The FN 309 MRD is a compact 9mm pistol with a 16+1 capacity, optics-ready slide, internal hammer, approximately five-pound trigger and $549 MSRP.

FN also claims the pistol requires 25 percent less force to rack than the FN 509 Tactical and that its magazines require 40 percent less loading force than comparable pistols.

Those are useful features—not marketing fluff about a new slide texture or another shade of flat dark earth.

The FN 309 MRD appears designed for concealed carry, home defense and new shooters who want a practical compact pistol without the stiff slide, tiny grip or unpleasant recoil commonly associated with “easy-to-use” handguns.

I have not fired the FN 309 MRD, so this is not a hands-on review. It is an examination of the FN 309 specifications, its position against the Glock 19 and what the pistol still needs to prove before it becomes a dependable long-term defensive firearm.

FN 309 MRD Specifications

According to FN’s official FN 309 MRD specifications⁠, the pistol includes:

• 9mm chambering
• 3.8-inch barrel
• 7.4-inch overall length
• 5.4-inch height
• 1.26-inch width
• 22.5-ounce unloaded weight
• 16-round flush-fit magazine
• 20-round extended magazine
• Approximately five-pound trigger
• Internal hammer
• Single-action operation
• Optics-ready slide
• Accessory rail
• Reversible magazine release
• No-trigger-pull disassembly
• $549 suggested retail price

Those specifications put the FN 309 MRD directly into the compact 9mm category.

That means it will be compared with the Glock 19, SIG Sauer P320 Compact, SIG P365 XMacro, Smith & Wesson M&P Compact, Springfield Hellcat Pro and every other manufacturer trying to sell Americans another black 9mm pistol.

The FN 309 therefore needs to offer more than a familiar shape and a new product number.

What Is the FN 309 MRD?

The FN 309 MRD is a compact polymer-frame 9mm pistol intended for concealed carry and personal defense.

Its dimensions are close enough to the Glock 19 that most buyers will naturally compare the two. The FN is slightly lighter, has a shorter barrel and offers a 16-round flush magazine plus a 20-round extended magazine.

The most unusual part of the design is the operating system.

The FN 309 is not striker-fired. It uses an internal hammer and operates as a single-action-only pistol. The hammer is hidden inside the slide, so the gun retains the clean exterior and snag-free profile most concealed carriers expect from a modern polymer handgun.

That gives FN a way to offer a relatively light trigger without simply building another striker-fired pistol.

The internal hammer is not automatically better than a striker. It is simply different. The real questions are whether the trigger is consistent, whether the pistol ignites ammunition reliably and whether the design remains durable after years of use.

A product page cannot answer those questions.

My older Colt Combat Elite review⁠ dealt with a more traditional hammer-fired pistol and made the same larger point: features are interesting, but the actual trigger, safety system and reliability determine whether a pistol deserves trust.

FN 309 MRD Trigger and Internal Hammer

FN lists the 309 MRD trigger pull at approximately five pounds.

That sounds promising, but trigger-pull weight is only one part of trigger quality. A clean five-pound trigger can be excellent. A gritty five-pound trigger with excessive movement and a poor reset can feel like operating a rusty staple gun.

The FN 309 MRD’s internal hammer may provide a crisp single-action trigger while keeping the pistol externally similar to a striker-fired handgun.

That could be attractive to shooters who want:

• A lighter, cleaner trigger
• A consistent single-action trigger press
• No exposed hammer
• A compact defensive pistol
• Familiar modern controls

The tradeoff is that the owner still needs to understand the pistol’s specific operating system. A single-action-only handgun is not the same as a double-action/single-action pistol such as the classic Colt or a CZ 75 variant.

The FN 309 should be treated as its own design rather than assumed to operate exactly like a Glock because it has a polymer frame and no visible hammer.

The FN 309 MRD Has an Easy-to-Rack Slide

FN claims the FN 309 MRD requires 25 percent less slide-racking force than the FN 509 Tactical.

That is one of the most useful features on the entire pistol.

