Disappointment.
I’ve only owned four handguns: a CZ 85B, a P10F, a Glock 19 Gen 5, and a Beretta M9A4. Out here in Central America, we don't get quality aftermarket parts like other places do; we are stuck with whatever trash we can find on Amazon and eBay.
Of course, the M9A4 is the best overall package out of my options, but I shoot the CZ P10F the best, which is why it's designated for home defense. I’ve owned it for two years, but with barely 500 rounds through it—we just don't get much range time out here.
Because I live near the beach, the humidity is brutal. I constantly have to clean my CZs just to keep the rust spots at bay, wiping them down even when I haven't shot them. So, imagine my shock when a gang of thieves started terrorizing the neighborhood, and the gun I needed for protection decided to catastrophically fail on me. The magazine release got stuck, and the mag kept falling right out. How can I trust a gun like that? It has never been dropped or thrown, it’s been treated like a baby, and I use no excessive cleaning products or full spring tension storage.
I used to argue with people over Glocks, telling them it’s embarrassing for a company to ship guns with cheap plastic sights and poor grip texture. But a guy on Reddit told me, "Cheap materials on your CZ," and he might be right. I’ve had my Glock 19.5 way longer than this CZ. I don't baby it, it has triple the round count, it's been treated badly, and it has zero rust issues. I'm just glad I had the chance to retrieve and get my 19.5.
For people who can just walk into a store and buy any gun part they need: good for you, and bless your country. In places like this, even though a Glock costs $2,000 and a CZ is $1,500, you get what you get, period. If CZs were priced here like they are in the States, maybe it would be worth the gamble.
Have any of you had similar bad experiences with your CZs?