In this day of polymer-frame striker-fired pistols stamped out by the thousands, there is still a place for customized handguns, made with skill and detail. We recently elected to test two such 9mm handguns from custom shops, both being double-action-first-shot pistols with metal frames and hammer-fired mechanisms. For contrast, we also shot a Browning Hi-Power single-action pistol whose starting price alone could buy either of the first two pistols, but which had been customized over time with some important upgrades, including a redone finish and new sights. Are any of these custom guns worth the extra cost? What we found is, a trained marksman will benefit most from such handguns.

Our first gun was a Beretta/Wilson Combat 92G Centurion, $1250. The Wilson Combat gun is manufactured by Beretta under Wilson Combat specifications. The Beretta is admired by Bill Wilson, who has used it in IDPA competition. The primary advantage of the Beretta is its proven reliability. The 92G Centurion Tactical merges the company’s Brigadier Tactical enhanced frame with a 4.25-inch Centurion slide to create an everyday carry 9mm pistol. Many shooters know there are certain drawbacks to the stock Beretta 92 pistol. The sights are smaller than many other modern sights, and the grip frame is larger than some hands may accommodate. These shortcomings have been addressed in the Wilson Combat upgrade. Wilson Combat grips are thinner while maintaining a high level of adhesion and abrasion. Also, the pistol features the Wilson Combat Battlesight and a front sight with tritium insert.

Next was the Guncrafter Industries Executive CZ 75B, $1875. Guncrafter Industries has offered its own high-end 1911 for several years. The base CZ 75 features good fit, finish, and steel and is a good choice for an upgraded 9mm handgun, but the CZ 75 hasn’t received the same customizing attention as 1911 and Hi-Power pistols. Guncrafters offers customizations on the 75B, the SP01, 75 Compact, and Shadow 2. The CZ 75 variants are built on existing CZ 75 pistols. The pistol may be built on a decocker frame if desired, as packages may be built on customer-supplied guns. Others are in stock and ready to ship.

Our third gun was a Browning Hi-Power 1979 9mm Luger, $1860. This 1979 Browning Hi-Power was obtained for $1100 originally and modified several times, to the tune of another $760. That aggregate price could easily be the cost of a used Hi-Power in reasonable shape today, with no mods.

We saw pretty early that Beretta fans were going to purchase the Wilson Combat Beretta, and CZ fans would buy the Guncrafter Executive, although there were compelling differences between them.

How We Tested

As the test progressed and we weighed individual features between platforms, we saw there was another grading scale to consider. While the overall performance of one pistol against the others was most important thing to consider, the validity of each feature’s improvement over what appears on standard handguns had to be gauged as well.

We used four types of ammunition during the evaluation. First was the Winchester Active Duty full-metal-jacket (FMJ) load during the combat-firing test. We used Remington UMC FMJs, Hornady 115-grain XTP jacketed hollow points, and Federal 124-grain Punch jacketed hollow points when firing for accuracy.

During preliminary handling, we noted the magazines of all three pistols were more or less the same in handling and loading. The 17-round Beretta magazines were not difficult to load. The 20-round Beretta magazine was another story. It became difficult to load at the 15th round. Only by using a magazine loader were we able to get to 19 rounds, and two of the four raters — men of at least average strength — could not load the 20th round, even with the loader, without great difficulty. We gave up and elected to load the magazine to 19 rounds, sometimes 18. Considering the added bulk and length of the magazine, it isn’t really worth the effort.

Gun Tests Grade: A

$1875

Our GI-75 test gun featured the selective double-action type safety. The safety may not be applied if the pistol’s hammer is lowered. If the safety is applied with the hammer cocked, the safety locks the slide in place. The tactical imperative is to carry the pistol hammer down and fire with a double-action first shot. After the first shot, if you are moving or in a gun battle, the pistol may be placed on Safe if you prefer, rather than having to decock the hammer. It may be noted that the pistol offers both the single-action-cocked-and-locked Hi-Power format and the double-action-first-shot Beretta format.

Guncrafter Industries Executive CZ 75B

Here are some of the upgrades:

• Color-case-hardened frame with a clear Cerakote application
• Hot-salt-blued slide with polished flats
• Flush-cut and crowned barrel
• DLC-coated barrel and small parts
• Guncrafter Industries logo on the frame
• Guncrafter Industries Slim-Tac G10 Grips
• Action job with custom hammer

As noted above, our test gun’s frame was stamped with the Guncrafter logo. The case-hardened frame is gorgeous. A nice touch is a shortened and recrowned flush-fitting muzzle. This aids in accuracy potential, according to Guncrafter, and certainly makes the pistol’s looks distinctive. The 4.6-inch barrel developed slightly greater velocity than the Beretta 92 pistol. At 35 ounces, the GI-75B features modest recoil, even for a 9mm handgun. The sights are standard drift-adjustable CZ 75. While adequate for every chore we put the pistol to, the sights were rated fourth of the four pistols tested.

Beginning with an already-smooth action, Guncrafter improved the smoothness, reset, and crispness of both the double-action and single-action trigger presses. In DA mode, the trigger broke at a clean 9 pounds. Trigger compression was 4 pounds in single action. We have never tested a factory CZ 75 pistol with a comparable trigger action. The trigger action is very well done.

For personal defense involving rapid shooting, the Guncrafter-75 offered excellent results, slightly outpacing both the Beretta and the Hi-Power by a margin and completely outclassing the CZ Omega. The pistol was accurate enough when fired off the bench. The best 25-yard groups were around 2  inches.

Our Team Said: The Guncrafter Executive CZ 75 is a great-handling pistol with a refined muzzle crown and a superb trigger action that improve practical accuracy. After firing the pistol and handling it, we think it is much improved over a stock CZ 75B pistol. Again, we wouldn’t hesitate to buy this handgun.

9mm Luger Range Data

Value Guide: 9mm Luger Handgun Rankings