Some gun owners will mock the idea because every gun discussion attracts a man eager to announce that his grandmother could rack an artillery piece during World War I.

Hand strength is not a moral virtue.

Older shooters, people with arthritis, injured shooters and new gun owners may struggle to operate a stiff pistol slide. A firearm that is technically powerful but physically difficult to load, unload or clear is not a practical defensive tool for that person.

The traditional answer was often a tiny blowback pistol with a miserable trigger, sharp recoil, poor sights and limited capacity.

The FN 309 takes a more sensible approach. It keeps a useful grip, compact dimensions and modern capacity while reducing the force needed to operate the slide.

That does not make it a “weak person’s gun.”

It makes it a gun designed around actual human beings instead of gun-counter mythology.

FN 309 MRD Magazine Capacity

The FN 309 MRD uses a 16-round flush-fit magazine and includes a 20-round extended magazine.

That gives the owner a reasonable concealed-carry setup and a higher-capacity option for home defense or use as a spare magazine.

FN also claims that the magazine spring requires 40 percent less force to load than comparable magazines.

This matters because a magazine is not truly a 16-round magazine if the owner cannot reliably load the final cartridges. New shooters frequently struggle with the last few rounds in high-capacity magazines, especially before the springs have worn in.

More capacity does not replace marksmanship or judgment.

It does, however, provide more ammunition in a situation where the owner will not receive advance notice of how many attackers may be present.

FN 309 MRD Optics-Ready Slide

The FN 309 MRD has a direct-mount optics cut compatible with red dots using the Shield RMS and Leupold DeltaPoint Pro footprints.

A direct-mount system can reduce the number of parts between the optic and the slide. It may also allow the optic to sit lower than one mounted through a thick adapter plate.

The disadvantage is that the buyer must confirm compatibility before purchasing an optic.

“RMS footprint” and “DeltaPoint Pro footprint” do not guarantee that every optic will use the same screws, recoil lugs or dimensions. The exact optic model matters.

FN lists a green fiber-optic front sight and white-accented U-notch rear sight. The company also says the rear dovetail is shared with the FN 509, which should provide access to replacement sight options.

An optic may improve aiming, but it does not replace practice. My older service-rifle optics article⁠ made the same point in a different shooting discipline: an optic can help a shooter see the target, but it cannot fix poor fundamentals.

For pistol owners interested in co-witnessing, my article on choosing a co-witness height⁠ explains why sight height and optic placement matter.

FN 309 MRD Disassembly Does Not Require a Trigger Pull

The FN 309 MRD can be disassembled without pulling the trigger.

Many striker-fired pistols require a trigger pull during the takedown process. That can be done safely, but only after removing all ammunition and physically and visually confirming that the firearm is unloaded.

The trigger pull itself does not cause negligent discharges.

Negligent gun handling causes negligent discharges.

Still, eliminating an unnecessary trigger press is a worthwhile design choice. It gives careless owners one fewer opportunity to make a catastrophic mistake and makes the pistol somewhat more approachable for newer shooters.

The FN 309 MRD also uses internal safeties and does not currently appear to include a manual safety. FN has indicated that a manual-safety version is planned.

There is no universally correct answer for every shooter. The correct choice is the configuration the owner understands and will actually practice with.

FN 309 MRD vs. Glock 19

The obvious question is whether the FN 309 MRD is better than the Glock 19.

Not yet.

The Glock 19 has decades of field experience, widespread parts availability, inexpensive magazines, enormous holster support and a reliability reputation built across millions of pistols.

My Glock 19 versus Glock 26 comparison⁠ covers the factors that matter when choosing a carry handgun: size, concealability, grip length, capacity and shootability.

The FN 309 has a promising specification sheet.

The Glock 19 has a track record.

That distinction matters. A new handgun does not become proven because a manufacturer sends it to gun YouTube channels, films a promotional torture test and adds dramatic music.

