CZ-USA Shadow 2 91255 9mm Luger

The Shadow 2 is built for speed and accuracy, with many competition features, including extended magazine-release button, modified grip for a higher hold, a superb trigger, and user-friendly sights.

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GUN TESTS GRADE: A

$1119

This was a recent price at OakHillGuns.com. The CZ Shadow 2 is a competition-ready variant of the legendary and iconic DA/SA CZ-75 pistol, but heavier with a steel frame and full dust cover. It weighs 46.5 ounces, and that helps the user to stabilize the pistol during recoil. Unlike most DA/SA pistols, the Shadow 2 has no de-cocking lever, but it does have a traditional thumb safety that allows the pistol to be carried in a variety of conditions: cocked and locked like a 1911 (Condition 1) or DA/SA with the hammer down on a loaded chamber, requiring a double-action first shot (Condition 2).

Action Type Locked breech semiauto, short recoil, double action/single action
Overall Length 8.5 in.
Overall Height 5.6 in.
Maximum Width 1.3 in.
Weight Unloaded46.5 oz.
Barrel Length4.8 in.
Capacity 17+1 (double stack)
Slide Blued steel
Slide-Retraction Effort 12.0 lbs.
FrameUrban Grey polycoat steel
Frame Front Strap Height 2.5 in.
Frame Back Strap Height3.2 in.
GripsCheckered aluminum black
Grip Thickness (max)1.1 in.
Grip Circumference (max) 5.5 in.
Front Sight Fiber-optic tube
Rear SightAdj. U-notch
Trigger Pull Weight DA 10.0 lbs.
Trigger Pull Weight SA 4.0 lbs.
Trigger Span DA3.0 in.
Trigger Span SA2.6 in.
Magazines 3; steel
Safety Thumb, ambidextrous
Warranty 1 year finish; 5 year parts
Made In Czech Republic
Website CZ-USA.com

CZ pistols have a cult-like following. It is not nearly as well known as the Glock or Colt, and that’s because it was designed in the 1970s in Czechoslovakia — now the Czech Republic — during the Cold War, and not many were imported into the U.S. Since then, the CZ-75 has been copied by many manufacturers.

The CZ-USA Shadow 2 has an excellent grip for a high hold to better manage recoil. Notice how low the slide sits in the frame.

Part of the uniqueness of the CZ-75 platform is that the slide rides inside the frame rails. Nearly every other semi-auto pistol currently produced uses a slide that rides on the outside of the frame. This feature slightly lowers the bore axis, so recoil and muzzle flip are reduced. What some users don’t like about the slide-inside-the-frame-rails design is that there is less slide surface area for the user to grasp and manipulate the slide. It takes training to get used to. The Shadow 2 has this slide/frame set up, and the slide on the Shadow 2 is also angled, no doubt to whittle weight off the pistol, so there is even less real estate on which the user may grasp the slide. To make slide manipulation easier, the Shadow 2 has coarse slide serrations for more texture.

Field-stripping the CZ-USA Shadow 2 is a simple task, with no tools required.

It also has a higher beavertail and undercut trigger guard. This means the user’s hand can be as close to the bore axis as possible. With the slide machined with angled sides, most of the reciprocating slide mass is centered on the bore, not above the bore, so there is less muzzle flip, which we confirmed in testing.

The slide is fitted with target sights, a fiber-optic front sight that is pinned in place and serrated. The rear is also serrated and click-adjustable for elevation and drift-adjustable for windage. The edges of the rear sight were rounded and smooth, so you may sling-shot the slide after a reload. We also liked the fact that the corner edges of the rear sight were chamfered, so our eye focused toward the center of the rear sight.

On the CZ, the rear sight was serrated to cut glare, and the edges were rounded if you do a sling-shot-style slide manip-ulation during a reload, the edges won’t cut your palm.

The frame is much different than a stock CZ-75’s. First, the front and rear gripstraps are nicely checked and offer a sure grip. Second, the undercut trigger guard allows a higher grip on the gun so you can better manage recoil. Third, the extended beavertail offers protection from slide or hammer bite. The grips are blended with the frame, so there are no edges for the user’s hand to chafe on during extended firing sessions. We really liked how the Shadow 2 felt in hand.

