CZ USA began shipping the CZ 75 Legend to dealers nationwide in late May, delivering what may be the most significant collector-grade handgun release of 2026 — a modern-production replica of the original pre-B CZ 75 that helped define high-capacity pistol design when it debuted in Czechoslovakia in 1975. The Legend lists at $1,399 MSRP, with street prices settling around $1,239 at major dealers, and represents CZ's acknowledgment that the original platform has earned its own heritage line rather than just being grandfathered into current standard production.

The Legend is built on the same frame geometry as the first-generation CZ 75, meaning the slide runs inside the frame rails rather than outside them — the inverted configuration that gave the original CZ 75 a lower bore axis than most competing designs of its era. Frame dimensions are identical to the 1970s original, so period-correct bakelite grip panels can swap on without modification. CZ ships the Legend with polymer panels that match the original profile, and the all-steel construction maintains the slab-sided pre-B aesthetic that collectors have chased in the secondary market for decades.

The pre-B distinction matters beyond nostalgia. CZ added a firing pin block to the CZ 75 in the late 1980s when the design was updated to the "B" variant, and that mechanism introduced a component in the trigger train that most shooters perceive as additional friction in the pull. The Legend omits the firing pin block entirely, returning to the original's single-arm lever trigger geometry. CZ describes the resulting pull as comparable to what ships on the Shadow 2, the company's competition flagship, which commands a considerably higher price point. Capacity is 16+1 in 9mm Luger, keeping the platform competitive for practical use alongside its collector appeal.

CZ introduced the Legend at SHOT Show in January and spent the first half of 2026 ramping production ahead of a May shipping date. The Outdoor Wire distributed the official shipping announcement confirming dealer availability. Availability has been somewhat uneven given collector interest — some dealers moved their initial allocations quickly — but supply appears to be expanding as production volume increases.

The timing reflects a broader push by CZ's parent company, CSG CZ Group SE, to grow its U.S. market footprint across product tiers. Over the past two years, the group has absorbed Colt and Dan Wesson into its portfolio alongside ongoing investment in the CZ USA facility in Kansas City, Kansas. The Legend, priced for the enthusiast and collector segment rather than the everyday carry market, signals that CZ is comfortable competing on heritage alongside American brands that have long operated in that space.

For longtime CZ 75 owners, the Legend offers a factory-fresh version of the exact configuration many of them have been hunting on the pre-owned market for years, complete with current spare-parts support and a standard CZ warranty. For shooters new to the platform, it offers an entry into one of the most historically important handgun designs of the twentieth century with modern production quality and 16+1 capacity that keeps it practical alongside its collector credentials. The American Rifleman called it the rebirth of an icon in its coverage of the January announcement.