The FN 309 needs to prove:

• Reliability with common practice ammunition
• Reliability with defensive ammunition
• Magazine durability
• Magazine availability
• Extractor and firing-component longevity
• Optic-mounting durability
• Holster availability
• Replacement-parts support
• Consistency across production guns

If the FN 309 performs well in those areas, it could become a legitimate Glock 19 alternative.

If FN abandons the model after two catalog cycles, owners may eventually be searching auction sites for magazines and replacement parts.

Is the FN 309 MRD Good for New Shooters?

The FN 309 MRD may be especially appealing to new shooters.

The lighter slide, easier-loading magazines, no-trigger-pull disassembly and relatively light trigger address real problems that many new handgun owners encounter.

That makes the FN 309 interesting for concealed carry and home defense, particularly for somebody who wants a useful compact pistol but struggles with heavier slides or stiff magazine springs.

The accessory rail allows the use of a compact weapon light. The optics-ready slide allows the addition of a red dot. The 20-round magazine provides additional capacity when concealment is not the priority.

But equipment does not install competence.

My article What Gear Do I Need to Be a Competitive Shooter? Nothing⁠ explains the same principle from the competition side: buying equipment is not the same as developing skill.

Watching a Garand Thumb YouTube video is not training.

Mounting an optic is not training.

Buying the newest FN pistol is not training.

The owner still needs to learn safe handling, loading, unloading, malfunction clearance, sight use and trigger control.

FN 309 MRD Concealed Carry Considerations

At 22.5 ounces unloaded, the FN 309 MRD appears light enough for daily concealed carry without becoming an unpleasantly small pistol.

The 5.4-inch height and 1.26-inch width are within the range many concealed carriers already accept from compact 9mm handguns.

The real-world carry experience will depend on the holster, belt, clothing, body shape and grip configuration. The extended 20-round magazine may provide useful capacity, but the longer grip will generally be harder to conceal than the flush 16-round magazine.

The owner also needs to test the actual pistol, holster, magazine, ammunition, optic and weapon light as one complete system.

Travel creates another set of responsibilities. My article on flying with a handgun⁠ covers the practical process for transporting a firearm by air. I also wrote about concealed carry at Camp Perry and traveling to Ohio⁠, which illustrates why gun owners need to check the law where they are going instead of relying on assumptions.

Is the FN 309 MRD Worth Buying?

At a $549 MSRP, the FN 309 MRD deserves attention.

It offers useful capacity, compact dimensions, an optics-ready slide, an internal hammer, an easy-to-rack slide and a disassembly system that does not require a trigger pull.

Those are practical features.

The biggest weakness is that the FN 309 MRD is new.

The market does not yet know whether FN will support the pistol for the long term, produce enough magazines, maintain parts availability or provide adequate holster support.

That is the difference between a promising handgun and a proven handgun.

The FN 309 MRD could become one of the better values in the compact 9mm market if it proves reliable and FN supports it properly.

It could also become another decent firearm whose owners spend years searching for magazines if the company loses interest.

The design looks intelligent.

The price is competitive.

The feature list is genuinely useful.

Now FN has to do the difficult part: build enough of them, support them properly and keep them alive long enough for gun owners to trust them.

Pennsylvania’s 2026–27 hunting seasons begin today, September 1, and this season finally brings something hunters should have had generations ago: Sunday hunting throughout nearly every regular season.

Not three carefully rationed Sundays.

Not a handful of dates selected as though Harrisburg were distributing emergency food.

If a Pennsylvania hunting season includes a Sunday, hunters generally may hunt that Sunday. The major exception for 2026–27 is migratory game birds, including mourning doves, waterfowl and woodcock.

It took Pennsylvania 153 years to mostly eliminate a pointless restriction that treated hunters like irresponsible children six days after allowing them to enter the same woods with the same firearms.

That is government progress measured with a sundial, but it is still progress.

Is Sunday Hunting Legal in Pennsylvania in 2026?

Yes.

The Pennsylvania General Assembly enacted Act 36 of 2025⁠, repealing the state’s general prohibition on Sunday hunting.

