The CZ Scorpion is a gun that has many different variants, but they all hold one thing in common, they are great in close quarters. This is evident by the number of countries and law enforcement agencies around the world that rely on this gun. That all adds up to the CZ Scorpion, especially in its popular pistol configuration, being a great home defense tool for just about anyone.
I was lucky enough to get my hands on a CZ Scorpion EVO 3 S1 Pistol from the Guns.com Vault. It came with a few extra goodies that made it even more ideal for home defense. Let’s get into all the ways this gun is ideal for home defense.
Specs and Construction
The CZ Scorpion EVO S1 Pistol is a compact package that measures 16 inches in overall length with a 7.72-inch barrel. The size, coupled with the low recoil of 9mm, means this gun is not only effective but fun to shoot as well. The gun is made from a fiber-reinforced polymer, which cuts down on the weight. It weighs in at 5 pounds but doesn’t feel that heavy in the hands.
On this particular model, we have sling swivels on both the left and right side of the gun, though CZ ditched the swivels on the left side on current production models. It features an ambidextrous mag release as well as an ambi selector switch. There is a full-length Picatinny rail on top along with three rails on the sides and bottom of the handguard. This allows for the mounting of many different accessories, including lights, which could aid in home defense.
Speaking of handguards, this pistol configuration comes with a hand stop and flash hider standard from CZ. The 1/2x28mm threads allow you to put a suppressor on this to make it quieter and even more suitable for home defense.
The Extra Goodies
Because this is a Guns.com Certified Used Gun, it comes with some extra special goodies on top, and this is where we start to see the accessories shine. For starters, this one comes with a Primary Arms SLx 1x20 Prism scope with the ACSS Cyclops reticle. This is an easy scope to throw on top of the gun and gives an easier sight picture than the included CZ sights.
The next upgrade for this gun is the SB Tactical SBT5KA stabilizing brace. This is a great upgrade for the added stability and ease of use. Deploying the brace is as easy as pushing a button, and the pistol still functioned well when the brace was folded over. It should be noted that the performance wasn’t 100-percent perfect when the stock was folded, and we had a few failures to extract. But when the brace was deployed the pistol ran flawlessly.
The final big-time upgrade to this gun is the addition of the Franklin Armory binary trigger. While this may not be a huge upgrade for home defense, it makes the gun a ton of fun to shoot and is a welcome way to spend lead on an afternoon.
This particular certified used gun also comes with three 30-round mags and two 20-round mags. This makes going to the range with this pistol extra fun because you can spend more time shooting and less time reloading.
Why Is This a Great Home Defense Gun?
The CZ Scorpion in all of its configurations is a great home defense gun because its lightweight, soft-recoiling, and accurate with its 7.72-inch barrel. Besides those great attributes, this gun also has the ability to take 30-round magazines, which are readily available and affordable. The flash hider proved to work very well, another big plus for a home defense gun. The ability to add a light via the Picatinny rail also bodes well for this being an effective tool in broad daylight or the pitch black of nighttime.
The addition of aftermarket parts, which are both widely available and relatively affordable, makes customizing this gun very easy. This is like the AR-15’s smaller cousin. Dress it up however you like, and it’s sure to get the job done well. While 9mm doesn’t have the force of 5.56, it's more than enough to get the job done in the close quarters of most Americans’ homes. When using quality defensive ammunition, it also has less of a chance of over-penetration through walls when compared to the larger and more powerful 5.56 ammo.
The Gamechanger
The addition of the brace takes the gun from good to great. I was able to shoot the gun very effectively and accurately with the brace folded over in its “native pistol form,” but deploying the brace made rapid follow-up shots that much easier. When folding the brace over, you get an even more compact package for the tight confines of the home.
The fact that the brace is also easy to use and can deploy rapidly is another big plus. There were no hang-ups trying to get the brace deployed – other than the few failures to eject when it was folded over. I had no complaints about the functionality. If you are concerned about ejection issues with the brace being folded, then you can take solace knowing that SB Tactical makes several variants ready for the Scorpion.
Conclusion
We put 500 rounds of Sellier & Bellot through this pistol. Other than the few failures to eject when the brace was folded over, it ran without interruption. If you’re looking for a 9mm home defense pistol, then the CZ Scorpion would be a great choice. It allows for a lot of customization in a compact package that shoots accurately and is easy to manipulate. That’s a combo that is tough to beat for home defense.
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