CZ P-09 F Nocturne First Impressions

Handgun Reviews, Holsters and CCW
cz nocturne, cz p-09, cz p-09 nocturne, p-07, p-09, p-10 c, p-10 f

The CZ P-09 F Nocturne & CZ P-09 C Nocturne have just recently been released and lots of our customers are asking for holsters and a review of the gun. We are here to serve. This will be a pretty simple blog about the CZ P-09 F Nocturne, due to the fact that the CZ P-09 F Nocturne is a aesthetically modernized, but internally the same as the predecessor, the P-07 and P-09.

Ergonomics and Controls of the CZ P-09 F Nocturne

The ergonomics of the CZ P-09 F Nocturne are certainly a slight improvement over the original P-07 and P-09. We say they are improved, but more aesthetically than mechanically. They have added a more modern “randomized stipple” over the older styled texturing.

The CZ P-09 F Nocturne slide has seen an upgrade. The faceting is nice, has SIG P320 vibes to it though. The rib-caging of the slide serrations are nice. Press-checking from the front of the slide, and top of the slide is very easy. They are very aggressive serrations. They added cut-away in the grip to be able to grab onto the magazine baseplates easier than the older models.

The decocker and slide stop got a facelift. We don’t really see any improvements in the facelift. The MIM slide stop is a bit more useful than the predecessor, but is a very rough finished MIM. This could be intentional, as the surface finish and texturing looks unfinished, it could offer better grip for the end-user.

Shooting the CZ P-09 F Nocturne

I’m not going to elaborate too much more on how the CZ P-09 F Nocturne feels to shoot. Because it is still sprung the same way and has the same fire control unit, the CZ P-09 F Nocturne isn’t a different performer than the CZ P-09.

Optics Compatibility of the CZ P-09 F Nocturne

The CZ P-09 F Nocturne comes with a RMSC direct mount optic cut. Again, slightly disappointed with the choice of cut. I wish it was an optic plate System like the CZ P-10 OR series. Alas, it is not. The only positive about the cut that they used, is if you are a fan of the Holosun EPS or Holosun EPS Carry line of optics; this slide is a perfect home for that optic.

Right Handed Quick Ship Appendix with Claw

Otherwise, there’s not a ton of variety of optics out there that fit this exact footprint on a full size gun like the CZ P-09 F Nocturne. I would greatly prefer having a full size or competition sized optic on this gun. And the HOLOSUN EPS is the front runner for an optic on this platform.

Trigger of the CZ P-09 F Nocturne

The trigger of the CZ P-09 F Nocturne has not improved since the original CZ P-09. It is still a mediocre shooting experience with the Omega Fire Control Unit system installed. They did not improve any of the fire controls or the internals. It is a mushy amalgamation that needs modernized Improvement.

Holster Compatibility of the CZ P-09 Nocturne

The gun was originally advertised by CZ as backwards compatible with older style holsters for the p07 p09. We learned that that isn’t completely true. The facets on the slide are much different and the facets on the CZ P-09 F Nocturne stop shorter than the CZ P-07 and CZ P-09. We believe that the older model pistols are backwards compatible in CZ P-09 F Nocturne holsters. What we have done is overlaid the old 3D model with the new 3D model of the CZ P-09 F Nocturne. And we’re going to make a holster that fits both generations of pistol rather than hoping that the Nocturne series will fit the predecessor holsters. I’m not going to complain about holster fitment. You can’t revamp a firearm and expect it to fit the same old style holsters.

Closing Thoughts on the CZ P-09 F Nocturne

Closing thoughts on the CZ P-09 F Nocturne are that it is more of an aesthetic Improvement with a direct mount optic over the predecessor series CZ P-07 and P-09. There is not much more other than aesthetics and a handful of exterior mechanical improvements done to the CZ P-09 F Nocturne. There was a huge opportunity for CZ to upgrade the Omega System and create something so much better and updated, but they dropped the ball there. Outside of looking nice and feeling nice in the hand, shooting it isn’t much different than shooting the older style CZ P-07 and CZ P-09. If you’re a super fan of the CZ brand definitely pick one up; but if you are a person that is new to the brand, we suggest starting with something more iconic and nicer out of the box, like a CZ SP-01 Tactical.