get opinions from the members on this forum. Having to manually lower the hammer and shoot DA/SA on the SP-01 in Production is a big part of my leaning towards the M&P. The pistol will end up being a pistol that I carry with me hiking and possibly some concealed carry depending if I get the M&P.

M&P Pro or SP-01 (or other CZ variant)?
 
I recommend the Pro with an Apex kit. CZ is a very good gun but will require some work to make competition ready. The SA/DA system can be a steep learning curve for competition, but Ben Stoeger shows it won't hold you back.
 
Waiting on my local dealer to get a 9mm Pro. I really considered just buy the standard 4.25" but have had several people recommend waiting for the 5". I just don't like to wait but want to get it from local dealer because he is an M&P Armorer and said he would help me with sights or trigger or whatever if I buy it from him. His price is competitive also.
 
I am planing to use a SP01 for IDPA SSP/USPSA Production this year. I've had the CZ since October and really like it, but there are definitely some changes that are needed. The stock trigger is heavy and gritty from the factory. After I went through and polished it up it became a lot smoother, but was still rather heavy especially DA. I shoot both of my S&W revolvers well in DA so a heavier DA isn't a problem for me as long as it is smooth and not really heavy. The CZ after the polish was smooth, but still a couple pounds heavier than my S&W. Then I tore it apart and with a CZC Comp hammer and a bunch of CGW parts took the stock DA 11 lbs 5.5 oz. SA 5 lbs 7 oz down to DA 6 lbs 4 oz. SA 3 lbs 1 oz. All upgrades were made to be legal in SSP/Production. It is now ready to race. The one range test was flawless with 200 rounds and I plan to get to the range this weekend for another 200 rounds through it.

But, in the end I do have more money in it than if I started with a Glock or M&P and then upgraded the sights and some of the internals in them. I carry and shoot Glocks, but the CZ feels and shoots better for me.
 
Both good choices. I shoot my G35 (like the .40 for steel), but if I didn't I'd probably chose the M&P. I prefer the striker fire guns, but it all comes down to what feels best to you and what you shoot best. Good luck this year!
 
I've had both. If you are willing to change a few parts out I think the CZ is a much better choice. I switched from a striker fired gun to the CZ DA/SA in one weekend - really not that big of a deal. I now shoot a CZ Accu Shadow and have a Shadow Target for backup.
 
I'm partial to the Sp01 as I like the feel. That said the lowering the hammer on a loaded round makes some nervous. And it will need a trigger job. No experience with the pro as to be honest I don't look a S&W semi's case never found one I liked the feel of.
 
I shoot a lot of USPSA and over the last couple years I've been watching different guns checking mostly reliability and what's winning. I shoot a Beretta 92FS, I saw this not to recommend it but to show I don't have a dog in the fight.

What I've noticed is that the M&P seems to be the most reliable, more so then the Glock's or anything else I've seen out there. Those winning 90% or better of our matches are shooting M&Ps.

I've seen too many people (including me) loose time fooling with the safety. My problem is I switch guns too much (Between the 1911 & Beretta) due to shooting different styles of matches. As you know, Beretta's safety goes up, Colts go down.

Production limits the mag to 10 rounds so I have to shoot my Beretta in the unlimited class.

But again, over all I believe the M&P to be the most reliable. Especially in cold weather (like last Sunday's match). I don't understand the glock reliability deal, I just don't see it in matches. Besides most people I know who get serious need to practice a lot, and to make that practice affordable, reload with cast bullets. That lets out the Glock, I wont have a gun I cant shoot cast bullets. The M&P doesn't care.

The Beretta is extremely reliable, the only malfunction I've had with mine in the last 4 years was failure to fire. Seems someone forgot to put a primer in the case. I like the Beretta but its too big to conceal, and I don't know of any 10 round mags for it, so I shoot unclassified. Plus the safety does slow you down.

In short, I vote for the M&P. But to be honest, I don't know much about the CZ.
 
I'm sure it varies a lot by location but here in the PNW when I was really shooting a lot of USPSA (1-2 years ago) probably a quarter of the guys shooting Production were using CZs of some sort, most of them SP-01 Shadows. There were of course guys with G34s and M&P Pros too but it seemed like as time went on more and more guys were moving to the CZ platform around here.
 
I shoot a lot of USPSA and over the last couple years I've been watching different guns checking mostly reliability and what's winning. I shoot a Beretta 92FS, I saw this not to recommend it but to show I don't have a dog in the fight.

What I've noticed is that the M&P seems to be the most reliable, more so then the Glock's or anything else I've seen out there. Those winning 90% or better of our matches are shooting M&Ps.

