Colion Noir Shoots the CZ TS3 Orange, a World Champion's Race Gun

Colion Noir spends this one shooting the CZ TS3 Orange, a race gun built for USPSA/IPSC limited optics and the pistol Eric Grauffel used to win his 11th IPSC World Championship. Noir isn't a match shooter, and he says that's exactly the point: this is a gun worth owning even if you never compete.

Key points

• The trigger: single action only, breaking around 1.3 pounds with adjustable take-up and overtravel, which Noir says is almost too good for a shooter used to polymer striker guns.
• The build: a one-piece machined steel frame with a cold hammer forged bull barrel brings the empty weight to about 3.25 pounds, nose-heavy enough that Noir says the muzzle barely flips.
• The ergonomics: an oversized gas pedal, deeper beavertail and trigger guard undercuts, G10 grips, and ambidextrous controls with a mag release adjustable to five positions.
• The optics setup: the slide takes RMR, RMSC, Delta Point Pro or Holosun K footprint optics directly, no plates, with 20+1 capacity in 9mm.
• The one gripe: Noir says the thin, flush safety is still hard for him to actuate despite CZ reshaping it, calling it his only real complaint on an otherwise excellent gun.

Quick take

Noir frames the TS3 Orange, starting at $3,549, as an "appreciative aspirational" gun, comparing it to buying a Porsche GT3RS you'll never track. You don't need to shoot a match to want the feeling this gun gives, and he argues that feeling alone justifies the price for people who already love shooting.

Watch the full video: Colion Noir