The relevant section of the current Game and Wildlife Code now says exactly what it should: “Hunting on Sunday prohibited⁠”—repealed.

For the 2025–26 season, the Pennsylvania Game Commission initially approved 13 Sunday hunting dates while implementing the new law. Beginning with the 2026–27 seasons, the Commission has included Sundays falling within almost every listed season.

That means Sunday is no longer a special exception for deer, bear, turkey, squirrel, rabbit, pheasant and most other Pennsylvania game.

The important rule is simple: the species must actually be in season on that date, and every other licensing, location, firearm, tagging and hunting regulation still applies.

Sunday is now a hunting day, not a suspension of the entire Game Code.

The Migratory Bird Exception Remains

Pennsylvania has not opened Sunday hunting for migratory game birds during the 2026–27 license year.

That includes:

• Mourning doves
• Ducks
• Geese
• Woodcock
• Brant
• Coots
• Rails
• Snipe
• Gallinules

The Pennsylvania Game Commission’s 2026–27 season announcement⁠ says commissioners excluded Sundays after surveying migratory-bird hunters and finding a slight preference for retaining the current structure so seasons could extend farther across the calendar.

The agency also cited federal frameworks under which Pennsylvania could not casually add and remove Sundays from migratory seasons each year.

That distinction matters because some headlines will inevitably reduce the change to “Pennsylvania legalizes Sunday hunting.” That is broadly true, but it does not mean a dove hunter can walk into a managed field this Sunday simply because the dove season opened today.

The current mourning dove season runs from September 1 through November 27, with another segment from December 18 through January 2. The daily limit is 15 and the possession limit is 45, but Sundays remain closed.

The early Canada goose season also opens September 1. Its dates and limits depend upon the applicable goose zone, and Sundays are again excluded.

Check the official Pennsylvania seasons and bag limits⁠ before heading out. A vague memory of somebody’s Facebook post is not a hunting regulation.

Pennsylvania’s Sunday Hunting Ban Was an Outdated Blue Law

Pennsylvania generally prohibited Sunday hunting beginning in 1873.

The old rule did not survive because wildlife becomes especially vulnerable after Saturday night. It survived because government is remarkably good at maintaining restrictions long after their original social justification has collapsed.

Pennsylvania hunters could drive, shop, attend professional sporting events, consume alcohol, fire guns at many ranges and perform countless other lawful activities on Sunday.

They simply could not hunt on most Sundays.

That made no conservation sense. Wildlife populations are managed through season lengths, bag limits, license allocations and restrictions on methods of take. If additional hunting days create an excessive harvest, the Game Commission can adjust those tools.

A blanket Sunday prohibition was not careful wildlife management. It was a leftover government rule supported by institutional inertia and the usual collection of people who believe their preferred use of the outdoors should control everybody else’s.

Sunday Hunting Matters to Working Families

The strongest argument for Sunday hunting was never complicated.

Most adults work during the week.

Most children attend school during the week.

Saturday may be consumed by youth sports, home repairs, family obligations or any of the other things that happen when people have lives outside the woods.

Under the old system, a person working Monday through Friday effectively received one practical hunting day each week. Someone required to work Saturday might receive none.

Sunday hunting does not force anyone to hunt. It gives working hunters another opportunity to use the licenses they purchased, access public land their taxes support and pass hunting traditions to their children.

That last part matters.

Politicians and state agencies regularly complain about declining hunter participation. Then government preserves arbitrary restrictions making hunting more difficult for ordinary working families.

You cannot maintain a hunting culture by making participation unnecessarily inconvenient and hoping another government-sponsored YouTube video will solve it.

People become hunters by going hunting.

More Hunting Days Do Not Mean Private Land Becomes Public

Repealing the Sunday prohibition does not create a right to enter somebody else’s land.

Private property remains private property every day of the week.

Act 36 also changed provisions concerning trespass while hunting. Whatever anyone thinks about Sunday hunting, there is no legitimate pro-gun or pro-hunting argument for ignoring a landowner’s boundaries.