I've seen too many people (including me) loose time fooling with the safety. My problem is I switch guns too much (Between the 1911 & Beretta) due to shooting different styles of matches. As you know, Beretta's safety goes up, Colts go down.

Production limits the mag to 10 rounds so I have to shoot my Beretta in the unlimited class.

But again, over all I believe the M&P to be the most reliable. Especially in cold weather (like last Sunday's match). I don't understand the glock reliability deal, I just don't see it in matches. Besides most people I know who get serious need to practice a lot, and to make that practice affordable, reload with cast bullets. That lets out the Glock, I wont have a gun I cant shoot cast bullets. The M&P doesn't care.

The Beretta is extremely reliable, the only malfunction I've had with mine in the last 4 years was failure to fire. Seems someone forgot to put a primer in the case. I like the Beretta but its too big to conceal, and I don't know of any 10 round mags for it, so I shoot unclassified. Plus the safety does slow you down.

In short, I vote for the M&P. But to be honest, I don't know much about the CZ.

I would take a look at the rules my friend. The magazine does not have to be a 10 Rd mag, you just can't load more than 10 in it. As long as the gun fits in the "box" with the mag in then it's legal.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk
 
Yeah, shooting a Beretta 92 in Open is going to be painful. The better option would be to load up your mags and shoot in Limited Minor (which is where you should be unless you have a dot or a comp on it). Otherwise just put 10 rounds in your mags. The mag you make ready with can be 11 rounds so you don't have to Barney up.
 
I have a CZ SP-01 with a trigger job, and it is very light in DA. The trigger will not hold you back. The M&P might be easier to learn on, but the CZ is a very stable platform. The weight helps with sighting and keeps recoil down.

s
 
I have shot USPSA for years and the production gun I use is the Springfield XD-m 9mm 5.25” I would recommend checking it out. I will be getting mag extensions for the already 19+1 and have an inexpensive Limited minor gun. As far as the two that you originally suggested, my choice would be the M&P because of the ergonomics of the grip.
 
Ahhh..did not know they had a club there, thank you! We go to Bozeman, Billings, and Shoshoni plus our match here in Cody so a guy can shoot a match every weekend if he isn't afraid to drive a little! Come on over some second Sunday of the month to Cody and shoot with us, we'd roll out the red carpet for ya!

Rich
 
I ran the M&P9JG for a season and liked everything about it except the trigger reset. After I first started training with it I'd get a dead trigger when I didn't release all the way to reset sometimes. Its nothing you can't train around though, only took about a week of drills before the dead trigger issue was trained away. I've been running a Beretta 92A1 now for the past couple years and just like the dead trigger in the M&P you can train around the DA/SA in the CZ. Personally I'd go the route of the M&P, the ergos at least in my hands are better than the CZ and I've been able to put rounds on target a bit faster. YMMV.
 
I ran the M&P9JG for a season and liked everything about it except the trigger reset. After I first started training with it I'd get a dead trigger when I didn't release all the way to reset sometimes. Its nothing you can't train around though, only took about a week of drills before the dead trigger issue was trained away. I've been running a Beretta 92A1 now for the past couple years and just like the dead trigger in the M&P you can train around the DA/SA in the CZ. Personally I'd go the route of the M&P, the ergos at least in my hands are better than the CZ and I've been able to put rounds on target a bit faster. YMMV.

A fairly easy install apex kit for the m&p will give you one of the best production triggers on the market. Super short reset and and very smooth.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk
 
I shot Glocks for close to 20 years in a variety of disciplines and now shoot an M&P in Production and 3Gun. I really like the M&Ps and the trigger can be made better than a Glock by a decent amount and still be division compliant. Yes, proper technique makes the trigger irrelevant, but anyone who tells you they always have perfect trigger technique, especially at speed, is lying to you. There is a lot to like there and I would place them slightly in front of the XDms, Glocks and the new FNS, but not in front of the CZs. A well set up CZ is more accurate with a better trigger pull, but you need a tad of smithing to get there. The CZ is heavier and will be a little more forgiving with various loads and tuning the spring/load to get back to neutral quicker. The better trigger and return to neutral puts the CZSP01 ahead of the others as a better tool.

I shoot the M&P because I feel it is better suited to 3Gun than the CZ and I use USPSA production more to work on pistol skills than to be directly competitive. The less I switch guns and platforms, the more confidence I have with what I am using. The DA/SA CZ/Tanfo clones were about half of the Production super quad in 2013, and the other half were shooting the guns of their major sponsors (as well). The top shooters have proven that platform is irrelevant whether you are sponsored or not...it is dry-fire, fundamentals, lots of ammo time and dedication. Long story short, pick the one that feels best to you and shoot the snot out of it.