Germany Selects the CZ P-10 C as Their New Service Pistol - the P13

The CZ have announced that the Bundeswehr has selected the CZ P-10C OR FDE as the P13. The P13 will replace the P8A1, the Heckler & Koch USP, which entered service in 1994. CZ have described the selection as “one of the most significant milestones in its history.”

The P-10C is a striker-fired, short recoil, tilting barrel actioned service pistol, chambered in 9x19 with a standard magazine capacity of 15 rounds.

Introduced by CZ in 2017, the pistol has a 102mm (4in) barrel and an overall length of 187mm (7.4in). Unloaded, the pistol weighs in at 740g (26 ounces). The P-10C is already in service with the armed forces of the Czech Republic, having been adopted in 2020.

Jan Zajic, CZ CEO, told TFB that the new pistols “will be delivered in a configuration tailored to the Bundeswehr’s specific requirements and manufactured and tested in accordance with military specifications.” The P13 will have a flat dark earth finish and its slide will be cut ready for an optic.

The Bundeswehr has not yet announced if the pistols will be generally issued with a red dot sight as standard and if so which model of red dot will be issued. The P-10C OR reportedly beat out competition from Glock and Slovenia’s Arex.

“All the pistols for the German Bundeswehr will be produced in CZ’s production facility located in Uherský Brod, Czech Republic, which meets stringent quality and compliance standards. We maintain sufficient manufacturing processes and capacity to serve military and law enforcement as well as commercial customers worldwide”, explained Zajic. While local production of the pistols wasn’t a criterion in the Bundeswehr’s tender CZ noted that they will work closely with their partner in Germany, POL-TEC GmbH & Co., to fulfil the contract and provide comprehensive support to the Bundeswehr.

The quantity of pistols to be procured has not yet been announced by the German government but the order is expected to be significant, with CZ’s CEO Jan Zajic telling TFB that:

“We are honored that the German Bundeswehr has chosen CZ as its partner. Our success in this rearmament tender is one of the most significant achievements in CZ’s modern history. It clearly confirms the outstanding reputation our firearms have earned through active deployment in real combat conditions. We look forward to a long-term cooperation with the Bundeswehr and to fulfilling all its requirements in line with the contract.”