Get permission before entering private land. Know where the property lines are. Respect posted signs and purple paint. Do not assume the permission you received ten years ago applies forever, and do not turn somebody else’s farm into your personal public range.

Hunters who trespass give every anti-hunting busybody exactly the story he wants.

Private gun ownership and private property rights belong on the same side.

The 2026 Pennsylvania Deer Seasons Include Sundays

The expanded Sunday structure will be especially important during Pennsylvania deer season.

For 2026–27, statewide archery deer season runs October 3 through November 20, then returns December 26 through January 24, 2027. WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D receive different archery dates beginning September 19.

The statewide regular firearms deer season runs November 28 through December 12.

Because Sundays falling inside those date ranges are now included, firearms deer hunters gain November 29 and December 6 as legal hunting days.

That is a substantial improvement over forcing hunters to sit home during the middle of a short firearms season because the calendar displayed the governmentally disfavored day of the week.

Pennsylvania also increased its statewide antlerless allocation to 1,469,000 licenses for 2026–27. Hunters still need the appropriate antlerless license or permit for each antlerless deer.

Sunday hunting did not abolish tagging requirements, antler restrictions or wildlife-management units. It only removed one stupid obstacle.

Use a Hunting Rifle You Can Actually Shoot

The additional day is valuable only if hunters arrive prepared.

Confirm the rifle’s zero before the season. Inspect the sling, optic mounts and ammunition. Practice from field positions instead of firing three rounds from a concrete bench and declaring yourself ready for the mountains.

A rifle does not become unsuitable for hunting merely because it began life as a military design or appeared in a Garand Thumb video. Plenty of practical hunting rifles have military ancestry.

I recently explained why the M1 Carbine can make a handy little hunting rifle⁠ where the cartridge is lawful and appropriate for the intended game. Firearm selection should be based on reliability, legal requirements, cartridge performance and the shooter’s ability—not somebody else’s aesthetic rules.

The same principle applies to handguns. My older Glock 40 10mm review⁠ discussed a long-slide pistol designed partly for hunting and woods use.

Use enough gun. Use lawful ammunition. Know the distance at which you can reliably place the shot.

More opportunity should produce more competent hunters, not more excuses.

Hunting Is Not a Privilege Government Invented

The Second Amendment protects the individual right to keep and bear arms. That right does not depend upon hunting, and gun owners should reject every dishonest attempt to reduce firearm ownership to a government-approved sporting activity.

Americans do not need to demonstrate a hunting purpose before owning an AR-15, carrying a handgun or keeping a firearm for home defense.

At the same time, hunting remains one of the oldest and most legitimate uses of privately owned firearms. It provides food, supports wildlife management, maintains practical marksmanship and connects another generation to firearms outside sterile political arguments.

Government does not deserve praise for finally returning an activity it had unnecessarily restricted since the nineteenth century.

Pennsylvania hunters and organizations spent years pushing this repeal through a political system that treats eliminating one outdated rule as though it were splitting the atom.

The credit belongs to them.

Pennsylvania Should Finish the Job

The 2026–27 expansion is a major victory.

Most Pennsylvania hunters will finally be able to hunt Sundays whenever their chosen game is in season. Working families gain more opportunities. Young hunters gain more chances to accompany parents and mentors. License buyers receive greater access to the seasons they help fund.

The migratory-bird exception should be reviewed honestly after the season, using harvest data and input from the hunters who actually participate.

If excluding Sundays genuinely provides better season timing preferred by waterfowl and dove hunters, the Commission should explain that tradeoff clearly. If it is merely another restriction being preserved because changing it requires effort, it should go.

For now, Pennsylvania hunters should take the win and use it.

Buy the license. Confirm the regulations. Ask permission. Check the zero. Take somebody new.

Then hunt Sunday without apologizing to anyone.

It was never the government’s day to withhold.

The CZ 75 is not being discontinued.

Three specific CZ 75 models are ending production during 2026:

• CZ 75 B
• CZ 75 BD
• CZ 75 Compact

That is significant news. These are classic metal-framed, hammer-fired pistols that helped build CZ’s reputation in the United States.

