The CZ 82 doesn't get talked about enough at Idaho gun counters, which is a shame because it's one of the more interesting surplus pistols that came through in the 2000s.

"When surplus CZ 82s began arriving in the United States in the 2000s at $200-250, they quickly earned a reputation as one of the best bargains in the handgun market."

I remember seeing these stacked in the used case at a shop off Fairview back when they first showed up. At that price point, skepticism was reasonable — and wrong. These things shot better than they had any business shooting for the money.

"Fully ambidextrous controls — magazine release and safety/decocker accessible from both sides, virtually unheard of in the Eastern Bloc"

That's not a minor footnote. Ambi controls were a design conversation happening in the West in the early 80s and most manufacturers were dragging their feet. The Czechs just built it in, on a military-issue pistol, behind the Iron Curtain. Makes you think about how much of "Western" firearms development was marketing versus actual engineering priority.

The 9x18 Makarov chambering is the main thing that keeps these out of most carry rotations today — ammo availability has gotten thinner and it sits in an awkward spot between .380 and 9mm Luger. But as a range gun or a collector piece, the 12-round capacity and polygonal barrel make it genuinely interesting to shoot.

If you've got one of these and have put rounds through it — curious what your experience has been with current 9x18 ammo options and whether you've noticed any accuracy or reliability differences between the Eastern European brass and whatever domestic stuff you've run through it.

Read the full article in The Handbook → | By The Boise Gun Club Team