Eric_T

I'm a newcomer to the sport, and I've heard lots of people say the gun doesn't matter (much). But I didn't really believe it until I bought a Shadow 2 to replace my Glock 17. It's a sweet gun, and feels great to handle and to shoot, but I'm not going to move up to the next class because of it. Less muzzle flip is great, but it seems like if you have the technique to control the muzzle well enough on a Shadow 2, you'll also be able to control it well enough on a polymer gun. And now I have to be a lot more careful about sand and dust getting into it or into the magazines because it will jam a lot sooner than my Glock would, and I also can't shoot it in IDPA. But, like MuayThaiJJ said, it's supposed to be fun, shoot whatever the heck makes you happy.

+1 I'm in the same boat as OP. Was competing with a Glock and recently got a Shadow 2 OR. I met with our local GM for training, and this was one of the first things he had me do, after the grip was taken care of. Aim at a target with the finger just off the trigger, and when the beep starts, quickly pull through, with the goal of finishing before the beep ends. See what happens to your dot or sights, and adjust your grip and/or pull accordingly. I noticed improvement in DA accuracy after just a few reps.

Yeah, I think I understand the reason for it, I was just surprised since TTI's website says it will work with the stock parts. I assumed it meant it would work without any loss of function.

Thanks, I will look into it. TTI says it works with the stock spring and follower, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I suppose if I get a new spring, I might as well get the Grams kit and get another 2 rounds while I'm at it.

Hi everyone. I just got some TTI +4 basepads for my Mec-Gar 17 rd CZ magazines. I'm using the stock spring and follower, and I removed the bottom plate from the spring as per the instructions. After the change, I have trouble getting slide lock on the empty magazine. If I hold the pistol with the ejection port facing up, then the slide will lock back when I rack it on an empty magazine, but otherwise it doesn't catch. Is there some adjustment I can make to fix this?

They are both great guns. I have a Shadow 2 myself. It wasn't a practical decision, because I want to shoot IDPA from time to time, and the S2 is not legal in IDPA (too heavy), but I just really like the Shadow and decided to go with a gun that I'm excited about shooting and training with. I'd suggest you do the same, go with whichever one lights a bigger spark in your gut. Sounds like the X5 might fit you better out of the box, but with training you'll be able to adapt to either one, most likely.

I just received my Palm Swell Bogies yesterday, to replace the stock Shadow 2 grips. I have fairly large hands and wear 2XL gloves. The palm swell is great, I now have contact with my entire strong hand palm. Getting good weak hand contact is a challenge for me on every gun I've tried, but I'd say it's a little better with these grips since my strong hand fingers don't wrap around quite as far due to the increased width. My desk-jockey's hands definitely feel the bite from the texture, so I'll need to build up some callouses...

I only have about 500 rounds through my S2 so far, but here's my experience. I used 150gr Syntech in a match 2 weeks ago and it ran with no issues. I also tried some Blazer 147gr, again without problems. The only ammo I've had an issue with so far was 115gr Winchester USA Forged, which is steel cased. I am relatively new to the sport and don't reload yet, so I usually end up with a mish-mash of whatever factory ammo I can get my hands on.

I'm going to start using this phrase on a daily basis

I have seen it, shooter gets the muzzle in the holster and drops it in. Seems strange to me, I'm very careful when holstering after make ready, I don't want to shoot myself (or anyone else). With my carry gun, I put it in the holster before I put the holster on my person, for the same reason. Speaking of the USPSA rules, if they're going to change it, I'd rather that they just allow cocked and locked on DA/SA guns that don't have decockers in Production and CO. The gun is already cocked after we rack the slide, let's just put the safety on and be done with it, rather than having to tenderly lower the hammer on a loaded chamber.

I'm fairly new too, welcome. I recognized your nickname from HumbleMarksman's videos. Look forward to seeing you around here.

As someone who just invested in a Shadow 2 OR for Carry Optics, this is concerning. I wasn't aware of this potential drop issue until now. Is there anything I can do to mitigate the risk, besides putting on aggressive grips and being extra careful? This has me considering whether I should change platforms.

I have an SRO on the way, and ordered the OEM plate from the Czech Republic. https://www.cz-parts.com/cz-shadow-2-red-dot-plate-trijicon-rmr I haven't been able to find the OEM plate anywhere else but cz-parts.com. Maybe the CZ Store have them, but their website is still down, so who knows. It'll probably take a couple of weeks to get here, but I'll just shoot in Limited with the iron sights until then. Speaking of divisions, does anyone know if this baseplate is all I'd need to convert the 19-round magazines to Production-legal? https://benstoegerproshop.com/cz-magazine-basepad-base-plate-by-mec-gar/

I like Lowsc3's theory, seems to make sense since it only happens with the first round. It would be interesting to see if there's a difference between full mags and partially-loaded mags when the gun is cold.

You could always ask at the range, tell them you want to work on some competition drills and see what they say. My local indoor range has a no-draw rule as well, but the instructor there told me I could do it as long as the range isn't busy. They just don't want casual shooters seeing someone else doing it and decide to try it without any training.

I admire your ascetic approach. I'm excited to see how Luft Hanz performs in his next match.

I just ordered an S2 OR myself. Related question - do you have to switch to the standard 17-round base plates to run it in production?

Thinking of ordering a Shadow 2, and have been looking at the OR version. I don't own a red dot yet, but I like the idea of being able to add one without any machining. From what I've read here, the loss of the rear serrations is not such a big deal - do any of you run the OR version with irons in competition?

I recently started competing in IDPA with my Glock 17 Gen 5 in the production class (SSP in IDPA lingo). I've got two matches under my belt, and would have to agree with most of the advice here. I put on the Dawson Precision sights, which are wonderful by the way, and haven't changed anything else. The only additional things I would maybe consider at this point are the $0.25 trigger job and an extended mag release. Why? Because I have SOOO much improvement ahead of me in technique and execution that the equipment won't really make any difference. IF I get good enough to where I'm starting to come against the limits of my gear, and I'm still serious about competition, I'll probably want to switch to a competition gun anyway, like a Glock 34 or a CZ Shadow. Honestly, I can't see using a mostly stock G17 as being a handicap below the top 2-3 tiers of rankings. Things may be different in USPSA, but I think you get the drift. I'll be shooting in a USPSA match in a couple of weeks, if I change my mind about this, I'll post again ;)