It is not the death of the entire CZ 75 family.

The CZ 75 SP-01, CZ 75 SP-01 Tactical, CZ 75 P-01 and CZ 75 D PCR are continuing. CZ has explicitly described this as a transition within the CZ 75 line, not the end of the platform. (americanrifleman.org, thetacticalwire.com)

Unfortunately, “CZ discontinues three models” does not generate as much panic as “CZ 75 DISCONTINUED FOREVER,” so gun YouTube thumbnails and social-media posts are already making the announcement sound much larger than it is.

Before paying a ridiculous panic-buying premium, understand what CZ actually announced.

Which CZ 75 Pistols Are Being Discontinued?

CZ is concluding production of the traditional CZ 75 B, CZ 75 BD and steel-framed CZ 75 Compact.

These are not obscure catalog fillers. They represent the relatively plain, traditional side of the CZ 75 family.

CZ 75 B

The CZ 75 B is the classic full-size, all-steel, double-action/single-action pistol with a manual safety.

Its basic configuration is old-fashioned in the best possible way. It does not have an accessory rail hanging from the dust cover. It does not arrive covered in interchangeable plastic panels. It does not need an optics plate, battery or software update.

It is a metal service pistol with excellent ergonomics, useful capacity and a design that has been proving itself for decades.

CZ’s 2025 catalog listed the CZ 75 B with a 4.6-inch barrel, 16-round standard magazine, steel frame and unloaded weight of approximately 35.2 ounces. (cz-usa.com)

CZ 75 BD

The CZ 75 BD is mechanically similar to the 75 B but replaces the manual safety with a decocking lever.

That distinction matters.

The traditional CZ 75 B can be carried with the hammer cocked and the safety engaged. The BD allows the shooter to safely lower the hammer using the decocker and fire the first shot double-action.

Neither system is universally better. They accommodate different preferences.

Some shooters prefer the positive manual safety and cocked-and-locked option. Others want a decocker and a longer double-action first trigger pull without needing to manually lower the hammer.

CZ is ending both traditional full-size versions.

CZ 75 Compact

The CZ 75 Compact is essentially the classic steel-frame concept reduced to a more concealable package.

It should not be confused with every other compact pistol bearing a CZ 75-related name. The P-01 and PCR are separate variants with different frames and features.

That confusion is already contributing to the false claim that CZ is abandoning compact CZ 75 pistols altogether.

It is not.

The steel-framed CZ 75 Compact is ending. The alloy-framed P-01 and PCR remain in the family.

Which CZ 75 Models Are Staying in Production?

According to CZ’s announcement, the continuing CZ 75 models include:

• CZ 75 SP-01
• CZ 75 SP-01 Tactical
• CZ 75 P-01
• CZ 75 D PCR

That leaves buyers with full-size and compact options, manual-safety and decocker options, railed and non-railed configurations, and pistols suited to competition, home defense and concealed carry.

The SP-01 is a full-size steel-framed pistol with a longer dust cover and accessory rail. The SP-01 Tactical replaces its manual safety with a decocker.

The P-01 provides a compact alloy frame and accessory rail. The PCR is also a compact alloy-frame pistol but maintains the cleaner, non-railed profile many traditional CZ shooters prefer.

In other words, the CZ 75 family is changing.

It is not disappearing.

Why Are People Panicking?

Because the CZ 75 B is the version many shooters picture when someone says “CZ 75.”

The original CZ 75 appeared during the 1970s. Its combination of a double-stack magazine, double-action/single-action trigger, comfortable grip and slide riding inside the frame established a design that would be copied and adapted across the firearm industry.

The B model became the familiar modern-production version.

Removing the 75 B from regular production therefore feels different from discontinuing some recently introduced variation that nobody bought.

It is like Ford announcing the end of a traditional Mustang configuration while assuring everyone the Mustang name will continue. Technically, the product family survives. Emotionally, buyers still recognize that something important is being lost.