Other features are an oversized and squared trigger guard, low-profile slide stop, and manual thumb safety, which give the user confidence yet are not in the way. The magazine release is oversized and the height can be adjusted. We liked this magazine release a lot.

The CZ field-strips easily. Just align the tick marks on the left side of the pistol, use the magazine to push out the slide stop from the right side of the frame, and the slide assembly comes off. Easier than the Colt, but not as fast as the LWD.

The trigger is really the icing on the cake. The trigger is smooth in DA and crisp and breaks cleanly in SA. DA pull weight is 10 pounds but feels less, and in SA, the trigger breaks at 4 pounds. Trigger reset is super fast, and we found ourselves shooting double taps fastest with the CZ. The trigger face is smooth. This is an excellent trigger, and even our devoted 1911 tester liked the feel of the DA/SA trigger.

On the CZ, the rear grip strap is checkered, and the thin aluminum grip panels are smoothly blended into the frame. The mag release is large and height adjustable.

In the box with the Shadow 2 were three steel-body magazines with polymer floorplates, a cleaning rod, and brush. We appreciated the three magazines. Our sample wore an Urban Grey Polycoat on the frame and a matte-black nitride finish on the slide. The grips were thin, textured black aluminum. In hand, the Shadow 2 feels thin and not chunky like some double-stack 9mm pistols. In fact, when we measured the thickness of the CZ’s grip (1.1 inches), it was thinner than the Colt (1.3 inches), which is a single stack. We give credit to CZ for engineering the grip to be accommodating to many hand sizes without compromising on magazine capacity, which is 17 rounds.

Going live at the range, we found the CZ to be the easiest of the pistols to shoot due to the trigger, sights, grip, and weight. It was also the most accurate of the three pistols tested. Our best five-shot group at 25 yards measured 0.69 inches with Armscor’s 124-grain FMJs. The 115-grain Defender and handload ammo had best groups a hair over 1 inch. In speed shooting, the CZ excelled with fast split times.

Our Team Said: The Shadow 2 is a very capable competition pistol that makes shooting easier due to the pistol’s ergonomics, excellent trigger and weight. We would not hesitate to purchase this pistol.

Range Data

Hornady Sub Sonic 147-grain XTPCZ Shadow 2LWD Timber Wolf TWF-FColt Gold Cup
Average Velocity 986 fps978 fps979 fps
Muzzle Energy317 ft.-lbs.312 ft.-lbs.313 ft.-lbs.
Smallest Group1.32 in.1.54 in.1.63 in.
Average Group1.95 in.2.09 in.2.18 in.
Defender Target/Practice 115-grain RNCZ Shadow 2LWD Timber Wolf TWF-FColt Gold Cup
Average Velocity 1153 fps1160 fps1171 fps
Muzzle Energy340 ft.-lbs.344 ft.-lbs.350 ft.-lbs.
Smallest Group1.08 in.1.45 in.1.80 in.
Average Group1.69 in.1.92 in.2.07 in.
Armscor 124-grain FMJCZ Shadow 2LWD Timber Wolf TWF-FColt Gold Cup
Average Velocity 1106 fps1101 fps1109 fps
Muzzle Energy337 ft.-lbs.334 ft.-lbs.339 ft.-lbs.
Smallest Group0.69 in.1.43 in.1.90 in.
Average Group1.50 in.1.75 in.2.01 in.
Handload 115-grain JHPCZ Shadow 2LWD Timber Wolf TWF-FColt Gold Cup
Average Velocity 1268 fps1263 fps1281 fps
Muzzle Energy411 ft.-lbs.407 ft.-lbs.419 ft.-lbs.
Smallest Group1.09 in.2.10 in.2.20 in.
Average Group1.85 in.2.30 in.2.26 in.

