On the Range
Most centerfire pistols are not designed for suppressor use. As a simple blowback design there are only two places for unburned powder to go: out the muzzle and the breach. Just like rifles, much is dependent on the ammunition and barrel length. Low-flash powders that burn clean often have less back splash. Longer barrels will have less, and suppressors with less back pressure will also send less debris back at the shooter. It is imperative you use eye protection when shooting pistols in general, but more so with suppressed pistols. Both of these suppressors sent noticeable debris into my face. Mostly annoying, it was less noticeable during practical strings of fire. Given the larger bore diameter of the Cosmic, it sent a bit less back at me. All of the self defense ammunition was noticeably cleaner then the practice loads.
During the course of several hundred rounds, the P-01 functioned perfectly with every load and both suppressors. The slide locked back after the last round with all ammunition tested, including the 115-grain loads, and even some of my hand loads. Loaded just hot enough to lock my personal pistols open, it is very soft shooting yet still worked with both suppressors. Removing the suppressors did nothing to compromise the reliability of the P-01 pistol. One of the few NATO pistols to do well during military trials, it produced a failure rate of 7 in 15,000 rounds. Its one of the reasons CZ pistols are amongst the most popular world wide for IPSC and IDPA competitions. This example was no exception, and it worked without fail during the entirety of the testing.
All of the testing was completed with the pistol in single-action mode. While the P-01 Omega can be configured as a DA/SA with de-cocker, it also can be safely “de-cocked” using the trigger to thumb-down the hammer. Not something most shooters in this country are all that comfortable with, it is common elsewhere. Since my preferred carry mode is “cocked and locked,” and the P-01 is capable of safe carry in this manner, it was used that way. The trigger is crisp, with an average pull weight right at four pounds, with moderate take-up and no over-travel. Trigger reset measured just over 1/4 inch. Once I got used to it, follow-up shots were pretty quick. My first IPSC pistol was a CZ, so it is not something unfamiliar. Their single-action triggers are excellent, and the P-01 offers one of the best on a DA/SA pistol.
Accuracy was very solid, producing its best group using the Sig Sauer 124-grain Elite Performance, which measured just under two inches. Testing was done without the suppressor, with a couple suppressed groups to follow. Since each suppressor has a different weight, balance point, and recoil impulse, it is more consistent unsuppressed. Unlike a rifle, where suppression almost always makes shooters more accurate, that has not been my experience with pistols. While recoil is reduced, muzzle “flip” can be increased. For the most part, my groups were better without a suppressor mounted, although a couple improved. Most everything printed between 1.75 and 2.5 inches using a sandbag rest. Even 10-round groups from this position were under three inches at 25 yards.
Moving around the square range, the P-01 remained accurate and easy to shoot. From 15 yards it put 10+ rounds into 4 inches or less off hand, with most in the 2-inch range. Magazine changes were easy, and it was possible for me to run the P-01 just like my 1911 pistols using the slide stop as a release. Putting on the plate carrier and Haley Strategic D3 chest, rig the P-01 worked well as a secondary firearm. Running the PWS MK107 for transitions, the P-01 kept everything inside four inches at 10 yards. Safety manipulation was intuitive for a 1911 user running it from either side. Overall it is a very comfortable pistol to run, pretty much like all of the CZ pistols I’ve tested.
