CZ 97 grips
CZ 97 grips
The CZ 97 (officially CZ 97B) was introduced in 1997 by Česká zbrojovka (CZ) in Uherský Brod, Czech Republic, as a .45 ACP big-bore companion to the legendary CZ 75 (designed 1975)
Developed in the mid-1990s—after František Koucký's death—by designer Stanislav Strizik, it targeted the American market amid the Federal Assault Weapons Ban (1994–2004), featuring a 10-round staggered magazine for compliance
Unlike the CZ 75's slide-inside-frame locking lugs, the CZ 97 uses a unique front-chamber/ejection-port lockup, threaded removable barrel bushing, all-steel construction, DA/SA trigger, manual safety (early models), loaded chamber indicator, and low bore axis for soft recoil
With a 4.8-inch barrel, 8.3-inch overall length, and ~2.4 lbs weight, it delivered exceptional accuracy and reliability. Variants included the 97BD (decocker, no manual safety) and later fiber-optic sights/aluminum grips
Though it never achieved CZ 75 cult status due to size and capacity limits post-ban, the CZ 97 earned praise as a smooth-shooting, high-quality .45. Production continued until 2021, cementing its place as CZ's flagship full-size .45 ACP pistol