That reaction is reasonable.

Claiming all CZ 75 production is ending is not.

Is the CZ 75 Obsolete?

No.

It is less aligned with current handgun fashion, but fashion and usefulness are not the same thing.

The modern pistol market heavily favors polymer frames, striker-fired actions, accessory rails and optics-ready slides. Those features reduce manufacturing expense, simplify training for large organizations and give manufacturers endless opportunities to release another nearly identical black rectangle.

The traditional CZ 75 B comes from a different philosophy.

Its steel frame provides weight that helps absorb recoil. Its grip shape fits many hands extremely well. Its low slide profile and internal slide rails contribute to the pistol’s distinctive handling. Its double-action/single-action system gives the shooter two trigger modes and the option of a manual safety or decocker, depending on the model.

None of those qualities stopped working because red-dot optics became popular.

The classic CZ does require more familiarity than the average striker-fired pistol. A shooter should understand the transition between the first double-action shot and subsequent single-action shots. Safety and decocker models should not be treated as interchangeable.

That is called learning to operate your firearm. It is not an unreasonable burden.

Should You Buy a CZ 75 B Before Production Ends?

If you already wanted one, this is probably the correct time to start looking.

If you did not want one until somebody posted “RIP CZ 75” over a black-and-white photograph, calm down.

CZ announced that production is concluding, but that does not mean every remaining pistol vanished from distributors overnight. It also does not establish that ordinary production guns will immediately become priceless collectibles.

There may be increased demand as buyers realize a familiar model is leaving the catalog. Dealers may sell existing inventory more quickly. Used prices may eventually reflect reduced supply.

None of that justifies handing a gun-store counter goblin an absurd premium because he printed the word “RARE” on a price tag.

Buy the gun because you want a traditional CZ 75.

Do not buy it because somebody with a shocked face in a YouTube thumbnail told you civilization has six hours remaining.

Which Discontinued CZ 75 Should You Choose?

The CZ 75 B is the obvious choice for someone who wants the most recognizable traditional configuration.

Choose the CZ 75 BD if you prefer a decocker and expect to keep the pistol hammer-down for a double-action first shot.

Choose the CZ 75 Compact if you specifically want the smaller steel-frame version and accept the additional weight compared with alloy-framed compact pistols.

For actual concealed carry, the continuing P-01 and PCR may make more practical sense because their alloy frames reduce weight. The P-01 also provides a rail for a weapon light.

That is similar to the choice discussed in my older Glock 19 or Glock 26 comparison. A smaller handgun is not automatically the better carry gun. Grip length, weight, capacity, shootability, holster selection and the owner’s willingness to practice all matter.

For home defense, the SP-01 and SP-01 Tactical remain strong full-size choices. Their accessory rails also make mounting a proper light easier than on the traditional 75 B or BD.

Buy the configuration that fits the intended job.

The Traditional CZ 75 Deserved Better Than a Quiet Exit

The CZ 75 B, BD and Compact deserved more than becoming victims of the industry’s endless march toward polymer frames, optic cuts and minor feature changes marketed as revolutions.

These pistols represent a period when a service handgun was expected to be substantial, durable and shaped around the human hand instead of a manufacturing spreadsheet.

CZ is entitled to streamline production and concentrate on models customers are currently buying. The continuing SP-01, P-01 and PCR models prove the company has not abandoned the CZ 75 system.

Still, ending regular production of the 75 B closes an important chapter.

It is fair to dislike that decision. It is fair to buy one while they remain available. It is even fair to use the announcement as an excuse to acquire another gun, although your spouse may reject the historical-preservation argument.

Just get the facts right.

The CZ 75 B, CZ 75 BD and CZ 75 Compact are ending production.

The CZ 75 is not dead.

A pistol design that influential does not disappear because three catalog numbers were retired. It continues in the models still being manufactured, the millions of pistols already owned, and the countless designs that borrowed its best ideas.

The classic CZ 75 is leaving regular production.

Its legacy is not going anywhere.