VALUE GUIDE: COMPETITION HANDGUN RANKINGS

GUN NAMEISSUEGRADECOMMENTS
Walther Q5 Match Steel Frame 2830001 9mm Luger, $1277Nov. 2019A-We liked the grip, which made the Q5 a soft shooter. The ability to mount a red-dot sight makes it versatile.
Springfield 1911 Range Officer PI9129LP 9mm Luger, $744Nov. 2019A-In our opinion, this would be a good, inexpensive option for certain shooting competitions.
Arex Rex Alpha REXALPHA9-01 9mm Luger, $999Nov. 2019F/AThe slide sheared off the hammer. The retest in the November 2020 issue went very well.
Colt Gold Cup National Match O5870A1 45 ACP, $1190May 2019AOur Pick. The National Match Colt is the most accurate handgun tested by a considerable margin.
SIG Sauer Traditional Match Elite 1911T-45-TME 45 ACP, $1050May 2019DThis pistol needed a little help out of the box. That said, the SIG is accurate and handles well.
Glock G34 Gen5 MOS PA3430103MOS 9mm Luger, $710Apr. 2019AThe Glock 34 has good features, and we feel that the Gen5 guns are the company’s best yet.
Springfield XD(M) 4.5 9mm Luger XDMT9459FDEHCE, $505Apr. 2019AOur sole complaint was we had trouble loading the magazines to capacity.
CZ-USA CZ P0-9 91620 9mm Luger, $402Apr. 2019BBest Buy. This isn’t the competition pistol you are looking for, but it is a good personal-defense handgun.
FNH FNS-9L Longslide 66725 9mm Luger, $570Apr. 2019BHeavier trigger. Accuracy wasn’t as good as the other handguns in the test.
Glock G35 Gen3 PI3530103 40 S&W, $560July 2018ATested with a Double Diamond Threaded Barrel, $160, and Magpul PMAG 27 GL9, $22.
S&W PC M929 170341 9mm Luger, $1189Sep. 2017AHad all the bells and whistles one would expect in a S&W Performance Center competition revolver.
Springfield Armory 1911 RO PI9129LP 9mm Luger, $704Sep. 2015AFor the dedicated target shooter, we think the Range Officer is the better choice.
Springfield Armory Loaded T’gt PI9134LP 9mm Luger, $873Sep. 2015AFor the tactical shooter, the practical advantages of the stainless Loaded Target make it a better buy.
S&W Champion Model 625-8 JM 160936 45 ACP, $979Jan. 2015A-We would not hesitate to purchase the 625-8 JM and use it in competition. It was a pleasure to shoot.
Ruger GP100 Match Champion Revolver 1754 357 Mag., $899Dec. 2014A-The double-action trigger as delivered was smooth and light enough to satisfy most competitive shooters.
S&W Pro Series 686 SSR 178012 357 Mag. Revolver, $999Dec. 2014B+The 686 SSR is pretty much ready to go for IDPA Stock Service Revolver competition.
H&K P30L Variant 3 Long Slide M730903L-A5 9mm, $1108June 2012A-The “light” LEM Variant 1 would be our choice for competition use.
Glock G34 Gen 4 9mm Luger, $649June 2012A-The grip frame provided greater stability, in our view, and felt recoil seemed more consistent, too.
S&W M&P 9 Pro Series 178010 9mm Luger, $670June 2012B+Overall, we liked the natural point and handling characteristics of the M&P9 Pro Series pistol.
CZ USA SP-01 Shadow Custom No. 91029 9mm Luger, $1200Feb. 2012AWith the DA trigger all but melted into the single-action chain of fire, this is an exciting gun to shoot.
CZ USA 75 CTS LSP 91710 9mm Luger, $1450Feb. 2012AWe would have liked this pistol more if its DA trigger felt as light as the one on our SP-01 Custom.
Springfield Armory XDM 5.25 Competition 9mm Luger, $865Feb. 2012A-Friendly grip, great sights, easy-to-work-on recoil system, a bag full accessories, a great value.
Glock Model G34 9mm Luger, $679Feb. 2012B+The G34 fits perfectly into the Practical Shooting scene.

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