The Bundeswehr, the German Armed Forces, has a history of fielding German-made firearms. After all, German firearms manufacturers are some of the best in the world, with Oberndorf-based Heckler & Koch being among the world’s largest manufacturers. With this in mind, it might be a bit of a surprise that the Bundeswehr announced the selection of the Czech-made CZ P-10C as the new German service pistol.
Related: The new special operations rifle takes the classic M4 to the next level
Previous Bundeswehr pistols include the Walter P38-derived P1 and the legendary H&K USP (as the P8), the A1 version of which is being replaced by the CZ as the P13. While the Germans have used foreign pistols in the past (including the ubiquitous Glock 17), the CZ P-10C represents the first adoption of a foreign pistol as a standard-issue sidearm. Interestingly, CZ’s competition in the final round was Austria’s Glock and Slovenia’s AREX, while H&K was not even in the running.
On Dec. 18, 2025, CZ announced that the company had “achieved one of the most significant milestones in its history” with the selection of the P-10C by the Bundeswehr. The specific model selected to serve as the P13 is the optics-ready version with a flat dark earth finish. Of course, the pistol is chambered in 9x19mm in accordance with NATO standardization… looking at you, M7 rifle.
Otherwise, the P-10C is a fairly ordinary pistol by modern standards. It features a 4-inch barrel, a tilting barrel action, a short-recoil system, and is striker-fired. The pistol’s polymer frame includes an accessory rail and interchangeable backstraps, the barrel is cold-hammered forged, and the standard iron sights are night sights.
Feeding from a standard 15-round magazine, the P-10C can also use CZ’s extended magazines, including the 17-round magazine, as well as magazines for the CZ P-07 pistol. The P-10C was adopted by the Army of the Czech Republic in 2020.
“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,” said CZ CEO Jan Zajic in a press release. “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.”
Neither CZ nor the Bundeswehr announced the quantity or value of the P13 contract, nor did they provide a specific delivery timeline. However, the Bundeswehr has been undergoing an accelerated process of modernization since the 2022 full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. While sidearms do not contribute as much to combat power as artillery or rifles, the awarding of the P13 contract is still a significant step toward German military readiness.
